<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[bootsandbanter]]></title><description><![CDATA[Bootsandbanter]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 12:51:12 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.bootsandbanter.com/zh/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Featherbed Moss, Black Hill and other ethels in the Northern Peak District]]></title><description><![CDATA[Circular hike from Crowden taking in the ethels Featherbed Moss, Black Chew Head, Black Hill, White Low. Also bags 3 trigs including Hey Edge. A summer-like day in April in the far north of the Peak District. ]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/featherbed-moss-black-hill-and-other-ethels-in-the-northern-peak-district</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69edbbed81e17196bd29cf6c</guid><pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 06:38:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_6c3e5f0d43fb471bad1c11995c456a6c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Dambusters Challenge - When Distance Changes Meaning]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Dambusters Challenge was long, committing, and intimidating, mapped in winter for “maybe June.” Nine hours later, 37 km and 1180 m of ascent done.
From steep climbs to calm reservoirs, quiet moors and shaped tors, what sticks isn’t the distance or climbs but the feeling: exploring new areas, sunshine on my skin, endless views, and that sense of being fully alive. That is what I remember most.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/dambusters-challenge</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69d5490110427b2b3149da64</guid><pubDate>Wed, 08 Apr 2026 05:56:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_72f2a8f2ca6a4b71a73bb2122196c990~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Edale Skyline in March: From Blue Skies to Whiteout]]></title><description><![CDATA[Edale Skyline in March - The coldest Skyline I have done, and somehow one I will never forget. I started the day giving directions to lost runners and ended it fighting a snowstorm straight to the face. Somewhere in between, the Peaks decided to throw everything at me, and my brain is still pretending it was fun.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/edale-skyline-in-march-from-blue-skies-to-whiteout</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69c8cf3d4b5dfe0bfdb1911f</guid><pubDate>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:46:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_eb34b9ca25a742aeb4f558745d334472~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Black Hill, Sponds Hill and Unreachable Trig]]></title><description><![CDATA[After weeks of grey skies, a sunny day in the Peak District was too good to waste. Starting from Whaley Bridge, this walk delivered two more Ethels, a beautifully positioned trig on Sponds Hill, a shiny toposcope pointing to distant peaks, and an intense standoff with four very large cows. The only thing missing? The elusive Ladder Hill trig.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/black-hill-sponds-hill-and-unreachable-trig</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69b687d4fae9b1d3432efb2d</guid><pubDate>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 11:32:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_6fc48d05ba5a4ac39be628bf4d803d54~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Edale Skyline in February: The Most Brutal One Yet]]></title><description><![CDATA[Blue skies, brutal gusts, and the stubborn streak that carried me through nearly 8 hours of the Edale Skyline.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/edale-skyline-in-february-the-most-brutal-one-yet</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699b713233aebccb486a5fae</guid><pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 23:08:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_d0803146884f4226a0c16217386357a5~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Peak District Return: Solomon’s Temple, Experiment 66 &#38; Suspiciously Perfect Timing]]></title><description><![CDATA[A solo circular walk from Grin Low to Oliver Hill, featuring Solomon’s Temple, panoramic views, spontaneous route changes and the quiet freedom of hiking alone.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/peak-district-return-solomon-s-temple-experiment-66-suspiciously-perfect-timing</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6999fc2533aebccb48671a40</guid><pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 19:34:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_192ef4aa6b6c4c7f863de99ed9d75177~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Edale Skyline in January: Fog, Wind, and Unplanned PR]]></title><description><![CDATA[Clockwise Edale Skyline in January was a choice. 31.6 km, 1,306 m, 3°C (feels like -4), five hours of fog and savage wind with no views until km 20. Hope Station to Lose Hill wasn’t a warm-up, the Lose Hill trig was being hogged, Brown Knoll was bog theatre, and Kinder Low tried to exfoliate my face. Somehow it turned into a PR by 3 minutes. Unplanned. Unhinged. Loved it.