Post-Covid Plans
Paddy Dillon and Tony Howard look to the future
Di Taylor and I escaped by a miracle at the very last minute from our usual spring trip to Jordan in March 2020 , unexpectedly forced to abandon a new project that we were working on in the south . We little knew that over a year later we would still be here at home tapping on our keyboards and feeling incredibly lucky simply to be able to enjoy local walks in our part of the Peak District .
Meanwhile we still get calls from our Bedouin friends , “ Jordan no problem , why you not come ?”. But of course we can ’ t . Or if we did , could we get back ? Would the hassle and a potential bill on our return of £ 1500 for ten Covid hotel days be worth it ? Sadly , I think not .
But all is not lost . Our project is coming together - at least on paper whilst to our surprise we are even �inding new walks on our home hills : some moors we hadn ’ t crossed before , a steep ravine of tangled oaks and rocky steps we had never previously considered but which turned out to be fun , even a small crag with no recorded routes that has given us some unexpected and enjoyable days .
Meanwhile we also had to abandon plans for a road trip to Scandinavia for walking and climbing as well as to visit friends In Romsdal where I �irst went in 1962 . Could we even get there overland , we wondered with ever-changing Covid regulations ? Will travelling and camping ‘ wild ’ in our van as we always do , ever be the same again ? We live in hope . Maybe late summer and autumn will bring better times . Travel and mountain exploration with our many friends in far away places have been the essence of our lives since our teenage years . Dare we dream …
Tony Howard www . nomadstravel . co . uk
If anyone wants me , I ’ m not available . I had no intention of waiting to see how people responded to the easing of travel restrictions . As you read this , I ’ ll be somewhere on the Wales Coast Path , updating my popular guidebook to the route . I expect I ’ ll be having a whale ( or Wales ) of a time . I wanted to start as early as possible , because I expect that as the summer kicks into gear , more and more people are going to be on the move , and I de�initely want to avoid being anywhere popular in July and August .
The only thing that will make me head home is the offer of a second Covid-19 jab . The jab might be free , but it will cost me to travel home and return to the coast path .
I don ’ t expect the coast path itself will be a problem , but there will always be a big question mark hanging over the availability of accommodation . The ‘ rules ’ allow me to use self-catering options until the middle of May , then hotels and B & Bs will start becoming available . The trouble is , places are getting fully booked very quickly , but there ’ s a trick I ’ ve used in the past which should serve me well looking forward . A lot of places are being booked in haste , and it ’ s always the case that bookings can get cancelled at the very last minute , which is when I can step in and secure them . When all else fails , my really lightweight tent and sleeping bag will serve me well . I always say that when everything is full , there ’ s plenty of room outdoors !
Paddy Dillon www . paddydillon . co . uk
Tony on Glittertind , Jotunheim , Norway
Llangrannog – 700km along the Wales Coast Path – which is just halfway !
outdoor focus / summer 2021 13