I am someone who likes fresh air and countryside and what better way to enjoy that than hiking? I mostly make videos to have as mementos, but if anyone else can get enjoyment from them, then all the better!
I do a mixture of short walks with a day sack and some longer distance hikes with a backpack. My aim is to try and complete all the National Trails. So far, I’ve only finished one, but it was the longest and allegedly toughest - the Southwest Coast Path. I have done some of the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and a few chunks of the Ridgeway ( not recorded on film ).
I’m not interested in being the quickest, lightest or most talkative. I’ll record something if there is a nice view, how I’m finding the walk or if I’ve got something interesting to say, but you are not likely to find hours and hours of me dribbling on about nothing.
You may notice that I like the odd beer or two and consequently my beer belly!
I hope your family issues have stabilised. Thanks for this video, I lived in Chitterne for about 6 months when I was 4 years old and I've never been back (I live in Ireland now), I have overly romantic notions about it and wanted to see if I recognised anything after 40 years, and.......no, not really! My memories are of a kind of village green where you could see the soldiers parachuting onto Salisbury Plain (terribly impressive to a 4 year old boy) with a road, then a patch of grass and some houses set back from it (near the church? Maybe?). Of course that could describe most villages in England and a lot will have changed in 40 years, but I don't remember that pub, for example - not that I was downing many pints when I was 4, I'm not that Irish. Thanks for the video, and I laughed at the bullocks joke!
Great videos! Enjoying watching your journey. I am here as I am planning to venture the southwest coastal path possibly in late April the beginning of May 25. Can I ask what camera are you using? 📸🥾
Hi, thanks for your comments. Good to be appreciated. I had an Insta 360 X2 for the moving shots and a DJI Pocket 2 for the talking shots, plus the odd bit on my iPhone.
You soon get used to weight on your back too ive noticed. I did hikes with stupid weight when i started out, and even then after a couple of days was smashing it like Andy McNab on the Brecons.
Really enjoying your journey on here mate . Its getting me well in the mood fr this Saturdays start. Like how you add the graphics at the end too, very helpful as this is my first time on the SWCP, and im now 60. Ex Infantry Soldier, so have some knowledge,experience about tough long distance 'tabs' . And of course Wild Camping. A big part of these long walks is mental attitude, and i can see you have that in abundance mate. Well done..Hope you raised lots £££
Excellent informative videos of your journey mate,thanks for sharing. Hope you raised lots for mind? Mental health is do not under funded these days .., I start the SWCP on Saturday, so at 60,so i will probably be more outa breath than you were at the early stage..😅. Im aEx army Infantry Soldier, obviously not as fit now, but i know its about mental strength as well as physical. Im wild camping all of it in one go,. But not sticking to any itinerary like the 52 days plan. I give myself 3 months to complete it, thus i can relax and enjoy its beauty along the way, no presure ot time constraint to get booked hotels,campsites on time.. I also got my rucksack down to 15kg. Thats with a few days food included,and jetboil stove fr brews. So am so looking forward to getting away fr first time in 20 years, due to suffering mentally from ptsd. Sim hoping this journey eill help me in my recovery...Great videos mate..👍
Mikhael, Bon voyage. You’ll love it, especially if the weather plays kind. I can definitely say that walking the path and backpacking, helps clear the mind of the clutter of life. All you end up thinking about is putting one foot in front of the other and where you are going to get food/water and where to pitch your tent. Nothing else matters! One bit of advice, allow yourself the odd night in accommodation, as a treat. Three months wild camping is tough doing by anyone’s standard, so it won’t be cheating to have a night under a roof now and again! Best wishes and thanks for the kind comments. Andy
@@andyshikes3425 Thank you for advice, appreciated. Yes will definitely fit In a few B&B treats to rest/ recuperate. Best thing is I'm under no time constraints,so can do as little mileage per day as possible, especially at beginning, and even staying in a place for few days. Thanks for sharing videos mate,such an abundance of information,advice,help..👍🙂
I know it would of been cheating but, you must admit, that it would of been a lot faster if you just walked accross the Tor estery. Im sure the temptation was there.
