A different approach to my blog writing this week as you'll see below. Whilst the words below have been edited for spelling, that's all I've done since I wrote them. So if bits don't make sense, it's because I was probably cold and wet when I wrote them. I think it's a more authentic take on my thoughts at the time to leave any grammar errors, tense, and context changes in place though.
Right, this is about the stupidest idea I've ever had, but here goes. It's Easter, which means Adventure time. I've got a full week off and whilst I'm not planning on spending the entire week adventuring, I'm not planning on spending it sitting at home either.
To that end, I came up with a brilliant plan to tie in a bit of walking, a bit of bivvying, and the chance to have a look at what will hopefully be a long run in the summer, all in one go, and walk the 77 mile Pewsey Vale Circular Way route. The only problem is, it's currently Thursday, which just happens to be the first day of my leave, and no one seems to have told the weather that it's supposed to be behaving. It's currently throwing it down with rain, which is forecast to continue for most of the day, and the winds going to pick up through the afternoon with gusts of 50MPH plus. I've never let the weather stop me before though, which is why it's currently 12:15 and I'm sat on a train heading for Hungerford. “The Emma” did offer to give me a lift all the way to the start, but starting an adventure from the car seems a bit rubbish, so I declined her kind offer, opting for the train instead, which seems a far more exciting and a far better way to set off. I'm going to try something new over the next few days if everything goes to plan, and have a go at writing my adventure up as I go. I've always written my days out up after the event, so this will hopefully be a bit different and might shed a different light on things. We'll see how we get on though, as I’m expecting this to be a difficult few days. As I've already mentioned, it's currently lashing it down, and the ground is already heavily waterlogged, so I'm expecting things to be cold, wet, and very muddy, which is going to be challenging. Even more so as my backpack weighs far more than I'm even remotely happy with, due to having to try and cater for every eventuality. Let's see how we get on then. Fingers crossed my knees will hold up with the extra weight, and the weather will improve. If I can just survive Thursday night into Friday morning then I think it'll be OK. But, as I said to “The Emma” when she dropped me off just now “I'll either see you tomorrow or Monday”. Right, the trains on the move, it's 12:22 on Thursday 28th March, let the adventure begin!
16:45 - Miles Covered 7
I've just stopped for a brew, 7 miles in, and it's all been kicking off in the last couple of hours. The wind is absolutely whistling through the trees, there's thunder rumbling around and its pretty grim. On the positive side, I stopped and watched a pair of Kites trying unsuccessfully to make progress against the wind, and I've seen a Hare and a couple of Deer braving the elements, so if they can do it, there's no reason why I can't.
19:00 - Miles Covered 12
I'm calling it a day at that, it's been pretty awful since my last update, with some really vicious, wind driven heavy rain, accompanied by thunder and lightning. Not long after my brew stop I got caught in a really exposed open section with the rain hammering down in sheets and thunder rumbling all around. Progress was almost impossible, and in the end I sought refuge on the Lee side of a handily abandoned water tank until the worst of it blew over. I stopped off briefly at the shop in Upper Bedwyn to pick up water to see me through the night (you wouldn't think that finding drinkable water would be such an issue would you), before pushing on up a heavily flooded woodland section, the top of which is where I've set up for the night. The wind is still roaring through the trees, but I've got my Hammock up and with the tarp set low overhead I'm dry, warm and hoping for a good night's sleep.
Friday 07:30 - Miles Covered 15.
Well that was a pretty good night all things considered. Being pitch dark and raining I was in bed for 20:00, which was nice. And although there was quite a lot more rain overnight I stayed dry and warm enough. It was still raining when the dawn chorus started, heralding the start of another day, but by 05:30 when it was light enough to see the rain had eased off, so I took the opportunity to pack up whilst it wasn't pissing it down and got on my way. It's continued to rain for the last hour or so, but it's currently stopped so I'm taking the opportunity to have a break and some breakfast, sitting just off the track overlooking the Kennet and Avon Canal, who's towpath I've followed for the last mile. It's a nice little spot too, sheltered from the wind with the birds singing. If it stays like this for a couple of hours I'll be more than happy.
