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Imagine there's a long journey by foot you want to undertake, which begins and ends at your house. However you only have time to walk either the outward or return leg, the other leg being done by car/bus/train or some such. The nature of the furthest point from home is irrelevant- It's the journey we're considering here.
Is it better to travel towards home or away from it?
Is it better to travel towards home or away from it?
In reply to llechwedd:
Travel out and head for home I would have thought. I always aim to end a linear walk in the most convenient place (best public transport, most pubs/shops/chippies) and travel out to the more awkward end first. Home surpasses all of those. Mind you most of my linear walks are a day or three at most. I imagine you have something a bit longer in mind?
Travel out and head for home I would have thought. I always aim to end a linear walk in the most convenient place (best public transport, most pubs/shops/chippies) and travel out to the more awkward end first. Home surpasses all of those. Mind you most of my linear walks are a day or three at most. I imagine you have something a bit longer in mind?
Post edited at 11:55
In reply to malky_c:
Yes, but purely for the sake of generating discussion.
I guess on shorter walks the choice is perhaps more self evident- as you point out, the last thing you want to do when tired after a few days is be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
> Mind you most of my linear walks are a day or three at most. I imagine you have something a bit longer in mind?
Yes, but purely for the sake of generating discussion.
I guess on shorter walks the choice is perhaps more self evident- as you point out, the last thing you want to do when tired after a few days is be stuck in the middle of nowhere.
In reply to llechwedd:
For convenience, finish at home.
But i prefer to be Heading to somewhere new, so i would actually rather be heading away From home.
I would Prefer the walk to become less familiar the further i went.
For convenience, finish at home.
But i prefer to be Heading to somewhere new, so i would actually rather be heading away From home.
I would Prefer the walk to become less familiar the further i went.
In reply to Choss:
I agree about the thrill of the unfamiliar. But then you have to undergo an accelerated return to the familiar.
> i prefer to be Heading to somewhere new, so i would actually rather be heading away From home.
> I would Prefer the walk to become less familiar the further i went.
I agree about the thrill of the unfamiliar. But then you have to undergo an accelerated return to the familiar.
In reply to llechwedd:
I'd walk home. The accelerated trip out to the unfamiliar would be great. Imagine getting off a plane somewhere strange and setting off to find your way home. Or on a smaller scale, getting dropped off somewhere random in the highlands and finding a way home would be good fun.
I'd walk home. The accelerated trip out to the unfamiliar would be great. Imagine getting off a plane somewhere strange and setting off to find your way home. Or on a smaller scale, getting dropped off somewhere random in the highlands and finding a way home would be good fun.
In reply to llechwedd:
Sort of a slow Decompression to Prevent the daily Life Bends.
> I agree about the thrill of the unfamiliar. But then you have to undergo an accelerated return to the familiar.
Sort of a slow Decompression to Prevent the daily Life Bends.
In reply to llechwedd:
I've done this a few times, up to about 30 miles.
The directional decision is made almost entirely based on the public transport timings and their intersection with potential bail points. I can't come up with a general rule of thumb.
> Is it better to travel towards home or away from it?
I've done this a few times, up to about 30 miles.
The directional decision is made almost entirely based on the public transport timings and their intersection with potential bail points. I can't come up with a general rule of thumb.
In reply to llechwedd:
Walk away from home, head into the unknown.
I'm usually happy to get home quickly after an adventure or journey, I always hated the drive back from the highlands to Manchester, a gradual transition from splendour to routine.
Walk away from home, head into the unknown.
I'm usually happy to get home quickly after an adventure or journey, I always hated the drive back from the highlands to Manchester, a gradual transition from splendour to routine.
In reply to llechwedd:
Personally would be away from home and then travel back, then the walk gets more interesting....i wouldn't be excited about walking back to my house as the last 1/2 miles would be through residential areas and thats dull.
Personally would be away from home and then travel back, then the walk gets more interesting....i wouldn't be excited about walking back to my house as the last 1/2 miles would be through residential areas and thats dull.
In reply to llechwedd:
I live at the end of the Coast to Coast. For me walking home is more practical as I don't have to worry about any transport issues at the end such as time deadlines!!
I live at the end of the Coast to Coast. For me walking home is more practical as I don't have to worry about any transport issues at the end such as time deadlines!!