Glad to see you back on track Andy! Perfect way to let off some steam and certainly glad that thunderstorm didn't derail you. 😉 As always, looking forward to the next trail. 🚂💨
It’s one of the finest LDP in the UK and I started at Minehead and got to Polperro with the last stretch to Poole Harbour to be undertaken at some stage . My pal and I used to spend 2 weeks every year on the path using a small van with all supplies , camping kit etc which we would drive along in stages and using public transport and hitchhiking. We camped on ‘ official’ sites, bunk houses, h youth hostels and occasionally B& B. I can highly recommend using the Luggage Transfer Service that operates the whole coastal path and will collect and deliver your kit wherever you need it . All you do is supply the transfer company with your itinerary and they will come up with a costing . Very useful if you don’t want or need to hump all your kit every day. If you choose this option you can walk freely and easily with just a day sack .
Great videos, really enjoyed them. Quick question, could you have gone without your cook kit? I'm setting out on the swcp this month and am in two minds whether to ditch it. Thanks again.
Hi Dave, personally, I really can’t start the day without a cup of tea, so the ability to boil water was a must for me. However, I only ‘ate in’ three times during the whole walk, so didn’t really need the cook kit for food heating! Mind you, eating out all the time made the whole trip quite a bit more expensive than I originally expected ( I might have had the odd beer or two as well)!
Hi Phil, in the beginning, my pack weighed 20.5kg ( with food & water). Along the way, I sent quite a bit of stuff home, but even so, I only got it down to 16.4kg! I chose to carry the extra weight of a 2 person tent and a few other ‘luxury’ items, to make camping more comfortable, that most others wouldn’t bother with!
I knew Port Isaac was going to be busy, but I was quite surprised at how many ‘Doc Martin’ fans there were. There was even several security men dotted about the village, which I thought was a bit over the top. I didn’t want to be in amongst the throngs for a second longer than I had to, so I just sort of put my head down and marched through them. I continued on the official coast path route out of the village, with dozens of people heading towards me. I assumed they must have just been on an official guided tour of Doc Martin’s house, which was coming up. The road went quiet, but there was another crowd of people outside the ‘house’. I continued on, not interested in hanging around near any crowds. I really wasn’t really paying attention, because I failed to notice the ‘camera crew’. As I approached the ‘house’ imagine my surprise when stood outside was Martin Clunes suited and booted in character as Doc Martin, just about to do a take! Needless to say, I quickly made my escape before I got shouted at!
@@andyshikes3425 LOL That's great. I recognized where you were immediately, as I'm a fan, but assumed that was a cardboard cut-out at what would now be a tourist attraction. Then I saw him move!! You were gutsy!!
Thanks for the info! What gear did you use on the coast path? Did you have any trouble with the winds regarding your tent? I'm planning on doing part of it in june. I'm also really curious about if you find yourself warm enough at nighttime in the tent (planning on buying some new gear). :)
Hi, I had an MSR Hubba Hubba NX2 tent, which is a two person tent. I like to have a bit more room than a one person tent offers. That tent is pretty good in strong winds. However, if you are walking in June, you will be very unlikely to get a storm, so wind shouldn’t be an issue. I was very lucky with the weather when I did my thru hike and only had one cold evening. Make sure you buy a decent mattress with good insulation, because that prevents cold rising up from the ground. Air temperature’s should be fine in June. I had a sleeping quilt rated to 0*c and was plenty warm enough.
I used my 32 year old Wild Country Trisar + tent which is not lightweight by today’s standards but as I wasn’t carrying tent each and every day it was perfect
Brilliant video sir thank you I’m attempting this walk late April I intend to walk 20 odd miles a day ish sometimes less being ex infantry my ego probably won’t allow this with my severe traumatic injury I suffered after Afghanistan in 2011 I’m just wondering how long should it take me if every night I stay in local BnB to charge my phone n because of that is there a sat nav on my phone with map I can follow to not get lost appreciate any advice.👍
Thanks Daniel. It took me 53 days, averaging about 13 miles a day, with 3 days off and 3 half days included. I would strongly recommend that you add a rest day in, now and again, just to give your body chance to recover, especially if starting from Minehead. If you do manage to maintain 20 miles a day, it is possible to do the whole walk in 32 days. However, in order to do that, you will have to maintain a good pace which means no stopping to soak up the sights, atmosphere and random conversations with strangers, which will be a shame, because that is all part of the experience in my opinion. I use Ordanance Survey Map App on my phone. It cost about £25 for a year’s subscription, but it enables you to download the map when you have 4g or a wifi signal, say the night before, because there will be times on the path, where there is no phone signal for Google maps etc. The OS App obviously uses GPS, so you can still see exactly where you are, without a phone signal. Best wishes for your walk, it’s a wonderful experience!
