Mindful Trails

Tag: slow travel

  • Guilt Trip: Pilots Torn Between Flight and the Fight for the Planet

    The Guardian released the powerful short documentary Guilt Trip: pilots torn between flight and the fight for the planet on July 10, 2025. It explores the emotional conflict faced by pilots who love their jobs but are haunted by aviation’s role in climate breakdown.

    Tensions We Share as Travellers

    At Mindful Trails, this documentary echoes a familiar tension: the deep pull toward adventure and discovery, balanced against a growing awareness of our planetary limits. We love to travel for its ability to open perspectives, create memories and connect us to the wild and the wondrous. But like the pilots in Guilt Trip, we often find ourselves asking: at what cost?

    Do we ground ourselves? Travel differently? Focus on slower, more local adventures? These questions are part of our ongoing inquiry.

    What the Film Covers

    • Firsthand climate conflict: Ex-commercial pilots George Hibberd and Todd Smith reflect on childhood dreams of flying, now complicated by guilt at contributing to climate change
    • Emotional reckoning: The doc follows their journey from aviators to climate activists, highlighting aviation workers grappling with eco-anxiety and moral responsibility
    • Community action: It showcases their involvement with Safe Landing, a community that supports aviation workers through worker-led assemblies to envision climate action within the industry

    Takeaways & Reflection Prompts

    InsightWhy It Matters
    Guilt can be empoweringIt invites responsibility, not paralysis. The film urges us to act not from shame, but from care.
    Adventure can still be consciousThe joy of exploring doesn’t have to be abandoned but it does call for honesty, creativity and re-calibration.
    Personal and systemicIt’s not just about reducing flights, it’s about re imagining mobility in ways aligned with ecological integrity.

    Mindful Next Steps

    • Watch the film: Stream it on the Guardian Documentary channel and notice what is brings up for you.
    • Reflect on your own relationship with travel: What do you want to hold onto, and what are you willing to change?
    • Explore local trails, seasonal adventures, or slower modes of travel as ways to align values with action.

    By bridging the emotional core of travel with climate consciousness, Guilt Trip offers a deeply human perspective urgently relevant to mindful travellers everywhere.

  • Walking the North Downs Way: A Journey Through Time, Friendship, and Renewal

    Walking the North Downs Way: A Journey Through Time, Friendship, and Renewal

    A First Taste of Freedom

    I started walking the North Downs Way when I was still in school with a friend. It felt like a real adventure getting to Farnham by train and starting a two-night walk to Box Hill. We weren’t very prepared, using a ramshackle collection of old camping gear and an old tarp as our shelter. But we had an amazing couple of days, getting lost, trying to cook food, and putting up the shelter. It was real freedom for a young school kid, even with feet full of blisters from ill-fitted boots.

    Returning with New Eyes

    Years later, I returned to the trail with another kindred spirit. We decided to restart the journey so they could begin it as I had. This time, we were more prepared. With several walking and mountaineering trips between us, we had lighter gear, better boots, and a clearer sense of direction. We covered the route more quickly between Farnham, through Guildford, and onto Box Hill. The section was rich with forest paths, stunning views, and historic pillboxes scattered along the route. We still used a tarp shelter, setting up camp after dark and disappearing again early in the morning.

    Over several years, we completed more two-day sections in this way. Quick, joyful bursts that focused on mileage, camaraderie, and shared laughs, often ending with a local pub. One memorable night involved stumbling into a beer festival and a late-night campsite scramble.

    Walking as Medicine

    After a period of life challenges, I felt the pull to return again, but this time alone. What began as a trail walked in youth and adventure had become something deeper: a space for healing, reflection, and reconnection.

    With the trail’s good travel connections, I began walking day sections. I planned shorter routes with time to stop and soak in the experience. There were moments of slow, meditative walking, just listening and sensing, and often a feeling of merging with the surroundings. These solitary walks gave me new perspective and a sense of peace I hadn’t realised I needed.

    Eventually, I reached Canterbury. Though the trail continues, this point felt like a natural and symbolic place to pause: a full-circle moment that brought me back to a centre point in myself.

    Following in Ancient Footsteps

    Much of the North Downs Way aligns with the historic Pilgrims’ Way, an ancient route said to have stretched from Winchester to Canterbury which are two significant cathedral cities. While the term ‘Pilgrims’ Way’ was popularised during the Victorian era, many believe it traces a route walked for centuries by those journeying to the shrine of Thomas Becket at Canterbury Cathedral.

