And then there are the other camping items that if you forget could prove uncomfortable at best and disastrous at worst.

Check list for a camping trip

Mattress pump: If you are taking a lovely comfy blow-up mattress it is very distressing to arrive without a pump to inflate it. A foot pump will do the job nicely.

Matches or a lighter: Without these you won’t have your stove cooking… And for extra precautions pack Windproof and Waterproof Matches.

Midge repellent: Sadly, these little beasties can ruin a camping trip so make sure you go armed with a repellent, such as Smidge, and a midge head net.

Pillow: This isn’t vital but if you have the room it’s a lovely extra. Resting your head on a rolled up fleece jacket never gives the same good night’s sleep. This Trekmates inflatable pillow is tiny when deflated.

Head torch: It’s easier to do things while you have both hands free and by the light of a head torch. Petzl offers a wide choice of head torches

Phone charger: There’s a growing range of wind-up phone chargers on the market. If you have the space, pop one in your bag just in case.

A multi-tool: You never know when you’ll need a screwdriver or a set of pliers or scissors or a knife. Don’t forget a multi-tool

Drysac: Perfect for keeping things – and valuables – dry when the rain comes. You hope the rain won’t come but if it does a drysac is a great piece of kit.

What essential items do you remember to take on a camping trip?

We all know, summer in Scotland will often entail all four seasons in one day but as Billy Connolly said “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing” and with Tiso’s fantastic range of Waterproofs there is no excuse for being caught out this summer.

Our Waterproofs range includes fantastic products from Arcteryx, Jack Wolfskin, Rab, Sprayway, Berghaus and many more!

Our Waterproof products feature state-of-the-art fabrics designed to help keep you dry while allowing your sweat to evaporate so you don’t end up feeling like a ‘boil in the bag’ on the muggy Scottish summer days.

Pertex Shield

Pertex Shield is a fusion of technically advanced face fabrics with a breathable microporous waterproof coating which results in a wind and water protection garment with excellent comfort, by reducing condensation build-up within the garment.

Tiso’s Pertex Shield jackets include: Rab Womens Tempo Jacket, Montane Mens Atomic Jacket and Montane Womens Atomic Jacket

Pertex Shield+

Pertex Shield+ offers higher levels of wind and water protection than Pertex Shield with excellent breathability to create the ultimate lightweight, waterproof performance fabric for fast moving outdoor athletes and activities such as alpine climbing, cycling, adventure racing and skiing.

Tiso’s Pertex Shield + jackets include: Rab Mens Volt Jacket, Rab Mens Spark Jacket and Rab Womens Spark Jacket.

GORE-TEX® Performance Shell

GORE-TEX® Performance Shell is a durable fabric that keeps the wind and the rain out but maintains comfort by allowing for the bodies moisture vapour to escape.

Tiso’s GORE-TEX® Performance Shell jackets include: Sprayway Mens Compact II Jacket,  Berghaus Mens Cornice IA Jacket and Berghaus Womens Glissade IA Jacket.

GORE-TEX® Active Shell

GORE-TEX® Active Shell is the most lightweight and breathable of the GORE-TEX® fabrics, whilst still providing durable waterproof and windproof protection for optimum comfort. Ideal for highly aerobic, done-in-a-day activities.

Tiso’s GORE-TEX® Active Shell jackets include: Mountain Equipment Mens Firefox Jacket, Mountain Equipment Womens Firefox Jacket, Berghaus Mens Vapour Storm Jacket and Berghaus Womens Vapour Storm Jacket.

Berghaus Vapour

Berghaus Vapour is the world first fully waterproof venting jacket. It uses 3 layer GORE-TEX® Active Shell fabric with side vents which offers protection and comfort while allowing you to move quickly and easily.

GORE-TEX® Pro Shell

GORE-TEX® Pro Shell is an extremely tough (2 and 3 layer construction), extremely breathable, durably waterproof and windproof fabric which meets the demands of outdoor professionals and serious enthusiasts.

