Anna Louise

It’s #friday!!! Have a lovely weekend all! Throwback to dancing and laughing with a giant cactus in the Arizona desert. Felt apt to share after all the snow!! Do you have any fun things planned for this weekend??

An iconic #wildswiming spot in the #lakedistrict. Throwback to a few weekends ago when it wasn’t snowing 😅 This is #buckstonejum not far from Rydal and Ambleside. It is about a mile from the closest parking spot and in a gorgeous setting. The water was so turquoise and the lovely waterfall made for an idyllic setting. It can get quite busy here and even on a sunny weekday afternoon there were a few people getting ready for a dip or bathing in the spring sunshine. While you will probably be enjoying this spot with a few others, it is a gorgeous spot for a little, chilly swim! Would you swim here?

Well the warm #sunshine was nice while it lasted... snow is predicted in West #yorkshire tomorrow 😅❄️☃️☀️ Pic taken in the #lakedistrict a few weekends ago

Remote working life 💪 I really hope remote working is here to stay. While going into the office is great for collaborating, team work, networking and spending time with colleagues- I get so much more done working from home than in an office and have much more free time. When I lived in Birmingham but worked on the outskirts of Coventry, I spent between 3-4 hours a day commuting by bike and trains (If I could drive it would have been a 35min journey). The work from home policy was so inflexible that when it was -7 degrees, I asked to work from home due to being scared about cycling on hills when it was icy. I was told no. Let’s say I nearly flew of my bike a couple of times (I then walked for 40 mins to the station then 30 mins from the station the next few days to avoid icy cycling!). I no longer worry about rocking up to the office drenched from a downpour or sweaty from cycling. Instead I do my work in a comfy home office then when it’s all done I can go and have an evening outside rather than commuting. On Friday, I was able to work on the train due to good WiFi - even managed a zoom call then continued working in a cafe until 5:15pm. After that I could go for a dip in #windermere. Hoping that #remoteworking is here to stay. Do you work remotely or do you have to go into a place of work? Swimsuit #gifted by @speedooutsidersclub

Beautiful #lakedistrict An amazing few days of hikes, wild swimming, new friends, adventure and sunshine. I took far too many pics and videos so sharing more soon!! You can also check out my stories for my hike of the Fairfield horse shoe now. Photo taken on the #fairfieldhorseshoe with #windermere in the distance. Have you been able to enjoy the sunny weather today :D??

A wonderful Sunday in the #northyorkmoors Big thanks to @awaywithmaja for showing me this beautiful park of #yorkshire 💕 Our route started in Thorton-le-dale which is a beautiful, quaint village in the national park. Maya showed me this pretty thatched cottage then we made our way into Ellerburn before entering Dalby forest. I was really excited to go to the ‘great Yorkshire forest’ as I had never been before. It was a lovely route that came back along an enchanting beck. Spring is definitely on its way now as we walked past daffodils, snowdrops, frogspawn and saw the first signs of blossom. Did you get outside at all this weekend:)??

Have a great weekend all!! Pic of me next to a giant #cactus in at the #lostdutchmanstatepark in #arizona taken a few weeks ago. Kinda missing the warmth again now 😅

Slightly different hiking conditions to Arizona! #ingleborough was looking gorgeous in the February sunshine with little patches of snow. Yet this famous peak was not my goal. I wanted to tick off another #dales30 peak next to Ingleborough - Simon’s Fell. Starting from Ribblehead I walked past the old quarries and onto the ridge. The section up to Place fell was incredibly steep and I had underestimated my fitness levels slightly 😅 it was still a great hike and a jog at the end to catch the train mean normal hiking conditions in the #yorkshiredales had resumed:D Did you get out this weekend:)??

Bye #Arizona!! After an intense but fun week of training, networking, partying and exploring - I am excited to be almost back home (currently on the train from King’s cross to Leeds). Feeling very grateful to have been able to explore incredible #desert landscapes and soak up some sunshine as well as meet so many great people in person! Have you been in a desert before? Pic taken at #papagopark in Tempe.

