Sarah Ryan, Gear Writer

Miles walked this month: 64

Sounds abound

I’ve been inspired lately by the audio walks recorded by Chris Watson (chriswatson.net). So I’ve tried a few myself. One starlit walk in a thawing Sheffield woodland yielded the plip-plop of dripping snowmelt, the flump of a heavy load sliding off a branch, the low hoot of a tawny owl and the muted dampening of all other sound.

On soft wings

Last year, I woke before dawn and drove to Sandringham beach. Because artificial light disturbs roosting habits, you’re asked not to use a torch, so along the shore I was followed by the chatter of unseen birds. At dawn, I lay down while flocks of knot swooped above me, so close I could hear the soft thud of their wings.

Breaking the ice

One of the eeriest things I’ve heard was the bang and echo of a thawing loch in the Trossachs. During the night the surface froze hard and the water level dropped beneath it. In the morning, as the sun warmed the edges, the ice sheet shrank enough to bang down onto the water below sending a weird echo resonating around the glen.

Note to self: Sound walks = tick. Time for another sensory walk. How about smell?