www.walkforviv.org.uk - Update Site

Money Raised

Mon, 16 Jun 2008 16:29:58 GMT

Rachel has raised over a staggering £4250. Which will be donated to Cancer Research UK. Its still not too late to keep them donations comming.

Walk For Viv - Thanks

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:21:14 GMT

Thanks to everyone who supported me, sent me messages, financial contributions and those who phoned me and emailed me with their support.

Particular thanks to the people who put me up overnight and gave me much needed Bowen treatment and/or alcohol(!) which kept me going:

Margret Palmer
Pat May
Joy Ainley
Hilary Herd
Sarah Hurst
Angela Street
Pam Daniels
Janice Burgoyne
Sharon Crabbe
Louise Oram
Marita Flook

Also thanks to the support teams who followed me along the routes and enabled me to walk for the majority of days without having to carry food and water with me.

Thank you to Elizabeth Bridges of Whizzliz web design for designing the Walk for Viv website, and also to Chris Blunt who did an amazing job of setting up and running the blog site.

A major thank you to Nicky Peplow who got the privilege of having an extra three cold, wet and muddy horses to deal with for two weeks.

To the 'Reception committee' at Fistral - you are totally insane and very noisy the lot of you! Thank you.

And finally thank you to John Ash and to Katie and Christie for allowing me to honour the promise I made to Viv.

Walk For Viv Facts

Sat, 29 Mar 2008 19:20:05 GMT

I lost half a stone over the course of the walk!!! Yay!!
I used 2kg of Epsom salts to keep my muscles relaxed, 1kg of Vaseline to protect my feet and eight metres of bandages to hold my knees and ankles together!!
The total walk distance was 225 miles - I take approximately 2400 strides per mile on average so I took roughly 540000 steps to get to Newquay.
I walked across seven postcode areas - SO, BH, DT, EX, TQ, PL and TR
I walked right across thirteen ordinance survey maps - only eight are shown in the picture as I didn't have the room for the rest!
On average I walked for seven hours a day so the total time taken actually walking was 98 hours which is equivalent to 4 days and 2 hours walking continuously
I wish I could tell you how many calories I burnt off...but I replaced them with the chocolate and Kendal mint cake I ate!!
I walked through four counties - Hampshire, Dorset, Devon and Cornwall
I crossed thirty two rivers and river tributaries
The highest point on the south coast path was the summit of Golden Cap, between Seaton and Charmouth, but the Dartmoor crossing was the highest cumulative stage of the whole walk.
I had NO blisters!!! :-)
Best day - Beer to Budleigh Salterton - also the hardest day physically but sunny, great company, great scenery and a huge challenge met.
Worst day - Osmington to West Bexington - wet, foggy, found two dead lambs and one alive one I couldn't save; visibility about 20 yards, scenery - none!
Sunniest day - Teignmouth to Buckfastleigh
Wettest day - Charmouth to Beer over Golden Cap - rained most of the day and very heavily at the end. I stepped into what I thought was a puddle only to find it was a cattle grid completely full up with water! And alot of the coast path had subsided with the rain...

But I loved it, all of it, and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Day 14:Lanivet To Newquay (The End)

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 19:52:15 GMT

Last day for the knees to hang in there, last time I have to get up and spend half an hour wrapping my legs in bandages and supports, last time that I have to cover my feet in vaseline before I put my socks on which is such a gross feeling. This is it, the final leg of the journey.

I met with Viv's husband John and her daughter Katie and a couple of John's mates at Lanivet. It rained in the night so the roads were very wet and, as we set off, it rained again accompanied by a strong and very cold northerly wind which made the going a little more tricky than it would have been had it been sunny! In any case I am now well used to walking in the rain and wind so it didn't really bother me at all. We kept on going towards Newquay, picking various people up along the route until we had a walking party of about ten or eleven of us, plus support vehicle complete with flashing orange roof light - a proper convoy!! Lunch was tea and hot cornish pasties in the salubrious setting of a petrol station forecourt, and then on again down towards Newquay. Unfortunately someone planned the route to go right past the end of the runway at St Mawgan airport....and just as we walked there a passenger jet came in right overhead to land, slewing sideways in the wind before bouncing down onto the runway. NOT my favorite moment of the walk as I have a fairly extreme flying phobia, but my reaction gave the rest of the guys a laugh - I think I was considering turning tail and running for home :-)

