The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is one of Britain’s most dramatic long-distance walks, stretching along the wild Atlantic edge of West Wales.

In this episode of Notes From Big Trails, Rob speaks with Sophie McCarthy about her fifteen-day solo walk along the entire route.

Carrying everything she needed on her back and camping along the way, Sophie experienced the full rhythm of life on the trail — from remote wild camps and windswept cliffs to small harbour towns and the occasional well-earned pub meal.

Along the way she encountered wildflowers in full summer bloom, dramatic coastal scenery, seals in the sea… and one rather inquisitive badger that paid her tent a late-night visit.

Beyond the practicalities of the walk, Sophie reflects on why she enjoys putting herself into challenging environments and how experiences like this can remind us that we’re capable of more than we think.

In this episode

• What the Pembrokeshire Coast Path is really like underfoot
• Walking the entire trail solo over 15 days
• Campsites, wild camping and carrying a heavy pack
• Wildlife encounters along the Welsh coast
• The joys of small trail luxuries — from ice cream to harbour-side pubs
• Why long walks can change how you see your own capabilities

About the trail

• Distance: ~186 miles / 300 km
• Location: West Wales
• Terrain: cliff paths, coastal grassland, beaches and rugged headlands
• Difficulty: moderate to challenging due to constant ascent and descent

The trail forms part of the Wales Coast Path and is widely regarded as one of the finest coastal walks in Europe.

Find out more about solo adventures at bigtrailadventures.com.

What does “solo adventure” really look like?

In this episode, Rob speaks with Elise Downing and Kirsty Reade about hiking and running alone — not in remote wilderness for months on end, but in the more familiar, human space of big days out, multi-day trails, and personal challenges.

Together they explore:

• What first pushed them to go alone
• The fears that show up before you set off (yes, including axe murderers)
• The difference between real risk and mental noise
• How running versus walking changes the experience
• Unexpected encounters on the trail — from sea shanties in Scotland to chance friendships in the Lakes
• The small practical steps that make solo trips safer and more enjoyable

And perhaps most importantly, the feeling at the end of a long day — when you realise you did it yourself.

Find out more about solo adventures at bigtrailadventures.com.

In this episode, Morgan shares his experience walking sections of the South West Coast Path — a 630-mile route tracing the coastline of south-west England.

We cover:

• Why he chose the Coast Path during a difficult period in his life
• The accessibility of the route and how easy it is to join by train
• The Jurassic Coast and its dramatic geology
• Why the South West Coast Path can feel surprisingly remote
• What a typical day on the trail looks like
• Conversations that stuck with him, including:
• Two soaked bivvy-baggers caught in a storm
• A solo woman walking the entire route using all her annual leave
• Food highlights — including a cream tea cooked on a stove in the middle of nowhere
• The River Erme crossing near Mothecombe
• What to leave out of your pack
• The importance of knowing your experience level

Morgan also talks about documenting his journeys on social media — and the tension between capturing the moment and simply living it.

See more from Morgan on Instagram.

In this episode of Notes from Big Trails, Rob speaks to Jon Barton, founder of Vertebrate Publishing, about walking — and running — the Pennine Way.

They explore why the Pennine Way divides opinion, what the early sections across Kinder and Bleaklow are really like, and why places such as High Cup Nick, Upper Teesdale, Cross Fell and the Cheviots leave such a strong impression.

Jon reflects on:

• Growing up visiting Swaledale and Upper Teesdale
• How childhood landscapes shaped his wanderlust
• Experiencing the Pennine Way through the Spine events
• The reality of “boggy” sections and bleak reputations
• Wildlife encounters — curlews, golden plover, roe deer
• Limestone country around Malham
• The strange surreal feeling of walking through busy places after days on the moor
• Why motivation matters more than raw fitness

They also discuss practical considerations — kit familiarity, pacing, and whether the Pennine Way should be your first long-distance trail.

Martyn Howe talks to us about how he walked the coast of England - following what has become the King Charles III England Coast Path.

Martyn shares:

• How the walk began with a single acorn waymarker in Cromer
• What it’s like to stitch together a coastal path that was still being completed
• Unexpectedly wild places like The Wash, where land and sea seem to dissolve
• Industrial coastlines in the North East — and the surprising signs of recovery there
• Memorable encounters with birdlife, including kestrels, peregrines, and wintering geese
• Why public art along the coast — from Time and Tide bells to community projects — became central to the journey
• The idea of an “experience map” rather than a route map, and how that changes how you plan and walk
• How carrying less — physically and mentally — altered his relationship with long-distance walking
• Whether walking can still act as a form of protest or environmental witness
• The kinds of conversations that only seem to happen when two people are walking side by side

We also talk about Martyn’s book The Coast is Our Compass, and how writing became a way of processing the journey — not just recording where he went, but what it meant.

