The Roaming Redhead

How to Plan your Appalachian Trail Thru-Hike from the UK

With just one week until I board a plane to the States, I am finally starting to feel like I am prepared for my upcoming thru-hike attempt. It’s taken months of research, preparation and planning, and being from the UK, it has required a little more brain power – especially in terms of logistics and…

7 Stunning Walks in and Around Cheshire

At the end of last year, I waved goodbye to Manchester and moved temporarily back into my family home in Cheshire, in order to save money for my upcoming Appalachian Trail adventure next month. Since then, I’ve been incredibly lucky to discover an abundance of beautiful, varied walks on my weekly training hikes, in and…

My Gear List for the Appalachian Trail | Pre-Hike

When it comes to hiking the AT, gear is the talk of the town. Everyone wants to know; “What gear will you be taking? How much does it weigh? Where did you buy it?” For me, I pretty much had to start from square one; I didn’t even know what trail runners were. The Appalachian…

Iceland Finale: The Golden Circle, Hell in Hella & Reykjavík

The following days are lumped together for a combination of reasons, but mostly for my own sanity. From days 11 – 15, we were underwhelmed by Iceland’s most popular tourist route, confined to our cabin for the better part of 24 hours due to a ferocious storm, and spent two days straight doing nothing but…

Iceland Day 10: We Slept in the Car

Vík – Hella I awoke before sunrise in the passenger seat, twisted helplessly in my sleeping bag. My neck was stiff from being lodged in an awkward upright position all night, my throat sore, and as my eyes adjusted to the dim morning light, I realised that the entire car was steamed up and dripping…

Iceland Day 9: An Inescapable Geology Lesson

Svínafell – Vík I awoke in a groggy gin haze, but was thankful to have been left alone by any ghouls that potentially resided in the old farmhouse. The only thing to haunt me in the night was Jim’s bodily functions. Our damp tents and gear, which had also left the room smelling particularly unpleasant, were…

Iceland Day 8: Rain, Rain, go Away

Höfn – Svínafell After a gorgeous sunrise, albeit cold and damp from within our not-so-strategically-placed tents, the weather decided to return to its favourite state; les miserables. The grey skies set in, showing no sign of retreat, and rain began to pelt the Jimny as soon as we embarked on a little drive around the fishing…

Iceland Day 7: Exploring the East Fjords

Seyðisfjörður – Höfn It was another cold night, but being sardined inside Jim’s tent kept us both toasty warm. We were so squished in fact, that when my phone alarm went about its morning ritual, I was so tightly bundled in my sleeping bag that I couldn’t move my arms to switch it off. Wriggling…

Iceland Day 6: Odd Smells and Snowstorms

Lake Mývatn – Seyðisfjörður We were greeted by a dusting of snow as we climbed out of Mývatn the next morning, which had become increasingly scattered across the road and over the barren hills beyond. Excited by the enchanting landscape, we pulled up into a lookout area to take in our surroundings. Jim proceeded to fall…

Iceland Day 5: Chasing Waterfalls

Blönduós – Lake Mývatn Getting out of my toasty cabin bed was an enormous struggle, but I felt immensely grateful for a proper night sleep and was ready to take on the day; which, we soon found out, would be a repeat of the past four, weather-wise. I was beginning to wonder if we would ever…

Iceland Day 4: Treat Yo’ Self

Drangsnes – Blönduós I awoke stiff as a board. My whole body had tensed up from a night of relentless shivering. My feet, which were wrapped in three utterly useless pairs of socks, and the tip of my nose, stung in protest to the cold. I was going to have to get used to this. As…

Iceland Day 3: It’s Windy in the West

Ólafsvík – Drangsnes I would wake up at regular intervals throughout the night, shivering uncontrollably. I felt unpleasant, to say the least, as I fumbled my way out of my tent in the morning; but a breakfast concoction of oats, granola, seeds, dried fruit and nut milk soon brought me back to life. Eager to get…

Iceland Day 2: Flashbacks & Gravel Roads

Akranes – Ólafsvík I awoke the next morning at the crack of dawn, feeling thoroughly invigorated for a night outdoors, yet superbly cosy. That was, until my skin made contact with the air outside of my sleeping bag, and I recoiled in horror, desperately scrambling around for a second layer of thermals. The sun was…

Iceland Day 1: Landing on Our Feet

Keflavík – Akranes Flying parallel to the country’s south shores, we caught our first glimpse of what was to come; the late September landscape looked drained of colour and every contour was enveloped in an eerie bleakness. Ominous patches of rain cloud hung silently in otherwise clear skies, sinisterly blackening anything that lay beneath them. After…

How Much Does a 2 Week Road Trip Around Iceland’s Ring Road Cost?

