AT THE age of 58, Keith Badger found himself with a dream and a desire to return to his birthplace in England and walk from one end of Britain to the other.
The plan, hatched with his wife Australian wife Debby, sounded simple.
Yet, as they traversed the country from John O’Groats to Land’s End, the pair found themselves confronting far greater challenges than the landscape and shocking weather.
Joining Loose Ends is an adventure story about a long walk that stretched a couple to their limits.
However, in candidly sharing his life story and vulnerability, the author reveals with great honesty how in walking he found richness in the world beyond his former business and consumer lifestyle and eventually came to learn what it means to be human.
Based on Keith’s diary entries, the book reveals his personal tale of loss and his emotional tsunami in which he realised the aftershocks his two sons experienced when he unexpectedly found new love just 51 days after the death of his first wife.
When Debby had a breakdown three weeks before they reached the end and declared the walk was over for her, it seemed Keith’s dream might have ended too. Yet in a show of resilience they reset, dug deep and finished the walk.
The tribulations they experienced and, indeed, the entire walk, led to an epiphany for Keith.
He saw the world differently, had discovered a passion for life and an understanding of the threat posed by current consumer lifestyles.
On returning home, he helped establish The Rescope Project, a foundation encouraging people to create meaningful lives within a flourishing earth.
Joining Loose Ends: How a long walk revealed a new Life, by Keith Badger, Rescope Publishing, RRP $29.95.
The route
RATHER than follow the road, Keith created a route designed to remain wherever possible in the countryside.
The journey took the couple along some of the great British footpaths including the Great Glen Way, West Highland Way, Pennine Way, Offa’s Dyke, South West Coast Path and myriad other often obscure rights of way.
In all, the walk took 139 days and covered 1740 miles (2801km) – more than double the distance of the most direct route.
