Plastic Free Journaling by Jim Sutherland

It's Thursday, May the 14th, and it is a shock to the system to be awake before 0530, but I know once I have both feet on the floor I will feel a lot better. My wife suggested that I take the loaded bike in our van to the station and then park it there until after the weekend. This was tempting as it was raining again; however, I knew it wouldn't take me long to ride to the station and the road would be quiet that early in the morning. More importantly, I believed that my experience in the upcoming event was not only to ride plastic-free but also to ensure all of my travel to the Peak District was either by bike or public transport.

I'd packed my bike the day before for the Peak Gravel 122-mile/11,500ft elevation route in the north of England. My challenge was to reduce plastic packaging and single-use materials to an absolute minimum, or even zero! All my dried fruit, chocolate-covered peanuts, and shortbread had been purchased by me in recyclable packets. Then I split them into two-day rations in paper bags. To save weight and faffing*, I wasn't taking a stove, so no freeze-dried meals in plastic pouches either. My plan was to use local cafes, shops, and bars over the two days to buy 'real food'. I also had a fabric sandwich wrap and a 'to go' coffee cup from my favourite local bakery here in Grantown on Spey. When I told one of my children that I was entering plastic-free they said, "Should we not do this all the time?" I totally agreed and hope that this piece might encourage other riders to do the same.

Last year I did pretty much the same route and decided not to take any photos at all. I am happy to have tried that out and may do the same again in the future, but it is nice to share our adventures, isn't it? This leads me nicely to the other theme of this piece…

Over the years I have found other folks' photos, stories, blogs and journals incredibly enjoyable as well as inspirational. So, as a rider and Six Moon Designs ambassador, I like to return the favour and share mine. One of my favourite things to do on a trip is to keep a journal. Before doing this, I consider the following:

1. Are you taking a trip that will be right for journaling?

A short day ride or local overnighter that you have done before might not be something that I would choose to journal about. I am more likely to take a few photos to share with my friends on WhatsApp or Instagram. By contrast, last autumn I completed The Iberica Traversa, a 1,730km route with 30,000m of ascent from Irun on the Spanish/French border to Tarifa in the south of Spain. This was an exciting, varied, and beautiful route through remote mountains, forests, and farmland. I was totally inspired to write in my journal almost every single day unless I was too exhausted. Over the years I have learned when to let go when writing. I promise you that with time it will become easier! Think about how happy the day has made you feel and write it down. Do the same with the lows. Remind yourself how cool it is going to be to read it again in the future or to share it with your family or friends.

My journals tend to double up for planning, and in the case of my ride through Spain, writing out key everyday phrases I might need to know how to say. I start at the front for journaling and then flip the book over to use the upside-down back of the book for planning.

2. Will you be able to take a journal with you?

I like to use a small, spiral-bound, waterproof paper notebook. One that is small enough to slip into a framebag or backpack. This can come along on any journey.

3. Will you have time to enjoy writing your journal?

On trips where I am keeping a journal, everything usually goes well at the start. My writing is neat and copious; I write something each day, and all is well. That is until the first time the trail exhausts you so much that you barely have the capacity to set an alarm for tomorrow morning — let alone write about your day! Don't be hard on yourself if this happens unless you're supposed to be keeping up-to-date for your Six Moon Designs ambassador blog post!

I do hope that this short piece has made some readers try out journaling when out on the trails, tracks, and paths. Make it your own, and who knows where it will take you. As for going plastic-free on public transport, keep trying to do this too. I was given a surprise mention at the Peak District event for travelling the furthest to the event by public transport.