Tiso’s GORE-TEX® Pro Shell jackets include: Arcteryx Mens Beta AR Jacket, Mountain Equipment Mens Morpheus Jacket, Mountain Equipment Mens Kongur Jacket and Mountain Equipment Womens Seraph Jacket.

TEXAPORE O2 DENSUS 2L

TEXAPORE O2 DENSUS 2L is a waterproof and breathable fabric unique to Jack Wolfskin. Extra dense weave face fabric makes it particularly tough and hard wearing; optimized balance between weight, tear-strength, abrasion resistance and texture.

Tiso’s TEXAPORE O2 DENSUS 2L jackets include: Jack Wolfskin Mens Affinity Jacket.

TEXAPORE O2 DENSUS 3L

TEXAPORE O2 COMFORT 3L is a waterproof and breathable fabric unique to Jack Wolfskin. Robust, relatively light and very supple.

Tiso’s TEXAPORE O2 COMFORT 3L jackets include: Jack Wolfskin Mens Refugio Jacket.

TEXAPORE AIR O2+

TEXAPORE AIR O2+ is a waterproof and windproof fabric exclusive to Jack Wolfskin with a microporous coating that works like a filter,allowing air to pass through while keeping rain out.

Tiso’s TEXAPORE AIR O2+ jackets include: Jack Wolfskin Womens Mount Moran Jacket.

eVent

eVent is a highly waterproof and windproof fabric with a unique composition which allows millions of tiny pores to breathe at their full potential. Sweat vents directly to the outside of the fabric in one easy step up to twice as fast as common waterproof membranes.

Tiso’s eVent jackets include: Rab Mens Bergen Jacket (event 3 Layer), Rab Mens Mountain Dru Jacket (event 3 Layer).

Wild Lochaber Festival details

The Wild Lochaber Festival takes place from May 18 to 25 and offers a spotlight on the fabulous outdoors region. There will be all sorts of activities going on including  wildlife walks, guided sea kayaking, Land Rover safaris, talks, boat trips and photography competitions.

New Lochaber walking trails

And if you fancy spotting Scotland’s so-called Big 5 species – otter, golden eagle, red deer, harbour seal and red squirrel – you could take in one of eight new nature trails called the Wild Lochaber Trails, which will be unveiled at the festival.

Free festival events

A number of festival events are free and there are events to suit all ages. Daily highlights include:

• Wildlife & Historical Walk around Canna Bay (Saturday 18th May)
• Sea kayaking on Loch Moidart (Sunday 19th May)
• Knoydart otter walk (Monday 20th May)
• Rum Geology Day (Tuesday 21st May)
• Loch Shiel Cruise (Wednesday 22nd May)
• Landscape Photography day (Thursday 23rd May)
• Hidden Valleys Walk – Glencoe (Friday 24th May)
• The Eigg Qigong experience (Saturday 25th May)

Tickets for the festival can be bought online, by telephone or at the festival shop, located in Fort William High Street beside the Grog & Gruel.

Muckmedden Eliminator

On July 27/28, the Eliminator takes place at Newburgh, Fife, and promises a head-to-head downhill race for adrenaline-seeking riders. The race organisers say: “This event starts with a flat-out slalom on open hillside, drops into a steep forest section and ends with a mad slalom through handlebar-high barley”. Sound good?

The event aims to attract families, too, and there will be lots of off-race course attractions such as a round of The Scottish Mountain Bike Consortium’s (SMBC) Balance Bike Race Series, on-site camping and marquees for spectators at the top and bottom of the course in case it’s raining.

Muckmedden Fair City Enduro

Then on October 26/27, the Fair City Enduro takes place in Perth, Scotland’s newest city. There are lots of different stages to appeal to all types of rider – including a “gnarly, rooty singletrack” stage and a “flat out and drifty” stage – and overall the stages will be downhill. Oh, except for stage one, which will be a short, sharp and techy climb.

