Saturday, August 19, 2023

King Alfred's Way

Just over two years ago, Cycling UK unveiled a new, 350km bikepacking route named the King Alfred's Way (KAW) - new in the sense that nobody had put this particular trail together before, but old in the sense that it takes you through some of England's most ancient landscapes and along some well-established tracks. It sounded good. I decided to try and do it one day.

Well, I've now succeeded. And it was good. It was also pretty tough! I'd like to think I'm on the fitter side of fit and I've done loads of cycling lately, but I found the KAW hard going in a lot of places. It's almost never flat and it's mostly off-road, and given the wet summer we've had, the trail is often muddy, eroded or overgrown (or all three together). I finished the route with my bike covered in mud and chalk and my legs tired, scratched, stung and bruised. But I did very much enjoy it. 

Day 1: Winchester > Orcheston (72.6km/45.1 miles, 958m/3,143ft elevation gain)

I arrived in Winchester to rain, which wasn't the start I'd hoped for, but after waiting 15 minutes for a torrential downpour to ease I zipped up my waterproof jacket and set off. The route quite quickly gets you off the road and on to the first farm trail, which was deeply rutted and a bit muddy and which I found quite challenging. I got better at this sort of track later on after I learned (through stop-start experience) to look further ahead to pick the best line, and to just barrel through the sticky bits. I did take a couple of road detours to avoid bits which just looked too muddy.

Stopped at Old Sarum to look at the remains of the ancient castle and cathedral there; it had stopped raining finally. I'd planned lunch at Old Sarum as I'm sure I read there was a café, but there wasn't, so I carried on a short while to the excellent Bridge Inn in Upper Woodford, where they kindly served me a prawn sandwich although the kitchen was technically closed. The trail from here on was much easier going and the sun was out; I got to Stonehenge in good spirits. You can detour off the route to see Stonehenge from outside of the fence and avoid the even longer detour to the visitor's centre, so I did that. It was then a fairly short ride to Orcheston and Stonehenge Touring Park, a nice little campsite convieniently right on the route, where I spent a pleasant evening devouring takeaway pizza.


 

Day 2: Orcheston > Evelyn's Garden (82.4km/51.2 miles, 1,103m/3,619ft elevation gain)

The route out of Orcheston went almost straight up an off-road climb, and then into tricky rutted farmtrack and my average speed after an hour was about 11kph. I'd had a couple of slow-motion sideways falls and was feeling a bit gloomy about the day's prospects. Luckily I finally hit some harder ground with a road and gravel track alongside the military firing range - the red flags were out, but the route doesn't go inside the danger zone. And then I got a rear puncture, or possibly just a failure of the mended tube we'd put in on the Lon Las Cymru last year. I actually did a reasonable job of putting in a new tube, and didn't entirely waste my CO2 canister in inflating it, but I still decided I would head down the hill as there was a bike shop (Finely Tuned Ride) very close, and I was worried that one spare inner tube and one spare CO2 canister might not be enough for the rest of the trip. That involved a fairly narrow, slippery descent and I walked half of it, but got my tyre properly pumped up and restocked tubes and canisters before continuing onwards. But it had all cost me an hour's time. 


 

The next bit on to Avebury was pretty nice, with a stiff climb and a nice descent, and I rolled into Avebury feeling better about life. I lunched at the National Trust café in Avebury and then walked the ring of the stone circle. 

After Avebury the route heads upwards once more on to the Ridgeway, which is one of the National Trails and runs along to Buckinghamshire. It's shared with walkers. After the initial climb there was a really muddy part which I honestly tried to cycle on, but I found the combination of slippery mud and deeply eroded ruts completely impossible. I gave up and walked for what felt like ages, though it was probably only about 10 minutes. But once past that, the Ridgeway was great! I paused to look at the Neolithic barrow of Wayland's Smithy, where a man who said he was a wizard asked if I was visiting the crop circle in the nearby field. 

I stayed that night just off the Ridgeway at Evelyn's Garden, a basic wild camping/glamping site with lovely views over the fields.

Day 3: Evelyn's Garden > Greywell (87.7km/54.5 miles, 719m/2,359ft elevation gain)

A good, uneventful day. Lots of easy riding on good gravel trails and even quite a bit of tarmac. I'd dreaded the climb out of Goring on the Thames Path because I'd walked down it three years ago, but apart from a flight of actual steps it was fun and rideable. Generally I zoomed along and hardly had to walk at all! It was nice to be alongside the Thames for a bit.

I stayed in the pretty village of Greywell, about 4km off the route, at the Fox & Goose pub which has a large field and allows free camping if you buy dinner at the pub. I was there so early I had time to go for a wander in the village before dinner.