In reply to llechwedd:
Im Walking the coast of Wales in May, I was going to start at Chester and finish at Chepstow. But have decided that i would rather my finish line be as close to home as possible than further away.
Im Walking the coast of Wales in May, I was going to start at Chester and finish at Chepstow. But have decided that i would rather my finish line be as close to home as possible than further away.
In reply to llechwedd:
For the West Highland Way I'd say Glasgow to Fort William is far better than Fort William to Glasgow. There's more motivation if the walking takes you into the mountains rather than away from them.
For the West Highland Way I'd say Glasgow to Fort William is far better than Fort William to Glasgow. There's more motivation if the walking takes you into the mountains rather than away from them.
In reply to tom_in_edinburgh:
Admittedly it's a pretty small sample, but so far 6 would head for home, 2 would prefer the journey outwards, and two don't give a preference.
I reasoned that as Homo sapiens is such a consumate coloniser/explorer there'd be a drive to go and experience the unfamiliar but also a desire to get back to home, the place where so much is invested.
Because neither has clear precedence I thought that the split would be 50:50.
I'd imagine that historically the norm would be a circular journey, out and back by the same mode- walking. Nowadays though, most long walks seem linear, one way affairs, with the 'drop off' or 'pick up' by motor transport.
Something odd seems to happen, in the accounts of more than a few people, when the furthest point of the journey is reached- the desire to keep on walking. However, if going towards home, it seems this drive is less remarked upon.
I'll have to look into this further unless anyone has any insight to offer here.
My own take on this is that it's something more than just anticipation of journey climax/anticlimax. Either direction of one way walks leave something unresolved.
Years ago I remember Ted Simon commenting in 'Jupiter's Travels' (his book about circling the globe by Triumph motorbike) how silly it would be to be accidentally killed just as he was approaching home again. I liked the paradox of that statement.
Admittedly it's a pretty small sample, but so far 6 would head for home, 2 would prefer the journey outwards, and two don't give a preference.
I reasoned that as Homo sapiens is such a consumate coloniser/explorer there'd be a drive to go and experience the unfamiliar but also a desire to get back to home, the place where so much is invested.
Because neither has clear precedence I thought that the split would be 50:50.
I'd imagine that historically the norm would be a circular journey, out and back by the same mode- walking. Nowadays though, most long walks seem linear, one way affairs, with the 'drop off' or 'pick up' by motor transport.
Something odd seems to happen, in the accounts of more than a few people, when the furthest point of the journey is reached- the desire to keep on walking. However, if going towards home, it seems this drive is less remarked upon.
I'll have to look into this further unless anyone has any insight to offer here.
My own take on this is that it's something more than just anticipation of journey climax/anticlimax. Either direction of one way walks leave something unresolved.
Years ago I remember Ted Simon commenting in 'Jupiter's Travels' (his book about circling the globe by Triumph motorbike) how silly it would be to be accidentally killed just as he was approaching home again. I liked the paradox of that statement.
In reply to llechwedd:
I would like to add a seventh for heading for home. My current journeys by foot differ not a jot from my previous long journeys by boat. Anticipation, expectation and nervous excitement on the outward bound leg. Satisfaction, job well done, (or not!) with a "Beam me up Scotty, I want tae go hame" on the homeward bound leg. Obviously travelling by foot is a very different scenario to a long journey by boat, however without doubt in the latter case 99.9 percent just wanted to get back home as soon as.
I would like to add a seventh for heading for home. My current journeys by foot differ not a jot from my previous long journeys by boat. Anticipation, expectation and nervous excitement on the outward bound leg. Satisfaction, job well done, (or not!) with a "Beam me up Scotty, I want tae go hame" on the homeward bound leg. Obviously travelling by foot is a very different scenario to a long journey by boat, however without doubt in the latter case 99.9 percent just wanted to get back home as soon as.
In reply to llechwedd:
All my journeys end at a pub, whether out bound or inbound, never remember coming home, just wake up there!
All my journeys end at a pub, whether out bound or inbound, never remember coming home, just wake up there!