The Fair City Enduro is just before Hallowe’en, so all marshalls will be in fancy dress, so riders are being encouraged to dress up too for this event. Aaron, an organiser at Muckmedden, says: “We think it will be awesome if 300 mountain bikers ride through a city in various states of fancy dress!”

Stagecoach is putting on a shuttle bus for the event, which will ferry spectators from the city up to the forest stages and back.

Getting started on your camping trip

Where to camp in Scotland

If you plan to wild camp remember to follow the Scottish Outdoors access Code and act responsibly. For people who prefer the extra facilities of a campsite, such as toilets, showers and access to fresh water, check out the websites camping sites across Scotland.

• Scottish Camping
• Forest Holidays
• UK Campsite
• The Camping and Caravanning Club

What to pack for your camping trip

It will depend on whether you’re going for a lightweight wild camping equipment because you’re planning to walk to your  camping spot or if you’re driving to the campsite to unpack your tent and gear.

What you need for family camping

Tents: Go for a family sized with space and rooms for everyone, or a tent for mum and dad and smaller tents for the kids.

Sleeping bags: There is a huge variety in all sizes, shapes and warmths. For a summer holiday go for at least a “two-season” bag and buy to fit height and size.

Mats: Again the range of camping mats is big, including foam mats, thermarests, blow-up mattresses, camp beds and even bag-and-mattress combinations.

Torch: An essential so choose from lanterns, head torches and wind-up torches.

Stove: The choice depends on how much campsite cooking you plan to do. Two- ring gas stoves are ideal for a family holiday, or a throwaway barbecue for one-off occasions.

Eating equipment: I you plan to eat alfresco you’ll need a good range of camp-safe plates, cups and cutlery. Choose metal or plastic depending on preference.

Clothing: Camping can be wet and cool. Don’t forget to bring waterproofs and warm clothes for evenings or overcast days.

Added extras: So many items now come in the portable camping range including chairs, tables, showers, toilets and radios. And don’t forget your camping pillows, rugs, wine cooler, fridge and tent carpet. The list is endless.

Five great camping items

Light My Fire eating kit The Meal Kit from Light My Fire is a great accessory kit for meal times. The Meal Kit fits neatly into the Meal Kit box and perfect for putting in the car or a backpack.

Velocity 200 AirBeam Tent Weekend campers will love the size and flexibility of the Velocity. Features include a large porch space and double entry for ease of access.

Snugpak Laponie 250   This two-season, three quarter length  sleeping bag is part of Snugpaks Laponie family range. These sleeping bags are shaped to fit the female figure with shorter and more contoured profiles.

Outwell Collaps kettle This clever product  collapses flat when not in use. The Collaps Kettle is break resistant, easy to clean and opens and folds in seconds.

Vango Venice Folding Chair  Opens and folds quickly for easy transport and storage. Comes with a cup holder in the armrest.

Also check out the Tiso Camping Guide. Happy camping this summer!

For groups of mountain bike riders these events are a great outing. Over much of the longer cross-country sections there is no stopwatch so you can ride sociably. Then, at a timed stage, riders can push the pace to try to beat their mates on tricky descents or technical cross-country trails.

The winner of an enduro is the person with the fastest aggregate time for the timed stages.

New enduro on the block

The newest mountain biking enduro to be added to the Scottish calendar is the Highland Perthshire Enduro. It takes place on May 4 as part of the Highland Perthshire Cycling Festival.

According to the orgainsers, the enduro is a “49km off-road route on the fantastic trails surrounding the village of Dunkeld. The event includes lung-puffing climbs and smile-inducing technical descents, laid back singletrack, fast fire road, stunning views and above all else the chance for a fun ride with mates, both old and new”.

Four special timed stages will include a singletrack loop, a fun switchback descent and a challenging downhill section, with the winner accumulating the lowest combined time from these sections. The technical downhill sections can be ridden on a hard tail bike and there are chicken runs and easy lines for less confident riders

Kat Brown, of Highland Perthshire Cycling, says: “It’s very exciting to have our own enduro in Highland Perthshire.  We love to get out on our bikes as much as possible and the route we have chosen takes in the great trails we ride all the time.”