 

Day 4: Greywell > Nyewood (82.6km/51.4 miles, 1,077m/3,533ft elevation gain)

I had been worried about this leg because the official guide talked about navigating deep sand on various commons, and I don't really like trying to cycle through deep sand. It wasn't actually as bad as I'd feared but there were a couple of extended sections which just had to be walked. 

I picked up a front puncture coming into Farnham, discovering it as I was about to head off after popping to the supermarket, so opted for a lazy fix at Hoops Velo where they made a much quicker job of it than I would have done. Later discovered one of my panniers had a loose screw, which took much longer to mend than it should have done due to general incompetence. 


 

The big climb of the day was up to the Devil's Punch Bowl, a kind of natural amphitheatre near Hindhead, which also has a National Trust café at the top (a lunch win). After that there was more up and down, a really nice short section on an old railway track to Liss, the longest wait at a railway crossing ever, and a short detour from the route to Clarefield Copse Wild Camping for the night - a big open field, with a great shower that I thoroughly appreciated after two nights without showering. 

Day 5: Nyewood > Winchester (56.4km/35 miles, 913m/2,995ft elevation gain)

It rained overnight, and kept going into the morning. I lay in my tent listening to it until I forced myself to get up and make breakfast under the shelter which also housed the campsite loos - glam - while checking and rechecking rain radar, and asking route advice on the KAW Facebook group. Then I spent another hour or so in the tent until, around 11, the rain finally eased off (and stayed away for the rest of the day).

I'm glad it was a short day as it was still hard-going. The paths - predominantly the South Downs Way - were actually surprisingly good given the rain, and I only detoured off the route once to avoid what is described as a technical, slippery descent which I wouldn't have enjoyed in the dry. I had to walk up a couple of hills: Butser Hill, which is a really steep grassy slope; and another couple where it was chunky and loose under the tyres and I failed to find the right traction to keep moving! A lot of gates on the SDW also slowed things down. 


Had a truly excellent lunch at the veggie Beech Café at the South Downs Sustainability Centre, a walk around the old fort site at Old Winchester Hill, and finally, with tired legs, rolled into Winchester just before 5pm. Had it not been for the rain I'd have spent more time in the city, including going into the cathedral, but as it was I just took a couple of pictures and headed for the train home. 

Conclusion

I rode my trusty Dolan GXA with 35mm Schwalbe G-One tyres. Something slightly better on mud would probably be beneficial and a lot of people do this route on mountain bikes. As I was camping, I had a reasonable amount of gear, and B&Bing would certainly require less stuff and less weight. 

I was mostly really happy with my equipment: my 35mm tyres were generally fine; my Garmin 1040 Solar paid for its very expensive self by not needing to be charged at all really (I gave it a quick top-up to 50% on the last night, when it was at 34%, and it was back down to 34% at the end of the last day); my Alpkit Soloist tent remains dinky but almost perfect save for the tiny porch.

The route is great, but it's important not to underestimate how long it might take you. On tarmac, with the gear I was carrying, I can average 20kph easily. Off-road, my average speed dropped significantly and even the last day took more than four hours' riding time - not counting stops for food, photos, gates and so on.

KAW is a superb way to see this bit of England though, and makes you appreciate the beauty of the landscape and the history of the country from the unique perspective of a bike. Highly recommended.

Tuesday, May 17, 2022

Lon Las Cymru


During the 2020 lockdown I decided I needed a go-anywhere bike. For some reason, I suddenly wanted to give bikepacking a go, and after an enjoyable, albeit not particularly comfortable experiment with my single speed and a pannier rack, I splurged on a lovely gravel bike. 

Last May I took the bike up to York over three days, pushing the pace a bit and covering a lot of miles, but with success. Meanwhile my friends Julie and Andrew blogged about their experience on the Hebridean Way, so I emailed them: what about a bikepacking holiday together? 

After a bit of discussion we settled on doing the Lon Las Cymru from Cardiff to Holyhead. Roughly translated as the 'green lanes of Wales' (although 'las' also translates as 'blue') the route follows National Cycle Network route 8 all the way across the country. We gave ourselves a week to cover what we thought would be about 400km/250 miles, hoping for a reasonably relaxed pace. Julie and Andrew have done way more bikepacking than me, and have better kit when it comes to the little extras that make things comfortable; my bike set-up is lighter, but that means I had to compromise on a few things. 

We met in Cardiff on a sunny Saturday afternoon, and rolled out the next morning on our adventure. 


