What trail name would you like to have?
Have you ever had a nickname? Is it a nickname you are proud of and want to live up to? This year, I can answer yes to that question for...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Apr 7, 20232 min read
What burden would you leave at the Cruz de Ferro (Iron Cross)?
As the plane touches down, the familiar butterflies are back in my ribcage. A new adventure is starting! I remain curious about the...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Mar 19, 20231 min read
What is the Camino de Santiago?
The Camino de Santiago is a network of ancient pilgrimage routes across Europe that lead to Santiago de Compostela, a city in north-west...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Nov 30, 20224 min read
'Why on earth would you want to do something like that?'
I stepped out of my lovely warm car and immediately started to wonder what I had let myself in for. The cold wind whipped around my legs...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Nov 2, 20224 min read
Lessons from a long walk: Keep the weight of your pack down
While walking the Camino this year, I gained the trail name 'Snow Light'. The 'light' part came from the fact that I had considered the...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Oct 7, 20227 min read
17 essential tips for walking the Camino
In the summer of 2022, I walked the Camino Frances from Villafranca Montes de Oca to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain - around...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Sep 30, 20223 min read
Who needs a 5-star hotel?
I didn’t want to go to sleep last night. I was layered up in thermals, sleeping bag and bivvy bag, snug as a bug in a rug, watching the...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Mar 10, 20211 min read
Hiking hints and tips - look after your feet
The number one piece of advice that all hikers will give to anyone starting out is to look after your feet. Here is one easy thing you...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Mar 3, 20213 min read
Hiking boots or trail shoes?
For the last 20 years or so, I have walked in leather Brasher walking boots. I have found them comfortable and long-lasting, even though...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Feb 17, 20214 min read
A day of veterans
The Veterans’ Hub in Wyke Regis was started by Andy, a veteran himself, as a weekly meet-up for a coffee and a chat. But as he heard...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Feb 8, 20214 min read
A rocky day around the Isle of Portland
How do you walk for 14 miles with large blisters on the soles of both of your feet, without making them worse? A sensible response would...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Feb 4, 20211 min read
Hiking hints and tips - hikers' wool
Hikers’ wool is a mainstay of my first aid kit. I was first told about it by my friend Hazel, who used it when she walked the Camino de...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Feb 3, 20214 min read
On my own
I clung on to my husband Mike as we stood in the car park at Lulworth. He joked that it was because he was so warm, but it was far more...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Jan 31, 20213 min read
Hiking hints and tips - packing list
I worked hard on keeping the weight of my rucksack down while walking the South West Coast Path. I used almost everything that I carried,...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Jan 17, 20214 min read
Across the ranges
The view back across the ranges I had carefully planned the first few days of this walk so that I knew that I would be setting off on the...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Jan 17, 20211 min read
Kimmeridge Bay Marine Nature Reserve
Walking towards Kimmeridge Bay, I was looking out for the Clavell Tower, an elegant landmark standing on the cliffs. When it came into...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Jan 8, 20212 min read
Steep steps and high emotion
Despite all of my training, my knees were wobbling like a plate of blancmange. After a gentle start to the South West Coast Path, coming...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Dec 22, 20204 min read
Hiking hints & tips - rocking your rucksack
On any long-distance trail, your rucksack will be your constant companion. It’s never going to be easy carrying all the extra weight, but...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Dec 22, 20202 min read
How am I going to survive the cold?
The first few days of my South West Coast Path adventure were a bit of a shock. After a long, hot summer, I re-discovered what it felt...
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Julia Goodfellow-Smith
Dec 16, 20204 min read
Hiking hints & tips - practice
Walking the 630-mile-long South West Coast Path continuously in 52 days taught me a lot about hiking and camping. Some of this knowledge...
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