Challenges

Past Challenges

This list is happily growing… and if you could see my ‘bucket list’.  Well now, that is a whole new story!

2011

South West Coast Path; longest National Trail (630 miles) – solo hike

2012

Wales Coast Path (870 miles) first woman to walk the WCP

Hall of Fame: https://www.walescoastpath.gov.uk/latest-news/hall-of-fame/zoe-wathen/?lang=en

2013

Offa’s Dyke Path; National Trail (177 miles) – solo hike

Old railway lines from Chepstow, Monmouthshire – Draycott, Somerset – solo hike

2014

West Mendip Way (30 miles) – solo hike

2016

Camino de Santiago; Camino Frances (500 miles) – just married: our honeywalk!

2017

‘Ooop North Triple Crown’

Pennine Way; National Trail (268 miles)

Hadrian’s Wall Path; National Trail (84 miles) – solo

Wainwright’s Coast to Coast (192 miles) – postponed

East Mendip Way and West Mendip Way (49 miles) – between Christmas and New Year

2018

100 Mappy Days (#100MappyDays) – multiple distances and walks, all using a map or app

2019

100 Mappy Days continued

La Plagne; French Alps – ski school for a complete novice skier!

Wainwright’s Coast to Coast (192 miles)

100 Scary Days (#100ScaryDays) – 100 consecutive days of doing scary stuff

2020

The Southern Upland Way (215 miles) – postponed until 2022

The Virtual Southern Upland Way (#virtualSUW) – climbing the equivalent ascent of 8450 metres for the Southern Upland Way, using my back garden steps

2021

The Mon & Brec Bridge-Bagging Challenge (3412 miles) – THE biggest challenge yet. In some ways, so simple… in others, it will take a huge amount of endurance. A ‘lockdown-proof’ challenge, walking from the same point each time, to a different bridge and back again. How to make a 35-miles stretch of canal extend to over 3000 miles!

June Daily Jaunt (#junedailyjaunt) – a thirty-day plan to head outside walking EVERY day for a whole month. Click here for the downloadable bingo sheets to help you stay focused and keep track of your daily targets or go to the dedicated page to read more.

2024

Carnglaze Calling

Solo walk from Somerset to Cornwall (125 miles) to reach the Saltlines performance at Carnglaze Caverns.

2025

A Priory Pilgrimage

Solo walk from Somerset to Cornwall (85 miles) to reach the Saltlines performance at St Germans Priory.

HeadRightOut: One Coast Any Age

7,300 mile anticlockwise walk around the coast of mainland Great Britain. Started 4th October 2025. Almost 60 miles completed and then a four-month pause due to a stress fracture.

2026

HeadRightOut: One Coast Any Age

Restart of 7,300 mile anticlockwise walk around the coast of mainland Great Britain. Started 4th February 2026 from Studland, Dorset.