Hana is CEO and co-founder of Go Jauntly, a key supporter of Bristol Walk Fest. Hana will be speaking at our launch event on 1st May.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and Go Jauntly?
I’m Hana, from Go Jauntly, a walking, wayfinding and nature connection app designed to help people get outside and enjoy nature wherever they live.
Go Jauntly was born out of a frustration of not being able to find nice walks despite living in a city that is 47% green space. Most of the existing apps were targeted at the already fit, traditional hill-hiker types and not at people like me. We launched in 2017 and over 800,000 people have downloaded the app since. We have hundreds of walks across Bristol.
What walks are you leading during this year’s Bristol Walk Fest?
We’ve been involved with Bristol Walk Fest since 2020 but this year we are so excited to launch a new orbital walk around Bristol called the Bristol Ring.
The Bristol Ring is a brand new 33-mile trail created by Go Jauntly in partnership with Bristol City Council, with support from the local Ramblers. The route is split into 6 easy-to-follow sections and links green corridors, leafy parks, urban watersides and iconic city views and it’s free to follow on the Go Jauntly app. Every section is accessible via public transport and a collection of shorter and step-free walk alternatives is also available for those who need a more accessible option.
As well as launching this new orbital trail, we’re leading a guided walk of Section 4 of the brand new Bristol Ring on 15th May. Find out more here. This section is the hilliest, most dramatic section of the route, taking in Ashton Court Estate and finishing on Clifton Down with views down to the Avon Gorge. It’s a proper treat.
What’s your favourite place to walk / favourite route and why?
Awww I’ve walked around Bristol a lot and there are so many lovely places to walk. I love a mix of urban nature, watersides, cafes, independent shops and architecture on my walks and the city is the perfect place for this. For a spot of forest bathing, Leigh Woods is spectacular.
And your favourite walk anywhere?
My best walk ever was in Chirk, Wrexham. It was my first ever solo hike of 6 miles and I won’t lie, I was very nervous about it beforehand. It was the furthest I’d ever walked in one go, on a dodgy ankle, completely alone. And I have to say, it was brilliant. I had the best time. It taught me that the anxiety before a walk is almost always bigger than the walk itself. It’s on Go Jauntly if you want to try it: Views Galore on the Big Chirk Tour
Why do you think walking matters?
I gave a talk on this recently where I said walking will help save the world and I meant it.
Transport is the largest emitting sector of greenhouse gases in the UK. A quarter of all car journeys are under a mile. It’s 9 to 12 times more polluted inside a car than outside one. Walking is free, it’s good for your body and your mind and it’s one of the easiest ways to make a real difference. It’s often called a wonder drug due to the amount of benefits it brings.
But for me the deeper thing is about connection: to nature, to your community, to yourself. Studies show that noticing everyday nature brings clinically significant improvements to mental wellbeing. And the more connected to nature you feel, the more likely you are to want to protect it. That matters enormously right now.
How has walking changed your life?
It developed later for me than for most people. I grew up in the 80s and 90s and we drove everywhere. Walking for pleasure wasn’t really part of my culture. It was having a child and wanting them to grow up with a connection to the natural world that really changed things. Now I can’t imagine not walking. It’s my mental health prop, my best thinking time and occasionally my favourite way to accidentally do 20 miles for work.
Any Bristol walking recommendations?
Walk the Bristol Ring, one section at a time. Every section is free on the Go Jauntly app and accessible by public transport so you don’t need to worry about getting back. Section 4 is my personal highlight but Section 6 through Snuff Mills and along the River Frome is also quietly magical.
Otherwise, do check out the Bristol Bus Boycott or Discover Bristol’s Queer History on these history tours.
Finally, try out our walking map which helps you walk the greenest way from A to B or enjoy a circular walk from your door. It’s a great feature on Go Jauntly for your everyday journeys around the city. A study in Bristol found that 70% of people felt more relaxed after using it. Bristol is a genuinely brilliant walking city once you start exploring it on foot.
Why did you want to be involved in Bristol Walk Fest?
Bristol Walk Fest is exactly the kind of initiative we exist to support. It gets people who might not usually walk out walking, in a city that deserves to be walked. We’ve been working with Bristol City Council and Bristol Walk Fest since 2020 and we are delighted to be continuing with that and to launch the new Bristol Ring this year – it’s a real chance to celebrate what we’ve built together and actually get out on the route with people. That’s always the best bit.
What does an event like Bristol Walk Fest do for a city?
It signals that walking matters: that the city takes it seriously. Bristol is a place where people genuinely care about sustainability, about community, about doing things differently and walking sits right at the heart of all of that. I think Bristol could easily be one of the great walking cities. The Bristol Ring is our contribution to making that case.
What would you say to someone who doesn’t think of themselves as a walker?
Start small. Ten minutes here, ten minutes there. You don’t need special kit, you don’t need to be fit, you don’t need to know where you’re going (that’s what Go Jauntly is for!). Walking isn’t about climbing massive hills or visiting national parks. It’s about building more walking into your everyday life, where you live.
I didn’t really walk like I do now until my mid-thirties. Now I’m leading guided walks in Bristol and walking for work. Nobody is more surprised than me. Just start.
Find out more about Go Jauntly, and download the app, here.