Once in Newquay we headed along the main road overlooking Tolcarne beach and finally I could see the headland at Fistral and the white horses on the Atlantic. It is such a strange feeling returning to somewhere you have been so many times by car, but then thinking that you have walked there. Because of the nature of this challenge I had made sure that I 'closed off' every day separately in my head, so I almost didin't have a memory of the separate stages, but, once you are in sight of your final destination, your mind relaxes and you remember all the little things you saw on the way and how far away the start seems! As we headed down the last bit of road to Fistral beach, there was a party of people with a banner reading 'Walk for Viv - well done Rachel', and they were all shouting and cheering so I felt compelled to run the last few hundred yards which was a relief on the knees! They'd also put a red ribbon across the entrance to Fistral Blue, so I had to cut this amidst the cheering before we could finally declare that the challenge has been completed. And the nicest part was that by the time I'd got to Newquay, the sun was blazing down.

I'll leave you to imagine the chaos and carnage which then followed as we all piled into the bar at Fistral Blue. I think I now have a tab there which will last me a year or so! The bar manager also gave us all drinks on the house which was very cool. Everyone was very elated and I didn't feel tired at all, aside from the knees being very sore I felt like I could keep walking. Just for total completeness of my task, once everyone had headed home, I went down on to the beach at little Fistral at sunset and did what I said I'd do - stood with my feet in the surf. Bingo - 225 miles done.

So what next? I'll have to think of something! Maybe another couple of weeks off so that I can walk home? Hmm, with these knees in this state, perhaps not for the time being. Anyway, I have the task now of collecting up the money I have raised, and getting a final total. I just hope that whatever I have raised will give other people who are suffering from cancer a chance to have the best research and facilities available to fight the disease. I know that Viv would have wanted that in her name.

Day 13: Liskeard To Lanivet

Sat, 22 Mar 2008 23:35:24 GMT

So here we are in Cornwall on the penultimate day of the walk, eighteen or so miles to go before I hit Newquay, and I have now walked over two hundred miles. I need a beer or several.....but I understand the champagne is on ice :-)

Today was cold, much colder than yesterday and the wind was coming from the north, bringing with it snow showers which are alot easier to walk through than hail stones as snow doesn't hurt so much! We left Liskeard and headed south west through lanes and small villages, all the while climbing steadily which gave great views back over Liskeard, Plymouth and the Tamar valley. There were a couple of snow showers before the sun came back out as we headed down over the main road toward Lanhydrock House.

Most of this route, as yesterday, was on lanes, but they got pretty steep up and down at times. Whilst the ups pull on the hamstrings and calf muscles and are more of an effort than they were in earlier stages, they are still easier for me to negotiate than the steep down hills which my knees are now really complaining about. In any case, out of the wind and with the sun beating down, it made for nice walking across the Duchy of Cornwall land toward Lanhydrock. Here there is a tree lined avenue from the southern gate house to the main house itself, and it affords a pretty view over Bodmin and the moor behind it. On from Lanhydrock, it was a four mile walk to Lanivet following the contours of the land, and accompanied on the north side by the A30, Cornwall's main artery, and a road I have driven so many times it seems so strange to have walked here. Nevertheless today I was very glad to see the church at Lanivet which marked the end of this stage. I have a healthy looking 'ski' tan, but I don't think I will get that tomorrow as the forecast isn't looking as good. From the drop down to Lanivet I could see Bodmin to the north and Indian Queens and the china clay works to the southwest. Over there somewhere is Newquay and my reason, my final destination.

So for now I am sitting in front of another open fire, warm and comfortable and full of good food ('Bodmin roadkill'?!!!!) and wine. I am about to have my final Bowen treatment to salvage the scrap of strength I have left in my legs and hopefully to patch my knees up for the final assault. I have crutches in the car and at this rate I will probably be on them by tomorrow night but I won't care because the job will be done.