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/edale-skyline-in-january-fog-wind-and-unplanned-pr</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6976247b3ceed113ffc8ad48</guid><pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 17:33:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_3761f830bd83444c8cb678ae35ded57f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[❄️ Frozen Ground, Edges and Cloughs]]></title><description><![CDATA[A cold winter solo walk in the Peak District, starting from Winscar Reservoir and crossing frozen moorland, empty edges, and invisible summits. The route took in South Nab trig and the Ethels of Britland Edge Hill, Dead Edge End, and Snailsden Pike End, all requiring careful navigation rather than visual cues. With solid ground underfoot and very few people around, the day became about precision, movement, and quiet focus, from bleak moorland to the drama of Ramsden Clough.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/frozen-ground-edges-and-cloughs</link><guid isPermaLink="false">695a3d81bd1cfb4bde7b3fe1</guid><pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 17:27:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_8d12e8327864425a8c5cf159fb8c6c0d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ten Wainwrights, One Haunted Pub, and a Very Kind Stranger]]></title><description><![CDATA[Six months earlier, I booked a place above a pub. When I arrived, I realised I hadn’t booked a room but the entire second floor of a 17th-century pub. Alone. After very little sleep, I set off at 07:20 on an endurance round that depended on a bus timetable I thought I’d researched properly. The day brought brutal wind, poor decisions, unsettling surprises, and a finish that nearly left me seven miles from my car. Somewhere in all that, I climbed 17 peaks.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/ten-peaks-one-haunted-pub-and-a-very-kind-stranger</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6940580d441da91c2d83c0e0</guid><pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:46:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_ea0f644b71ce4aeaa8670ac574d6988a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[An Ode to the Fog - Gun, Roaches, Hen Cloud]]></title><description><![CDATA[A fog soaked November hike in the Peak District that turned bad weather into atmosphere. I set off from Tittesworth Reservoir and climbed the Ethel Gun, then wandered across the Roaches and over to Hen Cloud. Mist hid the world and revealed the landscape in a new way. Drizzle, silence and rock shaped the day, proving that visibility may disappear, but imagination and wonder certainly do not.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/an-ode-to-the-fog-gun-roaches-hen-cloud</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6926e588d6cfa96de9e86d87</guid><pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 11:55:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_34c4d55e05284e44833c296be16c3493~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[4 Ethels Earned, One Trig Erased]]></title><description><![CDATA[A violent-wind, bright-sky day in the Peak District ticking off four new Ethels: Mt Famine, South Head, Eccles Pike and Chinley Churn. A route from Hayfield with cow stand-offs, Highland cows, an overgrown “path”, a missing trig ripped out by a farmer, and a winter-grade wind that felt more like February than late October. Finished cold, feral and satisfied. Still convinced the Peak District is my endurance training ground and still full of surprises.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/4-ethels-earned-one-trig-erased</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68fe28ece3b0149559cea5f6</guid><pubDate>Sun, 26 Oct 2025 17:09:52 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_6f5871bd8b0c4f39bfcd2b09a0d2a97c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_697,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[✨Lingmell: The Last Wainwright]]></title><description><![CDATA[After five years and 214 fells, the list ended on Lingmell in Wasdale, in violent wind that tried to turn us back. It wasn’t the calm finale I imagined, but it felt exact. Above the worst of the wind the views opened: every chapter of the journey in one frame. I ran the last metres to the cairn and then synchronicity struck. The same two people I met three weeks ago arrived to finish their 214 Wainwrights journey at the exact same minute.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/lingmell-the-last-wainwright</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68f647cfb92c044006f81fbd</guid><pubDate>Wed, 22 Oct 2025 13:18:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_b6ea9de7c1b747fa83fdda719e49325e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[️ Edale Skyline: The Day I Outran Myself]]></title><description><![CDATA[Fog, sunlight, and self-belief on the Edale Skyline. 