The Challenge: 25th August 2007

We hadn't done any long distance walking since the Ridgeway but we had done Wainwrights and some running and cycling and so we were feeling pretty confident when we set off from Bedale to Horton on Ribblesdale. We were at the cafe by 7.30 and ready to go by 07:37 - here's the blurry proof through the window of the (closed) Pen Y Ghent café:





- and surrounded by hordes of people who all clearly had the same idea as us; however, we only had ourselves to blame as it was August Bank Holiday Saturday. We put all our details through the cafe's door so that they could check us in and set off.




We decided to go up Pen Y Ghent via the Pennine way rather then up the back as suggested on the website. This was because it was a longer, but less steep, ascent and we thought it might help us keep our energy levels up. It was fairly quiet up this path but we soon came across the masses on the top. We also came across the cloud. However, we would much rather that it was a bit cloudy than too hot and we made it to the top in almost exactly an hour, quite pleased with the way things had begun.




We then retraced our steps and took the same path as everybody else across some marshy countryside towards Ribblehead Viaduct. Our confidence began to grow as we realised that we were actually overtaking other groups; this was reassuring as everybody had looked so confident on the top of Pen Y Ghent that doubts had begun to form in our minds that we would do it in the required 12 hours. The GPS clocked our average pace between 3 and 4 miles an hour. We were slowed down a little by the crossing of a stream which required a leap of faith, but we all managed to cross it without too much of a hold up.




The path continued across some very pretty countryside and along some tracks and onto a road. A quick march along the road soon took us to the magnificent viaduct where we bought tea and chocolate from the snack van that clearly made a fortune from tired and hungry three-peakers. We ate our rolls and drank our tea and felt very refreshed.




We set off past the viaduct and along the bottom of Whernside. We then went up the back of it and seemed to follow a massive congregation of the walking dead up the very popular path. It was a long trek but we did it very quickly and passed most of the people who we had started the walk with. We were feeling pretty strong and enjoyed the constantly sloping path onto the summit. It was very breezy but we touched the top about four hours after leaving Pen Y Ghent and headed quickly down to the path down the side.




This was a very steep path and it slowed us down due to dodgy knees and some dodgy walkers... but we kept at it and made it to the bottom in no time. We reached another track and found ourselves at another snack shop and so bought tea and hot chocolate and had another food rest: only the second of the whole walk. We got chatting to another group and were pleased to discover that they had started an hour before us which meant we were going at a good pace.


After a break we carried on along the track, across the road, past the path and over some pretty countryside. We soon found ourselves on the stone-slabbed path up the side of Ingleborough which led to a very steep ascent which required the use of hands and knees. This was thoroughly enjoyed by some of the party but less so by others who felt as thought their knees were going to disintegrate. Ibuprofen was taken and kept the worst of the pain at bay. The seemingly endless climb did soon end and we found ourselves at the top - unacannily exact again, at two hours from Whernside.




Unfortunately, the cloud was very thick and it was difficult to find the path down to Horton:




However, Mr Blogwalker did some outstanding navigation and we soon found ourselves on the right path. It was a nice path down and we were chuffed to see that we had the potential to do the walk in under 9 hours. Therefore, the fellrunner set a startlingly fast pace in order to do so. The 4 miles seemed to go on forever but we were entertained by lovely views and impressive limestone landscape.




However, we soon realised that 9 hours was an unrealistic target. The path took us down to the railway station at Horton and we followed the river Ribble along to the cafe and checked in with 9 hours and 24 minutes on the clock. Not too shoddy at all, and we filled in our details to join the Three Peaks of Yorkshire Club.


This was a thoroughly brilliant walk: good views, challenging and varied. It does get very busy but it is possible to get away from the hordes, except perhaps along the Whernside path. It was also tough but then it wouldn't be much of a challenge if it wasn't. We definitely recommend that people try it but it should not be underestimated.

In the Meantime - July 2007

July has been as close to monsoon weather as we get here in England. And while we haven't been flooded out or needed to barricade ourselves with sandbags, the endless torrential rain has stopped us getting out and walking.

It's also had a detrimental affect on the other fitness activities which is a bit worrying as we've signed up for a 10k run for the Cancer Research people. But we've got a few months before that...