See you at the Atlantic. :-)

Day 12: Yelverton To Liskeard

Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:11:38 GMT

Another day, another county ticked off the list! I set out today in a hail storm and covered the four miles to the River Tamar across beautiful Devon lanes. Initially I'd intended to meet up with someone who had a boat and row across to Cornwall, but he couldnt keep the appointment so I had to settle for a car trip up and around Gunnislake to the other side, to a pretty mill and quay called Cotohele. From there it was a steep climb up to the top of the hill and Cornwall! Looking south I could see Saltash near Plymouth which is the border town. To the west is Cornwall, to the east, Devon, Dartmoor, Dorset, Hampshire......

This route was all about getting the mileage done to Liskeard through the steep lanes; the theme, if you like, being down steep hills, cross the river at the bottom and up the other side again. Lanes in Cornwall are narrow and bordered by walls and hedges which are barely the width of a car, let alone the tractors that parade up and down these lanes. I was glad of the shelter from the high sides as hailstorm after hailstorm rattled across from the north, sweeping south to be followed by blue skies and sunshine - a true English spring day. It was colder than yesterday and the wind felt stronger so I am glad we weren't back up on the Moor! I covered eighteen miles through the lanes to Liskeard. In places the primroses were so thick and profuse that you couldn't see the green of the hedges. There were violets and wood anemones, all really pretty; and woodland after woodland had floors that were carpeted with the foliage of new bluebells ready to explode into color. I really enjoyed this route for all the steepness and the fact it was on lanes.

Toward the end was a killer of a hill up into Liskeard and then a half mile to the centre where we ended up having a couple of pints of Tribute in the local pub and winding the locals up with football talk whilst waiting to be picked up. My legs are starting to feel really tired now and your feet swing like lead pendulums on the end of them. You wouldn't think just walking would be such a challenge until you have covered almost 200 miles in twelve days. Tomorrow is the penultimate stage, slightly shorter than today, and it will take me within sight of Newquay. I have finished for the day today now, had a hot bath, and now I am sitting in front of the fire typing this, surrounded by puppies belonging to the friend I am staying with. Does it get any better?

Day 11: Buckfastleigh To Yelverton

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 19:04:31 GMT

This was the big one, the stage I was most worried about and the one that has been playing on my mind since I planned this mad caper. I knew I'd need to be fit for Dartmoor, but what I was most worried about was either getting injured or lost on the Moor, both of which would have required air assistance which is NOT my favorite pastime! So I guess that a big motivation to make it over the Moor today would be my flying phobia; a helicopter ride does not appeal to me, however tired I am. :-)

We actually came to Dartmoor and walked this leg back in February for a practice and some training and it was tough then. But it's nothing compared to what I have just done today. We slightly changed the route to avoid the monstrously steep field we climbed up in the training run and I am so glad we did. Instead we had a three mile pull all up hill to Ludgate, the eastern entrance to the Moor. For the first time in the whole walk I experienced a real tiredness in my legs, there isnt the spring there has been previously and the drag up hill was really hard work - and that's BEFORE the Moor!!! All the while you can just see Dartmoor's brooding mass glowering at you. And when you get to Ludgate you just keep on climbing amongst the gorse and over rocky terrain and through boggy areas that really sap your strength. I'd wanted dry clear weather, and fortunately we got it - BUT we also got a strong and very cold headwind for the whole way. The only time the wind let up was in a small river valley about a third of the way in, and by that point I'd got so used to leaning into the wind I almost fell over without it!! It was a difficult day though, being so cold because when you stop for a breather, you just can't stand around for too long before you get chilled from the wind drying the sweat on you and cutting into you like a knife.

Still, we did a better job this time and actually ended up on exactly the paths we needed to be on which made walking alot easier and drier than the practice run. There's nothing worse than stumbling along through clumps of marshy grass, alternately tripping up or getting swamped for draining your energy. Once off the Moor at Sheepstor the roads were a relief. Now I think it is pretty much all lanes until I get to Lanivet. Only three more days to go which is a strange feeling. From the top of the Moor we could see Plymouth to the south west, Cornwall to the west, and right back to Sidmouth to the east. In terms of physical effort this was a hard day, but at least I feel like I am on the right side of the Moor and heading to Cornwall. Right now I have just had a hot bath and I am sitting in front of a roaring fire with a hot cup of tea. I'm tired, achy and all windburnt, but still glad to be on course for completion at Newquay.

