Tuesday, June 26, 2007
All Washed Up
It's raining again, oh no my walks at an end........
Well, actually, didn't even get to start out on one! What a weekend and what a week it's proving to be - terrible.
Had hoped to get out for the day on Sunday but with the heavy rain didn't think it was fair to drag my poor old mum out in her boots and waterproofs and, to be honest, didn't quite fancy it myself so actually had a quiet weekend checking over kit, looking longingly through magazines and looking ahead to this coming weekend and my trip to Snowdon. Can't wait! Two day navigation course then a day and a half to explore beautiful Betwys y Coed and hopefully bimble up to the summit of Snowdon itself.
Did finally buy a mountain bike at the weekend - a secondhand one that I can trundle around on when I'm not walking - I'm told it's excellent cross-training and will help protect my Achilles heal which is still playing up every now and again!
Er....not much else I can say for now - didn't do anything exciting to tell you about at the weekend - well, not to do with walking anyway :-)
Leaving on a jet plane - no, sorry, slow train, Friday night for Wales - all being well will post an update on my adventures mid-week next week when I'm home. If there's no post by Friday......help.....I'm lost on a mountain!!!!!!
All for now.
Sturdy
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Mooving Moments.....
Sunshine and adventures in Somerset....
What a wild few days we all seem to have had - torrential rain, hot sunshine, brilliant sunsets and gray evenings! Tomorrow will be the longest day and I'm hoping that the weather will give us a break so we can get out and make the most of the light evening - fingers crossed.
At the weekend I headed down to Somerset to go walking with my friend Pat. We had thought about walking our 'usual' route - up and over Cheddar Gorge, up to Burrington and back again, but we were both feeling a bit tired, it was sticky and muggy so we decided to try something different and opted for two or three shorter walks in an area we had not really explored. So OS map in hand we jumped in the car and headed over to Weston-Super-Mare to take a circular tour of Weston Woods. The leafy canopies of Oak and Hazel offered much longed for shade from the sun and there was a lovely ambience as we headed towards the the site of the iron age hill fort - now sadly covered in shrubs, nettles and ferns. I have to confess I was not on top form (and it wasn't due to the party the night before!) and soon abandoned the trusty compass for the 'let's just head this way and see what happens' attitude. It worked! With clear paths (and a disabled route) it was easy to explore the woods and find our way back to the car with little concern for getting truly lost. In fact, Pat and I felt, and probably looked, a bit overdressed with our rucksacks, maps and 'serious' walking kit compared to the families and older walkers enjoying the paths!!!
It was so hot that we took a leisurely lunch at a farm store looking out over Sandy Point, Brean Down and the glistening coastal waters and mud flats. Quite lovely really. But refreshed and raring to go(!) we headed over to Brean Down for a swift climb up onto the Down and an exploration of the Napoleonic Fort and other historical sites which are dotted around the area. We did get caught in a couple of light showers but thankfully nothing as serious as we feared as at one point the sky on the horizon was so dark it was like night-fall! If you've never been to Brean it's a lovely spot and I'd highly recommend it if you like beautiful cliffs, roman and military history. Parking is easy and there's a brilliant cafe at the bottom that does the best vanilla ice-cream!!!
Now you're probably thinking 'hold on a second - this isn't hill walking' - and you're right - it wasn't - but it was fun and it was interesting and maybe, just maybe, Sturdy is beginning to realise that you don't have to be a hard core, go and get 'em mountaineer type to be taken seriously as a walker and that it's actually quite nice to take it easy, stroll around and play it by ear a little - no route marches, no schedules, just good company, good sites and enjoying nature and our beautiful countryside. Hmm....maybe it's all these gentle walks I've been taking at home in Essex - mellowing the Sturdy Girl and making her question her motives, her preconceptions of places and open her eyes a little. Maybe! Then again, maybe I'm just being a little lazy.......... Have any of you undergone a similar process of awakening with regards to walking - I'd love to know - why not leave a comment or email me to let me know!
