About Rural Strides
My name is Malinka, and I’ve always been drawn to the outdoors, exploration, and discovery. I grew up in Devon, first tearing across the countryside on horseback and later wading through Dartmoor’s bogs during the army’s annual Ten Tors endurance event. From an early age, I also loved diving down research rabbit holes, a curiosity that later shaped my career as a political risk analyst.
Adventure later carried me overseas for 20 years, where I explored the deserts, mangroves, and mountains of Southeast Asia and the Middle East. During that time, I was fortunate to work for Outward Bound Oman, the flagship of the global Outward Bound network, creating outdoor experiences for international students. Throughout these years, I was always drawn to fostering community – Rural Strides is the latest expression of this pattern.
Making connections
I believe that good leadership in the outdoors rests on both experience and qualification. I’m a Mountain Training Association–certified Lowland Walk Leader, NNAS Navigator, and ITC Level 3 Outdoor First Aider. My background in the security and crisis management industry also taught me how quickly things can go wrong without careful planning. This is a discipline I bring to every walk I lead.
Over the years, I have channelled my walk leading experience into establishing and supporting walking initiatives such as the Petersfield Walking Festival, Reading Walking Festival, and Rail to Trail Walking Festival for Community Rail. I have also led walks for Friends of the South Downs and the Alton Walking Festival, supported local active travel and conservation projects, written about countryside issues, and provided walking-related consultancy. Each connection, whether with people, landscapes, or organisations, strengthens my ability to deliver walks and projects that are safe, engaging, and memorable.
A passion for walking
My approach to walking is guided by the words of naturalist Gilbert White, who wrote in a 1788 advert for The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne:
“If the writer should have induced any of his readers to pay more ready attention to the wonders of the Creation; or if he should through his researches have lent an helping hand towards the enlargement of the boundaries of knowledge; his purpose will be fully answered.”
Replace writer and readers with walker(s) and you have my mission.
Guiding you around the Western Weald is not just about showing you the way; it’s about enhancing your experience at every step. A walk with Rural Strides weaves together stories of local history, nature, and landscape, offering a chance to connect, reflect, and find peace of mind in the great outdoors.
Whether I’m leading you in person or you are following a self-guided route, I hope you’ll feel confident in my professional expertise and local knowledge, and know that I will never lead you, literally or metaphorically, up someone’s garden path!
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