Day 10: Teignmouth To Buckfastleigh

Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:46:46 GMT

So that's it for the South West Coast path stages then. Now I head inland in pretty much a straight route west to the Atlantic and Newquay. I had a photo call at 9am at Teignmouth point this morning for the Western Morning News paper, and my first request for an autograph!!! Celebrity status, and apparently I am to expect the same at Newquay as things are building there. No pressure then :-)

I set off, accompanied by a friend and Bowen colleague, and we headed inland along the river Teign through some really pretty areas south of Teignmouth itself. The road twists and turns alongside the river and is very steep in some parts, but we covered the five miles to Newton Abbot pretty quickly. I crossed through the town and headed out into the country lanes through Ogwell and Denbury where I met up with my 'support crew' and we all had lunch on the village green outside the pub under blue skies and glorious sunshine. Oh yeah this is the life!

From Denbury it got a whole lot steeper as I headed out to Landscove and through the lanes where, three and a half years ago, I got Viv and I totally lost looking for someone's house!! I have a feeling I walked right by the field where I'd stood on the gate to try and get a reception on my phone to call for help. Most country lanes in this part of the world are a whole lot thinner, steeper and usually have grass growing down the centre. They are also built to be the same width as most tractors and there was a couple of tricky moments that involed balancing precariously in the hedges to squeeze by oncoming tractors. In August they'd have been hay cutting, but about this time of year they are more often than not slurry spreading and that's not something I'd like to be showered with.

The descent to Buckfastleigh was steep and very relieving and now I have had a hot bath with plenty of Epsom salts, and I am sitting typing away and looking west into the setting sun where Dartmoor awaits. The forecast for tomorrow is good, the smoke from the swaling on Dartmoor is abating and I am ready.

Day 9: Budleigh To Teignmouth

Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:32:28 GMT

Today dawned bright and sunny and perfect for walking. The hills on this segment are a bit of a respite from yesterday's mega blitz. I set out from Budleigh and crossed the last of the red cliffs towards Exmouth. Standing at the summit and looking east I could see right back along the whole of the south coast as far as, and including, Weymouth and Portland. It is a surreal thought that I have walked this far...

Walking to Exmouth, once off the cliffs, was pretty flat, but once I got there I found that unless I was prepared to share a fishing smack with a bunch of crustaceans, there wasn't any other way of getting to Starcross but to drive up and around the mouth of the Exe at Exeter. Since I HATE crabs, I chose the car! Once on the other side I set off again from Dawlish Warren and walked the four or five miles to Holcombe head which is on the south west side of Dawlish. There were some pretty views again of the red cliffs of Sidmouth and along to the Golden Cap, before I dropped down to sea level to begin the last stretch along to Teignmouth.

Now here's a weird thing. Both Dawlish and Teignmouth have a set up where they have a small, steeply shelving beach, then there is a railway line before the promenade and then the town itself. It's kind of weird walking along a strip of land between a railway and the sea! If you saw the news footage of the storms where the train had waves breaking over it...well that's the sea wall route to Teignmouth. As I walked it, the tide was almost in and then it becomes impassable, so you can imagine it was pretty interesting with the waves breaking up and onto the wall I was walking along! At one point I had a 200 yard sprint and still got a soaking from the sea spray. Pretty cool!

I finished up at the southernmost point of Teignmouth bay itself, having passed the highly unique (!) pier which looks as though it is made of matchsticks with a row of coloured tents along the top. Now I am holed up at a friend's house, swathed in apple cider vinegar to take the ache that's still there from yesterday out of my muscles. Earlier I fell asleep in the bath and nearly drowned - now that wouldn't do to have walked all the way to Devon only to come to grief in a Teignmouth bath tub!