10:15 - 19 Miles Covered
I've had to stop to pull a splinter out of my second toe. God knows how that got in there, but it's been annoying me for the last hour. While I'm stopped I'm treating myself to a bit of “The Emmas” home made flapjack that she made specially for me yesterday morning. There's no doubt about the fact that she's good to me. It's much needed calories too, as it's been a steady climb since I left the canal at Wooton Rivers, to get to 279m at Martinsell Hill. It's been worth the effort though as despite the overcast skies, the views are spectacular, with Marlborough on one side and Pewsey on the other. You can really get an appreciation of the route the canal takes from this vantage point as it threads its way along the flattest route.
14:00 - 27 Miles Covered
I've made steady progress through the morning, despite some heavy showers, one of which was more sleet than rain. This afternoon’s been pretty hilly, and had a fair bit of climbing, with the wind whistling round my walking poles and trying its best to push me off course. It's nearly always worth the effort of gaining height for the views that brings though, and this afternoon has been no exception. Between the squalls the sun's made the odd appearance, which has enhanced some lovely landscapes, and the wildlife seem to be making the most of the breaks in the rain too, including a large herd of deer busily munching their way across a field of crops which were clearly visible from my vantage point and worth wasting a few minutes of staring time on. I'm going to have a quick brew stop now before pushing on, with the aim being to get 20 miles today. The kettles on, I'm out the wind, my spare socks are hanging out to dry on my walking poles, there's a skylark flitting around just in front, and there's a lump of chocolate to accompany my brew. It doesn't get much better than this.
19:00 - Miles Covered 37.
Well that bit didn't quite go to plan. After my little brew stop the route came down off the highroad, which was really pleasant. The sun came out and as I got lower the wind wasn't quite so vicious, to the point that by late afternoon I was down to just a base layer and jumper for the first time since I'd set off. I'd set my sights on reaching All Cannings where according to Google there was a shop which was open until 18:30. My plan being to resupply the biscuit stash, top up the water and then find somewhere to stop for the night with a nice round 20 miles in my legs. Except, the shop didn't shut at 18:30 it shut at 16:00 and by the time I got there it was 16:30. Bollocks! I've mentioned before that the biggest problem when you're out and about is finding water. Biscuits I can live without, water on the other hand means no brews, no tea, no breakfast and bugger all else. I had a mooch around all the likely spots for a tap (Churchyard, village hall, school, etc) and whilst the church had a tap, it didn't have any water in it. Which left a dilemma. I either needed to knock on someone's door, which I'd rather not do as it inevitably leads to all the questions and instant suspicion that you're a crazed murderer (crazy yes, murderer no) or find a decent water supply that I could filter and boil. Looking at the map, there were a couple more small villages and then the route crossed the river Avon, which is fast flowing and normally clear and clean. So I pushed on, hoping to find a tap, but with the Avon as my backup. As expected, “Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink”. I was wading through the bloody stuff most of the time, but was any of it drinkable? Was it F***! The river Avon came to my salvation in the end, although it pushed the day's mileage up to 25 miles, and my feet were protesting by the time I did get there. Handily though, there was a nice little camp spot, right by the river, so I didn't have to go any further, and although the river looked a bit murky after all the rain, running it through my filter seems to have cleaned it up OK, and it's all getting boiled too, so I don't think that it'll kill me. So to that end, it's just after 20:00, I've had my tea and a brew, it's pitch dark and the stars are shining brightly, so I'm going to call it a day, and provided the river doesn't get any higher overnight, I'll see you in the morning.
10:00 Saturday - Miles Covered 42.