August will be better. The first week sees us in the Eastern Lakes clocking up some more Wainwrights, and the last week we'll be in Yorkshire for the Three Peaks attempt.

Which means we've got our work cut out.

The Ridgeway, Part 4 - 17 June 2007

Day 4 was to be a proper day's walking, covering 20 miles and seeing the end of The Ridgeway. We started early and made good progress along what seemed to be a less popular part of the trail, passing fewer people although the scenery was as pleasant as we'd seen.

The same combination of threatening clouds, sun and dryness that we'd had on Saturday kept us company, and the previous day's calm walk had done wonders for morale and the lingering illness.

The stretch between Ashbury and Ogbourne St George (where we planned to find somewhere to eat, having failed to pack ourselves a proper lunch again) was free of incident and we didn't pass much in the way of conurbations. Although we did walk past one field of young pigs and another of poppies.





At Ogbourne we bypassed the unfriendly-looking pub with the violently barking dog outside and continued to the small local hotel. Here we had a good feed, adjusted our dress for cooler conditions and headed on to Smeathe's ridge

The ridge ends in a farm where we came across these stalwart young sheep, doing a sterling job of guarding this stone:



The next few miles were pleasant, but aside from some hacking through patches of nettles, they passed unremarkably. The trail officially ends at Overton Hill, but there's precious little there except a layby where you wouldn't really want to leave your car for two days.

Instead we'd parked at Avebury, and at Overton Down we peeled away from the trail and headed into the village. Fitting that our Ridgeway should end in slightly unorthodox fashion.

In all The Ridgeway is a very pleasant walk, and it comes with the usual advice of taking more time over it than we tried to. The countryside is pleasant downland with occassional forests and villages to stroll through. That's our usual walking country so perhaps we took the path a little for granted, but it recommends itself as a very pretty and peaceful route.

The Ridgeway, Part 3 - 16 June 2007

Between Day 2 and Day 3 of The Ridgeway we had nearly two weeks of recuperation. As it turned out, that wasn't enough as one of the team had succumbed to an atypical bout of sickness. We ate and stayed the Friday night at the very pleasant Bull at Streatley and pondered our choices.


Choice A was to go with the original plan - leave the Bull very early on Saturday and walk something in the region of 24 miles to Ashbury, and enjoy a peaceful evening nursing our feet and contemplating the 20 miles still remaining.


Illness and the thought of a miserable day encouraged us towards Choice B - having a bit of a lie-in, driving a good chunk of the way and having a pleasant walk in preparation for the Sunday.


So it turned out. We stopped in Wantage and bought some forgotten supplies, then drove around for some time looking for a suitable parking place. Eventually we left the car in the quiet village of Sparsholt, climbed a hill and rejoined the path as the weather began to threaten:




Our luck held out and the black clouds gradually came and went without shedding gallons of rain on us. The stretch around Uffington took in some good English hallmarks - an Iron Age fort where we stopped to lunch, and one of the unnecessary chalk horses that are popular in this area:




We were keeping a good pace and found ourselves with plenty of spare time on this shortened route, so we stopped at a few more points of interest than our hectic schedule normally allows.


King of these was "Wayland's Smithy" (not to be confused with Waylon Smithers), a Neolithic burial chamber/shrine to the Saxon god of metalwork... Legend has it that the traveller should leave a silver penny on the mound and Wayland would re-shoe his horse. We followed suit, but it remains to be see if our walking boots will last any longer for it.




[Note to selves -go back one day and see if our tenpence is still there. We know where to look, we marked it on our photo]


The rest of the day continued in easy fashion, with the sun making an occasional appearance and the landscape being pretty and comfortable walking. We reached our intended destination - the very excellent Rose and Crown at Ashbury (a bit off the route but serving fantastic food and drink with very pleasant people t olook after you) - at around three o' clock, having walked a meagre six miles.


But we enjoyed a peaceful afternoon and evening, and were thoroughly refreshed for the proper day's walking ahead.

The Ridgeway, Part 2-3rd June 2007

An early breakfast meant an early rising. However, the breakfast was well worth getting up for! Filling and tasty, it set us on our way perfectly. We even got to see a Red Kite up close in the neighbour's garden.