Dartmoor 'approach' is tomorrow....and then there is SNOW forecast!!! Deep joy. :-)

Day 8: Seaton To Budleigh

Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:21:36 GMT

Have you ever been to Sidmouth? Have you ever walked along the beach front and looked at the massive red cliffs that flank the town and wondered how long it would take to climb up them? Or what the view would be like from the top? Or how much it would hurt to scale them? No? Well the answers are: Ages, awesome and lots....in that order!! I left Beer this morning and walked via the cliff tops to Branscombe bay which has a very nice pub with very nice beer...The walk over the cliff was amazing with views right back to Portland and right onwards to Hay Tor in Dartmoor. But boy did it then get steep on the descent to Branscombe! And that hurts your knees alot, especially when, if you are like me, you have no ligaments in one of them to hold it together!!

In Branscombe car park I was lucky enough to meet up with the same group as I had walked with yesterday - Dawn, Pip, Roger, Peter and Kathy - all heading west to Sidmouth then on to Budleigh Salterton, so I hooked up with them. We all climbed some massive cliffs and got some spectacular views of the south coast, including the wreck of the Napoli, the cargo ship that ran aground off Weston beach. The scenery was stunning, but the views were obtained with a severe amount of effort. The OS map is VERY orange at this point of the coast and for good reason. You climb up for about 150 meters, get a flat ish cliff path for a quarter mile or so, then you descend right back down to beach level. You have to do this three times between Branscombe and Sidmouth and then again twice after Sidmouth. Ouch! I have muscles on my muscles! It took us three and a half hours to go the 5 miles to Sidmouth, then I parted company with the group and took a slightly inland, but alot flatter route to Budlegh Salterton via a pretty village called Otterton. I was very glad to finish today, but very pleased to have walked those red cliffs. I have walked 16 miles today and it took me 7 hours, but I am one stage away from completing the South West Coast path section and only two stages away from Dartmoor...

Today's stage was the hardest yet in terms of sheer physical endurance. I think we probably climbed up and down almost a thousand steps and each headland was approximately one and a half times the height of York Minster. No wonder my knees and ankles were complaining! Anyway, I can see Cornwall in the setting sun to the west and I am not giving up until I have the Atlantic lapping at my boots, and until I am drinking champagne at Fistral. Right now I am about to have a Bowen treatment, and then we are heading to the pub for some local ales and a spot of happy Paddying! See you tomorrow

Day 7: Charmouth To Seaton

Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:13:00 GMT

Greetings from sunny Devon! Bizarre as it seems, I have now walked clear across two whole counties and have only two left until Newquay. Of course there is the small matter of Dartmoor to come, but hey, I have cleared Golden Cap and am now hitting the hills of South East Devon.

Today started off in rainy Charmouth with a scary three miler to Lyme along the beach, racing the incoming tide and watching the collapsing cliffs above VERY warily! It wasn't the best start as the shingle was heavy going and then the beach became rocks of all different sizes and shapes and with the rain it was very slippery. But I made Lyme and walked along the bay there in yet more rain. Locating the actual coast path at Lyme was tricky, but once on it there was a steep uphill climb to the cliff tops and then I headed west out of Lyme towards Seaton. This section of the path was more like walking in the Everglades!! The footing was a mixture of mud, flint and bare tree roots which made for slow and soggy going underfoot. But by the time I'd crossed the border into Devon, about an hour in, the sun came out and hasn't stopped shining since.

I caught up with a group of walkers going the same way as me and joined up with them for most of the way to Seaton. They are way more experienced at long distance walking than me and it was good to have the company. In a couple of parts the path was totally blocked by fallen trees which we had to climb, but for me it made the experience all the more fun. By the time I got to Seaton i was covered in mud from the knees down, but the walk along Seaton bay was done in brilliant sunshine, and I had time to chill out for a few minutes on a seafront bench. Then it was on to Beer - GREAT name for a town! But HOW steep was the climb there?!! I am starting to get used to these 1 in 3 gradients now though and their advantage is that you get fantastic views from the tops; the disadvantage being that my knees dont appreciate the steep descents....unless of course they have a pub at the bottom :-)

So that's one whole week I have been walking which feels pretty surreal. I have one more whole week to go and that is also an odd feeling. But I have made it half way. I guess you could say the hard part is yet to come across the hills of Devon and Cornwall and also across Dartmoor. But the weather is due to stabilise a bit so I have got the suntan lotion out in preparation. Tonight I am in Sidmouth, talking horses and Bowen with my host and we have been to the farm where her horse lives and met the new born lambs. We also stood and looked west into a fantastic sunset and I could see Haytor in the far distance - I will be there Thursday. How weird is that???!!!!

