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Steve Milne

Walk 62 Miles in October 2026

Help me reach my goal of £250

Join the Facebook group and the Strava club for Walk 62 miles in October challenge.

I'm walking 100 Miles in October for Dementia UK

This October, I'm committing to walking 100 Miles and raising funds for Dementia UK, the specialist dementia nursing charity, and I would be very grateful for your support - however much you care to give. 

Your donation, big or small, makes a difference. £33 could fund a new dementia specialist Admiral Nurse to spend an hour helping a family in the community, offering practical solutions and emotional support to cope with their loved one’s distressed behaviour.

Dementia is an issue that's close to my heart and anything we can do to raise awareness, and a few quid to boot, is a good thing. 

I did this a few years ago and, same as then, I'll be joined on all of my adventures by my four-legged shadow, Spud. 

And this year, I'm also doing it alongside friends, as part of a team called "THE SELF-PROCLAIMERS".  As the song goes "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" and I'm hoping that my contribution can get us some way towards that kind of total as a group. 

Thanks for your time in reading this, and for your support.  Thank you!

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My Updates

100 Miles Done! But the Walking Isn't Over Yet...

Sunday 25th Oct

Well, I've done it!

I've officially passed my 100-mile target for October, raising money for Dementia UK!

It's a great feeling to have reached that milestone, particularly after juggling walks around work and everything else over the past few weeks.

And what a week to do it, with the weather finally deciding to remind us that it's October in Wales!

The Magic 100

I had Friday off work, which gave me the opportunity to walk nine miles from Rogerstone to Newbridge, taking me past my 100-mile target.

And the timing couldn't have been better. The first of two big storms arrived shortly after I got home, so I managed to avoid the worst of it.

Unfortunately, Saturday was a different story.

I headed out for another nine-mile walk from Sirhowy to Wyllie and back, and got absolutely drenched.

It rained pretty much constantly, and by the time I got home I was literally peeling my clothes off. Not exactly the glorious autumn walking weather we'd enjoyed earlier in the month!

Sunday was thankfully a little drier, although still very windy. I managed another five-mile circular walk from Newbridge, across the mountain and down into Abercarn, before heading home.

That's 23 miles across three days, despite some pretty miserable conditions.

Still Miles to Go

So, my personal 100-mile target is safely in the bag, but I'm not quite finished yet.

The Self-Proclaimers are still working towards our collective 500-mile target, so I'll be getting out for a few more walks before October is over.

And hopefully the weather might give us a break!

Thank You!

A huge thank you to everyone who has sponsored me and the team so far. Your generosity and encouragement really do mean a lot.

We're raising money for Dementia UK, which provides vital support to people living with dementia and their families.

If you can spare a few pounds, please consider making a donation. And if you can't, sharing our fundraising page with friends and family would be hugely appreciated.

100 miles completed. Target achieved.

Now let's get those team miles over the finish line!

Every Mile Makes a Difference

Monday 19th Oct


Another week down, another few miles in the bank, and the finish line of my 100-mile October walking challenge for Dementia UK is starting to come into view. I've now passed the 70-mile mark, which means I'm right on schedule to reach my target by the end of the month.

But there's still plenty of walking to be done, and with the weather starting to turn, I suspect the final stretch might be the toughest yet.

Keeping Things Ticking Over

The biggest thing for me this week has been making a conscious effort to get out walking every day, even if it's only for a mile or two.

It's not always easy finding the time, particularly during the working week, but I've found that those shorter walks really do make a difference.

A mile here, another mile there, and before you know it, you've added a decent chunk to your total without having to set aside hours at a time.

Then, when the weekend comes around, there's an opportunity to put in a few longer walks and really make some progress.

And that's exactly what I managed to do again this weekend.

Another 15 Miles in the Bank

Having clocked up around 20 miles on each of the previous two weekends, I fell a little short of that this time, managing 15 miles across Saturday and Sunday.

Still, I reckon that's a pretty decent shift!

