The Journey: winter 25
Hello…and welcome to the winter issue of The Journey. Firstly, we’d like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a very Happy New Year. May your 2025 be filled with exciting plans, new experiences and big adventures.
As the frost crunches underfoot and the calendar begins another cycle, this is a season for reflection, for resolution, and for making plans. With this in mind, the features in this issue aim to inspire you to fill the upcoming months with trips you’ll remember for years to come.
We suggest 25 ideas for ways to make this happen — from pedalling across Eryri (Snowdonia) to visiting Liverpool during its art biennial — and also take a closer look at the growing trend in stargazing, spotlighting four hostels with the locations and equipment to provide a memorable dark skies experience.
Elsewhere we speak to one of the co-founders of Every Body Outdoors, which campaigns for more kit and representation for plus-size outdoor-lovers, and explain what happens on our winter working parties. Might a working holiday be something you’d enjoy in the future? You’ll also find a guide to cycle touring, the latest YHA news (including some exciting award nominations) and our usual pull-out section for young hostellers.
Enjoy the read — and enjoy the year ahead!
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Highlights from this issue of The Journey
Where to go walking in Youlgreave in winter
Planning a trip to Youlgreave and want to explore the beautiful countryside? Here's the best place to go walking in Youlgreave... The vast limestone White Peak extends over the southern area of the Peak District. Most visitors head directly for the Hope Valley for...
Interview with Steph Wetherell from Every Body Outdoors
Steph Wetherell is one of the co-founders of Every Body Outdoors, which fights for clothing, gear and representation for plus-size bodies in the outdoor movement. Here she talks exclusively to The Journey about how and why the organisation came about.What motivated...
25 things to do in the UK in 2025
A brand new year means brand new plans for the months ahead — which is why we’ve put together 25 things to do in the UK to make 2025 a year to remember, from outdoor thrills and notable anniversaries to mass events and new openings...Try ‘noctourism’Nocturnal...
Four great hostels for stargazing in the UK
Parts of the UK offer superb stargazing potential on clear nights, and several of our hostels — including the four YHAs listed here — have Dark Skies kits for guest hire. The kits include monoculars, red-light torches, night sky guides, tarps to lie on, and...