Get Off Your Sofa With Chris Bonington
Britain's best known mountaineer is urging couch potatoes to get into the outdoors this Christmas. Shhh, don't tell the mountain rescue teams ;-)
Posted: 16 December 2002
by Jon
Bearded living legend of British mountaineering, Sir Chris
Bonington, is calling on the nation to spring off their sofas this
Christmas, and get out walking.
'Most Brits are lazy, useless, good for nothing couch potatoes,'
he fumed. 'I've seen more activity from a dead yak.' Of course we're
lying, what he actually said was:
'There's really nothing better to dispel those post-Christmas
blues than to take a brisk walk in the countryside on a crisp
winter's day. The health-giving aspects of breathing in lungfuls of
crisp fresh air on a winter walk cannot be over-emphasised.
'All the medical advice tells us that walking is the best thing
for your heart, lungs, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. And
mentally you'll feel much better too after blowing away the cobwebs
on a good walk.'
Chris's Top Tips
Fortunately Sir Chris isn't all beard and no trousers and in his
role as the president of Go Outdoors, he's prepared his Ten Top Tips
to help you off your sofa. And yes, he does sound a bit like your
mum:
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"Wrap up warm with good wind and waterproof clothing"
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"Check your footwear is up to the job"
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"Don't forget your hat and a spare pair of gloves"
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"Carry extra clothing in your rucksac"
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"Use layers of thing clothing, rather than a single heavy
woolly"
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"Low winter sun can cause glare so sunglasses are a good
idea"
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"Take a hot drink in a vaccuum flask"
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"Carry extra, energy-giving food - Xmas cake is a great
treat for winter walks"
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"Walking in newly-fallen snow is magical, but it can be
hard work, so allow more time"
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"Don't forget your camera. The countryside is transformed
by a dusting of snow"
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• you can obtain a free copy of the tips (not sure why since
they're all here anyway) by visiting www.go-outdoors.org.uk,
there's also a free leaflet available called 'Getting Started In The
Great Outdoors'.
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