Blog

WEATHER REPORT: WIND What a blustery start to the bank holiday!  As I write this my little sunflowers receive a solid drenching, and I peek fretfully through the curtains surveying the damage to my beetroot crop…  All of your kind emails over the past few weeks are so lovely and they keep me smiling. I too… View Article

SPRING HAS ARRIVED Fond Greetings from the ever-deepening crevasse of my sofa! April is warming up beautifully! And I am thinking of you all on my daily Instagram. Each picture is an overwhelming reminder of our revelries on past tours! ADVENTURE IS WAITING As you know, with the social distancing and lock-down currently in place… View Article

TAKE CARE OUT THERE Hello lovelies! This is the time of year when I trumpet the excitement of having spring around the corner. But it has turned out to be a turbulent few weeks, amid the developing Coronavirus situation and as communities around the world mount their defences against this virulent outbreak. It looks like… View Article

Let’s get cracking Hello everyone! And a very warm welcome to GoTread season 2020! This week I write from the Eurostar on a final trip to visit my sister as she bids adieu to the bountiful bakeries of France. We have had a vast amount of work over the last few weeks to ensure this… View Article

Rounding Up the 2019 Season What a season 2019 we’ve had! I am back in the UK after the quickest of all quick breaks in St. Lucia. It was wonderfully warm and the fruit was divine – I shall be a convert to banana ketchup from this day forward 😉 This year we managed a… View Article

What a Scorcher! Can you believe we are half-way through this season already? The past few weeks have been an action-packed blur. We’ve had the ultimate, zany combination of kayaking down the River Wye, chasing off-road buggies across Wiltshire, frolicking with our four-legged friends in Berkshire, stock-piling fantastic wines in Oxfordshire and stepping back in… View Article

The sun is here in full glory! Summer is definitely here and our four-legged friends at the Little Hidden Farm kicked-off the 2019 season for us in style. The horses were on top behaviour for our horse-riding day and all very deserving of the carroty treats we brought for them! If you’ve not had the… View Article

NOT LONG TO GO I am thrilled that we only have a few weeks before our tours debut this season! The trips are even more spectacular than I could have imagined, and I hope that you all agree it has been worth the wait. Everything is just so pretty at the moment. So much of… View Article

Summer is on the Way The sun is shining, the tours for this season are all up and the bookings have begun to arrive. It’s put a spring in my step and I know we’re heading for an action-packed summer! Coming up in May To kick-off our season on May 11th, I have chosen the… View Article

Opening the Season What a month! It feels like my to-do list has been wildly snowballing since the New Year. I am currently sitting in a mound of Ordnance Survey maps and planning feverishly. I have discovered some really fantastic experiences to excite you this summer! This week I am delighted to reveal the first… View Article

What an incredible season 2018. You all know I’m a very big fan of Mendip (did I mention I’m going to retire there with a goat?), but this year I fell for those incredible rolling Quantock hills. I love the heather and gorse; all the pinks and yellows are so characteristic of the Quantock landscape…. View Article

Did you know that our outdoor clothing is polluting the environment? Jackets, backpacks, sleeping bags, tents… A lot of technical gear is treated with hazardous chemicals to keep us warm and dry.   It’s the PFCs (perfluorinated chemicals) which are so good at repelling water. Unfortunately, they’re not good at being broken down by natural… View Article

At GoTread we spend our time finding you the very best adventures we can. A scenic amble across hilltops, a tranquil sunset kayak or a hands-and-knees exploration of hidden caverns – we do them all. And it feels great! But we know that giving back to the local community feels even better. #AdventureForAll GoTread promotes… View Article

Looking for a new physical and mental challenge? We’ve got 8 bona fide reasons why you should give climbing a go!   1.Age The best thing about climbing? Age is no constraint! So, don’t be misled by those stock photos of climbers dangling from a precipice. Everyone of all ages can give it a go,… View Article

How important is having the right waterproof jacket? The answer – VERY! Britain clocks-up a whopping 36% worth of precipitous (aka rainy) days each year. Whether it’s the daily commute, or the dog-walk, or your next mountain trip, wearing the right clothes is really important and the waterproof jacket plays a key role. There’s a… View Article

Winter nights are coming and we all know what that means right? Yes Mel (I hear you say) – fuzzy slippers, steaming puddings and the odd hot toddy. Well, don’t press the hibernate button just yet…. because we’ve got a fab list of night-time adventures to keep things exciting ‘till spring!   Night Running No… View Article

Autumn is upon us. Time to hit the outdoors and take some pictures with the changing colours. I know, I know, you’re like, “but it’s getting cold!” People tend to think of summer as the best time to be outside, but with the changing temperatures and foliage, autumn makes for some of the best exploration… View Article

When picturing hiking, I can almost guarantee that you imagine cargo pants and bobble hats – fyi, cargo pants are an excellent choice for hiking, they have so many pockets! What you don’t picture is a group of hardworking city folks rambling the hills, talking about dragons and drinking champagne. Oh, now I have your… View Article

Are you fit? How can you tell? Does it feel like everyone has an opinion on your exercise regime (and no I don’t just mean your mother)? Am I doing the right type of exercise? Is it frequent enough? Oh, so many opinions. You’d think it would be much easier now – we’ve got activity… View Article

For many years, our four-legged friends have been a mode of transport – no please don’t put a saddle on your dog, we’re talking about horses. Not only a fabulous way to see nature, pony trekking will get you closer to nature. “But I’ve never been on a horse before” I hear you cry! Well… View Article

We all know these boots were made for walking, but that’s exactly what you won’t want to do if you have angry blisters from your new pair. Before we start with a list of ways to break in your hiking boots, you must always remember that wearing boots that actually fit you will go a… View Article

Whether you are staycationing in England, or simply looking for something to fill your weekends, there are plenty of outdoor activities for adults that are right on your doorstep. And guess what, your friends at GoTread have rounded them up into a neat little blog post, handy huh? 1. Caving Whilst I can imagine this… View Article

What is it that makes Mendip so special?   Beauty Well to begin with, Mendip is designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty which means that not only is this area special for its landscape and stunning scenery but also that the area is protected to conserve and enhance that beauty!   Long Walks Unquestionably… View Article

Say the term ‘guided tour’ and watch for the response… Sometimes there’s an eye-twitch. Or even palpitations. People start imagining uncomfortable coaches with poor air-conditioning and complicated itineraries. Now, unfortunately, tours like that do still exist…But all is not lost! An increasing number of guided tours now focus on experiences that are intimate, friendly, informal… View Article

Daniel is a young professional working hard in central London. He recently came on our Mendip Hiking/Caving tour and we caught up with him afterwards to find out how it went! ON A TYPICAL WEEKEND WHAT WOULD YOU USUALLY BE GETTING UP TO? On a typical weekend if I’m not working, it would probably be… View Article

The first thing that people say to me when I mention going caving is “Oh. That’s not really my thing…” Closely followed by “I don’t like the dark!” “I hate cramped spaces!” “It sounds very cold!” “Isn’t it wet?” “I know I’m going to hyperventilate….” And my immediate response is always “Try it once and… View Article

We started hiking in the UK a couple of years ago now. Nothing too challenging to start off with – just half-day hikes initially. And then gradually over time we were doing much longer treks covering the National Parks, AONBs and so on. I still love that you can plan a route from one end… View Article