It's just good fun (most of the time)

We outdoories are often asked, “why”?  Strangely, those questioners rarely pester model-makers or stamp collectors, or even writers.  This seems to imply a belief that there is something fascinatingly philosophical and exclusive yet to be discovered about enjoyment from walking. The answer of course is to define enjoyment, and there has been endless unsuccessful  academic stuff about that, so why try shift the responsibility onto us?

Enjoyment can be achieved from a pleasant surprise. Perhaps spotting the first snowdrop, or something more spectacular as you round the bend on a newly discovered path.

Geocaching illustrates my point. Many caches are unimaginatively hidden in a plastic box under a pile of stones newly scratched from repeated movement and an explicit clue is given in addition to the GPS coordinate, but others are more inventive and the clue can be cryptic. Recently a mock bird box up a tree needed me to find an object to gain height to initiate the climb, and then the box turned out to have a trick opening mechanism. Others have included a waterproof container under stones in a roadside water trough, and a Thermos flask suspended fifteen feet down a grike on a limestone pavement by chain attached to an innocent looking branch of ash, and another waterproof container swimming in a stream attached to the bank with barely visible nylon line. 

Most people enjoy solving a puzzle whether it be a crossword or a suduko, but there is a fine line between annoyance and pleasure on discovering the answer defined by one’s reaction on its solving. In adverse cases a desire arises to pelt the perpetrator with rotten vegetables for unfairness or excessive obscurity.

Enjoyment is apparent when a grin or even a good laugh arises at the ingenuity.

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From my Welsh walk in 2011

"Rounding a bend on a newly discovered path..."
I could see something blocking the way in the far distance...

This inert ship completely blocked the way of the path. If you want to know more go to:
http://www.dukeoflancaster.net

Sir Hugh is off on holiday

This time it's unashamed indulgence. For the first time ever I have booked accommodation for all five nights in advance and not a campsite, youth hostel, bunk barn or dosshouse in the itinerary, just four pubs and a bed and breakfast. No need for an EPIRB, and no humping tents, sleeping bag, cooking equipment etc, just a diddy little rucksack with a toothbrush and a decent shirt and clean socks to don when I dine.

The Kennet and Avon Canal from Reading to Bath measures 76 miles (123 km.). I take the train from Arnside on Monday, 08.07, and arrive in Reading for 12.39 where I am booked into a hotel. That will give me time to walk to where the canal meets the River Thames to the east of Reading and back again, so that I will be able to start on the canal directly from the hotel next morning walking west.

I bought a superb map on line (Heron Maps - Waterways Series - Kennet & Avon Canal and River Avon). This is a strip map, double sided at 1:50000 with more detail of relevance than you see on the equivalent OS map. The only trouble is its length - nearly two metres. If I try to open it up to re-fold in a high wind I may end up  paragliding part of the route - just hope the wind is blowing from east to west.

Ports of call are Reading, Thatcham Froxfield, Honeystreet, Semmington and Bath.

The map. 

The expedition moves on

Inconsistencies in statements from walkers have been commented on, contrasting preference for solitude and unpopulated areas with enthusiastic reports of obviously enjoyed meetings.

My take on this is that I would not enjoy walking in the hills with a party of several people in front, and maybe others coming on behind, or a view unfolding of my intended summit crowded with folk.

I do value solitude and wilderness for complex reasons which may be worth writing about another time, but, if I have been walking for some time in a remote area without seeing anybody, and a fellow walker appears on the scene, an exchange of conversation can be pleasurable. 

Urban walking, in which I would include my current canal project, is  different.  One can’t expect to avoid encounters and I’m amused to make the best of them, stopping to actively promote conversation, often revealing unexpected anecdotes and information.

Today with Pete we headed south again, walking into low, and intensely bright autumn sun, silhouetting our views, and casting that unique golden glow of light only seen at this time of year; that combined with a sharp frost and stillness in the air combined to create ethereal scenes, and destroyed any myth that canal walking may be repetitive or boring.

At one point we came on a well used narrow boat, moored, and obviously occupied. Blue smoke drifted up from a chimney invoking thoughts of snuggling in the warmth of that boat’s interior with the cosy wood burning stove.