In reply to llechwedd:
Definitely walk away from home- your heading to new places and a new adventure and get the transport back . I always found that once the holiday was over i just wanted to be asap
Definitely walk away from home- your heading to new places and a new adventure and get the transport back . I always found that once the holiday was over i just wanted to be asap
In reply to bdgm:
Not done any long linear walks from home. However, I have done several cycling trips. For me the preference is always to start at the far end and cycle back home. There are a couple of reasons. After a few days on the bike, the last thing I want is to be pratting about at some station trying to get my bike booked on a train and to have to faff about changing trains. Secondly, if I am tired/wet it's much more motivating to keep going knowing that I'll end up at home.
Not done any long linear walks from home. However, I have done several cycling trips. For me the preference is always to start at the far end and cycle back home. There are a couple of reasons. After a few days on the bike, the last thing I want is to be pratting about at some station trying to get my bike booked on a train and to have to faff about changing trains. Secondly, if I am tired/wet it's much more motivating to keep going knowing that I'll end up at home.
In reply to llechwedd:
I think it depends what home is to you. Seems to be a theme among people that would walk away from home that they are escaping normality and the rat race. I chose to live in Inverness because it doesn't have too much of either, and it allows me to combine work and the time I spend outdoors almost seamlessly. So I like the idea of approaching familiarity and comfort, as I like where I live. Mind you, as I said before, most of my trips are fairly short, so I don't really have the time to get into the 'trail mentality', or whatever you want to call it. That probably makes a difference.
I think it depends what home is to you. Seems to be a theme among people that would walk away from home that they are escaping normality and the rat race. I chose to live in Inverness because it doesn't have too much of either, and it allows me to combine work and the time I spend outdoors almost seamlessly. So I like the idea of approaching familiarity and comfort, as I like where I live. Mind you, as I said before, most of my trips are fairly short, so I don't really have the time to get into the 'trail mentality', or whatever you want to call it. That probably makes a difference.
Depends on if you are travelling on this island or not. In order to afford the train fare, you usually have to get in early and book a specific train. Given that the departure point and date at the end of a long walk could be uncertain, best get the train out of the way at the start. As your walk progresses the fare required to get home if things go wrong will diminish, possibly into double figures.
Elsewhere, just roll up at a station at the end of your trip.
Post edited at 18:14
In reply to llechwedd:
I'd guess it is also a walk specific thing. Some walks have a preferred direction, like a pilgrimage they are about going to somewhere. The West Highland Way is like that - almost everyone walks South to North so as to finish along Glen Nevis and be facing the mountains most of the walk. Plenty of other walks don't have such a strongly preferred direction.
> Admittedly it's a pretty small sample, but so far 6 would head for home, 2 would prefer the journey outwards, and two don't give a preference.
I'd guess it is also a walk specific thing. Some walks have a preferred direction, like a pilgrimage they are about going to somewhere. The West Highland Way is like that - almost everyone walks South to North so as to finish along Glen Nevis and be facing the mountains most of the walk. Plenty of other walks don't have such a strongly preferred direction.
In reply to llechwedd:
It depends where you call 'home '.
For example. If I was to try and complete my remaining munros , then I would call ' home' to be the end of the walk in Scotland.
As a schoolboy, myself and some friends decided to walk the Pennines Way. We opted to go north to south. This was daunting in that every day we got closer to the end of our adventure. Eventually we lost interest. I intend at some stage to attempt it again, but will walk from my old 'home' in Stoke( 30 miles to Edale), and go from there. As others have said, there's something about travelling North, it's much more exciting. There's nothing to go south for except Antarctica.
It depends where you call 'home '.
For example. If I was to try and complete my remaining munros , then I would call ' home' to be the end of the walk in Scotland.
As a schoolboy, myself and some friends decided to walk the Pennines Way. We opted to go north to south. This was daunting in that every day we got closer to the end of our adventure. Eventually we lost interest. I intend at some stage to attempt it again, but will walk from my old 'home' in Stoke( 30 miles to Edale), and go from there. As others have said, there's something about travelling North, it's much more exciting. There's nothing to go south for except Antarctica.
Post edited at 18:40
In reply to llechwedd:
If you walk home you have a definite and constrained end point. If you walk away you could end up anywhere and follow your nose according to mood and what's on the horizon. I prefer the latter!
If you walk home you have a definite and constrained end point. If you walk away you could end up anywhere and follow your nose according to mood and what's on the horizon. I prefer the latter!
In reply to llechwedd:
Good question. I prefer to travel away from home into the unknown (cycling in my case, not walking). The journeys that inspire me tend to be this way round.