But the major event of the weekend has to be overcoming one of my greatest fears and breaking through the Wuss factor - Cows! Driving back to Pat's house Sunday morning we were surprised to find a large cow walking down the road towards us, heading to the main road. In the house Pat made some phone calls to local farmers who were heading over to take control. Lovely. So there I am doing the washing up, Pat is outside tidying the garden when suddenly, though the window I heard the muttered gasp "It's in the garden!!" Yep, our wayward cow had wandered back up the lane and into Pat's garden. And this is when it turned really surreal - there we were - Sturdy and Pat trying to calm a distressed cow in the garden and stop it going back onto the road. Pat went back to call the farmers again who promised to be with us in 5 minutes and there I was....alone.....with a cow....a large distressed cow with a messy bum...in a garden....in Glastonbury. If only the camera had been working! Well, they do say that the best way to conquer your fear is to face it - and I was certainly doing that. When the farmers did eventually turn up I was herding poor old Daisy towards the roadblocked lane and back into her field. The legs had stopped shaking, the breathing had returned to almost normal but the washing I'd had out was destined for another wash after she'd drooled all over it during her stay!!! No more will cows feature on the Wuss factor for me!
It's only 12 weeks now until I go to Ben Nevis and I really do have to get my act together - not just with walking but with planning in general. I'm now going to the gym at work 3 times a week, I've completed a novice climbing course, which is great fun, and I'm out in the fresh air as much as possible. In a couple of weeks time I'm off to Snowdonia for a navigation course and a walk up Snowdon, then in July I'm going scrambling and in August, all being well, I'll be spending some time with Cleveland Search and Rescue finding out first hand just what the team have to go through with their training!!!
I'm not sure yet where I'm off to this weekend but it will probably be local(ish) and fairly gentle as the tendon problem is still not fully recovered and both legs feel a little tense - so an easy walk and lots of stretching and probably picking up a mountain bike for some more fun and cross training.
Can't believe how much has changed since I first started writing this blog in November last year. I've met some amazing people, been to some great places and have undergone fantastic changes physically, mentally and emotionally - all down to the wonders of walking. Some people deserve special thanks for their support so far - Pat (obviously!), Estelle (must get up to the lakes soon matey), Robin and Ashleigh (not that you've actually been out walking with me that much yet - but you've definitely been there for me - thanks), Neil and Skinny Dave, Will in Edinburgh, Mum and David (promise I won't drag you up any more big mountains) and finally Tomcat and Basil - for showing me just how beautiful our home county is - hope you don't mind the mention!!!
Right - all for now. Better get re-reading some Navigation Books.
All for now.
Sturdy
Monday, June 11, 2007
Daydreaming in Dunwich
I wandered lonely as a cloud....well, not quite, had some quite pleasant company actually....!
Well so much for the weather forecast this weekend! There I was, braced for the monsoon season predicted and what did we get - hot sun and blue skies. Well, mostly - unless you were in Suffolk on Sunday. Leaving behind the flat lands of Essex (actually, they're not that flat) I headed off for the 90 mile trip to Dunwich Heath with a good friend and his cheeky doggy - off to explore and practise our navigation skills - map and compass verses GPS! Parking at the RSPB reserve I was thrilled at the wide expanse of heathland which had vibrant bursts of Heathery blooms splashing the landscape with purple splurges. Set against the darker scrub and the grey, ominous sky it was quite something. Then we headed off, in a rather round-about way thanks to my infamous navigation skills, towards the forest. En route we spotted a beautiful Roe Deer relaxing in the shrubs. Chaffinch's serenaded us and the grey skies meant the heat from the day before was kept in-check and didn't threaten to overwhelm our canine walker or us! After a picnic lunch in the forest we headed into the village of Dunwich in search of a dog friendly pub but alas - no such luck, so it was a cup of tea on the seafront before winding our way back towards the car via the clifftop paths. The GPS did a grand job, apart from missing out the bit in the forest (no good for Hansel and Gretel then..hee, hee) and took us to within a few paces of the car - as did my trusty map and compass. Mind you, I'm desperately in need of my navigation refresher course at the end of the month. I only had to suffer a small amount of teasing and tuition from my companion who is a bit of a dab hand at this navigation lark - but not as good as our doggy friend who made it quite clear he knew the way back anyway and wondered what all the fuss was with strange gadgets and bits of paper!!! Smart creatures dogs....far too smart. We completed a lovely 7 mile(ish) walk and the variety of landscape and features was truly outstanding. Hope to come back up this way again and take in Orford Ness next time - a stunning National Trust site a bit lower down the coast with interesting historical aspects (Sturdy - put that anorak away.....). All in all a fab day but we couldn't believe it when we crossed the county line back into Essex out came the sun and blue skies everywhere - typical. Mind you, the cooler weather was better for walking and at least this way we could enjoy a relaxing evening by the River Blackwater watching the boats and enjoying some well earned fish and chips.
