It may have become clear by now that I'm a student. If not - I am, at the University of Sheffield. The stereotype is fully fulfilled: I don't have much money, I don't have a car, I like cheap things and discounts...and as a result, I am incredibly grateful for the Hope Valley Railway Line. These small, hourly trains allow me access to the place that keeps me sane, the Peak District National Park. I don't know if any of you come from Sheffield, but if you do, or if you live nearby or visit relatives there (or have never been, in which case here's your chance to come!) - save the planet, leave the car at home, get this train. Sheffield has absolutely fantastic transport links, and there’s no better time to explore them than right now. I know, I know, it’s Winter, and you’re cold, penguins have set up camp in your kitchen, and you don’t remember the last time you wore less than three layers, but hear me out. Even in the depths of British Winter, there’s no place
Given how much of my family culture comes from spending time together in the mountains, it's no surprise that when my family come to visit me in Sheffield, we don't actually spend any time in Sheffield at all. The novelty for me is that the Peak District is the one place I know better than my parents. They've given me so much knowledge about the Lake District - you don't get to name every mountain in a view without some teaching! - and this is the root of what has made me educate myself about the Peaks. "Educating myself" makes it sound very formal...the truth is, I know things about the Peaks because it's a landscape that I can't keep out of. When I'm there, I want to feel as immersed as possible - part of the landscape, if you will - and for me this means learning all the place names, poring over my maps and reading endless blog posts of walks in the hills. So far, this has made walking in the Peaks a pretty independent experience. The u