About this walk

Lucy Atkins (Blonde One) and Fi Darby (Blonde Two) would describe themselves as ‘very ordinary women’ but in reality, as well as holding down day jobs, Lucy is a teacher at Trinity School in Teignmouth and Fi is a Freelance Copywriter, their passion for the outdoors and particularly Dartmoor takes them regularly into situations that are beyond the norm for most women of their age. Lucy 48 and Fi 50 have been writing their daily outdoor blog Two Blondes Walking since 2012 and their tales about fresh air adventures, camping mishaps and humorous outdoor incidents have led to a loyal following.

The Beginnings

The Two Blondes met through their shared love of expedition work with young people and training youngsters together for both Dartmoor’s Ten Tors Challenge and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. When asked about this Lucy said, ‘February camps on Dartmoor weren’t uncommon and we soon realised, as the only two female leaders, that sharing a tent was going to be much warmer (and more fun) than sleeping alone.’ Their friendship was cemented through this expedition work, they decided to share their adventures with the world and Two Blondes Walking was born.

Outdoor PR

The Two Blondes have just beat tough competition to start their 3rd year as Ordnance Survey ‘Get Outside’ Champions. They work closely with Ordnance Survey with appearances on ITV’s Britain’s Favourite Walks: Top 100, local radio and BBC Breakfast and at BBC’s Countryfile Live and the South West Outdoor Festival.

Una Bhan Tourism

The Two Blondes worked with Una Bhan Tourism, Ireland to promote the Miner’s Way and Historical Trail. They have recently been invited back to Ireland to promote adventure activities in County Wexford.

Visit Isles of Scilly

The Two Blondes have worked with Visit Isles of Scilly to promote their autumn and spring Walk Scilly walking festivals.

Guided Walks, Navigation and Wild Camping Training

The Two Blondes regularly lead walks for the Dartmoor Walking Festival and the East Devon Walking Festival. The also offer navigation and wild camping training and are working with Dartmoor National Park Authority to develop a series of beginners’ Map Reading Treasure Hunts.

Children’s Authors

The Two Blondes have written three beautifully illustrated children’s books designed to encourage children to explore some of Dartmoor’s more interesting features. ‘The Dartmoor Christmas Tree’, ‘Dart the River’ and ‘The Non-Story of Ignatius Bowerman’ are all available on Amazon.

‘We wanted children to be enchanted by both the stories and the outdoor locations,’ says Fi, ‘being outdoors as families was important to both of us as our children were growing up.’

Women in the Outdoors

With blog posts with titles like, ‘Tampons versus Crampons’, ‘Big Bottomed Girls’ and ‘Body Hair Navigation’, Dartmoor’s Two Blondes are fast becoming a phenomenon and a source of information for women in the outdoors. ‘Women have different outdoor needs to men,’ says Fi, ‘by sharing our experiences in a lighthearted way and offering ladies-only navigation workshops, we hope to encourage more women to get outside.’