Another year, another lockdown. It’s January 2021 and only a few months have passed since my failed 2020 attempt of the Pennine Way. Yet my foot is healed and my mind is looking forward as usual. The chance of international travel is unlikely until further in the year. I need something to focus on. Something to push towards. Some unfinished business to settle. However, it’s funny how that term suggests that once I complete The Way it would be over. I very much doubt that and I’m sure that I will return to the Pennine Way numerous times over the course of my lifetime. I hope I am that lucky.

So there we are, Pennine Way late May 2021 presuming restrictions allow. I will be going solo this year which will be different but I am looking forward to it. As Andrew says, there is only one Pennine Way and that is your own. Read the full 2021 series here.

After the 2020 pandemic put a hold on my adventure travel plans for It’s not a race to the end, I was in need of a project to occupy my mind and work towards. I found direction and focus from the Pennine Way. Once I had decided that 2020 was the year to do it, I dived straight into research, planning and training. This would be my first thru-hike, although I have been interested in thru-hiking for years, but for some reason, never completed or attempted any. 10 weeks to prepare and purchase my desired equipment, I would be going light weight and counting the grams. Many campsites and hostels would be closed / limited numbers so I would be fully prepared for wild-camping.

I had planned to go solo however a colleague became interested shortly after my 9 day work holiday request. His own plans for late August/early September had also been thwarted by Covid19. So there we are, 2 colleagues facing an epic journey north. Find out more and follow the journey here.