Saturday morning started with a walk from Risca back to Newbridge along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

It's a lovely route, and once again the weather was kind enough to make it an enjoyable morning out.

Although it was certainly fresh when I set off!

In fact, it was so cold first thing that moisture was actually collecting on my eyelashes and beard as I walked.

Not quite the conditions we were enjoying at the start of October!

Thankfully, things warmed up a little as the morning went on, and it turned into a really pleasant walk.

Sunday brought something a little different, with James joining me for an eight-mile circular walk around Cwmcarn Forest Drive.

And what a day we had for it.

The weather was fantastic, the views from the top of the mountain were spectacular, and it was another reminder of just how lucky we are to have places like this practically on our doorstep.

The Final Stretch

With more than 70 miles completed, I'm now well into the final third of my personal challenge.

And The Self-Proclaimers are making great progress too, having reached 300 miles of our collective 500-mile target.

It's going to be close, but we're still on track, and everyone is putting in a fantastic effort.

The challenge now is to maintain that momentum as October draws to a close.

The days are getting shorter, the temperatures are dropping and the rain is starting to make more frequent appearances.

Getting out for a walk after a long day at work isn't always going to be particularly appealing, especially when it's cold, wet and getting dark.

But I've come too far now to start making excuses.

Whether it's another mile squeezed in during the day or a longer walk at the weekend, I'm determined to keep adding to that total until I reach the magic 100.

Thank You for Your Support

As always, a huge thank you to everyone who has sponsored me and The Self-Proclaimers so far.

We're doing this to raise money for Dementia UK, which provides invaluable support to people living with dementia and their families.

If you haven't donated yet and can spare a few pounds, I'd be incredibly grateful for your support. And if you're unable to donate, sharing our fundraising page with friends and family would mean just as much.

Every donation and every bit of encouragement helps keep us motivated, particularly as we head into these final, increasingly chilly days of October.

More than 70 miles down. Less than 30 to go.

The finish line is getting closer.

Time to get those walking boots back on!

When the Motivation Starts to Fade…

Monday 12th Oct
When I signed up to walk 100 miles during October for Dementia UK, I knew from experience that the second week was likely to be one of the toughest.

I took on this challenge three years ago, and there's something about week two that really tests your resolve.

At the beginning of the month, you're full of enthusiasm. It's a new challenge, you're raring to go, and you're convinced you're going to smash it.

But once that first week is behind you, reality starts to kick in.

There's full-time work to juggle, fewer hours of daylight, increasingly unpredictable Welsh weather and the small matter of finding the energy to get outside when, frankly, you'd sometimes rather be doing anything else.

As I mentioned in my last update, the trick is to keep the miles ticking over during the working week so you can tackle some bigger distances at the weekend.

Unfortunately, when I woke up on Saturday morning, the last thing I felt like doing was going for a long walk.

Finding the motivation

I don't know whether it was tiredness, the cumulative effect of the miles I'd already covered or just one of those mornings, but I had absolutely no motivation.

The thought of heading out for another lengthy hike really didn't appeal.

But that's the thing about a challenge. It's not much of a challenge if you only do it when you feel like it.

So, eventually, I dragged myself out of the house, accompanied by my ever-reliable walking companion, Spud, and we headed to Cwm Big, near Abertillery, for a five-mile walk.

And, surprise, surprise, there were hills.

Lots of them.

The first half of the walk seemed to consist almost entirely of climbing, and I was quickly reminded of the lesson I'd learned during the opening weekend.

It's the inclines that kill you.

At one point, I genuinely thought they might finish me off.

Thankfully, once we'd made it to the top, things became considerably more manageable, with some welcome flatter stretches and downhill sections.

Five miles later, we were done.

It might not have been the longest walk I've completed this month, but given how little motivation I'd had that morning, it felt like one of the more satisfying.

Sometimes, just getting yourself out of the front door is the biggest achievement.

A Sunday stroll… apparently

Sunday morning brought a different challenge.

I'd arranged to meet up with Steve, one of my fellow Self-Proclaimers, for a longer walk with Spud.

