About Me

Who am I...

Originally from Carmarthenshire, I've now been living in Cardiff for around 20 years. I absolutely love the great outdoors and am forever looking for new walks - however my sense of direction is incredibly poor! I have taken so many wrong turns and ended up walking miles in the wrong direction so I thought I would create a guide with a plotted OS Maps which is basically like following a sat nav!

If you have any suggestions for new walks or if you think one of mine could be made simpler, please do not hesitate to get in touch, either by the e-mailing info@thisgirlwalks.co.uk or using the form on the contact us page.

I hope you enjoy some of these walks as much as I have.

How it all works

OS Map

I have walked every route on this site and for each one have plotted the walk on an OS Map. If you click on the hyperlink displayed at the end of each page, it will open the route in the app on your phone.

The app is free to download and in all honesty, you don't need to subscribe as the free features are pretty much enough for the novice walker. It's a fantastic app though and you can literally follow the routes in the same way you would follow a sat nav.

I would recommend saving the route as a favourite as sometimes the signal is pretty poor in some of the areas. Also, the app does use a lot of the battery on your phone so make sure you take a power bank with you.

Tips

What's in my bag

Two litres of water. I use a hydration bladder which is so much easier and means I don't have to stop and take my bag off every time I want a drink, nor do I have to carry a bottle in my hand.
Compeed blister plasters. I know they're expensive but they really are the best and an absolute godsend if you get a blister!
Power bank. I mentioned it above but it really is important. You don't want to be stuck somewhere without a phone or any idea of where you are.
Painkillers. I've never needed them but if anything happens, it won't do any harm to carry them with you just i case.
Wipes / tissues.
Food / snacks. Depending on the length of walk, you could end up burning a lot of calories. Make sure you bring some food with you to keep you going!

What do I wear

Layers. I almost always walk in either shorts or 3/4 length leggings because I get quite hot. I wear a t-shirt but usually another sports top on top because as soon as I stop, I usually get cold.
Sensible footwear. I find boots too heavy for me so I wear hiking shoes. Make sure they're waterproof and try them on before you buy as I wear a half size bigger in hiking shoes.
Compression socks. I suffer with blisters and have tried loads of different hiking socks and find the best ones for me are CEP compression socks - an absolute game changer! I have the "no show" ones but wear whatever works for you.
Sunscreen. Even if doesn't look that sunny outside, you will be surprised how easy it is to burn, even when cloudy.
Insect repellent. Only for certain months of the year, but I have lost count the number of times I've been bitten by horseflies.