Day 6: West Bexington To Charmouth

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 23:11:46 GMT

Day Six and I can't believe I have almost walked to Devon....as i sit here and type this I can see the lights of East Devon shining through the night to me. I will be so happy to be one county away from Newquay. So far, Dorset hasnt really inspired me at all, but today was amazing. I set out from West Bexington having passed a lovely evening in the local pub sampling the ales, and then laying listening to the surf (very small!!) on the shore. The first part of this stage is very flat and is behind a shingle bank behind the beach and was extremely muddy and wet, hey what's new?! And then the climbing began.

There are some really steep cliffs between Bexington and Charmouth, and on each one you descend completely to sea level into each new town that you come to. In theory that sounds kind of quaint; in practise it is so tiring. For me it felt like I was finally walking, at last, challenging myself a bit, pushing my limits. The cliffs get gradually steeper, each more so than the last, and the soil is getting redder and redder the close I get to Devon. To start with it rained a little, but then cleared, and the Golden Cap loomed out of the clouds at me. There was a clear spell around lunchtime and this lasted all the way up the ascent right to the summit of Golden Cap. The view was amazing, both east and west along the cliffs, and inland for miles. Tell the truth, views aside, I was a little disappointed. I am not sure what I expected - perhaps a crew of people to present me with a Tshirt saying 'I climbed the Golden Cap' but that might just be my over active imagination running away with me - this is Dorset after all, not the Himalayas!!!

The descent was a tough on - in parts there are close to sheer paths to negotiate which, with all this rain, got interesting. Even some of the worms were having trouble! At Seatown I watched as walker slipped and fell, and she obviously landed heavily and was in pain. When I got to ther i was relieved she'd hurt her arm and not her leg, and I was able to sling the arm up using one of my ankle strappings, and limp her down to the town for proper medical help. Being a therapist can have its uses, and I hope she is okay.

Later in the afternoon the rain came down really heavily and the last three miles to Charmouth were a real pull, especially the hill a mile out. For the first time in the whole walk so far I have had to dig deep and use the words of that famous poem: "If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew, to serve your turn long after they are gone, and so hold on when there is nothing in you, except the will which says to them 'hold on!'....." I didnt feel like there was nothing left, but I was pretty tired at Charmouth!!!

So tomorrow promises to be another damp day, but I will be walking into Devon and ending in a place called Beer. What can dampen your spirits about that?!!!

PS, Thank you to the lady who donated £10 to my cause at West Bay having originally thought I was a National Trust worker and asked me to repair a railing!! Your support is appreciated.

See you in Devon

Day 5: Osmington To West Bexington

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:36:38 GMT

Well greetings at last from West Bexington, a little seaside town about three or four miles west of Abbotsbury and Chesil Beach. Today was all about inland mileage and getting to the other side of Portland and Weymouth. I knew it would be wet, but THIS wet, and THIS muddy?!! Some of the walk up the hill from Osmington was like walking in glue and it got pretty steep but the view from the top over Weymouth bay was well worth it. There is a white horse carved into the hillside - only as you can see from the picture he is kind of grey at the minute! I could have done with one of my horses on this route - they would have appreciated the flat gallpoing terrain at the top of the hills.

Once over White Horse hill it was a steady climb along the Ridgeway to the Hardy monument - I'd thought this was the writer, but it turns out it's a certain Captain Hardy of Nelson fame - "kiss me Hardy". Unfortunately by the time I'd got there the fog had really closed in and there were scenic views from all of about 10 yards! Apparently on a good day you can see across to the Isle of WIght from there. Oh well. I'd love to be able to say that I really enjoyed this stage, but I can't. I'd rather be by the ocean.