It was another scorching day as we headed past Shirburn Hill and towards Watlington. There were some beautiful poppy fields and more views of Red Kites as we made our way south west to Nuffield. Thankfully, much of the walk was in shady wooded areas which meant that we didn't have to feel the full force of the sun on our heads. This was a very quiet section of the Ridgeway with few meetings of people.

We stopped at The Crown in Nuffield for a fantastic mixed cheese ploughmans before continuing along the excitingly named Grim's Ditch, dating from the Iron Age. Unfortunately, however, it didn't really live up to its name. It was pleasant enough but quite dull as we trudged along.

However, things picked up when we reached Carmel College and started South. The path veered occasionally towards the Thames and the scenery was much more varied. We also went through North Stoke which was a beautiful village with some lovely properties. The path became very grassy and soft underfoot and we admired the boats as they went past us on the river.

We were beginning to tire again as we were nearing the 15 mile mark and so were pleased to discover that there was a pub open at South Stoke called The Perch and Pelican; it was a fantastic pub with very welcoming staff. We sat and had a leisurely drink before heading off to Goring on Thames. Goring seems a lovely town and was incredibly busy. We soon reached the car and were pleased to have completed the first half of the Ridgeway Path.

This section was very good for solitude and wildlife; we saw hardly any people but plenty of butterflies, squirrels, rabbits and insects. Oh, and, of course, the Red Kites!

The Ridgeway, Part 1 - 2nd June 2007

The Ridgeway is a National Trail which runs through the Chilterns and West of the Thames. We planned to walk it over two weekends, splitting into two sections roughly 44 miles each. This first weekend we started at the Eastern end (Ivinghoe Beacon) on Saturday morning, aiming to reach Streatley by Sunday evening.

To be sure of an early start, we decamped to Aldbury on Friday night and stayed in the excellent Greyhound Inn. After a fine evening meal, pleasant sleep and hearty breakfast, we headed out to Ivinghoe.

Of course, the early start was planned weeks ago and by the time Saturday came around we'd forgotten all about it. So it was 11:00 and we had 26 miles to walk before bedtime.

The sun was hammering down in unwonted fashion, and we were dangerously short of water but the sepctacular countryside and cloudless sky promised a good day's walking.

The trail starts in ridgey fashion, but the hills are not extravagant. The Chilterns is an AONB where lush green fields, cool forests and pleasant villages are the order of the day. We started in an ambling fashion, still forgetting the original plan and reached Wiggington just before 13:00.

Here we had a Council of War to decide whether to stray from the path into the town to top up our water reserves. We checked the map, calculated the remaining distance and realised we'd made a mistake... If we continued at the same rate, we'd be lucky to see our lodgings by 21:30.

Brave, flexible souls we are and so we formed an alternative plan. We slogged on through the blazing heat and glorious countryside, parched and muttering delirously, until Wendover where we caught one of the local privately-run trains (frequent, clean and reliable so obviously not a national concern) to Princes Risborough.

The railroad cut six miles of walking out of the journey and saved us a couple of hours. We'd eaten our lunch on the train and stocked up with water, so from Risborough onwards we were much chirpier.

The route continued among scenery reminiscent of the South Downs and in the cooling evening it made very pleasant walking. Between us we were suffering from sore legs and blistered toes, the toll for lack of recent distance practice, and we were unexpectedly pleased to pass under the M40 - making us just a mile from the Guest House at about 19:00.

Arrivingly shortly afterwards at Moorcourt Cottages in Lewknor, we received a very warm weclome from our hosts. We didn't stay long before heading back out for dinner - at "Ye Leathern Bottel" in the village. Another excellent dinner, a hobbling return to the bedroom and a sound sleep finished off the day.

In the Meantime - May 2007

May's been a bad month for BlogWalking. Weekends were all spoken for and workloads have prevented long summer evening walks - although there will be some Wainwrights action over the last week in May.

We've also blocked out two weekends in June to do The Ridgeway - 87 miles over four days, but with two weeks' rest between day 2 and day 3.

Until then, we're keeping fitness levels as high as we can with weekday activities including swimming, running, cycling to and/or from work, and something called "circuits" that happens inside a gym.

It'll keep the blood flowing in our veins until we get the boots out again.