THE RIDE

On day 1 we cycled from our campsite in Cardiff to the start by the bay - my first time seeing the gorgeous Welsh parliament building in real life - then retraced our wheel tracks along the Taff Trail and out of the city. We had miles of nicely surfaced, traffic-free paths to begin with, shaded by trees, before heading up into the Welsh valleys and old mining country. Lunch was on a convenient picnic bench close to the cemetery in Aberfan, where we visited the moving memorial to the 1966 disaster which killed 144 people including 116 children. We swung through Merthyr Tydfil and up to the Pontsticill Reservoir, where the route took us along a forest track smelling delightfully of pine. The legs were tiring, but we managed to push on to the YHA next to Talybont reservoir, where we called it a day after nearly 82km. The YHA had a nice little camping field, which we shared with a French (or possibly Belgian) motorcyling touring lady and her enthusiastic retriever Reuben, plus a restaurant and a drying room. 

 

Day 2 dawned cloudy, but we had more nice roads to follow as we continued along the Taff Trail through the Brecons. We had a bit of a detour after Brecon itself, thanks to gaily following cycling signs which weren't the cycling signs we needed - eventually I decided we were going in the wrong direction, clarified this with GPS, and we turned around up a very steep hill to get back on track. It wasn't the last very steep hill we were to encounter! Lunch was in Glasbury at the café belonging to the outdoor centre there, and we kept going to Builth (pronounced 'bilth') Wells where we'd found a farm campsite which Google Maps helpfully said was up a 'moderate' hill. A moderate hill with a 16% gradient. Luckily the site was lovely, with very welcoming owners including some friendly chickens and three orphaned lambs, although I'm not sure Julie really forgave me for the hill.


Day 3 didn't begin brilliantly; as we were about to roll out we discovered I'd somehow picked up a puncture. A combined effort got it fixed fairly quickly. A few miles out of Builth Andrew lost one of his front brake pads, and spent the rest of the day with only his back brake available - we hoped to buy new pads in Rhayader, but the bike shop was already closed when we got there. 


Despite this it was another fabulous day, with a particularly lovely stretch after Rhayader along traffic-free single-track tarmaced roads, in the sunshine. We were pleased to roll into Llanidloes, a small and rather pretty little town with a market hall in the centre and a number of independent shops. Dinner was in the local boozer, the Red Lion, which served huge portions of solid pub grub and good beer.


It rained overnight and into the morning of day 4. We had breakfast in the little kitchen area of the campsite while chatting to a very nice Irish motorbike tourer, Paul, waiting for the rain to ease and for the cycle shop in town to open. Andrew managed to obtain replacement brake pads and fit them, under the shelter of the market hall, and by the time we really got going the rain had basically stopped. 


We climbed out of Llanidloes to the Hafren Forest, pausing for a snack in the carpark there and marvelling at the muddiness of the group of mountain bikers who had just come off the trails, then kept climbing to the highest point of the route, about halfway, a viewpoint overlooking Cader Idris. It was windy and chilly but we had excellent pasties and Scotch eggs to eat from the bakery in Llanidloes, followed by an exhilarating descent on smooth tarmac to Machynlleth. 


But the climb had taken its toll and by the time we reached Corris, a few miles on from Machynlleth, it was time to stop. After an early failed attempt to find a campsite an old man told us about, we went on to one I'd earlier earmarked online - a 'wild camping' site with basic facilities, by a lovely little stream. We did a bit of stretching and paddled in the stream before dinner; we had the place to ourselves, although we did share it with midges and went to bed early to escape them!



Day 5 started with another steep climb, which finished with a flourish of 18%+ gradients, views over Snowdonia and a good descent to Dolgellau. We decided we'd earned coffee and cake, which then fuelled us nicely for one of the nicest sections of the whole ride, a flat 10 miles along the Mawddach Trail and across the traffic-free bridge to Barmouth. 



After Barmouth, we stopped to investigate a cool Neolithic burial mound, before we hit a few more short sharp climbs on the way to Harlech (and, for some inexplicable reason, a microwave embedded in a wall. Andrew checked it; it still pinged). In Harlech it started to rain, and had got very cold and windy - I was frozen watching the bikes while the others bought food for dinner, which slightly spoilt our brief look at the castle because I just needed to move! Out of Harlech we were hit by another wall of a climb, which forced both Julie and me to walk a bit, and we were glad to find our campsite for the night. It had the most spectacular views over Harlech and across to the Llyn Peninsula, but it was way too cold to enjoy them properly; we took refuge in the kitchen and cooked and ate dinner in there. We were perhaps fortunate that this site had the biggest kitchen of all the ones we stayed in, and nobody else wanted to use it. At one point a chap popped his head in, checking the place out after his journey from Gatwick in his recently acquired second-hand campervan had taken four hours longer than planned. 