Links:

The Coast is Our Compass

Experience Map

More trail Inspiration at Big Trail Adventures

In this episode of Notes from Big Trails, Rob is joined by Peak District local and author Anna Paxton for a walk-and-talk on the Eastern Moors.

Anna’s book, Peak Bagging Peak District, brings together 121 of the region’s most rewarding hills — including the Ethels — into 32 carefully designed routes for walkers, fastpackers, and trail runners.

Rather than treating summits as boxes to tick, the book focuses on routes that feel satisfying in their own right: journeys with variety, character, good access, and (where possible) a pub or café at the end.

• What people miss when they only visit Peak District classics
• Who Ethel Haythornthwaite was — and why the Ethels matter
• Designing routes that work on the ground, not just on the map
• Walking, running, slowing down — and choosing the right pace for the day

Janie Oates joins Notes from Big Trails to talk about a self-designed running adventure across the Canary Islands.

Starting with a race trip to Gran Canaria, Janie and three friends came up with the idea of running across multiple islands — Tenerife, La Palma and La Gomera — using ferries to link them together. Over the course of a week, they crossed volcanic landscapes, climbed ridgelines above the clouds, stayed in unmanned mountain refuges, and carried everything they needed between towns.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Designing your own route rather than following a known trail

• Running across three islands in one week — and what that really involved

• The contrast between Tenerife’s heat and tourism, La Palma’s high ridges, and La Gomera’s cloud forests

• Managing water, food and pack weight in hot, exposed terrain

• Fell running skills and long days of climbing and descent

• Why La Palma left such a lasting impression

• Travelling and running as a group of women — and the reactions they met along the way

This is a conversation about curiosity, contrast, and the quiet satisfaction of linking places together under your own power. Enjoy!

Stephen and Richard Ross from Big Trail Adventures walked the Alta Via 1 in mid-September, one of Europe’s most celebrated high routes across the Dolomites.

In this episode, we cover:

• What the Alta Via 1 actually is — and why it’s known as a “high route”

• How hard it really is, day to day

• Planning late versus booking far in advance

• What it’s like staying in Italian mountain refuges (food, showers, dorms, sleep)

• How busy the trail felt — and when it suddenly didn’t

• Carrying light: why 5kg made the experience better

• Managing long, hot days with big climbs

• Swimming in lakes and rivers to reset mid-route

• Who you meet on the trail — from first-timers to seasoned alpinists

• How the Alta Via compares to more familiar Alpine routes

• Whether this trip changed how they think about future European trails

This is an honest conversation about walking in the Dolomites — what surprised them, what worked, and what they’d do differently next time.

In this episode, Rob sits down with Jennifer Stevens (Tiny Pine Outdoors) to discuss her solo journey across the Cotswold Way in the summer of 2024. Stretching 102 miles from Chipping Campden to the Roman city of Bath , the trail offers a unique blend of "picture-postcard" scenery and deep, ancient history.

Key Discussion Points:

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  The Reality of the Terrain: Why the "gentle rolling hills" can be more physically demanding than you think.

  
  

• Historical Immersion: Engaging with Neolithic long barrows, 17th-century market halls, and even the local tradition of "shin-kicking".

  
  

  Solo Hiking & Safety: Jennifer’s experience navigating the trail solo and using public transport to reach the start.

• Accommodation: Why Jennifer opted for Shepherd’s huts and camping pods over wild camping on this specific route.

  
  

• Trail Magic: A magical sunset in a field of friendly sheep and the "otherworldly" silence of Stanton.

  
  

• Advice for Beginners: Why the Cotswold Way is the perfect entry point for multi-day hiking.

  
  

Links Mentioned:

• Watch Jennifer’s journey on the Tiny Pine Outdoors YouTube channel.

  
  

  Do this trip for yourself at Big Trail Adventures

Hannah Campbell set out to run a long section of the Munich-to-Venice trail — known as Der Traumpfad, or The Dreamway — travelling solo from the Bavarian Alps, through Austria, and into the Italian Dolomites.

Over 15 days, Hannah covered around 450km, averaging roughly 30km per day, staying almost exclusively in mountain huts and carrying everything she needed in a 20-litre pack.

What she expected to be a late-summer journey turned into something very different, with early snow, freezing temperatures, and days spent navigating deep alpine conditions.

In this episode, we talk about:

* Why Hannah chose the Munich-to-Dolomites route* What the first few kilometres felt like — and how quickly conditions changed* How the landscape, culture and hut life shifted as she moved east* Life in mountain huts: shared meals, late arrivals* Dealing with snow and weather delays* Carrying minimal kit — and the one non-outdoor item she wouldn’t be without* Being told repeatedly that what she was doing was “irresponsible” — and trusting her own judgement* The strange sensory overload of finishing the run and stepping straight into Venice* Why this journey mattered to her personally, without defining her by it

This is a grounded, thoughtful conversation about long solo journeys — not as endurance spectacles, but as lived experiences shaped by weather, people, rhythm and perspective.