She adds: “This is an event that can be enjoyed by a wide range of riders and on ordinary mountain bikes. It’s a chance to get out with friends and to rally enjoy the sport, while also taking part in timed stages.”

No Fuss Events, of Fort William, will be working in partnership with the team at Highland Perthshire Cycling to deliver this new flagship event for the festival.

Frazer Coupland, Partner at No Fuss Events, says: “Enduros have really taken off in Scotland this year and the calendar is rammed with these events. They are great fun and there is something for every rider. We can see enduros getting even bigger.”

Other enduro events to try

UK Gravity Enduro, Innerleithen, Scottish Borders, April 27. See www.ukgravityenduro.com

POC King and Queen of the Hill, as part of the TweedLove festival, May 25/26 See tweedlove.com

Bluegrass EnduroTour, Kinlochleven, Highlands, June 15, See www.nofussevents.co.uk

Fort William Fat Tyre Enduro! Enduro!, Highlands, June 29, www.nofussevents.co.uk

Tour de Ben Nevis, Highlands, September 21, www.nofussevents.co.uk

Knoydart and its splendid wilderness walking opportunities

Next April, too, this remarkable man’s name will be connected to an extended long-distance trail called the John Muir Trail. The existing John Muir Way, from Dunbar to South Queensferry, will be extended to the west coast at Helensburgh.

It was in Dunbar, East Lothian, that Muir was born in 1838. The schoolboy spent his first 11 years in Scotland, before moving with his family in 1849 to Wisconsin in America.

His working life began in industry and he looked set to have a promising career but one day, after an unfortunate incident at work saw a tool pierce his eye leaving him temporarily blinded, Muir upped sticks and set off to walk 1000 miles to the Gulf of Mexico.

He then spent time exploring the Yosemite Valley and the High Sierras – and it was in these wild places that he began thinking about the abuse through domestication and manmade developments on our wilderness areas.

His alarm led to campaigns to preserve a number of wild places and the establishment of America’s Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park. The legacy of Muir’s life and untiring campaigning has inspired generations of conservationists the world over.

Scottish roots

And Muir never forgot his roots in Scotland, either. He was heard to talk frequently about his fond memories of being a child exploring the East Lothian coastline.

Today, in Scotland, we have Muir to thank, in part, for the establishment of our national parks, the Cairngorms national Park and Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park.

On April 21, Scotland’s John Muir Day, why not celebrate by pulling on your walking boots and heading out for a walk on the wild side. You could visit one of our two national parks or one of many Natural Nature Reserves. Why not walk a section of the John Muir Way? Or simply take a stroll in your favourite wild place and reflect on the early ideas of Muir, who knew that man might one day ruin our valued natural places if we didn’t attempt to safeguard them.

When will you wear the waterproof jacket?

The season will generally dictate the type of waterproof jacket that you buy. Most waterproof jackets fall into one of three categories: Lightweight, general or all-purpose and mountain.

If you are planning to walk in spring and summer, it’s possible to buy a lighter weight jacket. Make sure the fabric is breathable so that when you sweat the molecules can escape. Winter demands a more robust jacket made from fabrics that keep out heavy rain and wind but still allow your sweat to evaporate.

For all-round use go for the all-purpose jacket, which offers the compromise of suiting generally okay winter and summer conditions, but won’t be so specifically designed.

Things to think about:

• A heavier weight waterproof jacket will be wearable in winter and on many summer days in the UK.
• A lightweight summer jacket will be cheaper but less useful year-round.
• If you will be outdoors when it might – or might not – rain, choose a jacket that can be packed away into a small pack for easier stowing in your rucksack.

Waterproof vs breathability

There many different waterproof jacket fabrics on the market, including Gore-Tex, HyVent, eVent, Hellytech, Repel Storm, NGX and Conduit. Add to this, newcomers such as Gore-Tex Active Shell, Polartec NeoShell and Mountain Hardwear’s DryQ Elite. This autumn, Gore-Tex will also launch Gore-Tex Pro, their top-of-the-range fabric.