@@andyshikes3425 Thank you so much for your carefully thought out reply ,it’s a bucket list thing for me however I’d ideally like to take it much more slowly n enjoy the sights n pubs etc etc so instead I’ll start it end of April n do it bit by bit and look to complete it over a few years ,Thank you again for your help. Regards Dan
@@danielosullivan5216Hi mate, did you complete the SWCP ? I too Ex Infantry,Kings Regt (now called Duke Lancs) aged 60. I'm starting the SWCP this Saturday 8th at Minehead, and really looking forward to it. It's something I always wanted to do,but my mental health problems prevented me. However, having just turned 60, I decided to adopt my Regimental motto; 'Difficulties Be Damned', and do it.
Hi Andy! Just caught the end of the premiere! This looks like a lovely walk, I always enjoy looking around the English villages and countryside! Hope you get some nice sunny weather soon! 😀☀️
Hi Andy, thanks for the video info. I'm thinking of doing this the same time you did and for roughly the same amount of time and with campsites/b&bs etc, carrying my backpack. The only difference is I'd be doing it with my dog (spaniel). Would you foresee any problems with this? I've thought of some logistical challenges with this but wondered what your take on it may be? or others that may have done it with a dog? Many Thanks
Hi Jacquie. I know quite a few people have walked the whole path with their dog and had no problems. The only issues I can foresee, are B&B’s reluctant to take pets and you having to carry extra weight such as dog food, water, bedding etc. If you are on Facebook, there is a group called ‘South West Coast Path’ that is well worth joining. There is lots of useful advice and certainly one lady called Elisabeth Tailleur, who did the path with her dog. All the best with your planning and enjoy the path!
Jacquie, I’ve just come across Elisabeth’s RU-vid channel. Not only has she done the SWCP with her dog, but also JOGLE! youtube.com/@ellihikes?si=PAsLMzDjhmZIcUSU
Hi Andy, I have just recently discovered your channel and I’m very pleased I have, watched this journey over the last couple of days and it’s brilliant. Well done on completing it mate, that was a great achievement 👍. Looking forward to viewing your back catalog and to any new ones. Cheers Glyn.
How do you make that camera stick invisible? My wife and I were debating whether you edited it out later or does the camera have a setting on it that hides the stick. Pretty neat however it’s done.
Hi Roger, no I haven’t walked the IOW path, although I have done a few miles of it between Sandown and Ryde. It’s not one on my list at the moment, but maybe one for the future.
Hi Andy 🏃♂️⛺️Stewart from Devizes Wiltshire,,that’s Brilliant you can do those one days out walking on the Coastal path does not cost anything great ,,yes also I agree with a lot you said about meeting people on the pathway or coastal route,,I myself live in a village called Esterton ,nr Devizes even though I am a avid walker like you we get droves off as we say the new in take ,buying up the Villages coming from the Home Counties,,you meat them on your walk sometimes four abreast they won’t even move out of the way ,,they would just walk right through you if did not move or stop to let the past ,,I had last week about four adults and six children coming towards me on a country lane ,,not one off the would stop ,they just looked at me as I was dirt 😀can’t wait to get back to my part 2 return to the SWPath in June a bit of piece all the best Andy 🏃♂️🏃♂️⛺️Stewart Wiltshire
Happy New Year Andy! 🎉 Enjoyed the scenery on this walk as always! Glad your beanie didn’t unravel on the brambles! Are you planning any longer hikes or another trip to the SWCP this year? 😊🌻
Thankyou and HNY to you Mitsy. At the moment, I have nothing planned, but I do have a desire to walk either the South Downs Way or the Two Moors Way ( Devon coast to coast). A lot depends on finances/ work commitments as to whether I will get the chance this year, but fingers crossed!
I googled the hikes you mentioned and they do look great! I hope all goes well and you can take off for a trip along either or both! Certainly looking forward to your adventures this year!! 😀👍
All in a day's work Andy! That was some control walking past the Cricketers. Good luck with Dry January. HAPPY NEW YEAR! Cheers to February! Thanks for the laughs!
Congratulations Andy on completing such an epic walk. I've watched this whole series and found it very enjoyable. Maybe one day I can attempt this walk myself?
Thanks Mark. If you’ve got the time, I can thoroughly recommend it. Yes it’s incredibly tough at times, but the views and vistas are so rewarding that you put up with the occasional pain and discomfort. My advice is to go with the flow. Push on when you want to, but take your time and relax when you don’t. You need a fair degree of determination to continue at times, when it would be easier to give up, but on the whole it was far more pleasure than pain!
