In this episode of Notes from Big Trails, Rob is joined by Peak District local and author Anna Paxton for a walk-and-talk on the Eastern Moors.

Anna’s book, Peak Bagging Peak District, brings together 121 of the region’s most rewarding hills — including the Ethels — into 32 carefully designed routes for walkers, fastpackers, and trail runners.

Rather than treating summits as boxes to tick, the book focuses on routes that feel satisfying in their own right: journeys with variety, character, good access, and (where possible) a pub or café at the end.

• What people miss when they only visit Peak District classics
• Who Ethel Haythornthwaite was — and why the Ethels matter
• Designing routes that work on the ground, not just on the map
• Walking, running, slowing down — and choosing the right pace for the day

• • Quiet encounters, wildlife, and seasonal change
  • Why familiarity can be just as adventurous as novelty

  
  

  Get Peak Bagging Peak District at Vertebrate Publishing.

  
  

  Find inspiration for your next adventure at Big Trail Adventures.

Janie Oates joins Notes from Big Trails to talk about a self-designed running adventure across the Canary Islands.

Starting with a race trip to Gran Canaria, Janie and three friends came up with the idea of running across multiple islands — Tenerife, La Palma and La Gomera — using ferries to link them together. Over the course of a week, they crossed volcanic landscapes, climbed ridgelines above the clouds, stayed in unmanned mountain refuges, and carried everything they needed between towns.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Designing your own route rather than following a known trail

• Running across three islands in one week — and what that really involved

• The contrast between Tenerife’s heat and tourism, La Palma’s high ridges, and La Gomera’s cloud forests

• Managing water, food and pack weight in hot, exposed terrain

• Fell running skills and long days of climbing and descent

• Why La Palma left such a lasting impression

• Travelling and running as a group of women — and the reactions they met along the way

This is a conversation about curiosity, contrast, and the quiet satisfaction of linking places together under your own power. Enjoy!

Stephen and Richard Ross from Big Trail Adventures walked the Alta Via 1 in mid-September, one of Europe’s most celebrated high routes across the Dolomites.

In this episode, we cover:

• What the Alta Via 1 actually is — and why it’s known as a “high route”

• How hard it really is, day to day

• Planning late versus booking far in advance

• What it’s like staying in Italian mountain refuges (food, showers, dorms, sleep)

• How busy the trail felt — and when it suddenly didn’t

• Carrying light: why 5kg made the experience better

• Managing long, hot days with big climbs

• Swimming in lakes and rivers to reset mid-route

• Who you meet on the trail — from first-timers to seasoned alpinists

• How the Alta Via compares to more familiar Alpine routes

• Whether this trip changed how they think about future European trails

This is an honest conversation about walking in the Dolomites — what surprised them, what worked, and what they’d do differently next time.