Walking over the Hill

IS IT NOW TIME TO BE PLANNING SOME LONGER WALKING TRAILS ? 

At the time of writing we were both very happily settled into the middling of our sexagenarian & early septuagenarian years but now some of our 'must do' journeys are gradually being ticked off our to-do list and thankfully, we may have more walks that could be planned, albeit at perhaps a gentler pace and certainly a less distance! The walks we have completed have left us with memories and experiences and my jottings may help you on your journeys or just amuse and pass the time of day!

So where would these longer walks lead us?

Our own walks are to be a balance, the right mixture of leisure with pleasure and exercise. Maintaining an active lifestyle is certain to bring some long term benefits, so tomorrow's journey, be it a trip around the globe, or simply just 'Walking over the Hill' will hopefully lead to many positive things.

The body will certainly become, over time, more rugged and durable but equally important are the benefits gained to the mind which is the powerhouse that gives us a motivational nudge to keep us going during each segment of our lives. So make a tomorrow's journey' worthwhile and bring back home all of the outdoor experiences, that lifts our level of happiness, spirits and of course the well-being that surely will come with it.

We started planning the first of our walks more than 15 years ago promising ourselves we would "do it" when we retire and this is more or less how it came about. Moving into the Chilterns in 2002 from living in a small village within the Surrey/Sussex Weald, we soon discovered the Ridgeway was our new "northern" alternative to our much loved South Downs Way, having walked extensively up, down, along and around them over many previous years. Don't get us wrong though, we are not extreme walkers by any stage of the imagination, just there for the enjoyment and great exercise that comes with it.

So in our personal web-site we wanted something different from the many guide books and oodles of web pages dedicated to walking. The style of writing is not to be a step-by-step guide e.g."turn left at the Dog & Sausage" but a hybrid perhaps used as a guide but more of tips, tales and anecdotes. Its about the people we may meet, things we pass on the way and the experiences and pleasure we get from it, come rain or shine and in the UK you get a fair-share of both. We hope it will help you decide to take up some longer treks and I am sure you will get as much enjoyment as us!

This first route  on our list is said to be one of the oldest 'highways' in Europe and to be honest, that was one of the real attractions, to follow ancient man, but with just a few additional comforts along the way, as you will see!

We started with The Ridgeway as the first 'retirement' walk we planned since me leaving my day job in St Albans and Lesley having enough time between winding down to her own retirement. We have completed many extended walks with groups over quite a few years now, including treks in the UK and abroad with great trails like New Zealand's Milford Track, various forays into the Alps, Pyrenees, Spanish mountains, Amalfi Coast….….all with small groups. Whilst we do enjoy the company of fellow walkers and the organisation of walking experts, we thought we would do this first one alone enjoying our own company and hopefully bumping into some interesting characters on the way.
Other walks soon followed with 2017 being the year we wanted to complete the whole of the South Downs Way. All our walks will be for our leisure, pleasure and fitness. We will keep our notes, pictures, tips, tales and experiences along the way, people we meet, things that happen. These will be linked to Walking over the Hill on this page as and when we finish them, but we are in no real hurry……..just yet we hope! If we achieve one long trail per year that will surely be more than enough!

The main criteria for enjoying these type of walks is being of average fitness, possess reasonable gear, like a good walk, enjoy each others' company and of course as you will find out later, a good pub with a room! Just try them out, the Ridgeway is far from a wilderness, there are no 'scary' bits but it will provide wide ranging views, which ever section you are on. Many of them are lofty and elevated and on a good day the vistas along the way take in the shire counties of Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire. Equally the South Downs Way falls in to the same category but a bit longer with stunning views towards the sea on one side and over the counties of Sussex and Hampshire with far reaching vistas beyond. Logistics of getting there and back, whether staying or travelling is always difficult, but we think we have cracked both of them in completely different ways. One by bus and stay overs, the other using an experienced group with an easy, get you to the start, transport system. They have been organising the walks for 18 years.....and it doesn't cost the earth.

So its all there if its your first long trail and both trails are brilliantly way-marked, all the way! We are not saying you can do without the OS maps, as they always give you a greater all-round perspective, but we worked entirely from a Harvey RIDGEWAY map that details the entire National Trail on one map and its even waterproof should you comes across the odd spot of rain. We used the equally good, AZ map for the South Downs Way and it's all in one book! We will include useful links on further pages and our notes will also help where you need to leave the Ridgeway trail (or perhaps where best to carry-on) and find your good (and not so good) pub for the night! 

If you are planning to start the Ridgeway please read first our 'how to arrive' page and try using at least some 'green' public transport wherever possible and most of all please read our story and when you do walk the trailyourself, keep some notes as it will be good to look back and learn from it when you try your next challenge, which invariably you will be itching to do!

With the South Downs Way it's a case that we used Footprints of Sussex who organise transport back to a fixed point each day. So if you can walk in June and can get to one of 4 places by 8am approx and back to stay at night, then this could be the method for you too.

Start reading and then start planning your nextadventure.