5 gifts for the outdoor enthusiast this Christmas
My previous 3 posts have focused on Christmas gift ideas specifically for the Climber, Mountain Biker or Walker in your life.
But what about those days when they have a little downtime from their favourite sport, or if you're looking for something more general?
Fear not! Here are some suggestions falling under my category of 'Chill'.
As with the ideas in my other posts, I've looked at gifts which you're not likely to find in a big high street store, things which are a little different and which support small businesses or charities.
1. Cafe voucher
The outdoors and cafes go together like, well, gin and tonic (see where my mind went).
Planning a walk with a cafe stop, finishing off a bike ride by relaxing with a cuppa and cake, going for breakfast before a day at the crag.....a good cafe is just part of the whole outdoor experience for lots of us.
So treating someone to a voucher for their favourite cafe? Sounds perfect.
2. Dark Woods Coffee
Dark Woods Coffee is based in the wilds of West Yorkshire where they roast coffee blends from a converted mill beside the canal.
I'm not a coffee drinker, but I have it on good authority (from my husband) that the blends are great. It's also served in some of our favourite cafes, so that has to be a good sign ;)
https://www.darkwoodscoffee.co.uk/
Image taken from Dark Woods Coffee website
3. BMC Mend our Mountains
Mend Our Mountains aims to raise £1 million for vital path repair projects within the 15 National Parks across Britain.
You could either make a donation on behalf of somebody, or take a look at the BMC online shop for products where the full proceeds go towards the campaign.
The following link gives more information about Mend our Mountains and the individual projects:
Image from BMC website
4. Outdoor calendar
Calendars are always a popular gift at Christmas and you'll find lots of options in tourist areas and on the high street.
However, last year, I bought a beautiful calendar of images around Scotland from David Lintern, an independent photographer who I know through the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild. I loved the images and importantly loved the fact that the cash was going to a freelance photographer rather than a large high street chain.
It's worth doing a little internet searching to find specialist photographers in your area, or check the OWPG website member's area to give you a head start. One I found was David Taylor who has a 2018 calendar of images around Hexham in Northumberland.
5. Massage therapy
After a year of cranking hard at the crag, shredding the gnar on the mountain bike or hiking the steep mountain trails, give your loved one something to ease those tired muscles and prepare for the coming year of adventures ahead.
One place I've visited in the past is Global Therapies in Glossop (Derbyshire). They do physiotherapy and soft tissue massage, along with other treatments like hot stone massage. The soft tissue massage therapy worked wonders on my finger injuries from climbing.
http://www.globaltherapies.com/
Image taken from Global Therapies website
Hope you've found these ideas inspiring - if you were really looking for more specific gift ideas, check the links below:
5 gifts for climbers this Christmas