What a difference a day makes, I woke up this morning to a full orchestral recital courtesy of the dawn chorus. Peeking out from under my trusty tarp, the sky was just starting to lighten (not that it had been that dark overnight) and there was a light mist rising from the river in front of me. Venturing out from the warmth of my sleeping bag, it was a cold morning, not cold enough for a frost, but there was a definite chill in the air, but it held the promise of being a far better day than Thursday and Friday had been. By the time I’d had a brew and breakfast the sun was bright in the sky. A sight I don't seem to have seen in quite some time, and although the ground was still saturated and there was a heavy dew, things were looking good. A few easy miles to warm my legs up got things off to a good start, and by the time I started the long steady climb to take me up to the fringes of Salisbury Plain I was down to just my base layer and jumper and enjoying the feeling of the sun in my face. A further few miles along the Salisbury Plain perimeter track (it’s got a name but I’m blown if I can remember what it is), has got me to here, where I’m having a brew, second breakfast and doing my best tramp impression with all the wet gear billowing from a handy fence, making best use of the sun and wind to try and dry everything out.
14:00- Miles Covered 50.
Afternoon brew time, and the miles are fairly flying along, helped along by the sun beating down. In fact at times, mostly when I’ve been toiling up yet another hill, it’s been almost too warm, but I’m certainly not complaining about that. I’m sat here waiting for the water to boil with my boots off, a dry pair of socks on, courtesy of the wind and sun, and having a whale of a time. It’s surprising how different the world looks when it’s not raining. The fields to the side of the track’s which yesterday looked drab and waterlogged, look far better today, and this afternoon I’ve seen a couple of farmers working Oil Seed Rape fields which are just starting to come into blossom. I’ve also seen 3 different types of Butterfly today, which are the first ones I’ve seen this year. As I’ve already said, it’s amazing the difference a little bit of sun makes.
18:45 - Miles Covered 57
That’s going to do for today, after yesterday's near marathon effort, I’m going to call it quits at 20 miles and chill out for a bit. Plus I’ve found a nice little spot for the night, and having just lugged an extra 2Kg of water up a massive hill, to see me through the night, it’s time for a break. It’s been a far better day today and I’ve really enjoyed the walking. It’s been lovely to be able to look across the Kennet valley to where I was yesterday, heading in the other direction and see the White Horse cut into the hillside that I passed within meters off yesterday lunchtime, and to pick out the hills and landscape that I slowly traversed, in the distance. The landscape has been different today as I’ve worked my way around the edges of Salisbury plain. More rolling and arable farmland than the canals and steep sided hills from yesterday, which has been pleasant in the spring sunshine. I’m going to have to leave it there for today as my tea’s ready, and it’s too dark to type. But the blue sky is being replaced with the black of night, the first stars are just making an appearance and I’ve just seen my first bat of the year, so that’s another first. I must remember that the clocks change tonight, not that it makes any difference when you go to bed when it gets dark and get up at dawn, but time still has some meaning, no matter how much I wish it didn't!
Sunday 11:30 (New time) - Miles covered 66
Brew time with 9 miles under my belt already. The miles seem to have come easily this morning. The weather’s not so good with the wind back to haunt me, although it's not as bad as Thursday/Friday, and it's overcast with a forecast of rain for later, but we'll see what happens. I had a great night's sleep last night, tucked away on the edge of some woods. With no rain forecast I took the risk of not putting the tarp up, and there's something absolutely magical about laying in the Hammock, swinging gently in the breeze and looking up through the trees to the stars above. Even when you wake up in the night (which isn't unusual) and you can make out the outline of the trees silhouetted by the moonlight and hear the barking of deer in the distance and the closer call of owls above and scurrying of the little critters in the scub below your Hammock, it's something to relish, and makes me realise how lucky I am to be able to do the things that I do. Whilst I'm talking about realising things. It's been fascinating to pick up on the landscape around me and realise how it interlinks. There's been a few occasions over the last couple of days when I've thought, “I've been here before on some adventure or another'' or popped out at a road crossing and thought “Ahh, I come along here on my bike quite often”. Which is exactly what happened a mile or so back when I popped out at Oxenwood with its Manor house and Chapel with a funny tower thing. Geography has never been my strong suit, but the lay of the land fascinates me, and is a topic which I'll come back to if I get time. On a similar note, I've just been listening to a pod cast (The Adventure Podcast - Jon Gower - Why Words Matter) with Jon Gower who talks about the Welsh language and how place names are descriptive. It's a fascinating listen if you've got a spare hour (and if you haven't got a spare hour, try to make one, because I think he's an engaging character and a terrific storyteller). Right, I need to push on, but whilst I've been sat here I've seen my first ladybird of the year (That's Bats, Butterfly's, and now Ladybirds in the last 3 days) and there's been a Wren hopping about in the trees and a couple of rabbits going about their business less than 10 meters away, and totally unfazed by my sitting here quietly.