Each claim to be highly waterproof and breathable. Each fabric producer also makes different types of fabric, from thicker and highly waterproof to thinner and highly breathable. Then there is membrane and coated fabrics to think about.

Gore-Tex is the biggest seller and also favoured by experienced outdoors folks, but it also tends to be one of the most expensive brands. Price, use, weather conditions and your personal perspiration levels will affect your choice.

Breathability is a guide to jackets that are waterproof but also allow sweat to evaporate (or breath out).

Breathability Scale of 0 – 10, with a cheap yellow raincoat a 0 (totally non-breathable) and hiking naked a 10 (totally breathable):

Gore-Tex Active Shell – 8

eVENT laminate – 6

MontBell Breeze Dry Tec laminate – 5

Gore-Tex XCR – 4

Gore-Tex Paclite – 3

Mountain Hardwear Conduit – 2

Marmot Precip II – 2

Red Ledge – 1

(Note: We have not tested Neoshell and DryQ as yet.)

Things to think about:

• Look for guarantees when buying expensive waterproof jackets.
• Check for guides to washing and keeping the fabrics in good condition.
• Learn how to reproof a jacket so as to extend its life.

What about all the jacket features?

Waterproof jackets can be as basic as a pull-over jacket with just a short neck zip, or include a host of details such as two-way zips, map pocket, hand pockets, zipped sleeve pocket, fitted and peaked hood, adjustable waist, cuffs and hood and pit zips.

Your choice depends on what you will use it for. If you are buying a jacket to stay dry on the walk to work or the shops, it’s unlikely you’ll need a highly technical jacket. A simple design that keeps you dry will be ideal. However, if you’re a winter walker or a keen hiker, pockets will be important, as will pit zips, which keep you cool when the going is kind-of warm.

Things to think about:

• Comfort is important when walking long distance so look for features such as softer fabric on the inside collar of the jacket which will be more comfortable against your chin skin when you sip up the jacket.
• Two-way zips make jackets more versatile, improve under jacket accessibility and offer a way to cool you off when the going gets warm.
• If you are carrying a rucksack you’ll still want access to your jacket pockets, so look for a jacket with pockets placed high up and above the rucksack waistband.
• A well-designed hood will turn with your head and have a stiff peak wire. It should also be adjustable at the back and at the front on both sides so that you can minimise facial exposure and obtain a good snug fit that cannot blow off.
• A storm flap over the zip and pockets is essential for keeping heavy rain out, especially in the winter. Some jacket manufacturers have designed waterproof zips, which have been give the thumbs up and down depending on who you ask!
• Colour is optional but a high visibility colour such as red, orange, bright green, turquoise or yellow might one day save your life if you become lost or stranded on the hills.

Lined versus unlined waterproof jackets

Some jackets have a silky or mesh lining, which is meant to be more comfortable against the skin. However, most jackets that are fully breathable will not have a lining because this tends to hamper the ability of the fabric to allow sweat vapour out. The Gore-Tex active shell fabric does has a softer lining attached to the membrane that claims to offer superb breathability. Our reviewers agree with this.

Tips on waterproof jacket shape and sizing

The length of a walking jacket should be enough to cover some of your backside and many hiking coats are now designed to be longer at the back than the front.

In general a men’s waterproof jacket will better suit the shape of a man, while a female-fit women’s waterproof jacket is better suited to women. For example, a female-fit jacket will be shaped to allow for a bosom and offer a better fit across narrower shoulders and waists and wider hips.

Women’s jackets also come in more feminine colours, while men’s jackets tend to be in “guys’ hues”. But this isn’t a rule and you may find you prefer a jacket in on the male or female rack according to colour.

More top tips when buying a waterproof jacket

• Buy a jacket that will allow for baselayers underneath.
• Make sure you have movement room at the shoulders.
• Ensure the sleeve cuffs cover the top part of your hand.