JRR Tolkien: "You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
Good question. I prefer to travel away from home into the unknown (cycling in my case, not walking). The journeys that inspire me tend to be this way round.
JRR Tolkien: "You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to."
In reply to llechwedd:
I encountered someone who was working his way through all the old English county tops. His rules were: 1 top per walk, begin and end at his house.
I encountered someone who was working his way through all the old English county tops. His rules were: 1 top per walk, begin and end at his house.
In reply to llechwedd:
Depends what I'm doing at the destination, and departure time of time of each leg.
Depends what I'm doing at the destination, and departure time of time of each leg.
In reply to pasbury:
Whilst I'd enjoy the freedom that your scenario brings, I'm asking about the specific situation where the walking/self propelled leg both begins and ends at a 'definite and constrained point'. So the walking start is either home or the predetermined 'ultima thule', and the remaining leg by motorised transport.
Maybe the term 'ultima thule' and its' implications of dubious attainability (self propelled) is what I want to prod at.
Perhaps in this respect, what I'm only interested in relates to arduous journeys- If it's well within your capabilities then maybe it is just about availability and certainty of return transport and whether the scenic interest builds or declines.
If, on your very long journey, you got the bus from home to start your journey but then didn't quite feel up to walking all the way back home, perhaps you'd get the bus home and not feel too disappointed. But if you were walking away from home to your goal and felt disinclined to walk nearing journey's end then it would somehow seem a bigger 'failure' to get the bus for the last tiny bit.
What's that all about?
Am I making sense?
> If you walk home you have a definite and constrained end point.
Whilst I'd enjoy the freedom that your scenario brings, I'm asking about the specific situation where the walking/self propelled leg both begins and ends at a 'definite and constrained point'. So the walking start is either home or the predetermined 'ultima thule', and the remaining leg by motorised transport.
Maybe the term 'ultima thule' and its' implications of dubious attainability (self propelled) is what I want to prod at.
Perhaps in this respect, what I'm only interested in relates to arduous journeys- If it's well within your capabilities then maybe it is just about availability and certainty of return transport and whether the scenic interest builds or declines.
If, on your very long journey, you got the bus from home to start your journey but then didn't quite feel up to walking all the way back home, perhaps you'd get the bus home and not feel too disappointed. But if you were walking away from home to your goal and felt disinclined to walk nearing journey's end then it would somehow seem a bigger 'failure' to get the bus for the last tiny bit.
What's that all about?
Am I making sense?
In reply to llechwedd:
OK I'll constrain myself!
I still think that walking away from 'home' is like walking up from the roots of a tree to a bough and then a branch and then a twig and finally one arrives at a leaf, even if it is a pre-determined leaf. Other way is the opposite. There's the constant flicker of possibility about an outward journey and the constant reduction of choice about a homeward journey.
Reading back I'm not sure I've really answered your question and maybe obliquely have expressed my desire to escape the kids once in a while .
OK I'll constrain myself!
I still think that walking away from 'home' is like walking up from the roots of a tree to a bough and then a branch and then a twig and finally one arrives at a leaf, even if it is a pre-determined leaf. Other way is the opposite. There's the constant flicker of possibility about an outward journey and the constant reduction of choice about a homeward journey.
Reading back I'm not sure I've really answered your question and maybe obliquely have expressed my desire to escape the kids once in a while .
In reply to pasbury:
Very eloquently put. Thanks. But xylem or phloem? Both are needed for the tree to thrive.
The escapism thing's interesting..
Malky C and others describe heading homewards as preferable when you live somewhere 'pleasant'. Yet living somewhere pleasant isn't neccessarily less stressful in everyday life.
Does this mean Malky C and co. don't get the post holiday blues as acutely as when walking out from home, because, as Choss would have it, in walking home they have time to slowly decompress to prevent the bends of daily life?
Very eloquently put. Thanks. But xylem or phloem? Both are needed for the tree to thrive.
The escapism thing's interesting..
Malky C and others describe heading homewards as preferable when you live somewhere 'pleasant'. Yet living somewhere pleasant isn't neccessarily less stressful in everyday life.
Does this mean Malky C and co. don't get the post holiday blues as acutely as when walking out from home, because, as Choss would have it, in walking home they have time to slowly decompress to prevent the bends of daily life?
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