The group of cheerful women staying at Meadowlea B&B our in Okehampton epitomise English trampers. Their well-worn comfortable kit consists of an assortment of layers and styles paired with sturdy boots. Their bearing says ‘I am part of this landscape, comfortable in traversing it, and confident in my capacity to do so’.

Then there’s me, starting off in my new gear, super neat and colour co-ordinated, right down to my walking poles, a true neophyte. I’m not an Aussie ‘wannabe’ trying to emulate an Italian weekend Alpine walker. (Some of those Italians looked stunning in their sleek gear styled in the latest fashionable colours.)

 My colour coordination is a pure fluke. The hiking pants and shirt were on sale at REI in the USA. Bought in 2018, they are still pristine because the Dartmoor Way is my first walking adventure since Covid. As for the walking poles, they were the only fold up pair in the outdoor gear store in Edinburgh that were the right length for me.