A few more things to think about

Waterproofs aren’t magic. Even the most expensive, top-end waterproof jacket will let in some moisture if you stand under a waterfall, and build up a little dampness inside if you go running in a heatwave. You can help a jacket to work well by keeping it clean and reproofing it.

Also, you will only feel the full benefit of a jacket’s breathability if the layers you’re wearing underneath can wick away moisture. There’s no point paying hundreds of pounds for a fantastic jacket if you then wear a cotton t-shirt underneath.

These peaks number 2 to 6 on the list of Britain’s highest hills – Ben Macdui, Braeriach, Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine (The Angels Peak) and Cairngorm. The route can be done in an epic one day push, but my plan had always been to split the tour into two days – day 1 on the east side of the Lairig Ghru: Cairngorm and Ben Macdui, day 2 on the west: The Devils Point (not a ’4000er’ but still a Munro), Cairn Toul, Sgor an Lochain Uaine and Braeriach. Perfectly situated for spending the night in the Lairig Ghru is Corrour Bothy – allowing the tour to be more than just a stamina fest and entertaining the idea of skiing off Ben Macdui into the Lairig Ghru at sunset.

Finally the fates conspired –  a friend with a car,  enough snow (nearly) and (almost) a good weather forecast combined with a couple of days off work. It was on. (Click on the photos to enlarge)

Clare in the sun on top of Cairngorm

Clare and I set off up the pistes of Cairngorm under the midday sun having come up from Edinburgh that morning. It took under an hour to skin up under the pomas and onto the summit of Cairngorm. After a rock dodging descent down onto the plateau, the long slog across to Macdui began. The snow was great – having been rock solid overnight, the sun had started to soften it slightly.

Skiing off Cairngorm, Our objectives laid out in front of us

Unfortunately by the time that we reached Ben Macdui, the sun had softened the snow even more. After lounging around in the sun for a considerable while on the summit, we started the long descent off Ben Macdui down into the Lairig Ghru. Just as I’d hoped, the sun was just starting to set and the view was fantastic. The slushy snow had unfortunately started to form a crust in the cool of the evening, so the steep ground at the top of our descent – The Tailor’s Burn – was pretty tricky to ski.

Clare struggling through the crusty slush

Skiing down the Tailor’s Burn at Sunset

All too soon the descent was over and we found ourselves in the evening gloom of the Lairig Ghru – the snow too patchy too allow us to ski the flat last leg. We found the bothy empty and settled in for the night. At around 11pm, a Winter ML assessment course from Glenmore lodge turned up to camp outside having found the snow too hard to dig snowholes. Perhapswe should have waited on top of Ben Macdui for a little longer…!

The Lairig Ghru and Devils Point (note the horrible walking conditions…) 

The forecast for the next day was for it to get worse in the afternoon, so we were out of the bothy by 7am and on the start of the Devils Point-Braeriach ridge by 8am. The snow was rock solid and made for an entertainingly steep exit up the headwall of Coire Odhar. The weather held for our ascent of The Devil’s Point and most of Cairn Toul. By the summit however, the weather had started to turn and the snow cover became increasingly patchy. In the strengthening wind and decreasing visibility, we were forced to put the skis on our rucksacks and stagger on to The Angel’s Peak – named by the Victorians as a counter to The Devil’s Point – (also renamed from The Devil’s Penis so as not to offend Queen Victoria).

The view from The Devil’s Point

From here, we started down towards the next bealach, navigating off each other as the vis was now down to about ten metres and since everything was white, it may as well have been zero. After reaching the bealach, we had to make a decision - the wind was strengthening all the time and the visibility was as bad as it could be. We knew that the plateau over to Braeriach would be surrounded by cornices and that precise navigation is required at the best of times. We also knew that the weather was only forecast to get worse. So we made the painful decision to turn around and navigate our way back to the bothy. This was by far the safest option as we could simply contour the hills that we had just climbed and if we lost our way in the gloom we had the slope angle as a constant reckoner. The only way we could fall off a cliff or through a cornice was if we walked directly uphill; avoid doing that and we’d get down safely.