It didn't get much less windy overnight, but as we set off on day 6 we found that we'd done most of the early climbing the day before. That was a bonus. Most of the rest of the day was relatively tame. We paused to buy lunch in Porthmadog, where Julie came out of the cash-only grocers' giggling at the old Welsh man who'd served her. Among other things, he'd felt it necessary to explain the different types of apples he was selling. Andrew managed to buy some more spare brake pads, although all the steep descents were behind us now. 


We spun through Criccieth and after a little while hit the Lon Eifion, a 12-mile cycleway along yet another old railway line that took us right to Caernarfon. With the wind behind us and a gradual descent we flew along and arrived in the town in high spirits, doing a loop around the magnificent castle before going to our campsite. Here there were views over the Menai Strait and a nice flat field, which was empty when we arrived but gained a couple of vans by the time we headed back into town (on foot) for large plates of fish and chips and a couple of pints in Caernarfon's oldest pub, the Black Boy - a recommendation from fellow campers. 

Day 7 dawned sunny and calm and we lingered a bit over breakfast. But there were still over 40 miles to go ... The section taking us over the Menai Bridge was perhaps my least favourite of the whole ride, as we had a few miles of shared cyclepath alongside busy A-roads and some annoying crossings to negotiate. Luckily, once we'd got past Llanfairpwyllgwyngyll (and stopped for the obligatory touristy picture by the very long sign) things got back to normal - more idyllic, quiet back roads lined by fields and hedges, with views back to Snowdonia. 

Somehow the tired legs kept spinning towards Holyhead, where our hopes for an ice-cream were fulfilled. Then it was another couple of miles, and a last climb, to South Stack lighthouse - which my uncle later told me was designed by an ancestor of mine, Daniel Alexander! We camped at a nearby site and enjoyed a last dinner cooked on our camping stoves with the sun setting on a superb trip.

THE CAMPSITES

We left booking for all our accommodation fairly open, which caused us a couple of issues but nothing major - I hadn't realised two of the places I'd found in research were group-only type sites, which led to a long day on day 1 particularly. However, everywhere we did stay was great.

Cardiff Caravan & Camping Park - remarkably close to the city centre, with containers for safe overnight storage of bikes

YHA Brecon Beacons Danywenallt - good facilities including a restaurant, and right on the route, so very convenient. As of May 2022, photo ID is required to stay at a YHA (a photo of ID on your phone suffices)

Noyadd Farm - up a hill outside Builth, about two miles off the route, but a beautiful spot and the cheapest site we stayed at (£8 pp).

Dol Llys Farm - this is a massive site but was almost empty when we stayed there. Like most of our sites it's a working farm, so comes with cute animals and dogs to play with! 15 minutes' walk from Llanidloes

Gaerwern Wild Camping - a small, private, off-grid site - £10 pp arguably a bit pricey for water and a Portaloo, but it was very pretty and the owner is clearly aiming to improve it. About a mile off the route in Corris

Merthyr Farm - when we arrived a sign said they could only take pre-booked campers, but they had space so it was fine. Incredible views, rather exposed when it's windy! Another site right on the route

Is-Helen Farm Caravan Park - weirdly the lady seemed reluctant to take us when I called, but she was super-friendly when we arrived and definitely had space. Mostly a caravan park, but the camping field was great and facilities superb. 10 minutes' walk or about three minutes' cycle from Caernarfon Castle and the route

Blackthorn Farm - a slightly over-attentive owner, who drove around in his 4x4 three times to check everything was okay during the evening, and a bit expensive at £17 pp, but the location was good, facilities excellent and there was free Wifi, so ... about two miles out of Holyhead

THE GEAR

As previously mentioned, my bikepacking gear is on the light side. When I first got a pannier rack I invested in a Topeak bag which has a sort of box plus fold-down panniers, with a total capacity of about 23 litres. I also have a harness to strap my sleeping back to the handlebars. Turns out you can do a week-long trip with this, but you have to be very strict on what you bring, and have compact, light gear. I would have struggled with groceries for the evening and for lunch had I not been with Julie and Andrew and their spacious Ortlieb panniers! If I do another trip, I'll get some bigger panniers to give myself room for another change of clothes, food, and a camping chair - the others had Helinox chairs which were light and comfy. 

But my trusty Alpkit Soloist tent did its thing, my Exped mattress was extremely good on its first proper multiday test, and apart from the annoying puncture my Dolan GXA was good on all surfaces and I had just enough gears for the hills with my 11/34 groupset.

I'd definitely recommend a gravel or solid hybrid bike for this route - there's a fair bit of gravel surfaces including some climbing, and a lot of the back roads were rough in patches. At the very least, a road bike would need fattish tyres with good grip. 