The weather didnt improve at all and the visibility became so bad that navigation was only possible through the use of a compass as you just couldnt see any landmarks. When you're walking like that you can only see about 50 square metres of the planet and it's a weird, isolating feeling. Today became very much about mental as well as physical strength and i was glad to slide and stumble down the rocky hillside to West Bexington. I may as well have come down from the moon as it was totally clear under the fog and the day is ending with a beautiful sunset overlooking the bulk of the Golden Cap which I climb tomorrow. Each morning it's like a scene from the Mummy - I have both ankles strapped, and tomorrow I will tape and bandage both knees. The Golden Cap is the highest point on the south coast, and the steepest, and although the ups don't bother me, the downs probably will. Still would rather be here than at work though! Wish me luck.......... :-)

Day 4: Kimmeridge To Weymouth

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 23:42:20 GMT

Well I was dreading this stage – and with good reason. Weather aside, this is a tough route. Starting from Kimmeridge I headed inland round the MOD firing ranges which were active so you’re plodding through marshy heathland with exploding shells not far away; feels a bit like the Somme! Past Lulworth Castle and on down into Lulworth Cove was ok, then the tough stuff starts and makes you realise that Hampshire hills aren’t like Dorset hills.

From Durdle Door to Ringstead, along the coast – it’s just serious ups and downs – and I mean serious! You’re going up stuff that’s like a 1 in 3 and the downs, for me, are actually worse because they are harder on the knees. That said, the views, even in the gloom, were spectacular. Milestones do exactly what they say and appear every mile which spurs you on. Later in the day Weymouth and Portland disappeared into the sea mist and there were a couple of ominous thunder claps. I do not want to be up on a cliff top in a storm!

So I am glad this one’s done. Tomorrow is another day, an inland day, penultimate in Dorset.

Day 3: Bournemouth To Kimmeridge

Wed, 12 Mar 2008 23:33:40 GMT

Well this was an interesting day! Started out eventually at 10am headlong into strong westerly winds, and since I had to travel 3 miles down Poole beach and through sandbanks, I ended up inhaling most of the sand off the beach. I know now why nomads wear masks, and why camels have long eyelashes. I have neither, but have successfully exfoliated the inside of my eyelids with sand. Then the ferry crossing from Sandbanks to Studland which was hilarious - i didnt realise a chain ferry meant just that - the thing is dragged across on chains, and the NOISE!! More like Titanic....and getting off involved legging it through a quarter mile stretch of submerged road with waves and spray breaking over it. The ferry guy thought it was hilarious as i bolted along the road in full wet weather gear :-)

The hike through Studland and on to Corfe was all roads again, and I started to hit some steep hills, but the upside to these, apart from toning your legs up, is the fact that there were some fabulous views across Purbeck and Swanage, right across to Poole, Bournemouth and even Southampton. And the Needles looked amazing. It was quite a surreal moment looking back at all that coast and thinking I've walked all this way. Then I remember that I have about 170 miles left to go and that's a sobering thought.

Corfe is a pretty village, even more so when the sun is blazing down and you've a full cup of hot chocolate and cream in front of you! Oddly, though, there's scaffolding on the castle ruins - repairing a ruin??!!! Is that something only us Brits run to? I am sure the rest of the planet doesnt do that!! And from Corfe it was only a short 5 mile stint to Kimmeridge, and the end of this stage. Tomorrow the serious stuff begins. I could already hear the guns on the firing ranges, which means I can't walk the first coastal stretch, so it's inland roads again to Lulworth Castle, then to the Cove and on westwards from there. This is the last part of the coast that i can still see Hampshire from, so goodbye all, I'm heading deeper into the wilderness of rural Dorset ooooaaaarrrrrrggggghhhhhhh!!! :-)

Day 2: Lyndhurst To Bournemouth

Tue, 11 Mar 2008 19:30:51 GMT

Greetings from Dorset :-)

Ok so you only get wet once, right? Wrong - that's twice!! I set off from Lyndhurst in a total monsoon and sailed my way downstream to Emery Down before heading through a very beautiful part of the New Forest at Bolderwood. I was glad of the shelter from the trees and thank goodness i didnt have to listen to nothing but trafiic going by!! It was a lovely walk to Burley where I had a ten minute stop to check the map and take some more water on board. Tricky thing with the water in take is that there has to be an out take sometimes too!!