For anyone who hasn't been following our progress, The Self-Proclaimers are myself, Steve, James, Paul and Gareth, and between us we've committed to walking 500 miles during October, raising money for Dementia UK along the way.

That's 100 miles each, although I suspect some of us may end up doing a few more than that!

Our route for Sunday had been suggested by James, who'd walked it previously. Starting at Fourteen Locks in High Cross, we'd head up to the summit of Twmbarlwm, before making our way back via the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

Now, the previous weekend I'd completed a 13.5-mile hike that had taken me more than four and a half hours.

When I mentioned this to James, he confidently assured me that Sunday's route wouldn't take anywhere near that long.

Famous last words.

By the time Steve, Spud and I eventually arrived back at Fourteen Locks, our Strava recordings told a rather different story.

Just over 15 miles. Four hours and 45 minutes.

So not only had we walked further than I had the previous weekend, we'd been out for even longer.

Thanks for that, James!

Good company makes all the difference

In fairness, Sunday felt considerably easier than Saturday, despite the much greater distance.

And I think a lot of that came down to having some company.

As much as I love walking with Spud, the conversation between us tends to be rather one-sided.

Having Steve alongside me meant we could catch up, put the world to rights and chat about this, that and the other as the miles passed.

It really does make a difference, particularly on those longer walks when your legs are starting to complain and your lower back is reminding you that you've been on your feet for several hours.

Of course, there are limits to how much conversation you can manage.

When you're halfway up a particularly steep incline, you're generally more concerned with trying to breathe than discussing the latest developments on Celebrity Traitors.

But once the ground levels out and you can actually string a sentence together again, having someone to talk to certainly helps the miles pass more quickly.

And Sunday was a lovely day for it.

Anyone who's ever climbed Twmbarlwm will know just how spectacular the views can be from the summit. We were fortunate to have some excellent weather, and it wasn't even particularly windy at the top, which isn't always the case up there.

There's always a real sense of achievement when you finally reach the summit of a climb like that, particularly knowing how much effort it's taken to get there.

And, thankfully, most of the hard climbing was behind us by that point.

Another 20 miles in the bag

So, despite waking up on Saturday with very little enthusiasm for walking anywhere, let alone up another mountain, I somehow managed to clock up another 20 miles over the weekend.

That's now two consecutive weekends in which I've walked 20 miles.

And given how I was feeling on Saturday morning, I'm particularly pleased with this one.

Those extra miles will also come in handy over the next few days.

I've already got a busy working week ahead, and finding time for walks during lunch breaks or after work is becoming increasingly difficult, especially with the evenings getting darker.

So the aim, once again, is to keep things ticking over during the week and hopefully get some more substantial mileage under my belt next weekend.

For now, though, I'm happy to enjoy that feeling of having earned a well-deserved rest.

There's something particularly satisfying about getting home after nearly five hours of walking, putting your feet up and settling down to watch the football, knowing you've put in a proper shift.

Although, on this occasion, the less said about the Liverpool–Manchester City game, the better.

Every mile counts. Every donation helps.

Finally, another huge thank you to everyone who has sponsored me so far.

I really do appreciate every donation, every message of encouragement and everyone who's taken the time to share my fundraising page.

I completely understand that money is tight for many people at the moment, but even a £5 donation would make a real difference to my personal fundraising total and the amount we're hoping to raise together as The Self-Proclaimers.

Dementia UK is a fantastic charity, providing vital support to people living with dementia and their families during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

It's a cause well worth a few aching legs, sore feet and breathless climbs.

So if you haven't sponsored me yet and you're able to spare a few pounds, I'd be incredibly grateful. And if you could share my fundraising page with friends and family, that would be a massive help too.

I'll be back with another update next week.

Hopefully the motivation will have returned by then.

Although I suspect the hills will still be there.

It’s the inclines that kill you

Tuesday 6th Oct
On Thursday, 1 October, I officially started my 100 Miles for Dementia challenge, raising money for Dementia UK as part of our team, The Self-Proclaimers.

