From Here to Spring: A Six-Month Outdoor Challenge for the Darker Season

[If you already know about the challenge and want to log your monthly points for the leaderboard, here is the form.]

What if the darker months of autumn and winter weren’t something to get through, but something to experience?

When autumn arrives, it’s easy to start waiting. Waiting for more daylight. Better weather. More energy. But there is a lot happening outside between October and March.

The light changes. Familiar paths look different. The first frost arrives. Rain becomes snow. The landscape quietens. And sometimes, the best outdoor moments happen precisely because you almost didn’t go.

From Here to Spring is a simple six-month challenge I designed to give you a reason to keep going outside through the darker season.

You don’t need to be a runner, hiker or particularly adventurous person. You just need somewhere to spend time outside.

The rules of the challenge

From October to March, aim to complete 10 outdoor sessions a month, for at least 5 of teh 6 months. October is considered as warm-up and therefore optional.

A qualifying session is: 30+ minutes of intentional outdoor movement.

That’s it. You can walk, hike, run, cycle, ski, skate, snowshoe, paddle, explore, or do whatever kind of outdoor movement feels right to you.

There is no required pace or activity hierarchy. No super hero workout, just a bit of consistency.


Keep a record

One of the simplest ways to make a season feel memorable is to keep a record of it.

You don’t need to write a diary.

Just make a note of:

  • Where did you go?
  • What did you do?
  • How long were you outside?
  • What was the weather like?
  • What did you notice?

You might be surprised by what becomes meaningful when you look back.

A walk you nearly skipped. The first snow. A completely ordinary Tuesday. A familiar path in the dark. The coldest morning of the winter. The day you realised spring was coming.

A little extra challenge: notice the conditions

You can also keep track of the conditions you encounter.

Rain. Snow. Darkness. Cold.

Not because bad weather makes your outing more impressive, but because weather changes the experience of being outside.

The landscape is constantly changing around you.

And if you want to make it tangible…

I originally created From Here to Spring as a physical little field passport — something you can actually take outside rather than another challenge that lives on a screen.

The handmade From Here to Spring Pack includes:

  • an A6 six-month challenge passport
  • an extra log sheet
  • the A5 50 Sessions / One Season creative card
  • a 7 cm reflective Not Afraid of the Dark Days sticker
  • a Maker’s Note
  • a hand-folded corner pocket and paper band

Everything is hand-assembled in small batches by Little Big Explorations. You can get it here

If you’d rather keep things simple, the digital version includes the printable A6 passport, A5 creative card and extra log sheet, so you can print and make your own at home.


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