Alf Alderson contemplates 50 years of changes
Dee Anna Alf Alderson then & now
Then & Now..
Alf Alderson contemplates 50 years of changes
realised last Easter with some alarm that
I this literally moveable feast marked fifty years – fifty years! – since I first ventured into the great outdoors without parental supervision.
And as I mulled over the worryingly rapid passing of the years, I couldn’ t help but reflect on how things have changed in the outdoor world – as everywhere else, of course- in that time.
It was the Easter of 1975 when, with my schoolmate Bob, I camped in Langdale, spectacularly badly equipped for the adventure and blissfully unaware of the fact. My second-hand canvas tent leaked in heavy rain; my boots were no more waterproof than the tent; and my sleeping arrangements consisted of nothing more than a cheap zip-up nylon sleeping bag.
The lack of a decent sleeping bag and no sleeping mat for the sub-zero temperatures we encountered taught me a valuable lesson
I’ ve never forgotten – ensure you have the best possible sleeping arrangements and your trip will be infinitely more enjoyable.
There was snow in the valley and the peaks surrounding us were knee-deep in white stuff, which is probably the most obvious change in the last 50 years – global warming has ensured that such conditions, particularly so late in the season, are considerably less common now than they were in the 1970s.
My lack of preparedness for our adventure would probably be less likely today, too; the massive increase in popularity of all things outdoors means that not only is the gear to do it more accessible, better and cheaper than it’ s ever been, there’ s also no end of advice on how to do it properly( much of it provided by OWPG members); from guide books and magazines to You Tube and social media, there really is no excuse these days for being inadequately prepared as you head for the hills or coast.
That said, it’ s noticeable that mountain rescue teams are busier now than ever before; the increasing reliance on smartphones and apps to navigate, as opposed to an oldfashioned paper map, can all end in disaster from something as simple as a flat battery or lack of signal. But imagine having had access to that kind of technology in the 1970s- it would have been regarded as pure science fiction back then!
Another obvious change has been the increase in the number of people who’ re out and about these days. On our Langdale trip in 1975 we walked up Scafell Pike on a glorious sunny day through a spectacular snow-draped landscape and saw fewer than a dozen other people; today, in those conditions, the numbers would probably be in triple figures.
Likewise, shortly after this trip to the Lakes I started surfing, at a time when ten or more people in the water was considered a crowd; today you can increase that figure five-fold or more at most surf beaches when there’ s a good swell.
I suppose it’ s a positive thing that so many more people now enjoy and appreciate our wild places, but the pressure it puts on them – and the way it can detract from enjoying the experience – are conundrums to which there seems to be no real answer.
Which isn’ t something I’ d ever even have considered as I sat atop Scafell Pike on that sunny March day in 1975 …
‘ Then & now’- share yours!
What changes have been prominent or poignant in your outdoor adventures over the years?
It might be access, opportunity, equipment, or clothing. Perhaps it’ s introspective- how have you changed?
Keep it positive, and submit yours to editor @ owpg. org. uk
600 words & 2-4 images
Autumn 2025 OUTDOOR FOCUS 5