7 ways to get outside this Autumn
With the days getting both shorter and cooler, it’s tempting to hide under the duvet and binge-watch Netflix, but autumn is actually one the best times of year to get outside. Here’s how to do it:
1. Try Canyoning
Explore Wales’ gorges and waterfalls |Fotolia.com
The thought of leaping into plunge pools and sliding down bubbling weirs might give you the shivers but autumn is actually the best time to try it. Rivers are not only at their fullest but at their very warmest too. Adventure Wales offers canyoning trips just 20 minutes from Cardiff.
2. Forage for mushrooms
If you’re going to hunt for mushrooms, make sure you know your funghi | fotolia.com
The time is prime for foraging: right now the last of the blackberries are gracing hedgerows across Britain, and hazelnuts and apples are in abundance. Both September and October are great for foraging funghi too, but ensure you know what you’re looking for by taking a foraging course. WildFoodUK have a great selection of course on their website.
3. Go Mountain Biking
Explore golden forest trails by bike | Fotolia.com
The short days, cold weather and muddy tracks are more than made up for by the crisp mornings, stunning woodland scenery and quiet trails that mountain biking in autumn yields. There’s great mountain biking trails across the country, but we like the ones at Drumlanrig Castle in Scotland, home to winding forest tracks that come to life in the autumn.
4. Try Blokarting
Make the most of empty beaches | Fotolia.com
Blokarting, sometimes known as sand-yachting or land-yachting, involves harnessing the power of the wind to travel across land in a wheeled-dinghy. Autumn is one of the best times to try it, with beaches empty of tourists. Try a course in Hayle, Cornwall with Speed Sail UK.
5. Light a campfire
Warm up with a roaring fire |Fotolia.com
Early nights and chilly evenings are the perfect excuse to get the campfire burning. You could even try cooking those apples you foraged early and whip up our very easy apple crumble recipe.
6. Explore the forests
Explore the Westonbirt Arboretum’s fall foliage | fotolia.com
The UK’s forests and woodlands are at their most spectacular in autumn, with golden and brown hues bringing them to life. The Foresty Commission has picked its top spots for autumn colour, including the stunning Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, home to an impressive collection of Japanese maples.
7. Kayak the coast
The Old Harry Rocks look even more impressive from a kayak|Richard Harpham
There’s no better way to explore the coast than by kayak, especially Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, which is dotted with sea arches, bays and caves for added intrigue. And by October, all that solar radiation should have warmed the English Channel up nicely (though we’d still recommend a wetsuit). Fore Adventure offer trips to Old Harry Rocks until the end of October.
