The flame of adventure
ARE YOU FEELING ADVENTUROUS? I don’t blame you if the answer is a bit less than an emphatic yes.
And one of the paradoxical effects of the lockdown months, widely covered in these pages and elsewhere, has been an apparent surging interest in the outdoors (an excellent thing). But there is still a great deal of uncertainty around those further horizons – the logistics and risks of travelling abroad have meant that many of us have opted to stay on these shores.
A few outdoorsy types I’ve spoken to say that they have a general sense that their ambitions have shrunk somewhat; that their pre-pandemic self was gutsier, bolder, more outwardlooking. I feel similar. But it’s hardly surprising, is it? The last year and a half has, of course, forced most of our worlds to be smaller. For months on end, things that would have been unthinking acts before the pandemic, like going for a short drive to reach the nearest countryside, became the subjects of fierce moral debate and legal uncertainty. Even simply walking from the door meant encountering warning signs or blockades across footpaths.
None of that put me off getting outside, of course, and my adventurous instincts are still very much alive and kicking.
But let’s not be too hard on ourselves; it’s been a time of extraordinary uncertainty, and sadness for many. It would be strange if we didn’t feel a bit a bit less energetic, a bit more circumspect. And maybe it won’t do us any harm to reappraise the way we live, travel and consume; climate change, after all, is likely to dwarf the pandemic in its impact.
The Omicron variant is casting a shadow over things once again, with effects that are unclear at the time I’m writing this (‘Plan B’ has been introduced, making overseas travel slightly more complicated again, but more restrictions may be in the pipeline). But in the hope that the next year or so will permit a bit more global freedom - or if not, to at least keep that flame of adventure burning - we asked Meera Dattani (p26) to round up some of the world’s most exciting treks and trails (including several that are on or close to home shores, if the pandemic intervenes or you simply don’t want to hop on a plane). We’ve also rounded up our favourite European bases for walkers (p14), while Katie Featherstone describes life on Iceland’s otherworldly Laugavegur Trail (p36).
This issue also sees the results of The Great Outdoors Reader Awards, our annual democratic celebration of the best in outdoor culture (p62). It is a privilege to host these awards; I found the results and accompanying comments especially moving to read this year. Congratulations to the winners, and a very sincere thank you to everyone who voted and took part.