THE DIRECTION

We chose to ride south to north and I can't remember why. However, I think it was the right call. We had the toughest hills later in the week, after we'd got used to riding and warmed up with some easier climbs. The only advantage perhaps to riding north to south is that arguably bits of our last day were the least nice in terms of route (more traffic around Bangor especially), but it wasn't ever dreadful. 

The route is mostly well signposted. I'd uploaded it to my Garmin, but got a few bits wrong somehow and we tried to just follow the blue route 8 signs. Julie had the Sustrans paper maps and these were a helpful addition, especially when there was no sign and Garmin was being silly. Relying just on the signs might be slightly risky in parts.

IN CONCLUSION

This was a gorgeous ride, made better with good company and mostly good weather. May was a lovely time of year for it, with the verges lined with bluebells and other flowers the whole way, the grass green and the lambs gambolling happily in the fields we passed. A week was about right for a fairly steady pace with lots of stopping for photos and food - you could do it in four or five days by travelling lighter and faster, but half the fun is the journey. It's a challenging route due to the climbing, but the route planners need a round of applause, because it's brilliant.

Total distance (including detours): 469.5km (291.7 miles)
Elevation gain: 5,721m (18,770ft)

Monday, July 20, 2020

The Thames Path: wrap-up

It's the day after I finished and I keep stubbing my little toe which ended up with a blister on it, largely thanks to yesterday's wet socks, I think. However largely the aches and pains of last night are fading and I kind of wish I'd spent today, which has been gorgeous, outside walking again.

I stitched together the whole length of the walk on Strava, which produced a map that is pretty mind-blowing. As one of my friends noted on Facebook, I basically walked across the whole of England. She's a long old river, the Thames.


Strava also told me that I spent a total of just under 64 hours walking at an average pace of 12:30 per km and burned 26,761 calories doing so. My fastest kilometre was the 23rd, at 9:39; the slowest kilometre 136, at 16:29, when I was strolling with friends in Henley.

I'm not sure what my favourite day was - there were so many lovely parts to the walk. Possibly Friday, day 11, which was short and quiet and sunny. Day 5, to Hurley, was stunning though long; and I enjoyed most of day 6 to Reading until I got tired in the last 5k.

Catching up with friends and family en route was also a joy: thanks to Maya, Jane (and Blondie), Karon & Peter, Jon & Laura, Gav, Carrie (and Bella), and Frank & Julia for the company and gifts of food and drink. And to all friends who joined me virtually, as the comments and likes were a great morale boost when I was feeling tired.

My least favourite part remains the short walk alongside the A404 in Shillingford, although the hardest part was the last 2k through fields to the source! 

Things I'm glad about
I'm glad that I did this walk! It was really beautiful and it is immensely calming to walk by a river. It was fascinating watching the Thames change and seeing the variety of houses and boats on it and its banks. For a short while I felt like I was part of a special community of river-dwellers. I definitely fantasised about buying a barge and spending my days cruising the waterways, or becoming a lock-keeper.

I'm glad I took the opportunity to do it in one go while I had the time. I could have paced it out in chunks as many people do, and that would be nice too, but I don't think you'd get the same impact of the river changing.

I'm also glad I left my big camera behind! It would have added way too much weight and my phone does pretty good photos.

Things I wish I'd done differently
I should have carried less stuff (see gear list below). It would have been easier if I'd shed a couple of kilos somewhere.

In an ideal world I would have taken more time, walked more slowly and had a rest day somewhere. However, I had enough issues finding accommodation for the days I did do. It would have been easier from a practical perspective to do this in 'normal times' but then I don't usually have this much free time in summer when things are normal. I would have loved to stay at the lock campsites and that would have made things easier too, but they're all still closed and who knows when/if they'll re-open?

As far as regrets go, that's about it!

What next?
I am now very keen to tackle more of the National Trails, although quite when I'm not sure. They all look fantastic. I also want to try a bit of bikepacking (restricted slightly by current bikes, which are really road-suitable) as I need to get more use out of my awesome tiny tent.

--- 

Accommodation 
Laleham Camping Club - on the path! Friendly, small, volunteer-run site. Facilities were clean and the shower superb. A bit of traffic noise from the M3 nearby.

Hurley Riverside Park - on the path! A large site with excellent facilities including WiFi, friendly, but expensive at £32 for a non-electric tent pitch.

Reading Central Premier Inn - not on the path. Their other branch at Caversham Bridge, which is, was closed. Large comfy room with air conditioning and a bath! Not bad for £39 flexible booking.

The Swan at Streatley - lovely hotel right on the path with gardens by the river. Room was comfortable but a bit hot (there was a fan but it was a touch noisy). Good restaurant and very pleasant staff. However not cheap.