14:00 - Miles Covered 70.5
Result. I'd been a bit worried about this section as I knew there were no shops (and definitely no shops as its Easter Sunday) and the options for getting water were slim to none. In fact there's not even a handy river between my last overnight stop and the end, which should, if all goes to plan, come tomorrow. In the back of my mind though was the outdoor centre which is just off the route, and if anywhere's going to have an accessible water supply, even when they're shut, it'll be an outdoor centre or a youth hostel type place. So, as you've no doubt guessed, my hunch was right, and I'm currently stopped, doing my best camel impression, and making super noodles as a late lunch, whilst sitting on the floor with my boots off, and watching a Red Kite and Crow perform some spectacular aerobatics. (I keep telling you, it's a glamorous life I lead). That's a massive result though, and a weight off my mind, and means I can crack on, safe in the knowledge that I've got enough water to see me through the night. What's not a result, is that I know the terrain that's in front of me for the next few miles, and lugging the extra weight of water up the hill that's in front of me is going to be no joke. I think though, that I might have an extra brew here, knock the climb out and then think about calling it a day if I can find somewhere decent to pitch up for the night (Which might be problematic in its own right, as the next few miles are quite scenic and within car parking distance for most people, so it'll be busy, although I think there's some more heavy weather due in the next few hours which might send them home). If I stop early, that'll just leave another morning’s walking tomorrow, to get me back to the start and the train home. (I could probably push it out today, but I'm not sure of the train situation, it'll be a long day, and more importantly, where's the fun in that!)
16:00 - Miles Covered 73
Sometimes you slog up a viciously steep slope and when you get to the top, sweaty and breathless, you just drop off the other side again, despite being able to see the place you're heading too directly in front. And you think to yourself “What the F*** is this all about, it's the wrong way, why the hell are we going this way”. And then you get to the bottom of the next viciously steep slope, knees screaming, calves aching from going downhill, and you catch sight of the 15th Century Church nestled in the valley, and you realise why the routes gone this way. Yes I've got to slog back up that steep, uneven, unforgiving hillside. Yes, it's added miles to the day. But, yes, sometimes it's worth the extra effort. And besides, a couple more biscuits sitting quietly in the sun in the Churchyard will give me the energy to get back up that hill. And sometimes, despite the fact that I'm not a religious man, it's worth stopping for a few minutes to say thank you for all that's around us. Now, let's get back up that sodding hill!
18:00 - 76 Miles Covered.
That'll do for today. I've covered enough miles, and I've found what will hopefully be a corking bivvy spot, so it's Hammock up, kettle on, and feet up time, and well deserved I think it is too. It's been another corking day too. When I looked at the weather yesterday, it was forecast for rain this afternoon, which hasn't materialised, although I suspect it will overnight. I can cope with that though, it can rain all it wants when I'm asleep. I just wish it wouldn't insist on doing it when I'm awake! This morning started off clear and sunny, but by the time I'd had breakfast and got going a cold mist had rolled in, and I was actually cold for the first hour or so, despite working hard. It got better as the day wore on though, and despite a cold wind and the sun only rarely breaking through the clouds, it's been a nice enough day. It's been a mixed day terrain wise too. The first few hours were pretty much downhill, whilst the last few hours have seen some sharp climbs and descents to take me up to Inkpen hill at 291 meters (I think this is the highest point in Hampshire) where I'm camped, hopefully well hidden, in a few scrubby trees just off the trail. Considering that I'm almost on the ridge, the trees are doing an excellent job as a windbreak, as I can hear the wind whipping around, but it's calm and still, tucked away in here. In less interesting news, I made the mistake of making a hot chocolate in my mug earlier and now my tea tastes faintly of chocolate, just as I made pasta with pesto in my flask for my tea last night, and despite giving it a good clean out, this mornings porridge tasted vaguely of Pesto, more of the glamorous life hey! Also of no interest, I had a long chat with a guy on a mountain bike earlier in the day, who was very chatty, and mentioned that