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… how it went down ✖️The Peaks wasn’t looking so bleak.
29/09/2026

… how it went down ✖️

The Peaks wasn’t looking so bleak.

🧭 SEPTEMBER MONTHLY GROUP HIKEBAMFORD EDGE • STANAGE EDGE • ROBIN HOOD’S CAVEAnother great day out with the Hub.Saturday...
28/09/2026

🧭 SEPTEMBER MONTHLY GROUP HIKE

BAMFORD EDGE • STANAGE EDGE • ROBIN HOOD’S CAVE

Another great day out with the Hub.

Saturday saw us back in the Peak District for around 10 miles, taking in Bamford Edge, Stanage Edge and Robin Hood’s Cave.

Some had done similar routes before, but we added a few little extensions and different paths along the way. It was great seeing some people discover parts of the route they hadn’t been down before, even if they’d walked the area previously.

The weather was absolutely spot on too, giving us some cracking views and some even better photos. 📸

But probably the best part of the day was seeing so many new faces joining us. We don’t head into the Peaks as often as we’d like, so it was brilliant to bring some new people along, have a good day together and hopefully see plenty of you again on the next one. 🧡

And as always, a massive thank you to PIONEER CAMP for continuing to support the Hub and keeping everyone equipped with some brilliant headwear and goodies for the seasons ahead. 🧢

If you haven’t already, go give them a follow and check out their gear. You can also use our 15% discount code when ordering. 🔥

Same people. New faces. More memories.

Find your path. Find your people. 🧭

FIELD NOTE 010PLAN BI quite like having a plan.Probably a bit too much sometimes.I’ll look at the map, work out the rout...
27/09/2026

FIELD NOTE 010

PLAN B

I quite like having a plan.

Probably a bit too much sometimes.

I’ll look at the map, work out the route, check the distance, think about where we’ll stop, where we’ll park, how long it should take.

Job done.

Except the mountains don’t really care about the plan.

The weather changes.

A path isn’t quite what you expected.

You take longer than you thought.

Someone’s struggling.

You realise you’ve got less daylight than you expected.

And suddenly that nice little line you drew on the map isn’t looking quite so clever.

I’ve definitely had that moment where you look at the route and think…

Right. That’s not happening today.

It used to bother me more.

You’ve spent time planning it.

You’ve driven all that way.

You want to do the route you came for.

But sometimes you’ve just got to change it.

Take the shorter way.

Miss a summit.

Turn back.

Or find another route completely.

I think I’ve become much more comfortable with that over the years.

The plan is useful.

But it’s only a plan.

It’s not a promise.

And there’s no point sticking to it just because you decided it before you knew what the day was actually going to be like.

Sometimes Plan B ends up being a better day anyway.

You just don’t know that when you’re stood there staring at the map.

—

Collected on route.

Right, little one for you lot today 👇Pioneer Camp have just launched their new membership programme and there’s a decent...
23/09/2026

Right, little one for you lot today 👇

Pioneer Camp have just launched their new membership programme and there’s a decent offer running today only.

If you sign up as a Pioneer Camp member and use my code when you order, you’ll get 20% OFF your purchase.

Today — 23rd September — only.

So if you’ve had your eye on some new kit, it might be worth having a look.

CODE: THENAVIGATIONHUB

We’ve been working with Pioneer Camp for a while now and I’m always happy to share stuff that I actually think fits with what we’re about at The Navigation Hub.

Go check them out and see what you think. 🥾⛰️

📝 FIELD NOTE 009 — The First StepSometimes the hardest part of a hike happens before you’ve even left the car.The doubt....
20/09/2026

📝 FIELD NOTE 009 — The First Step

Sometimes the hardest part of a hike happens before you’ve even left the car.

The doubt. The tiredness. The excuses.

Then you open the door.

And take one step.

Maybe that’s all some things in life really ask of us.

One step.

Collected on route.

—

20.09.2026

MountainMindset

🧭 EVERY JOURNEY CHANGES USThis is what this chapter revealed.Eight weeks ago we began with a simple idea.Presence.Not si...
12/09/2026

🧭 EVERY JOURNEY CHANGES US

This is what this chapter revealed.

Eight weeks ago we began with a simple idea.

Presence.

Not simply being outdoors.

But actually being there.

Over the last eight weeks we’ve reflected on muddy boots.

Looking through a viewfinder.

The pace we keep.

The quiet we’ve forgotten how to enjoy.

Losing signal.

Finding somewhere to recharge.

Filtering our experiences.

Waiting for perfect weather.

On the surface they all seemed like different observations.

Looking back…

They were all asking the same question.

What have I been missing because I wasn’t fully present?

If these reflections encouraged you to slow down…

Look up…

Leave your phone in your pocket a little longer…

Or simply notice something you’d always walked past…

Then they’ve done exactly what I hoped they would.

Every journey continues.

Here’s where we’re heading next.

CHAPTER TWO

The Journey

Because once we begin noticing the trail…

The next question naturally follows.

What does the journey itself teach us?

