Faking it: could I go from being an introvert to an extrovert in one week?
New research has found that being an extrovert makes you happier. So I spent a week attending social events to see if I could trick myself into being more naturally outgoing
Gorpcore: why people who rarely go outside are wearing hiking gear
A new retailer is coming to the UK, specialising in clothes for the urbanite who likes to look as if they’re off to the Himalayas. It’s the natural evolution of a baffling trend
Top 10 books about the night
From Shakespeare and Brontë to ‘nightwalking’ guides, nature writer Tiffany Francis-Baker sheds some light on her favourite books about the dark
Home review – gutsy doc charts harrowing, heroic journey by sea
Like Cheryl Strayed in Wild, Sarah Outen bravely explores mental health issues and grief as she chronicles her four-year round-the-world adventure
Country diary: the otter’s trail leads me out of a brown study
Howsham Mill, North Yorkshire: The river, at first sluggish and uninspiring, suddenly looks gold and green, and full of life
Ramble on: the fight to save forgotten footpaths
After the Guardian article about lost rights of way, readers got in touch in their droves regarding routes they have been trying to rescue
‘Walkers are middle aged, hikers are cool’
No longer just an activity for older people with sticks, rambling in the countryside is catching on with a new generation
Five ways to feel closer to nature – even if you live in the city
From stopping to notice the trees and the clouds to putting bird boxes near your windows, spending more time with nature can boost your health and wellbeing
Top 10 books about walking in Britain
Travelling on foot is a national obsession that has inspired a whole tradition of great writing, from Laurie Lee to Iain Sinclair
One step ahead: how walking opens new horizons
Whether it’s to the North Pole or across LA, walking is the fastest way to make more time for life