It suddenly dawned on me today that
it's only 13 weeks until I tackle Ben Nevis and I'm really worried that my training is not sufficient to take on this challenge in a comfortable way so think I'll have to get out and do a bit more challenging walking, head into the gym and start looking at the route and get some accommodation sorted - would probably help!
Fundraising is going well but I'm sure there are a few of you out there that may like to help support Marie Curie so please feel free to visit my online fundraising page at: http://www.justgiving.com/sturdygirl - every penny really does count.
I'm off to Somerset this weekend to catch up with Pat and, hopefully, walk around my lovely Gorge!
All for now.
Sturdy.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Weaving Around Wendover
Now what have I said before about the importance of maps....!!!
Headed out to Buckinghamshire on Saturday with fellow aspiring hillwalker, Michael, for a 10 mile trek around Wendover Woods and the Chiltern Hills. It was a beautiful day, the roads were clear so it only took 90 minutes or so and we were eagerly grasping our Country Walking route plan from 2005...... We found the right roads and started to look for our start point - and that's where the fun began. After driving backwards and forwards along the same stretch of road looking for an elusive 'pay and display car park just off a B road' we decided to park in the Forestry Commission site at Wendover Woods and start our walk from there. Thing is, even though I said I'd never do this again - we didn't have a proper map with us. We had a trusty compass, a route plan, and basic navigation skills (Michael took a one day course the other week in Wales) - oh, yes, and a sense of humour - which was just as well as it took ages to find out way onto anything faintly resembling the route. But we made it in the end. It was a lovely route and true to its name took us under shady canopies and relaxing woodlands. And there were some lovely slopes to get stuck into as well - good training for both of us. The whole route, with a few detours and scenic diversions took around 5 hours and we were both relieved to see the cafe still open when we got back to the car park! But oh, how much easier things would have been with an OS map and/or a GPS - think I'll be investing in both for the future! We did encounter two sections with Wuss ratings - a Wuss factor 1 for me with a field of bovines including a huge bull standing protectively around a calf. Thankfully a small group of fellow walkers and some cyclists entered the field at the same time which seemed to confuse the creatures and I could make a safe bolt for the other side - in a calm, relaxed walking leader kind of way of course! And Michael encountered a Wuss factor 4 when we were about to head along a lesser used footpath, which was overgrown with nettles and sharp nasty things and he only had shorts on. Another valuable lesson - don't wear shorts for woodland walking or if you do, make sure it's because you've got those nifty two-in-ones so you can cover up again if need be - like I did!!
A good day's walking and certainly felt like I'd done something when I got home.
On Sunday, I was introduced to another stunning area of Essex - Laindon Country Park. Not the biggest in the world but such an oasis of peace and greenness nestled on the highest point in Essex and just outside of Basildon. Had a really relaxing walk with a good friend and his very cheeky dog and was yet again surprised at just how beautiful Essex can actually be. In fact, sitting on the train taking the scenic route home last night from Fenchurch Street I was taken aback by the lush fields and vistas around Ockendon, Grays and Thurrock - who would have thought it! Maybe I'll stay around here a bit longer after all.........
This weekend, all being well, I'm off to Suffolk and hope to be practising my map reading skills as well as exploring another new area, although lacking in hills I suspect.
Generally, I'm doing O.K. - the Achilles heel is much better, my walking posture improved, my eagerness as keen as ever and I'm really enjoying getting out and about - hope you are too.
Don't forget, if you 've got any training tips, ideas on places to walk or just want to comment, say hello or come for a walk, let me know - I'd love to hear from you.
All for now.
Sturdy Girl