    This connection adds another layer of reflection to the trail. Walking this path isn’t just a scenic experience, it’s also a way of treading ground steeped in story and significance. For modern pilgrims, spiritual seekers, or those simply curious about deeper journeys, this link can transform a long-distance path into a soulful rite of passage.

    Other pilgrims’ routes like the Via Francigena, which stretches from Canterbury all the way to Rome, also share this sacred starting point, reminding us that Canterbury is not an end, but often a beginning.

    On the Evolving Nature of a Journey

    One thing that’s stood out across the years is how age and maturity reshape the journey. In my youth, walks were energetic and driven by challenges. More about how far, how fast, how wild. As I grew older, the same path invited a gentler approach. Walking became more about connection than conquest; more about the journey than the destination.

    A Note on Wild Camping

    While wild camping is technically not allowed on the North Downs Way, we made every effort to follow leave-no-trace principles. Arriving late, departing early, and never leaving a mark. Although I can’t advocate it for legal reasons, I do acknowledge its role in our experience.

    Interested in Walking the North Downs Way?

    If anyone is interested or has questions, feel free to get in touch. In the coming months, I plan to offer introductory walking sessions from Farnham to Guildford for those looking to begin their own journey but need a little extra confidence to get started.

    Further Resources

  • A Mindful Paddle: Canoeing the Wye Valley

    Sometimes the most memorable adventures come not from rushing across landscapes, but from gliding gently through them. Our canoe trip with friends on the River Wye, from Hoarwithy to Symonds Yat, was one of those slow adventures that imprinted itself with quiet strength.

    🛶 Paddling the Route – Hoarwithy to Ross-on-Wye

    We launched our Canadian canoe at Hoarwithy, a sleepy hamlet where the River Wye curves through quiet countryside. Our plan: a two-day paddle to Symonds Yat, with a night under canvas near Ross-on-Wye.

    The water here is calm and welcoming, ideal for easing into the rhythm of paddling. Fish were leaping on the surface of the calm surface, herons rising silently from the margins, and the riverbank felt alive with subtle movement. We passed under charming bridges and occasionally historic landmarks tucked among the trees.

    Drifting at midday for a simple riverside picnic, we soaked in the birdsong and reflections dancing on the water. The occasional drizzle only made it feel more alive. The paddle itself remained relaxed and scenic throughout.

    We arrived in Ross-on-Wye by late afternoon, where we set up at Ross Rowing Club & Campsite, a peaceful riverside spot perfect for unwinding. You could just as easily choose a cozy bed and breakfast or a room in town, but camping kept us close to the river.

    🛶 Day 2: Ross-on-Wye to Symonds Yat

    Day two began with low clouds and the soft scent of light rain and wet trees. We packed up and returned to the river, the current just strong enough to keep us moving steadily. This stretch was perhaps even more scenic, winding past sandstone cliffs and forested banks.

    As we approached Symonds Yat, the cliffs grew steeper and the valley narrower. With some apprehension we then successfully navigated the final rapids with a mix of fun and adrenaline that marked a thrilling close to the paddle. Shortly after we were met at the end point by our canoe hire team.

    Canoeists at Symonds Yat by John Winder is licensed under CC-BY-SA 2.0

    To finish, we hiked up to Symonds Yat Rock viewpoint, a breathtaking overlook where we could trace the route we’d just paddled. The view offered one last moment of reflection, a quiet triumph at the end of our river journey.

    Along the way, we’d glided through tranquil meanders, shaded woodland, and past silent herons taking flight. Of course, no adventure is without its hiccups as at one point we managed to flip a canoe while close to the bank, leaving one of us thoroughly soaked and the rest of us laughing. But those moments only deepened the memory.

    Symonds Yat by Floggat, William is licensed under CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0

    🧭 Self-Guided but Not Alone

    We chose to paddle independently as we already had some experience, but experience is not necessary as the Wye is a well-supported river for both experienced and new paddlers. Several local companies offer guided options, gear hire, and route suggestions for those who prefer a little backup. Click here for more information.

    🌱 Reflections

    What made this trip so satisfying wasn’t just the movement, it was the stillness it made room for. Moments between paddling, watching mist rise from the water, or stopping for riverside snacks reminded us why we love slow travel. This trip would be ideal for couples, friends, or even adventurous families looking for a gentle, nature rich escape.

    ”Sometimes the most memorable adventures come not from rushing across landscapes, but from gliding gently through them.”

    Whether you’re chasing a short break or planning a longer paddle, the Wye offers space to breathe and scenes that linger long after the river bends out of view.