Bridge House Caravan Park - on the path! Small, simple site on the riverbank, lovely welcome, and a good pub (the Barley Mow) next door. A bit of traffic noise from the bridge. Not to be confused with Bridge House sites in various other places on the path.

Oxford Central Backpackers - welcomed me despite my booking being for the wrong day. Have been refurbishing. Decent sized dorm rooms, decent location, not too far from Osney Bridge on the path.

Hardwick Parks - a bit away from the path but the X15 bus runs infrequently from the path at New Bridge (the Rose Revived) to the site. Another big site, also a touch pricey at £28 for a non-electric pitch. Pitch not especially scenic but loads of room. Facilities clean and an excellent shower. Lake for swimming in!

Ye Olde Swan - on the path! Smallish camping field and a glamping field, basic but functional facilities (Portaloos). A little shop selling essentials like ice cream and a wonderful pub opposite where they also rent out paddle boards and kayaks. 

Second Chance Holiday Park - 15 minutes' walk from the path in Castle Eaton (in fact the path goes along the opposite bank). Very quiet, simple, right by the river. Facilities basic but functional and it was only £6 so I can't complain. 


Gear
Osprey 65L women's rucksack - apart from the waist straps rubbing until I worked them out, very comfortable even with a decent weight inside.
Alpkit Soloist tent - worth every penny I paid for it. Pitches really quickly, can be brought down in minutes, and big enough for me and all my stuff!
Alpkit down sleeping bag - maybe a touch too warm but I get a bit chilly when camping. Fairly light and compact. I can't remember which model it is.
Eurohike silk sleeping bag liner - I like that it's easy to wash!
Multimat Superlite Air mattress - I've had this for a while. It's pretty comfy and packs down to a tiny package, but does have a tendency to condensation inside.
Decathlon travel pillow - I need something for my head, and this works well on top of my bag.
Alpkit Kraku stove - a miracle of engineering. It's minuscule and weighs next to nothing. Works reasonably quickly, although not super-fast.
Gas canister - a 100g canister got me through four evening meals, four boils of water for porridge and coffee, and a couple of extra coffees. Having to buy a bigger one to replace it when it ran out was irritating.
Alpkit 650ml titanium mug - the stove and small gas canister fit inside this.
Enamel mug - I should have left it behind and just used the Alpkit mug, although I did use it for coffee.
Sea-to-Summit XKettle - I bought this in NZ. It's brilliant. Metal base and collapsible silicone sides, works as bowl or kettle!
All-in-one plastic knife/fork/spoon.
Osprey 1.5L water bladder - fits in a special pocket in my rucksack.
Travel towel

Clothes
Salomon walking boots - these did well and blisters were minimal except the last day; however they need re-waterproofing.
Bridgedale hiking socks x2 - one lightweight pair, one midweight.
Merino t-shirts x2 - one Rapha, one Icebreaker.
North Face walking shorts
DHB lightweight long-sleeved merino top
Rohan walking trousers - actually only worn in the evenings but glad I had them.
Old t-shirt and leggings as pyjamas 
2x crop-top style sports bras
4x knickers 
Patagonia Torrentshell jacket - thankfully barely needed 
Rohan travel shawl - useful extra warmth or something to sit on, although I could have left it behind without too much stress.
Bikini

Food
6 x Firepot dehydrated meals. All tasty. The dal was especially nice. However ... I might have been better off carrying less stuff and buying more en route.
9 x homemade granola bars, based on this Jamie Oliver recipe with a few modifications.
5 x Moma porridge sachets
Taylors' coffee bags
Jelly Babies for emergencies
All other food bought en route

Other stuff
Factor 50 suncream 
Antibacterial wipes
Hand sanitiser 
Toiletries
Boots Extra Tough Plasters - these really stayed put!
Assorted blister plasters 
Fabric strapping tape 
Anti-histamines, and assorted other hayfever/bite remedies
Ibuprofen and Deep Heat cream - the Deep Heat was buried at the bottom of my bag and I forgot I had it for a day or so. Then I used it once or twice and never got around to it again. It was a good idea, but I could have left it behind.
Matches (and a lighter, but I can't get the darned thing working).
Kindle
Head torch - could have managed without this, it was dark so late. I used it about twice.
Microsoft Surface tablet - for a few work things, a Zoom meeting, and watching a few downloads at night. Ideally would probably not have brought it, it added weight I could have done without.
RAV Power powerbank - chunky but holds a lot of charge.
Samsung Galaxy S9

Sunday, July 19, 2020

The Thames Path: day 13

Day 13
Castle Eaton - the Source
27.85km / 17.31 miles (including a few small getting lost diversions, not including campsite to path or Source to Kemble)
6:08:54
1,609 calories 
Total distance: 300.36km / 186.65 miles

Ow. 

