I have been trying to keep my outgoings low this month, so nearly everything I’ve been doing (with the exception of a couple of trips to the Lakes) has been local. Though I have savings, not having money coming in has made me even more aware of what I spend and exactly where my money is going. That being said – I have still booked a trip to Finland in January and I can’t bloody wait!
Walks
Nearly all of this months walks have been around Yorkshire, due to me trying not to travel too far afield to save on petrol. Sometimes you need that push though to just explore more of what’s on your doorstep.
Beamsley Beacon: This is a route I’m been meaning to do since I moved back to my parents in September. It’s just over 9km and took me just under 2 hours. There is a small pull in at the start of the walk, big enough for two or three cars. It was another pretty misty day, but I enjoyed exploring the moors and there were still views from the top. It’s nice to be able to look out over where you live. You can find all the route details and full GPX here. There are so many footpaths around this area, so you can easily shorten or extend the route depending on how you’re feeling.
Simon’s Seat: This was easily one of my favourite walks this month. The moody weather, mixed with the wildlife and a beautiful waterfall is pretty hard to beat. This one was just over 13km and took around 3 hours (4 with coffee and dipping). I did a full write up of this walk including all the details for parking and dipping spots, which you can check out here.
Swim Spots
This month has been a bit of a change from my dip a day in October. I have actually only been out four or fives times for a swim and the majority of these have been just locally in the river, rather than exploring new spots. My only new one has been the Valley of Desolation waterfall, near Barden Bridge (as part of the Simon’s seat walk mentioned above). This was a beauty of a dipping spot though and definitely worth checking out if you’re nearby. I have also been told there is another waterfall nearby, with a deeper pool, but I’m yet to find it.
I’m really hoping to keep up with my dips over winter, and planning to squeeze in a couple before I head off to Antarctica on the 7th December. I’d love to try explore a few more of the waterfalls in the Yorkshire Dales, especially with a frost or some snow. I’m also keeping everything crossed that I’ll get the opportunity to go for a dip whilst I’m in Antarctica! An icy dip with the penguins would be pretty awesome. Watch this space.
Books
I have really been struggling to focus on reading recently. I’m not too sure what it is, but I just don’t seem to be in the right headspace and when I try read, I get very easily distracted. I have a feeling this is going to change next month though, as I’m going to be doing a lot of travelling and I never struggle to get lost in a book when on a plane!
I have however started two books in the last week, which I’m currently enjoying. The first is Positively Wealthy by Emma Mumford, which is a 33 Day guide to manifesting wealth in all areas of your life. Manifestation is something I’ve been listening to a lot of podcasts about recently, and though I don’t believe you can will things into existence, I definitely think there’s something in living a positive, gratitude filled life. Over the past few months, I have been adding gratitude practices into my morning routine and I’m having to pinch myself at some of the opportunities that have been coming my way. I have always been a pretty pessimistic person and expect the worst in all situations, but I’ve been working really hard on changing my outlook and even if the only outcome is me being more positive in general – it’s definitely having a positive impact on my life overall.
The second book is Get Your Sh*t Together by Sarah Knight. I had tried to read one of her other books (the Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck) and really struggled, however this one resonates with me a lot more. It’s all about focussing on and doing the things you need and want to do, rather than what you feel you ‘should’ do – which is pretty inline with where my life is at right now.
Events
Adventure Minds Conference: Right back at the start of November, I attended the Adventure Minds Conference. This was a two day event focussing on current research linking adventure and wellbeing. There were some incredible speakers, including a mix of both researchers and adventurers, as well as a range of hands on activities. You can read more about my experience of the event here. Tickets are now on sale for next years event and I’d highly recommend checking it out.
Kendal Mountain Festival: This was actually my first year attending Kendal Mountain Festival. I hadn’t pre booked any tickets for speakers or events, as I was mainly going to support my friends and catch up with people I hadn’t seen in a while. I did end up going to see Ranulph Fiennes, which was interesting, but other than that just explored the stands and some of the free talks. It was a lovely atmosphere, however by the Saturday afternoon it was a little bit too busy for me and I ended up leaving earlier than planned. I think if I end up going again next year, I’ll definitely try to plan it better and do a bit more research beforehand into the different speakers and films being shown.
Clothing
As the temperatures have been dropping, I have been making tweaks to my outdoor wardrobe and swapping in some more thermal pieces to my go to hiking kit. ACAI recently sent me a pair of their thermal skinny outdoor trousers and I have been wearing them everywhere. They are fleece lined, shower resistant and super stretchy! I’ve been admiring these for ages, as I’ve heard great things from others, so I’m super happy to have some in time to take away with me.
The other thing I haven’t stopped wearing this month is the Rapanui Organic Cotton Flannel Shirt. I actually got a mens one as I really like them slightly oversized for both hiking and day to day wear. You can get 10% off until the end of the year with the code ‘LISA10’.
My Seashell beanies are also a staple with this cold weather. I mention them all the time, and if you follow me on instagram, you’ll probably have noticed I’m rarely without one keeping my noggin warm. I have three colours and always have at least one with me. They are made from merino wool and incredibly soft and warm.
I am in the process of planning my next group walk, so if you’re interested in joining, sign up to my mailing list before to make sure you get notified when it goes live.
Happy adventuring! x
Lisa Outdoors 
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