Zo Outdoors rides again: Summer 2020

Over the past few weeks it feels that adventures have got slightly bigger although always curbed or influenced by one rule or another.

This post is almost a note to myself; 2020 has been a tough year so far but there have been many moments of joy and it’s important to reflect on those. It’s good for the soul.

2020 joy number 1: Allotments

During lockdown I was lucky enough to help my friend Josie tend to her allotment and more recently we have become tenants of an allotment of our own 🙂

Tom in action on Josie’s plot on Hudds Vale Allotments

2020 joy number 2: Scotland

As lockdown lifted slightly we managed to get up to Scotland in early July. We’d never been in school holidays before and it certainly was busier than we’d seen before but the crowds were concentrated around beauty spots and car parks. We managed two nights wild camping without another person in view and had many day hikes where we only saw a few hardy folk braving the elements.

We explored the area around Braemar ticking off 9 Munro’s in a week with two spectacular camps. It was sad to see that many people had taken to drive up wild camping along the sides of the road but hopefully some of these pics will inspire people to venture truly wild.

Camping by Loch Muick after completing the lochnagar round

Camping by Loch Etchachan before a 3 Munro day including Ben Macdui. When we arrived the previous afternoon we couldn’t see the lake shore and spent 7 hours lying in the tent listening to the rain #reallifewildcamp

Boathouse on Loch Muick scene of an impromptu early morning swim

2020 Joy number 3: Day tripping near Bristol

Exploring closer to home has led to visiting some places that had been on the list for a while but also included some visits to old favourites and new discoveries.

A day trip to Blenheim Palace for a ‘half way’ family meet up

I hope 2020 has had some joys in it for you too. I’m sure we have all experienced sadness, frustration and disappointment as well and while this blog will never focus on those elements their absence from this blog does not mean they do not exist. Lots of love, Zoe