Two British Waterways men had an open barge further on. They were filling in holes  behind wooden planking bordering the canal to prevent erosion of the path. They pointed out that the next bridge south at Lower Burrow was the tallest on the canal, and we chatted about the skills of stonemasonry, particularly the Sedgwick Skew Bridge mentioned in my previous post. They also told us about otters they had seen at Hest Bank, one crawling under the canopy of a narrow boat; Hest Bank is a busy built up area - an unlikely venue for otters.

Just short of Galgate we attained our furthest south (not quite as heroic as Shackleton), and chatted with a lady walking her “failed guide dog” labrador.

A minor road took us halfway back before being forced to retrace steps on the canal. A hundred yards after re-passing the hole repairing men the moored, occupied narrow boat we had seen on the outward journey was sideways on across the canal.

The skipper turned out to be alone. She was  a tough looking young girl more like a farm labourer than a leisure boat owner, and this emphasised by the presence of a gnarly looking bull terrier inside the boat. When we suggested that the distant canal repair men may be coming to help she said very forcibly “I don’t think so” - we gathered they were not friends. We helped her turn the boat round and went on our way.

A local walker stopped and talked. He almost reprimanded us for not returning via Glasson Dock along a minor road and cycle track, a route I had previously planned, but aborted in view of time constraint. I have met irritating people like that before who try, in a dictatorial kind of way, to force their opinion upon you.

Opulent boathouse (and house)

The occupied narrow boat

Reputedly, the tallest bridge on the canal

Pete thought this was a swing bridge

Our furthest south

Rehabilitation interrupted

In the midst of slothing it on the couch every afternoon between 2:00 and 4:30 during the absorbing Tour de France, I did make for Kentmere one morning getting back to see most of that day's coverage.

My interest in the TdF started during a villa holiday with my brother and his wife when we visited  Tommy Simpson's memorial on Mt. Ventoux. Two years later, after reading a biography of Tommy on the plane I ascended "Le Ventoux" (in TdF parlance) with some emotion, on foot during my French Gorges walk.

Tommy Simpson memorial - Mt. Ventoux

This year the demonstration of the value of teamwork has been inspirational, as well as the absorbing interest in strategies and logistics, and all this with the bonus of a helicopter trip round France.


KENTMERE

Ideal walking

Kentmere Hall - 14th century

I score gates out of 10 for ease of opening and fastening. The average is about 3. This one was 10!

Referred to as Kentmere Tarn, but it's just a widening of the river. It is a good trout fishing location which I would like to fish sometime

Green Quarter

The knee is progressing slowly, allowing me to do 3 or 4 mile walks, but it stiffens up very quickly when I'm not active and it is still swollen. It does seem a long process and I think it will be still some time before I will be able to take on full day walks.

From Ardmair

Yesterday I went for a walk on The Postman's Path. The walk started at Blughasary NC 136 021 near Strathcanaird. The path is supposed to be one taken by a postman twice a week to get to Achtilibuie for 2s 3d per trip. The path follows the coast line but very much up and own across the cliffs and has a real mountaineering feel. I followed this to Geodha Mor and then turned inland to follow the stream that skirts the south eastern flanks of Coigach to arrive at Loch Easar dha Bheinn and then by track back to my starting point. From the coast inland my route was pathless over rugged terrain. The whole route was about 9 miles and took 4hrs 45mins. I met one other couple coming the other way.

Today I went for Stac Polaidh. The ridge is a series of rock pinnacles and the last of these guarding the summit pinnacle has a rock climbing move which is not graded. I looked at this and then watched some agile youths scale it, but not without some difficulty. I reckon the hard move was v. Diff verging on severe and I jibbed at it. I seem to have totally lost all appetite for rock climbing, especially if not protected. Perhaps ex rock climbers are wise people? although I used to second with very few problems at HVS until about six years ago I think I always had too good an imagination to be an enthusiastic leader.

Scotland again, at last

From Ardmair Caravan Site - Scotland

I arrived here yesterday (Wed18thAug).