The target is simple enough: walk 100 miles during October.

Well, simple on paper, anyway.

My first outing was a three-mile circular walk close to home. I was about to describe it as a “quick” three miles, but that would be stretching the truth somewhat. There’s virtually nowhere flat around here, so it wasn’t long before I was heading uphill and being reminded that I haven’t exactly been doing long hikes consistently lately.

My legs definitely knew about it afterwards.

It’s the inclines that kill you. Let me tell you that.

Fortunately, the legs recovered, because Saturday was when things got considerably more serious.

Thirteen and a half miles – and some spectacular views

On Saturday, Spud and I headed to Sirhowy Valley Country Park for what turned into a 13.5-mile hike lasting around four and a half hours.

From the country park, we headed towards Wyllie, near Blackwood, before climbing up onto the mountain road and making our way back via Mynydd y Grug and Mynydd Machen, eventually dropping down into Cross Keys and returning to where we'd started at Sirhowy Valley Country Park.

And yes, there were more inclines.

Lots of them.

Thankfully, Spud was there to provide his usual four-legged assistance on the climbs, although I'm not entirely convinced being attached to an enthusiastic dog counts as doing all the work yourself.

The reward was worth it, though. We were incredibly lucky with the weather and there were some fantastic views along the way, particularly from the top of Mynydd y Grug.

After four and a half hours on our feet, the rest when we eventually got home was very well earned.

But there wasn't too much time for that.

Back out again

On Sunday morning, Spud and I were joined by James, one of my fellow Self-Proclaimers, for another seven-mile circular walk.

This time we started at Pontypool Park and headed up to the Folly Tower, before looping back along the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal.

Once again, the weather was fantastic and we were treated to some great views. Perhaps surprisingly, the climbs didn't feel quite as punishing either. Whether my legs were already beginning to adjust or they'd simply given up complaining after Saturday, I'm not entirely sure.

All told, 20 miles over the opening weekend feels like a pretty decent start.

Now comes the difficult bit

The challenge now is keeping that momentum going.

Getting out for several hours at the weekend is one thing. Finding the time during the working week is another, particularly with the nights drawing in, fewer daylight hours available and the famously unpredictable Welsh weather...

So consistency is the aim from here.

I need to keep finding opportunities to get outside and add miles wherever I can during the week, before hopefully tackling some longer walks again at the weekends.

There is also one other element to my October challenge.

As if walking 100 miles wasn't enough, I'm giving up alcohol for the entire month too.

Some might argue that could prove harder than the walking. My legs currently disagree.

So far, though, so good.

Thank you

Finally, a huge thank you to everyone who has sponsored me already.

I'm now very close to my initial fundraising target of £250, which is fantastic. But if we can go beyond that, even better.

Dementia UK does incredible work supporting families affected by dementia, so I'd love to raise as much as possible for them over the course of October.

If you'd like to support me, any donation – however big or small – would be hugely appreciated. And please share my fundraising page with your friends, family and colleagues too. The more people we can reach, the more we can hopefully raise.

I've still got plenty of miles ahead of me, and I'll keep posting updates as Spud and I make our way towards 100.

Twenty miles down.

Plenty more to go.

And one lesson firmly established already:

It really is the inclines that kill you.

Thank you to my Sponsors

£50

Milne

Good luck. I know you'll nail it once again.

£33

Steve Milne

£30

Jennifer Booth

Proud of you x

£25

Ann Rimell

£20

Gareth Allen

Go for it Steve & Spud!

£20

The Parry’s

£20

The Simcocks

Brilliant Steve, Keep going! X

£10

Elana Hobbs

Good luck Steve!

£10

Debby Growcott

£10

Jess Midgley

All those miles and not stopping for a beer.. hero!

£10

Maggie Morgan

Go Steve!

£10

Euryl Brooks

£10

Sheila Lloyd (£5) Brenda Hazell (£5)

Well done

Our Team