Have you come across our community but wouldn’t think of yourself as ‘outdoorsy’ (whatever that means)?
Natasha - High Peak Organiser and Blaze Trails Regional Manager - tells her story as a new mum who didn’t see herself in the outdoors - until Blaze Trails came along…
When I became a mum I knew my life was going to change; little did I know just how much I would change as a person.
My pre baby checklist consisted of the usual stuff: nappies, baby grows, car seat, pram and a baby carrier. I’d ticked all the things off my list but not really thought about how I would use any of it!
I signed up to every baby class I could find, and I excitedly took my little 4 week old off to baby yoga, baby sensory, baby sign language, baby art class you name it we tried it. People kept asking how many weeks, how much did he weigh, how was he sleeping, but never anything more than that.
I saw the other mums making friends and going out for coffee or lunch with their babies, but I was never invited. I felt so lonely.
Enter Baby Walking groups
When my local baby walking group popped up on Facebook I decided to give it a go. I had never been into walking before or the outdoors in any way other than a few camping trips as a child, but I’d given all the other baby activities a go so why not this one plus, this one was FREE!
I practiced using the baby carrier, planned my outfit, and set out for my first group walk down the canal. I loved it, everyone was so friendly and I actually had a conversation that wasn’t just how is your baby sleeping/feeding/growing.
In the pub afterwards the other mums gave me the confidence to feed Ives in public for the first time.
This felt so different to the baby classes where everyone seemed to know each other. I felt like myself for the first time postnatally.
That was the start of this wonderful journey that I’m so grateful to Blaze trails for. I looked forward to getting out and as each term of baby classes ended I found I was seeking more time outdoors and less time sat singing nursery rhymes in the church hall.
Pursuing personal growth & joining a supportive community
When Ives was 10 months old, there was an opportunity through Blaze Trails to go on an introduction to Navigation course. I had zero experience navigating and I had no confidence to go out walking unless it was on an organised walk, so this felt ideal.
Ives however did not think a day spent outside in November learning how to read a map was ideal, he cried for the majority of the day. Being out with like-minded parents made what felt like a really intense horrible time, tolerable.
Everyone was happy to stop multiple times for me to try and soothe him they offered snacks and cuddles and kind words and because of this I was actually still able to learn something.
I got home, ordered myself a compass and a map and started route planning.
Becoming a Blaze Trails organiser
I had spent an amazing 12 months learning how to do things I’d never considered I would be doing when I became a mum, feeding my baby in the carrier, changing my baby on a windy hillside, learning how to read a map, bagging my first Trig point, and I wasn’t ready for it to be over.
I spoke with a few other organisers and the volunteer regional manager for my area, and they all encouraged and gave me the confidence to do the training and become an official Blaze Trails walk organiser.
My First Walk as an organiser
My first walk as an organiser went really well. We did a loop up Mam Tor and had a really nice picnic afterwards. I stuck to a shorter route and a route I knew well so I didn’t have extra things to worry about on the day.
I built up a lovely group of parents that kept coming back week after week. I loved getting out finding new routes, exploring new areas, spending days recceing walks with Ives and then sharing those walks with other parents; it was such a lovely way to get out and spend our time.
Learning from other parents
On one walk a mum turned up carrying a baby AND a toddler and my mind was blown! I had no idea that was even a thing people did, I was absolutely in awe of this superhuman walking with both her children what a hero!
Meeting that mum meant that when I had my second baby Heath, I knew I had options and that I didn’t need to stop walking in the places I love, I could just take both children with me instead!
Improving self-confidence, fitness and joining and growing a community
There’s so much more to Blaze Trails than just walking - it’s a huge community of parents that are full of knowledge and experience in all kinds of activities.
I’ve made friends that have introduced me to a whole new world.
Since having my second baby in 2024, I have walked 625km, climbed 18,560km (Everest more than twice!), ran 3 trail half-marathons, been spunching, been camping 3 times, been to a family festival, met some amazing friends and found some adventurous toddlers to join Ives on some toddler walks.
All of these things are because of Blaze Trails.
I’m so glad to have found this amazing organisation that changed this very ‘unoutdoorsy girl’ into a much more adventurous, confident and capable outdoors mum.