Everything hurts. I have finished and I think euphoria and pride will follow, but for now, mostly everything hurts.

It rained heavily overnight and the tree next to my tent sent loud drops on to it throughout the night, so I didn't sleep amazingly well. I was up promptly, knowing I had a long way to go and wanting an early start. It's a shame the campsite doesn't have a little footbridge over the river, because I walked 30 minutes and was basically back where I started only on the other bank! 

Because it had rained, and the path was fairly overgrown with grass, my boots were soon wet and it soaked through eventually to my socks, which may not have helped blisters later. However it was a lovely morning now the rain had stopped, and it was nice walking by the river - still just wide enough for a kayak to paddle, but only just.

I was in Cricklade before I knew it. Cricklade was pretty, although largely closed, so I grabbed some lunch from Tesco and carried on. In fact I felt so good that I kept going until I'd done 15k, over halfway for the day. 

At one point the signage got confusing and I went straight on instead of right; luckily I met a couple with an OS map (also lost) and that combined with GPS location on my phone helped work out that I had to go back. 

Later there was a missing sign and I spent five minutes trying to work out where to go, but after that all was great for a while as the path headed through the Cotswold Water Park, a massive area of lakes and reservoirs that are used for recreation as far as I can see.

The playing fields near Ashton Keynes had some convenient picnic benches, so I stopped, ate and assessed progress. I knew there was a train at 3.47pm which I could conceivably have caught if I'd kept up the morning's pace, but it would have been a struggle. Instead I decided not to rush, and slowed down a bit.


Just as well, because increasingly tired legs and a couple more route deviations meant I ultimately didn't reach the Source until 4! The path followed the river for some time, through a lovely shaded woody bit. Then there was a bit by a road, and more water park, before returning to fields. Just before Ewen the river ran out and became a gravelly, empty bed.

Seeing the sign that said it was only 1 1/4 miles to the Source was great, but those last couple of kilometres hurt most. It was tough going through fields, and badly signposted. Luckily Google maps came to the rescue and eventually there I was, at a fairly non-descript stone in a field. 


I did the selfie thing then hobbled back to Kemble, with time for a beer before the train currently whisking me home in under two hours. 

It's been epic.

Everything hurts.

Saturday, July 18, 2020

The Thames Path: day 12

Day 12
Radcot - Castle Eaton
20.42km / 12.69 miles 
4:26:02
1,176 calories 
Cumulative total: 272.51km / 169.34 miles


I found new energy today and picked the pace back up slightly. It was a medium-length walk with a lovely break in the middle in Lechlade catching up with my uncle and aunt, who'd driven down from Cheltenham to say hi. They met me just along the path, bearing coffee and some delicious date slices, and we had a good chat. I also sourced a sandwich made with some amazing sourdough bread for lunch, so it was a very worthwhile stop! Lechlade seems like a pretty little town and the river was busy with people renting kayaks and swan-shaped pedalos. 

It is at Lechlade that the river officially becomes unnavigable to larger boats; beyond, it is windy, narrow and increasingly hemmed in by reeds and waterlilies. It runs down the edge of tonight's campsite and I'm surprised it's even kayak-able here - it's almost a stream. 


Just before Lechlade I passed the last (or first) lock of the river, St John's, where there's a statue of Father Thames looking on as those boats starting or finishing their cruise pass through. He looks rather serious and for some reason is carrying a spade.

Past Lechlade the path used to divert from the river, but they've managed to negotiate a route with the local landowners and now it meanders happily along the bank for an extra couple of kilometres. I'm glad as after that I basically didn't see the river again until Castle Eaton. The path heads away through fields and along bridleways, catching only the occasional glimpse of the Thames, until the village.


At Castle Eaton I stopped at the Red Lion pub for a pint overlooking the river, a short break before a short walk to the campsite on the other bank. I'm right by the river and I think tonight might be the quietest place I've stayed, with very little traffic noise and most of the other people here in caravans or motor homes. 

I can't believe it's the last day tomorrow! It's quite a long one to finish with but I'm excited to get to the source and complete what has been a superb walk.

Friday, July 17, 2020

The Thames Path: day 11

Day 11
New Bridge - Radcot 
15.64km / 9.72 miles
3:34:40
1,037 calories
Cumulative total: 252.09km / 156.65 miles


Today turned out to be the shortest day of the trip, mainly due to successfully catching the bus down from last night's campsite to the path again. It would have been a horrid walk on a busy road so I'm glad I discovered the existence of the bus!