Ardmair is on the far north west coast of Scotland about 4 miles north of Ullapool.

The site is on the sea and my caravan is thirty yards from the water. Last night there was a wonderful sunset looking out to The Summer Isles.
Today I climbed Cul Mor 849m. Time to the summit was 2hrs 40mins.
A young couple who had all the appearance of being serious walkers set off before me and had about eight minutes lead and within fifteen minutes I passed them. I do seem to be walking  quicker than I have done for some time.
The views of Suilven, Canisp, Stac Polaidh and many others were superb.
At the start on the road is a small notice board advertising The Elphin Tea Rooms and that's where I ended up with tea and scone.
Midges are a bit of a nuisance but it's good to be back in Scotland.

Sent from my iPhone

61 - Competition puzzle resolved,Geocaching, and proper walking

I have now had a reply from the Ordnance Survey about the object attached to one of their trig points (see my posts 57 & 58).

Thank you for your email

I have had confirmation that this is an orienteering punch.
However this 'addition' is nothing to do with Ordnance Survey and it is
likely we would have to remove it should we (or any other surveyor) wish
to set equipment on the Trig Pillar.
Thank you for informing us however there is no further information we
can give.



Kind regards



Lesley Flood
Customer Service Adviser
Customer Service Centre, Ordnance Survey
Room C454, Romsey Road, SOUTHAMPTON, United Kingdom, SO16 4GU
Phone: +44 (0) 8456 05 05 05
Fax: +44 (0) 23 8079 2615
I wouldn't want to carry many of those things around in my rucksack if I was an orienteering marshall.
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GEOCACHING
This  pursuit is becoming  addictive. You may notice the  logo on my blog which  automatically records the number of caches I have visited  after I have recorded them on the Geocache site. So far I have found sixteen, one of which required two visits due to my ignorance of the affairs of the band called Oasis and something to do with "Wunderwall", knowledge of which was required to interpret the clue about the location. The solution was gleaned from my daughter Jill who was appalled and amused at this gap in my education, and I was forced to listen to the song! Looking at profiles of other geocachers I see some who have found several thousand caches!

Here are some Geocache pics:

                                 





       






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PROPER WALKING
In the last couple of days I  printed off sheets from Memory Map with the route marked  for my proposed walk from Lowestoft to St Bees Head which I intend to do after walking in France during May and June. The print off runs to fifty three pages of A4, and this gives some enlargement of the 1:50000 map. I will probably post half of these ahead to save weight, although they are not too heavy, and certainly much better than carrying all the maps.

47 A quality walk?

It has been suggested that I describe my meaning of a “quality walk”. Well I see no alternative but to provide lists of desirable and undesirable features. The parameters below would apply to a day walk – long distance multi-day walks may be another subject.

Desirable

Varied scenery
Circular or linear route
Distant views and cameo views
A good section of ridge walking and maybe some rock scrambling
Tarns, lochs, lakes, streams, burns and rivers
Some sort of shelter around the midpoint, if only the ubiquitous dry stone construction found on many summits, or perhaps a café
A feeling of remoteness with only the odd chance of meeting others
New territory not previously explored

Undesirable

Farmer’s cattle trodden fields
Farmyards and their dogs
Gates and styles
Walls and fences without gates (in particular deer fences in Scotland)
Proliferation of notices
Tarmac
Litter and discarded dog bags
Returning by outward route
Total tree cover - no views

Good weather is welcome, but I have no objection to bad weather when I have appropriate apparel. I enjoy the challenge of trekking across wild pathless terrain.

I relish winter mornings with cloudless deep blue sky and a touch of frost and total stillness - in the appropriate environment there is mostly uncanny silence, but any sound, hopefully of nature, seems to carry and ring more brightly then usual, even one’s footsteps produce a kind of echo.

Offhand I can’t think of a walk that satisfies all the criteria and if I could I would probably want to keep it secret.

One section of my Lands End/John o’Groats walk that was especially enjoyable considering that it was not in classic mountain country was the long ridge walk from Pandy to Hay-on-Wye. I had not been on that ridge before and it really took me by surprise.