The Cloud starting to descend

Soon after 2pm we reached the bothy and stopped for lunch. We now faced a gruelling 15km walk out through the length of the Lairig Ghru – with ski boots on. As you can imagine, this passed pretty slowly, with a small section of skiing at the Pools of Dee (the highest section of the Lairig Ghru) ensuring that we made it far enough to sight the path through the boulders that leads up to the Chalamain Gap just before darkness took it’s hold. An eerie clamber through the gap (a narrow pass formed by subglacial meltwater forced against gravity by the weight of ice 10,000 years ago) in thick mist and pitch black followed. This was made all the more sombre by the fact that just two weeks previously 3 people had died in an avalanche in that very spot. Clambering over the huge blocks of ice that still littered the path was a stark and horrible reminder of the dangers present in the Scottish hills.

The last photo that was worth taking…

Having made it safely back to the ski area car park and down to Glenmore Lodge for a few hot chocolates before the drive home, we found out that the Winter ML assessment course had also been forced off the hill by the weather that afternoon – which vindicated our decision nicely!

The 5×50 Challenge will also raise funds for raise funds for Comic Relief. Last year, 5×50 attracted more than 5000 sign ups from across 43 countries, raising a total of more than £64,000 for charity.

One of the people who took part was Mary Welsh, of Balloch. Mary, who is married and has a 25-year-old daughter, wanted to “do something for myself”.

She had spent years working through Fibromyalgia and looked after her mum before she passed away just after Christmas 2011. The 5×50 Challenge 2012 arrived just at the right time for Mary and although she had not really exercised for years she decided to sign up.

She said: “I wanted to get fit but I needed a bit of a push and something to commit to. I wanted to do something for myself and this challenge felt like a good goal.”

5×50 case study

Mary completed her 5ks/30 minutes each day by walking. Some days were a lot easier than others and an ankle injury picked up just before the challenge started meant Mary had to battle pain on occasions. But this seemed to make her all the more determined.

She said: “It was hard, but a good hard. You don’t get appreciation for things if you get it handed to you on a plate. As I child we were always made to work for what we got so this was not different.  Yes, I was tired, sore and some days I wondered if I could walk never mind do 5k.

“But you get up the next day and the pain and tiredness is gone and you try to factor your life round your walking rather than your walking round your life.”

Many people might be concerned about how they will fit the daily exercise into their busy lives. In fact, lack of time is the number one reason for people not exercising at all.

Mary’s answer was to  incorporate the walks into her daily routine wherever possible.  She said: “Armed with my pedometer I would walk wherever I could. At lunchtime, in the evening, with my husband. I even walked back and forward between the kitchen and the hall to make up 5K when I had a tummy bug. Now that’s dedication for you!”

The last week of the 2012 5×50 was actually the toughest for Mary. She said: “It was the thought of the potential withdrawal of not logging my daily activity that felt so daunting.”

But the 5×50 has come round quickly and Mary has signed up to be part of it again.

Mary said:  “I can’t wait to do the challenge in 2013. As a result of last year’s 5×50 I feel more mobile and fitter, have a healthier mind-set and I am more ready to make goals and achieve challenges. My lust for life has returned.”

Sign up for your 5×50 Challenge 2013

To take part in this challenge, simply go to the 5×50 website and register. Your registration fee, in the main, will go directly to Comic Relief. After registration you can choose to continue raising funds for any charity of your choice, or simply take part. You can register a team or as an individual to take part in the 5×50 Challenge.

Great kit for walking the 5×50

If you’re going to embark on the 5×50 challenge in 2013 make sure you have the right kit for walking in all weather conditions. Walking boots or shoes are essential, as is a good quality waterproof jacket. If you’re dressed for the weather you are more likely to have the motivation to get outdoors everyday.