An A-Z Adventure

Make your own adventure

It all started in the Christmas Covid lockdown 2020/21, in that betwixtmus period (between Christmas and New Year), grey rainy days and a feeling of ‘cabin fever’.

Time for a little fun. Time for a little quest. Something to get out and about but completely suited to me. Something to push me to explore new places (often just around the corner), give me some ‘me time’ (I really am a nicer person when I’ve been out for a run!), to keep me mentally and physically fit, to take me on a journey. Just enough to push me out of my comfort zone but not too much to feel unachievable. Time for an adventure…

Introducing the A to Z Adventure; to explore/run routes in places beginning with each letter of the alphabet. Yes, it was really THAT simple. A couple of rules (and you definitely need them for the days when the weather is awful and your really feel like you can’t be bothered!) ; 1) minimum 6km per route, 2) aim for new or places I hadn’t visited in a while, 3) not to stick to alphabetical order.

As someone who loves maps, searching up potential places beginning with each letter was half the fun. So over the last year, I’ve been exploring new places, many straight from my home and no further than 1 hour’s drive away. Choosing locations that combined an activity for the kids and patient husband, was essential. Thanks to them and also my friends who joined in from time to time and didn’t once say “Do we really have to jog here because it starts with the letter ‘U'”?

I thought I’d have finished this challenge in good time before Christmas, but due to a spate of illnesses in our house, it’s meant fitting in the remaining letter- explorations right to the last day, yesterday with a fabulous finishing run (well jog really.. I’ve eaten too many mince pies to go any faster) ending at the Valley of Rocks, North Devon.

So maybe you’re a keen photographer or like fly fishing or walking, whatever your interests, making an adventure is definitely more fun than a boring New Year’s Resolution. Now to start creating this year’s adventure…. what’s yours?

Places on the A to Z Adventure

A = Auton Dowells, Asiant Covert and Cats Ash, B = Brompton Ralph Bimble

C = Challick lane and Champflower, D = Dartmoor Dash (Dartsmeet to River Dart)

E = Elworthy Barrows and Beacon F = Ford to Fitzhead

G = Grand Western Canal H = Huish Champflower to Hartswell

I = Ilkerton East and West, Lyton J = Jews Lane jaunt, Wiveliscombe

K = Kittisford L = Lopen Loop, South Somerset

M = Man v Moor (near Pinkery Pond) Channel Events, Exmoor

N = Nunnington Park, Wiveliscombe O = Oake and Oake Green

P = Pinkham Lane Pootle, Wivey Q = Quantock Cross ( Cothelstone to Bicknoller)

R = Reservoir Route (Clatworthy) S = Storridge Wood, South Haddon – Exmoor

T = Great and Little Tadbeer, near Stawley U = Upcott Wood loop, near Upton

V = Vexfords (near Crowcombe) W = Wimbleball Lake circuit

X = The River EXE, Bridgetown Y = River Yeo: Yeomill to Bothreaux Mill

Z = Zip around Taunton and Longrun Meadow