It was a pretty idyllic day. The weather was glorious (even slightly too hot to be honest) and after a brief chat with a chap in a deckchair by the start at New Bridge I didn't see anyone for a full 90 minutes of walking. After that there were only a few people.


It's hard to believe that the river I'm walking along now is the same river that rushes through the capital city. Here, it's winding and slow and becoming increasingly difficult to navigate. Barges are the main traffic, with a few small motorcruisers that can fit through the small bridges. The bridge at Radcot, where I'm staying tonight, is especially narrow; I'm not sure you could get a sculling boat through it without having to pull in your blades.

I took my time over the first couple of hours, enjoying the peace and quiet and scenery and the fact that my legs felt reasonably fresh again. I kept going past the time I'd originally thought about stopping for lunch, and then had to walk another kilometre or so as I found myself on a quiet but paved road down to Rushey Lock.


Luckily, Rushey Lock had a bench that wasn't fenced off for social distancing, so I plonked myself down and investigated whether the wrap and tub of mango I bought yesterday morning had survived. They were a touch squashed but edible! I watched as a barge, which I'd largely been keeping pace with all morning, came through the lock. Up here, the locks are the old-fashioned types with the big lever arms to open the gates, quite different from the automated ones downstream where you just press a button.

After the barge came through a kayaker paddled in - he was in the early stages of kayaking the length of the river, having walked from the Source to Cricklade and taken to the water there, where it becomes navigable for small craft like kayaks. It looked like quite good fun going through a lock in a kayak!

Before 10 miles were up I found myself at Radcot. Just before I arrived a wasp decided to try and get into my shoe, between my shoe and my sock, and then stung me. It hurt like anything and while I was getting my tent up I started coughing, which I think must be a reaction to the sting. I do tend to react to insect bites so it's not a total surprise, and an emergency anti-histamine seems to have taken the edge off. At any rate I've mostly stopped coughing!


It was only early and it is a lovely day, so I rented a kayak from the pub that owns the campsite I'm staying at and went paddling for an hour - thoroughly lovely even though it's pretty windy. Now I'm having a pint and using the pub WiFi and feeling like I'm on holiday, rather than an adventure! Maybe they're the same thing.


Thursday, July 16, 2020

The Thames Path: day 10

Day 10
Oxford - New Bridge
21.59km / 13.42 miles
4:47:19
1,258 calories 
Cumulative total: 236.45km / 146.93 miles

Today was hard and I don't know why. I was caffeine-deprived when I set off as the kitchen at the hostel was closed, and I couldn't be bothered going to the station to source coffee. In retrospect a mistake. I plodded off down the path out of Oxford very slowly; my hip flexors were sore and generally it was stupidly tough going. 

The scenery was still good though. As you leave Oxford the river is exposed and the banks slope into it on either side, particularly on the city side where the vast flood plain of Port Meadow offers a green buffer to the urban development beyond. It was breezy too and the water was rippled.

Then everything becomes more sheltered again as you pass Godstow Lock and the ruined abbey, and here the river winds its way along, bordered by reeds and rushes. It looks tricky to navigate to be honest.

Past King's Lock I was walking through beautiful wildflower meadows filled with bright buttercups, which helped cheer me up a bit.

Even more cheering was a friendly face waiting at Eynsham Lock - Helen, who I'd met through Adventure Queens and a couple of New Year's Eve campouts. She had brought coffee and croissants and we sat and had a good chat for a bit. Eynsham Lock is a lovely spot, just downstream of Swinford Toll Bridge; Helen said they charge the princely sum of 5p per car to cross!

Caffeinated, I carried on. There's an annoying if pleasant detour towards Bablock Hythe, a few kilometres through fields before the path eventually meets the river again. If one were on a walk in the countryside one would probably quite enjoy these fields, but when one is on the Thames Path they're less pleasant and more a barrier between you and the river!

Safely back by the Thames I had lunch, then moved on. More fields and more wildflowers, a lovely lock (Northmoor) and some cows and calves to navigate around. But slightly sooner than I'd expected there was the end of the road and the welcome sight of the 'Rose Revived' which revived this wilted Yorkshire rose with a cold drink.


Then I waited for a bus. The only campsite I could find for tonight was a few kilometres up the road from the path. Originally I'd gaily planned to walk it but by now I am not keen on any extra walking! There's a bus from the path to the campsite every two hours - but it was late, and I'd just given up and started trying to find a taxi when the bus appeared and whisked me to the site. 

The campsite is by some lakes and I was able to go for a short, cold swim which was incredible. Now it's teatime and an early night - I want to make sure I catch the bus back to the path tomorrow morning!