he'd done the Isle of Wight coast path last year (on his mountain bike, but camping on the way). The Isle of Wight coast path has been on my radar for quite some time, either as a run or walk, but he said it was good, so maybe I need to look into the logistics of making that happen sooner rather than later. I keep saying that I need to do more walking, as I love the slower pace of life walking brings. I suppose there's only one way that's going to happen though, and that's down to me making it happen! On that note, I'm going to love you and leave you for the night. I can hear thunder rumbling around, and I need to get some tea made and the tarp up and sort my kit out before it starts raining, which isn't happening all the time I'm sat here in the Hammock gently rocking and writing waffle. 07:00 Monday - Miles covered 76.5 Well that was a rookie mistake. When I left you I was gently swaying in my Hammock, extolling the virtues of my camp spot and singing my own praises. As predicted the rain arrived just after I'd turned in for the night just before 21:00, and I drifted off to sleep to the sound of rain bouncing off the Tarp, inches above my head. I'm not sure what time the rain stopped, but about 02:00 the temperature dropped and the wind changed direction. Instead of being sheltered by the trees they were now acting like a funnel, and my Tarp set up wasn't helping matters, directing the full force of the icy blast straight onto my tired body. I snuggled down further into my sleeping bag and pulled a down jacket round me, in an attempt to keep warm, but despite dozing fitfully for another couple of hours, by 04:00 I was getting really cold. Cold to the point where I couldn't sleep. A situation. not helped by the tarp flapping, where it was now facing into wind, and my needing a wee! I managed to lay still with my eyes shut, in the hope I'd doze back off until 05:00 when I finally gave in to the need for a wee, before diving back into my sleeping bag to wait out the dawn. As soon as it was light enough to see I was up, and with all my layers on got packed up as fast as possible, before making a break for the edge of the hill and a respite from the icy fingers of the bitterly cold wind. I'm sat here now, less than half a mile from my camp spot, at the bottom of the ridge, with a brew on, waiting for the porridge to cook, wondering what all the fuss was about, as it must be a good 10 degrees warmer out of the wind. I guess that'll teach me not to check the wind direction before bed, and I should know better by now not to camp on the top of a hill, as it's bound to be windy. Although, thinking about it, the bottoms of hills tend to be cold, as the cold air sinks, the middle of hills are too steep for camping, rivers are prone to flooding and cold traps, woods risk trees falling on you in the night and tend to be damp, farmers fields are full of crops and scary horses, so they're out too, which just leaves? Oh for F****s sake, where the hell are you supposed to camp!
10:15 - Miles Covered 82
Time for one last brew before I get back to the Kennet and Avon Canal and my start point. Not because I particularly want a brew (That's a lie, I always want a brew), but more because I don't want my little adventure to end. The sun's shining again today and it's already pleasantly warm as I wander along. The going's been a bit boggy in parts, but it's been easy walking, as I've made my way back towards Hungerford for the train home. I've just said that I'll be sad to see the end of this one, and if it wasn't for the fact that I need to be at home on Wednesday morning for a delivery, I'd be quite happy to resupply in Hungerford and just push on and go round again. I've other plans for the rest of the week though and there's other things that need my time. So I'm just going to have to enjoy this last brew sat in the sun, listen to the birds singing and the wind whistling through the bare trees one more time and then head for the station and a return to reality.
12:00 - Miles covered 85
That's it then, all over and done with bar the shouting. A few final miles back along the canal, which looks significantly different today in the glorious spring sun than it did Thursday afternoon in the midst of a torrential downpour, saw me back in Hungerford with just enough time to get a train ticket before the train arrived to whisk me swiftly back to normality. Whilst I said at the start of this little adventure that the train is the best way to start any adventure, I'm not so sure about it being the best way to end one. When your dirty, sweaty, tired, and faced with the 2 mile walk back home at the other end because “The Emma's” gone out playing trains for the day, it's not quite such an attractive prospect. Oh well, I'm sure another 2 miles won't kill me.