Greetings from #Arizona 🌵🇺🇸 Currently in #Phoenix for a work trip and very much enjoying 28 degree sunshine. Also the warmth and steroid injection have really helped with my sciatica pain 😀 Wishing you all a fantastic week and a happy #valentines day!

To avoid the #puddle or go around it?? When wearing #wellies we always enjoy splashing through puddles 😅 Having my steroid injection tomorrow so hoping normal hiking/wild swimming/jogging/cycling/scrambling activities will be resuming soon 🤞🤞🤞 Pic taken on #ilkleymoor

When you are sad that the pub is shut but you get treated to gorgeous pink skies instead 💕 This is dandry mire viaduct also referred to as moorcock #viaduct by #garsdale head train station. To give you an idea of how boggy it is around this part of the #yorkshiredales there wasn’t supposed to be a viaduct here. ‘Originally this crossing of Dandry Mire was planned to be an embankment, but when construction started wagon load after wagon load of material – some ¾ million cubic feet of earth – disappeared into the Mire and so a viaduct was built.’ - @visitcumbria It might not be the biggest viaduct in the dales but it’s still very picturesque 🥰

The coldest wild swim I have ever done!! 🥶🏊‍♀️ When the lovely @funsizedearthling came to visit I knew we would want to do one cold water dip. Keen to find a spot that wasn’t too deep, wouldn’t be busy and would be epic I took us somewhere I had last been (and swum) in June. Wow it was a lot fresher than 6months ago! #wildswimming in winter is completely different. You definitely feel bonkers taking off your hat and scarf to go in freezing water but gosh you feel alive! Also the tingly sensation you get afterwards is an amazing experience. Big thanks to @gungho_co to sending over some lovely @speedo swimsuits last week. Loved having a long sleeved option and how colourful this top is. Also my neoprene gloves and socks are a complete game changer. Wouldn’t have lasted a second without them and pretty sure my toes would have fallen off 😅 Would you swim here at this #waterfall in the #yorkshiredales in 1 degree or wait for summer 😅??

I bought some #plants... 🪴🪴🪴 Due to #sciatica/nerve pain I haven’t been my normal adventurous self. I had a lovely Christmas with family and was pushing my limp and hunched back to the back of my mind. Then when the new year came and everyone boasts about New Years resolutions, sport goals or fun adventures planned I finally crumbled into a mess and spent pretty much a whole day crying. I felt like I would never be able to hike again or even go on a long walk. While this was a little bit dramatic (In the last few days I’ve managed to arrange to see specialist privately in a few weeks as I’ve been trying since august through the NHS to get help and it was just getting worse) it was a little bit of a wake up call that I needed to look after my mental health in another way that didn’t include cardio. So... I’ve turned to interior design and discovered plants!! We bought one plant in November and managed to keep it alive. Maybe we could get a few more? We now have a miny jungle in the lounge and I’ve spent hours on YouTube and investing in books on how to keep my new plants alive! Enjoying my new hobby so far and thank you for all the lovely messages and tips. @livingwiththew0lf that moisture stick is amazing:D I’ll keep you posted how they all look in a few weeks 😅 Feeling much better now and on some stronger medication which is helping. Any more plant parents here or people who have picked up a new hobby in 2022? :)

My first #hike in December It’s been a while since I’ve been in the #yorkshiredales and gosh was it a magical day. I arrived in Settle to fog, a little disheartened as the forecast has said sunshine. I also hadn’t planned to go on a big hike due to recent sciatica pain. However... recent pics I’d seen of inversions in the Lake District made me think I might be able to get above the fog.. I headed upwards and was treated to gorgeous sunshine, unbelievable views and incredible cloud #inversion😍 I had a wonderful day exploring and even when I descended back into the fog it was mysterious and atmospheric. Have you managed to go on a hike this month :)??