Our First Year of Family Adventures: Hiking, Biking & Blogging

6th July 2025.

Celebrating One Year of Treks, Trails and Travel: Turns Out We Did A Lot!

Twelve months ago today, we set out on our very first blogged walk.

We’d spent so long feeling like we couldn’t give our children the “big adventures” everyone else seemed to be having (thanks, Instagram). But something clicked. We realised walking could be the answer – it was free, easy to start, got us all outside, and most importantly, gave us something meaningful to do together as a family.

And I found myself loving the process of writing about it all. Our adventures weren’t picture-perfect or influencer-worthy – but they were ours. Documenting them felt important. Maybe one day, the boys will look back, read these stories, and remember exactly how it felt to be there.

And I’m glad I did blog, because I’ll be honest – I didn’t think we’d done that much this year. Then I started looking back….

And suddenly there it was: the walks, the bike trails, the wrong turns, the endless snacks, and of course the van (yes — the van), and a lot of small adventures that added up to something big.

So here we are. One year into blogging about our family outdoor life, and what started as a way to keep track of our walks (and keep ourselves accountable!) has turned into something we love doing – and something we’ve actually kept up with, which in itself is a minor miracle.

So let’s have a look at what the past year has brought us…

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Walks, Wanders and Wild Adventures

We’ve covered some miles this year – 263 to be precise – sometimes with complaints, sometimes with packed lunches, and sometimes (miraculously) with both boys smiling at the same time!

We’ve discovered more of our local area than I ever thought would be possible, visited beautiful places further out in our county of Shropshire that I never thought we’d get to, and we even managed to get some miles in visiting family in Scotland! Some walks have been up to 10 miles long, with our 8 and 10 year olds fully laden with their own hiking bags – I’ve been so impressed at the resilience of our lads over the past 52 weeks!

Highlights include:

• Finally walking The Wrekin (Twice in two weeks!) – a hill we’d just admired from our bedroom window for years
• A cliff side ocean view walk in the beautiful Scottish Borders (or New Asgaard)
• Getting lost in the brambles of Bishops Wood. Twice 😅

Oh – and I can’t forget the time our eldest led us on a 7.7-mile hike with an OS map like a mini explorer. Absolutely nailed it.

We have also learned a lot in this time, from what we need in our first aid kit, to the finding suitable walking gear and walking boots for all of us! We had always wondered if walking was affordable as a family and we have answered that in buckets over this past year!

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Getting into Mountain Biking

This year also saw us dip our toes (and occasionally knees) into mountain biking. The idea grew on our many walks. The boys love biking but it’s not a safe area for cycling where we live so we knew to make it happen that we’d need to sell our cars and fund a suitable ‘adventure’ vehicle. But more on that in a bit..

Our mountain biking started simple – a trail we had previously walked at Hanchurch, then a few pump tracks, then slowly building confidence at Cannock Chase, starting on the Blue Trail. The children got new helmets, the parents got new helmets, we all got new protective gear – and we started finding that actually, we all absolutely love mountain biking! As 2025 got into gear, so did we, and for the past few months we’ve been biking even more than we’ve been walking!

Not going to lie: riding behind your children as they whoop their way down a trail is one of the best (and scariest!) feelings ever!

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Enter Vangelina the Van

This was the year we bought a van. We sold our cars and eventually found Vangelina – a burnt orange Ford Transit Custom packed with potential, and we had big plans to turn her into our family ‘adventure wagon’. A proper family conversion.

So far we’ve:

• Ripped things out
• Put a few things in
• Added a towbar
• Bought and trialled a seriously sturdy bike rack
• Googled “how to insulate a van” more times than I care to admit 😅

Is it finished? Not even close. We’ve hit so many snags, blown through more of our savings than we had budgeted for, and it’s safe to say she probably won’t be finished this year. But are we excited? Absolutely. It’s already changed how we adventure. Sure she’s not a fully fledged campervan yet, and probably won’t be in this year, but even just getting to the point of being able to take the bikes to safer biking destinations is more than I could’ve hoped for! The over night adventures will come, eventually.

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What I’ve Learned in a Year of Blogging

• Even small adventures matter. A muddy field and a cheese sandwich can be just as memorable as a mountaintop. It’s about getting out there, as a family.
• Writing it down helps you see how far you’ve come. I’m so glad I have this blog to look back on, it’s easy to forget how much you’ve done.
• Other people are looking for exactly what we’re doing – family-friendly walks, simple bike trails, and a reminder that getting outside doesn’t have to be perfect.

We may not be full-time vanlifers or hardcore hikers, but we’re a family who loves being outdoors – and that’s more than enough.

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So. What’s Next?

Looking ahead to Year Two:

• More biking! More walks! Our lads are mad for mountain biking and I can see this being our main weekend activity going forward!
• Finish the van conversion (or at least make it sleepable).
• Some weekend trips – maybe Wales? Yorkshire? A bit of coast? I follow some amazing bloggers that just keep me so inspired for new destinations!
• And of course, I’ll continue sharing walks, routes, gear tips, and honest stories along the way.

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💛 Thank You for Following Along

To everyone who’s read, liked, shared or even just quietly followed our little blog: thank you. It’s always exciting seeing likes and comments coming in, and being a part of the outdoor and parenting blogging community.

If you’re a parent or carer trying to get outdoors more with your children – especially if it’s messy, snack-fuelled, and occasionally chaotic – you are so welcome here. I hope we give you some inspiration to get out there and just try it, and if you have a blog too, then please let me know below so I can follow you back. Reading about others adventures is just as exciting as writing about ours!

So, here’s to another year of muddy boys, new paths, and chasing adventure (even if it’s just to the nearest picnic bench).