Postscript
Tuesday morning and I’m back home again with the post adventure blues. I’d been planning this little outing for a while, and when I saw the weather forecast in the days leading up to last Thursday it filled my heart with dread and I almost canned the whole idea. I could have just moved it back a few days as I’m off work this week. But, as I mentioned earlier, I need to be at home for a metal delivery on Wednesday morning that’s too big for “The Emma” to deal with, and I’ve got plans for next weekend too, so if it wasn’t Thursday I couldn't slip it much further. In fact though, I’m really glad I went when I did. Yes, the conditions on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning were testing, to say the least. But, and it’s a big but, I coped fine. My feet got wet, but that was it, and that’s to be expected, and the least of my worries. And anyway, as soon as the sun came out, I managed to dry my socks, and by Saturday afternoon, I had dry feet again and everything was fine. More importantly, my sleeping system worked fine and I stayed dry overnight and slept well (a bit cold on Sunday night but that was my own fault). Likewise I knew that finding water may be a problem at certain points, but again, that wasn’t the issue that I thought it might be. And most importantly, despite carrying more weight than I was really comfortable with, my knees and back held up fine. In fact both feel better today, having walked 85 miles with a heavy backpack, than they normally do after a day sitting behind my desk at work, which tells us a lot! The big thing to take away from this little adventure though is that I’ve learned a little bit more about myself. I took on some testing conditions, and came out the other side with a massive smile on my face. There’s a post-it note stuck on my desk at work that says something like “How do you know how tall you are if you can always touch the bottom”. I don’t know where I got it from, but I take that to mean that all of the time you're operating within your comfort zone, you're not going to grow as a person, and if you stay within that comfort zone, you're never going to find out what you're truly capable of. Using that analogy, having spent quite a lot of time operating outside of my comfort zone (often well out of my depth) I’d like to think that I’ve got a reasonable idea of how tall I am. But, having yet again taken myself outside of my comfort zone on Thursday / Friday morning, it would appear that I’m actually a bit taller than I thought I was. I’ve learned a bit more about myself, and what I’m actually capable of doing, and I’ve learned a bit more about what works and what doesn't when I’m out and about. Maybe, knowing how to spend the night outside when it’s pissing it down and blowing a gale isn’t a particularly useful skill to have in the modern day, where we spend most of our time sitting on comfortable chairs, in heated homes and sleeping in nice warm beds. And you’d probably be right. But the mental fortitude, and resilience, that comes from taking on those conditions and not only surviving, but thriving, is. No matter what the world throws at me on a daily basis, that mental resilience and strength of character is going to stand me in good stead. And you know what. I still don’t know how tall I am, so I guess that I’m just going to have to keep on getting out there, testing my boundaries and seeing what’s possible, until I do find out. Which takes us into an entirely different conversation regarding failure, because there’s no harm in failing as long as you learn from it, and when you're playing around on the boundaries of what you're capable of doing, then occasionally there’s going to be failures, but they’re all part of the growing process too. And just in case you're wondering, I’m about 6ft 1” in height, but I’ve got no idea how tall I am, and I’m not going to find out all the time my feet can touch the bottom! Double Postscript (Is that even a thing?) Having been side tracked by how tall I am. It’s interesting to note how my writing changes and my subject of conversation changes over the days of my Easter adventure. There’s two things of note that change over the days. Firstly the weather improves, so I’m more willing to stop, stare, and take in my surroundings, and then think about my feelings and put them into words. But secondly, I get into my stride, my brain has the time to process all the rubbish of the week before and clear itself of random thoughts, and the walking becomes more therapeutic, meditative almost, which again leads to taking more of an interest in my surroundings. Both of which I think are probably reflected in my words above.
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Paul PerrattOld enough to know better, young enough to still feel invincible, stupid enough to keep on trying the same thing again and again. Cyclist, Gardener, Runner, Hiker, Cook, Woodworker, Engineer, Jack of all trades and master of none, Anti social old git and all round miserable bugger. Archives
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