32 km of calm focus, one sandwich, and a finish I never thought possible - 6h 58 min]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/edale-skyline-the-day-i-outran-myself</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68eca70cd9148378f5dbc819</guid><pubDate>Mon, 13 Oct 2025 13:42:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_fc37e81ac7f944e7876e5b4fd6c579ab~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Redemption on the Roof of Wasdale ⛰️✨]]></title><description><![CDATA[A perfect Wasdale morning turned into one of my most memorable hikes yet. I abandoned my 9 km plan within minutes, wandered to Burnmoor Tarn in total silence, faced down two herds of cows , and climbed Slight Side &#38; Scafell. By pure chance, four of us hit our 213th Wainwright together . Sunshine, summit banter, and spooky coincidences made it feel like destiny. Some hikes tick boxes but this one made memories. ]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/redemption-on-the-roof-of-wasdale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68de22024d2c7160e19a239c</guid><pubDate>Fri, 03 Oct 2025 05:37:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_51fd2a6d91354fb8a752dca64ef75bdf~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_750,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[⛰️Yewbarrow - One for the Memory Books]]></title><description><![CDATA[Trip #8 of 2025 took me back to Wasdale, my favourite valley, for a solo climb of Yewbarrow. From the steep grassy nose that everyone says is horrible (I enjoyed it), to the scramble at Great Door, to the easy grassy ridge, the fell felt like a compact adventure. The real surprise was Stirrup Crag - a descent that looked fine from above but delivered two airy downclimbs. Calm in the moment, reflective afterwards, Yewbarrow proved that small fells can pack big drama.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/yewbarrow-one-for-the-memory-books</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68dc3ffe16540f55d516e460</guid><pubDate>Wed, 01 Oct 2025 08:04:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_b2bb49a19e9742e4bc927e4ed6c3eaf8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_462,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Whetstone Ridge, Shutlingsloe, Highland Cows &#38; a QOM ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Whetstone Ridge, Highland cows, and a surprise COM- two Ethels, a trig, and a perfectly timed Peak District adventure before the rain.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/whetstone-ridge-shutlingsloe-highland-cows-a-qom</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68b34eecf3946279c1bf5d9c</guid><pubDate>Sun, 31 Aug 2025 07:18:51 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_3f83e8b1f8e540588ec99266192acea9~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[⏱️The Eastern Fells Finale: 11 Hours, 9 Summits, and One Phantom Path]]></title><description><![CDATA[The Eastern Fells are officially complete! In true Mira style, it took an 11-hour ‘fell shift,’ 9 summits, and one phantom path disaster at Blea Cove that had me crawling on all fours and losing my glasses. The day brought sunshine, relentless heat, and the rare miracle of zero wind on every top. I crossed Striding Edge and Swirral Edge, lounged on Catstye Cam with a cheese sandwich, and wrapped up with fish and chips at Glenridding. Just four Wainwrights left - the finale is in sight.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/the-eastern-fells-finale-11-hours-9-summits-and-one-phantom-path</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68a34c0d054d02f5f63a8ccd</guid><pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2025 05:48:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_d0cb3ee6e2ce408886dc26f02ef508d8~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_563,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lakes Trip #7 - From Tongues to Buzzards (Day 1 &#38; 2)]]></title><description><![CDATA[This was my 7th trip to the Lakes this year and clearly, I can’t stay away. Day 1 was a mellow evening climb up Troutbeck Tongue, my last of the Far Eastern Fells, with rain on the drive giving way to sunshine, blue skies, and a pint by the water. Day 2 was a contrast: ridge views from Hartsop Above How, buzzards circling above, and a grassy plateau on Ullscarf. Two fells, two chats with inspiring older hikers, and another area completed.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/lakes-trip-7-from-tongues-to-buzzards-day-1-2</link><guid isPermaLink="false">68a33b93054d02f5f63a607b</guid><pubDate>Mon, 18 Aug 2025 20:56:28 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_37d4713d83864c4391f55c046a78b148~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_563,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ Vitosha: Raspberries, Rustles, and Rezens]]></title><description><![CDATA[After a ‘leisure hike’ reset, I went full Mira mode: berries, a mystery tall furry creature, new peaks, soup, beer &#38; Sofia views.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/vitosha-raspberries-rustles-and-rezens</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6897008d1b5d45172bba975b</guid><pubDate>Sat, 09 Aug 2025 08:18:56 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_cda8e5a0a5a54aea8c107cc62274c76c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_562,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Hike That Fed My Soul: A Berry-Filled Break from Beast Mode]]></title><description><![CDATA[Berries, soup, cheese, beer, and family. A slow, joy-filled Cherni Vrah day that fed my soul as much as my face.]]></description><link>https://www.bootsandbanter.com/post/the-hike-that-fed-my-soul-a-berry-filled-break-from-beast-mode</link><guid isPermaLink="false">688fbc02290893a22a0eced0</guid><pubDate>Sat, 09 Aug 2025 08:00:29 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/e8626a_1517ce4126ae475ba139b0af210af69a~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_563,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>bootsandbanter</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>