Your Unmissable Outdoors

Plan a year of exciting mini-adventures in the beautiful countryside

- By Dixe Wills and Joe Pontin. Photographs by Alamy, Getty and Naturepl.com

This year, why not make a New Year a resolution to really make the most of the countryside you love?

There are a thousand ways to enjoy our beautiful countryside - from exhilarating hill walks to a soothing hour watching butterflies. But sometimes life gets in the way and we don't get around to doing the things we love. So why not give yourself a fighting chance of actually doing those outdoor activities in 2022?

On these pages, there are 30 or so mini-adventures to whet your appetite. We hope it will get you thinking - and planning. You may love our ideas or think of your own. Either way, why not set yourself the goal of doing seven, 10 or more of these this spring and summer?

Put your top adventures on our pledge list on page 55 - cut it out and stick it to your fridge door as a reminder. Get them in the calendar so you can plan ahead, and if you need to, book somewhere to stay.

Dreaming up outdoor adventures is a wonderful way to spend a wet winter weekend. But we hope it also inspires a spring and summer full of fun in the countryside. Let us know what you get up to and how your year of mini-adventures goes.

Mindful moments

1. WATCH THE SUN RISE AND SET

There are few activities so calming as watching the coming of the dawn and the melting of the day into twilight. Enfold your daylight hours in the comforting hug of a sunrise and a sunset, taking time to contemplate the day.

2. FOLLOW A WELL-WORN PATH

Give a mindful makeover to a once-cherished footpath that has become all too familiar. Walk slowly, carefully noting every detail – those wild grasses, the smell of the soil, the sound of each bird. You will end up falling in love all over again.