Over the coming weeks we’ll be exploring…

👣 The First Step

🗺️ Plan B

🌲 Detours

↗️ The Shortcut

🔄 The Turnaround

⛰️ The Summit

🥾 The Descent

🧭 Route Finding

The journey continues this Sunday.

🧭 Chapter Two — The Journey

What walking teaches us along the way.

✖️SEPTEMBER MGH IS LIVE!Our next Community Monthly Group Hike is on Saturday 26th September, heading to the Dark Peak fo...
09/09/2026

✖️SEPTEMBER MGH IS LIVE!

Our next Community Monthly Group Hike is on Saturday 26th September, heading to the Dark Peak for a Bamford & Stanage Edges hike.

As always, the hike is completely FREE, and everyone is welcome! Whether you’re a regular or joining us for the first time get yourself along!

We’re also teaming up with PIONEER CAMP as always who’ll be providing a free gift for everyone attending.

And yes… 🪨🌿Hub will be joining us!
Haven’t met him yet? This is your chance.

Comment “HUB” below to claim your free gift on the day.

Full event details can be found on the events tab on the Hiking Buddies UK facebook group. DM us or join the WhatsApp group via the link in our bio.

Find Your Path. Find Your People. 🧭

📝 FIELD NOTE 008The Weather WindowI’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve looked at a weather forecast and contempla...
06/09/2026

📝 FIELD NOTE 008

The Weather Window

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve looked at a weather forecast and contemplated or decided to stay at home.

“I’ll wait for a better day.”

“I’ll do it when the weather improves.”

Sometimes I was right.

But sometimes…

I missed out on a day that would have been far better than I imagined.

It’s strange how often we wait for perfect conditions before we allow ourselves to experience something.

Blue skies.

Light winds.

Perfect visibility.

The ideal weather window.

Yet hiking has taught me that the forecast rarely tells the whole story.

Some of my favourite photographs have been taken in thick mist. The monolithic kind. A word someone once introduced me too and I’ve used since.

Dark skies.

Heavy cloud.

The kind of weather that gives the mountains character.

The kind of weather I probably wouldn’t have chosen beforehand.

I’ve reached summits where there wasn’t a single view.

Just cloud.

At the time, it felt disappointing.

Yet when I look back…

I rarely remember what I couldn’t see.

I remember the conversations.

The mumbling to myself.

The wrong turns.

The challenge of getting there.

I’ve also noticed something else.

The hikes that went wrong often became the best stories.

The unexpected rain.

The wind that nearly blew us over.

The bog that swallowed a boot.

The soaked waterproofs that clearly weren’t waterproof anymore.

Years later, they’re the moments we laugh about and remember the most.

The mountain never promised perfect weather.

Only an experience.

Nature doesn’t exist to meet our expectations.

Some days it’s sunshine.

Some days it’s sideways rain.

Some days the summit stays hidden all day.

It never apologises for any of it.

It simply is.

Perhaps that’s why I find it so refreshing.

The older I get, the less I chase perfect conditions.

Because I’ve realised that memorable days aren’t created by perfect conditions.

They’re created by being willing to experience whatever the mountain gives you.

Collected on route.

—

06.09.2026

📝 FIELD NOTE 007The FilterI’ve noticed that we don’t just filter our photographs.We filter our experiences too.I’ve done...
30/08/2026

📝 FIELD NOTE 007

The Filter

I’ve noticed that we don’t just filter our photographs.

We filter our experiences too.

I’ve done it myself.

I’ve come home from a hike with hundreds of photos, only to spend far too long choosing the one that tells the best story.

The best light.

The best angle.

The best version of the day.

Sometimes even the best version of myself.

Not because it was the most honest.

Because it looked the best.

Then comes the editing.

Changing the colours.

Increasing the saturation.

Making the sky a little bluer.

The grass a little greener.

The sunset a little more orange.

Almost trying to improve something that was already beautiful.

It makes me wonder…

Did we really need the filter?

Or did the mountain already provide everything we came to see?

Maybe we don’t just filter our photographs.

Maybe we filter the story we tell ourselves about the day as well.

We carefully curate what people see.

The summit.

The sunrise.

The dramatic ridge.

The perfect reflection in the lake.

The golden light breaking through the clouds.

But we rarely share…

The four hours of rain before it cleared.

The wrong turns.

The aching legs.

The self-doubt.

The soaked socks.

The wind that made standing still almost impossible.

The long walk back when the excitement had faded.

Yet those moments are every bit as much a part of the hike.

In fact…

They’re often the parts I remember the most.

The outdoors has never pretended to be perfect.

Some days the summit disappears into cloud.

Some days the views never arrive.

Some days you turn back before reaching the top.

Some days the rain never stops.

Nature doesn’t apologise for any of it.

It simply is.

Maybe that’s why I find it so refreshing.

Perhaps perfection was never the point. Perhaps honesty was.

The older I get, the more I realise that the best hikes aren’t the ones that looked perfect afterwards.

They’re the ones that felt real while I was there.

Collected on route.

—

30.08.2026

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