One of the first subjects that crops up when you plop Iceland into any conversation I feel, is cost. Indeed, this was something I was all too aware of before embarking on my adventure; though it wasn’t quite enough to put me off. I went to Iceland with my good friend Jim and together, we…

Where I Ate: Vegan in Reykjavík

Unlike most travellers, we decided to leave Reykjavík until the very end of our trip. For almost two weeks prior, we had successfully scrimped on camp stove-appropriate meals from Bónus; the supermarket equivalent to Ikea, as Jim aptly pointed out, and so it was time to nourish ourselves with some much needed nutrients upon our arrival in…

Gear List: Camping in Iceland in September

Iceland has been on my radar since I discovered my true affinity for the great outdoors in Tasmania, back in 2016. Since then, I have been on a mission to get closer with nature, be it day trips from Manchester to the Peak District, or adventures a touch further afield. On 17th September 2018, I’m…

How to get a B-2 Visa for Hiking the Appalachian Trail

Why the B-2 Visa? Check your eligibility As a British national, I am eligible to enter the USA under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) for business or pleasure. Sounds pretty simple, but there’s a catch; this only allows stays of up to 90 days and then I’d have to sling my hook. The Appalachian Trail…

Adventures in the Peak District | Ringing Roger to Grindslow Knoll via Edale

During the May heatwave, it only seemed right to get out to the Peak District for a healthy dose of fresh air and sunlight, and so on the day of the Royal Wedding, we did exactly that. We had a new route in mind, one which encompassed two of my favourite things; a touch of scrambling…

Where I Ate: Vegan in York

I knew I would fall in love with York. Its charming streets are dotted with architectural wonders; from the grand old Minster to Britain’s most haunted pubs, every corner oozes history. I found it surprisingly compact, and within a day, we had pretty much walked around the entire city, twice. The country town feel to…

How to Spend 24 Hours in York

I’m unsure why it has taken me up until my 29th year to visit York, but a few weeks back, I finally got to check it off my bucket list, when myself and Lyndon treated ourselves to a brief trip. From the get-go, I was a huge fan of its quaint, rural feel, buildings steeped…

Where I Ate: Vegan in Barcelona

My trip to Barcelona would mark my very first experience as a vegan abroad, and I was both nervous and excited. Prior to my trip, a number of people expressed their ‘concerns’ about the abundance of cured meats and cheese, which I would undoubtedly come face to face with; but to my sheer delight, I…

How to Spend 4 Days in Barcelona

Despite being adored by virtually everyone I know, who had visited, Barcelona was never high up on my list of places to go. Having lived in a city for the majority of my 20’s, I find I am much more swayed by the call of the wilderness nowadays. Saying that, when my sister, Lucy presented…

6 Day Trips from Manchester for Nature Lovers

Over the past year, I have made it my mission to get to know my surroundings a little better. I’ll be the first to hold my hands up and admit that I’m usually dreaming of travelling to far off places, but I have slowly come to realise that Manchester is the perfect jump off point…

10 Australian Tours Well Worth the Money

I feel like there is a slight divide in opinion within the travel community when it comes to going on tours. Some, for instance, argue that they are a waste of money, overpriced and inflexible, whilst others swear by them, base entire trips around them and don’t want the hassles and responsibilities, which come when planning…

Where I Ate: Vegan in Edinburgh

Having dabbled with the idea of veganism for the good part of a year, I finally found my feet in November 2017. The very same month, Edinburgh would be my first trip away as a fully fledged vegan, and I was both nervous and excited. To make life as easy as possible, I consulted the…

How to Spend 3 Days in Edinburgh

Since returning from my long term travels towards the end of 2016, my aim for 2017 and beyond was to experience (and come to appreciate) a little more of my own turf. This is something a great deal of us neglect to do; we get so caught up in jetting off to distant lands, that…

Adventures in the Peak District | Mam Tor & The Great Ridge Walk

Another cold, sunny day, another train trip; this time to the quaint village of Hope. I became very fond of train journeys in 2017, having hopped on a fair few over the months. Mam Tor was the third and final hike on my Peak District bucket list for the year, and the one I was most…

Adventures in the Peak District | A Scramble at Dovestone Reservoir

Situated on the very edge of the Peak District, just a few miles from Oldham, Dovestone Reservoir is a picturesque spot, perfect for dog walkers, climbers and folks like myself and my friend Yasmin, wanting to escape the city for the day and gulp in as much fresh air as our lungs could take. It…

Adventures in the Peak District | Climbing Jacobs Ladder

Pulling out of Manchester Piccadilly, it occurred to me; I had lived on-and-off in the northwest of England for five years and not once had I set foot in the Peak District National Park. As the city disappeared behind us, a green landscape gently began to come into focus and roll past the windows. Buildings…