Back in March 2020, as we entered the first full Coronavirus lockdown, opportunities to explore the world suddenly became a distant dream. As a keen traveller, I struggled with the idea that I wouldn’t have any big adventures to plan and enjoy for a while. But as the restrictions eased, we were allowed to venture further afield to green spaces for exercise again, and for me, this was a chance to discover what’s right here on my doorstep.

I’ve always enjoyed being outside and over the past few years I’ve found a new love of hiking (it’s something to do with hitting my mid-thirties, I think). I’ve trekked for days in Myanmar and Patagonia, but back home, walking was something I’d squeeze in between other commitments, usually venturing out for a quick weekend walk at a beauty spot on the South Downs. Then occasionally, I’d go for a solo hike on a day off and enjoy the blissful solitude of finding my own way, wandering freely and soaking up the sun (and often the rain!).

One day last May, I was out and about getting my daily exercise at Barcombe Mills, with my trusty OS Explorer map in hand, and an idea popped into my head: ‘What if I tried to walk through every single km square of this map?’ I couldn’t shake the thought from my mind, so by the end of the day, I committed to the idea and set up an Instagram account (@doorstep_explorer) to document the project and share local adventures.

Initially, the project ticked a few boxes for me – it got me outside regularly, it gave me some focus and a sense of achievement in a very weird year, and it provided a distraction from the endless zoom calls and the barrage of negative news on TV. But once I got further into it, it became so much more than a hobby.

On a practical level, I had to plan routes that took me off the beaten track and enabled me to tick off more squares. I had to hunt for new start points and places to park, practise my navigation skills and consider all the ups and downs, avoiding backtracking where possible so that I’d always be covering new ground.

The decision to document the walk was a game changer, as it meant I had to slow down. Rather than rushing along, trying to tick off every square as quickly as possible, I had to stop and observe. I had to find things to photograph and write about – even if I’d walked 10km through relatively consistent landscape. Sometimes that meant stooping down to get a shot of some spikey leaves on the ground, taking a close up of moss on a branch, or making a feature of a stile if it was the only thing ‘of note’ on a path.

It’s well understood that time outside is good for your mental wellbeing, and I already knew this to be true, but I didn’t realise quite how profound the impact of my new slower pace of exploration would be. On an average workday, I could easily spend nine hours on back-to-back video calls, which would leave me feeling completely frazzled with a pounding head and sore eyes. Then the next day I’d head out to ‘tick off some squares’ and find my entire mindset would change. I’d instantly drop down about 10 gears and switch from rushing through the day, to breathing deeply and mindfully taking in everything around me.

One of the other positives that’s come out of this challenge is the desire to get outside more often than ever before. Instead of walking being a treat saved for rare weekends, it became something I wanted to do at every opportunity. In the summer months, my alarm was sometimes going off at 6am (or earlier!) so I could fit in a quick route before work. I swear there’s nothing better than sitting down at your desk with a fresh coffee at 9am, with the little secret that you’ve been out to see the sunrise.

The routes I planned would occasionally intertwine. Walking through adjacent squares on the map, I started noticing more about the connectivity of the landscape. Passing through a valley, I’d look up and see a hill that I’d walked along previously. Or I’d approach a river from a different direction, discovering what else I could see from the other side. Passing by previously visited places, I’d remember wrong turns and friendly meetings with baby goats, beautiful village churches that have stood quietly for hundreds of years, and the grouse that ran alongside me for a long stretch in the woods. Meanwhile, as the seasons have changed, I’ve seen the leaves change to orange, the grass turn to mud, and the berries pop with colour.

What are the worst bits of the challenge? Weirdly, I don’t think there are any. I have a niggling foot injury that I’d quite like to go away, but the rest of it is pretty much enjoyable. I mix it up with my walks – some are 3-4km, others are 18km or more. I do what I can, when I can – sometimes pushing myself physically and sometimes taking it easy. It’s about doing what feels right on any particular day. I decided not to set myself a deadline to complete the project either, so that there wouldn’t be any unnecessary pressure and it’d stay fun and interesting.

It can be hard to get out there sometimes, especially if the weather looks iffy or I’m feeling tired, but I honestly believe it’s a case of just pulling on your boots and getting out of the door. My top tip for getting started would be to pick any map – whether it’s an OS Explorer or Google maps, and scan it for a point of interest, not too far away, that you’ve never visited before. Or hunt around for a car parking spot if you’re planning on driving there. Take a look at the footpaths in the area and work out a really simple circular route. And remember that you can keep it short, especially if you’re not too confident with navigation, then you can add more distance next time.

Now it’s 2021, I’m excited to see what else I’ll discover. I’ve ticked off around 150 squares so far (there are 456 in total), and already I’ve found there’s so much more than I realised to explore in my local area. This year, I’d like to try and bring some of the mindful behaviours back to my work and day-to-day life too. I’m hoping to enjoy life’s little pleasures a little more, and to pause more often – not just when I’m in the great outdoors.

I hope I’ve inspired you to put your best foot forward and get out for a micro-adventure on your doorstep. If you’d like to follow the challenge, you can find me over on Instagram @doorstep_explorer.

Here’s to getting outside more in 2021!

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