PLANNING OUR SOUTHDOWNS WAY WALK
Another long walk that is on our to-do list, now beckons. Having both lived within a short distance of the South Downs so we have throughout our 'walking for pleasure' lives ventured up, down and along most parts of the ridge of hills that run for a 100 miles or so between Eastbourne in the east, but to a much lesser extent, Winchester in the west.
We have to be thankful to these wonderful South Downs and a local youth club, that we helped out at, and of course a lot of sibling cajoling that started this mild obsession with donning our walking gear, on frequent occasions, come rain or shine! But....we have never taken the plunge and walked the whole route or for some reason, been anywhere near the far 'western' end. Our recent acquisition of a bright, white and very static mobile home, nestling tantalisingly just under these Southdowns, had re-lit our fire to do the whole thing, one day after another, without a break. A solution to the logistics of this had popped-up on the red-shirted Footprints of Sussex web-site and now we were asking ourselves for this challenge just two questions. Firstly, are we both still fit enough? Secondly is June 2017 going to be free in our busy schedule ? It is really that simple this time...........we hope!
Start at Eastbourne and finish in Winchester
THE PLAN WENT LIKE THIS:
1. Walk in June when the days are long and the weather can be kinder
2. Walk over 9 days in the the less popular direction of east to west.
3. No expensive overnights, but to stay each night in our newly acquired static holiday-home
4. Use the services of Footprints of Sussex, a specialist who arrange transport to and from each of the 9 days
5. Carry only day sacks with just the usual gear, wet-clothes and munching-goodies.
Our 2017 Spanish and Gloucestershire walking holidays were now complete, so time was really getting close. The 16th of May brings a wadge of the pre-walk information through the letterbox. It's only a few days before the pre-walk meeting, in the aptly located, Southdowns Village Hall at Pulborough, so its time to gen-up first. This always helps to ramp-up the the excitement or trepidation that is now creeping in. It doesn't help by reading the section where "anyone with reasonable fitness can complete 12 miles in one day, but to do this on consecutive days.... for nine straight days..........." you get the gist! We are advised to increase the walking distance and frequency but that would be difficult to do with our schedule over the next three weeks, however, in between we have a few Thursday Aylesbury Rambler walks as usual and probably a few self motivated walks in Wendover Woods and the Southdowns. It's not 'training' but just keeping the joints going. I still have a tweak in my buttock and Lesley still has an ankle thingy. We are both gym-ing, Park Runs (more of a shuffle in my case) etc. so no probs! The pack contains car parking vouchers, travel vouchers and books on the journey. I have ordered an A-Z recreation map to get the whole of the 100+ miles on one sheet but like most long-distance trails it will be well way-marked. On reading the booklet it gives details on starts, stops and end-fun! The organisers appear to have some bacon butties organised at the start on a few of the days as well as cakes at the middle & end on a couple of days also.
The main gist of the info-book is to tell you to enjoy. For us, It's not a race, don't go out too quick and follow the hares at the beginning, just pace yourselves. Stop and look around frequently, especially going up steep sections, use your breaks, take snacks, lunch and plenty to drink, dress appropriately for English weather (from sun-cream to wet gear)
We have calculated mentally that days of say 14miles, 11miles, 12miles, 13miles and 9miles....all mixed up over the 9 days will not be a walk in the park, especially as the profile of the downs shows it has many high points as well as low points, only geographically we hope ! However on the positive side, unlike our Ridgeway walk, we will only have a light day-sack, no tortoise to carry round..........but then again it is longer in miles, more consecutive days, is more hilly, walking towards the prevailing wind and we will have a long coach journey on several days, to and fro, later in the week. We will also need to think about our own evening food and daily packed lunches and the inevitable problem of being a little older now..........but of course, wiser!
What we have learnt from the pre-meet...............
Pre-walk meeting and probably 70 or so attended the nice modern village-hall in Pulborough. Keith did about 90 minutes of briefing followed by a slide show of what to expect on the way......all in bright blue sunshine! 2011 was however the wettest, with wall to wall rain for the week. Lots of attendees had walked the walk on several or very numerous occasions..... in both directions! Age-wise most about our age or younger, lots of 'single' females we noticed but also a few 'single' blokes! Well behaved dogs were welcomed, 3 per coach maximum. Worthing Coaches were to be our transport .
Sunday, on the bank-holiday weekend, was the first training walk. 16.5kms over the downs from Woodmancote to Mileoak, back via the Monarch's Way, Sussex Border Path and a little of the South Downs Way before the steep decent into Fulking and back across the fields to Woodmancote. Thunder clouds were looming so our pace picked-up until we left the very top of the downs. No stopping at the Shepherd & Dog......too many bank-hols weekend peeps for us, just a gentle stroll back through the meadows and a much less expensive beer at our other home....our static!
All was well with our bodies on Monday save for a few aches and pains, but they may have come from the day before our walk that consisted of a cycle ride to a pub crawl with a travelling folk singing group...........but that's another story for perhaps another day.