After Burley it was just one big old long slog down through lanes to Bransgore then Christchurch, and boy is the River Avon massively flooded!! There are boats in people's gardens! Then on to Bournemouth via Southbourne at which point the second monsoon of the day hit and I was the only one heading TO the beach!! And once i got on the seafront well the wind had to be experienced to be believed. At one stage there was so much sand blowing in my face that it felt like i was crossing a very Baltic version of the Sahara!! Check the 'wind' photo.

So, glad that stage is done. As a famous explorer and authori wrote: I am now out of HAMPSHIRE!! Well i know he was talking about Africa but you know what i mean. Now i am off for a huge meal - I havent eaten this much in months - and there's a bottle of red wine on the go which might help the aching muscles. I am REALLY looking forward to the Poole harbour crossing, sick bags at the ready.

Day 1: Botley To Lyndhurst

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 19:12:14 GMT

Well what a start!!! Couldn’t have wished for better weather hey? Sun shining, cloudless blue skies, birds singing……yeah RIGHT!! Try 60mph gales, driving rain, hail, thunder and lightning. There were some dry bits in between though. The French call this type of weather ‘giboulet’ which means four seasons in one day…and then some!! The downside, hailstones hurt a lot when they hit your face going sideways; the upside – Southampton was totally obscured from view. As a Pompey fan that’s a blessed relief.

I left Botleigh Grange at 10.30am finally and it took me about an hour to get to the centre of Southampton, that’s when the heavens really opened so I carried on and didn’t stop until Millbrook. Scenic picnic lunch out of the way, it was then a little matter of battling the ferocious winds across Redbridge, down into Totton and then straight along that very straightest of roads to Lyndhurst.

Today has been a tough initiation, and I am hoping that things may get a little easier weather wise, and also that the south coast path is still there and hasn’t been washed away…. In any case, I am sitting here, warm and clean and just about to head off for a massage. Might check out a couple of New Forest real ales later. Don’t know what to do with myself, I don’t think I have ever had this much time on my hands

So long for now, speak to you all in Dorset!!!

Blogs

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:16:31 GMT

Rachel will be keeping everyone upto with Blogs on this website. Dont forget to check back daily to read up on each days events!

Photo Album: Rachel In Training

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 22:07:11 GMT

Rachel In Training

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Custom List: Information

Fri, 07 Mar 2008 23:25:58 GMT

Information

The Wheatsheaf - Shedfield
Local Public House supports Rachels walk
McCarthys Fruiterers - Wickham
Sponser of Rachels Walk
Bowen Therapists European Register
An independent, professional association of Bowen Therapy practitioners. BTER maintains a list of qualified Bowen practitioners for the general public.
European College of Bowen Studies
ECBS Europe's leading and most established Bowen school, providing quality training in The Bowen Technique for over a decade.
Meon Valley Bowen Therapy
Rachels own Bowen Therapy Website
Walk For Viv Website
Rachels Information Website
Make a Donation
Help Rachel raise money for Cancer Research UK, even a small amount can make a huge difference! Via Secure Pay Pal, using Credit/Debit Card

Custom List: The Walk

Thu, 06 Mar 2008 21:26:40 GMT

The Walk

Lanivet To Newquay – Fistral
23rd of March - Distance 17 Miles
Liskeard To Lanivet
22nd of March - Distance 16 Miles!
Yelverton To Liskeard
21st of March - Distance 20 Miles
Buckfastleigh To Yelverton
20th of March - Distance 20 Miles!
Teignmouth To Buckfastleigh
19th of March - Distance 17 Miles!
Budleigh To Teignmouth
18th of March - Distance 16 Miles!
Seaton To Budleigh
17th of March - Distance 16 Miles!
Charmouth To Seaton
16th of March - Distance 12 Miles!
West Bexington To Charmouth
15th of March - Distance 14 Miles
Osmington To West Bexington
14th of March - Distance 17 Miles!
Kimmeridge to Osmington
13th of March - Distance 16 Miles!
Bournemouth to Kimmeridge
12th of March - Distance 17 Miles
Lyndhusrt To Bournemouth
11th of March - Distance 20 Miles!
Botley To Lyndhurst
10th of March - Distance 17 miles!