GM Ringway – Intro

Later this year I’m hitting the milestone of turning 40. With that in mind, I wanted to accomplish something new before hitting this not-so-big birthday.

I’ve been inspired by a friend who is walking the PCT in the US to get out hiking more. For those that don’t know, the PCT is a 2650 mile long trail that runs through the US, from the border of Mexico up to the border of Canada. It’s going to take him about five months to walk and will be an amazing achievement.

I, however, don’t have the time, money or, quite frankly, the physical ability, to walk across America. So I needed to look for an alternative. And this is where the ‘GM Ringway’ comes into play.

The GM Ringway is a 200 mile trail that has been set up around Greater Manchester. It’s broken up into 20 stages, all of which start and end near public transport. The idea is that you can do each stage as a day hike, rather than attempting to complete the 200 miles as a thru-hike. I really liked the idea of completing all of the stages before my birthday, but as I only have until August its going to be close.

I do enjoy going out on hikes and walks, but as someone who’s overweight I’m not exactly the fastest walker – although having short legs doesn’t help with this either! I’m hoping that committing to getting out each weekend will help me speed up as well as contribute to my weight loss.

I’ll be writing about each stage of the walk, starting with Stage 1 – Manchester to Sale Water Park. If you’re curious about the GM Ringway—or just want to follow along on my journey—be sure to subscribe or check back soon!