I live just outside Harrogate in Yorkshire. I am married to Gill, who is also a keen walker,
and we have a 7 year old daughter called Issy. I am an Electrical Engineer by profession and
have worked for National Grid Company for 16 years. Gill is a Vet (by profession, not age) and
has worked for a local practice in Harrogate for 9 years. After doing the steady career thing and
got ourselves into a bit of a rut, we both decided (after some careful planning you understand)
to pack it all in and change our lives. We both finished our respective jobs at the end of March.
Scary!
This, of course, presented me with the long awaited opportunity for my big walk, given a huge dose of understanding and support from Gill. She has been a star and actively encouraged me to 'get it out of my system' from the moment I suggested it.
I have done a lot of walking and climbing in the UK. I love Scotland and have ticked off over 170 munro's, many of which have been done in winter during our annual February pilgrimage with a group of friends. I am a mediocre rock climber, having lead upto E1 on our local Yorkshire Grit and over in the Lake District. I also play golf, being a member of Pannal Golf Club (8 handicap).
I have long held an ambition to do a big walk. A walk that is long enough for its passage to become a way of life. I had a hint of this when I did the Pennine Way 16 years ago; that's where I met Gill so she understands the long walk thing. We took a leisurely three weeks over it, but I had been told that it's only when weeks merge into months that you truely become immersed in a walk and the country through which it passes.
I love walking in the mountains. I don't really know why, but there is something deeply satisfying about it. The constant change of location and altitude means that the view is always changing, and the fickle mountain weather means that the light is constantly shifting too. Great for photography! And of course the exercise gets those Endomorphins pumping round your body...the feelgood factor!
The Pyrenean High Level Route has been the focus of my big walk ambition for about 10 years. The Pyrenees seem to offer just the right balance of civilisation, wilderness and spectacular mountain scenery. The route has definitive start and end points; there is something very satisfying about walking from coast to coast. The water can be drunk from mountain streams without too much risk of tummy bugs (given the usual precautions), and it's relatively easy to get there. I considered some of the GR routes as alternatives, but I was after the BIG challenge so it had to be the HRP.
Well I hope to find work as a consultant engineer. I expect to earn less but have more control over my life. If you love the outdoors, you don't need to earn a fortune. Perhaps its a dream, but there's only one way to find out.