This was the first official walk for Walking for Wellbeing and I don't mind admitting I was a little nervous as I walked down to meet the client. I'd undertaken a couple of 'test cases' to get my head around how much ground to cover, what pace to go, how often to stop and see how conversation might flow, all of which was very useful and without this preparation it might have been incredibly daunting.
As it was, the walk itself was lovely, the client was open and talkative and definitely made real progress, coming to some important conclusions about things she needs to get through to help her feel better. We stopped by a lake in Stowe's beautiful gardens and had ham and brie wraps and a can of Bud, watching the coots and ducks go about their business until the temperature dropped somewhat and we headed onward.
I've arranged to see her again in a fortnight and subsequently for two more walks after that. At that point we'll guage how she's doing and whether we need to continue at the same frequency or maybe move to monthly walks for three months. I will let her plan the third walk so she has some ownership of our time together.
I really got a lot out of this walk, not just the wonderful scenery and good company but the opportunity to be a listener, to let someone talk their way through their life and their problems and see them make real, tangible progress was really fulfilling. I spent some of the evening and the following day in a bit of a daze as to quite how well things went. I'm quite sure I got lucky on the first outing for the charity project and not every client will be so open and aware of their problems, but I'm pleased the premise has been proven and I've helped just one person. I always told myself that if one person got something from a walk with me, took something away with them and made good progress, it'd all be worth it. It definitely feels worth it now.
11 April 2010
Buckingham, Maids Moreton, Foscote, Akeley circular, 5 miles
This was a walk with a friend to get out in the open and catch up. We walked my Old Faithful route, stopping at the pub in Akeley and meeting with her parents and their friends for a beer, then a walk back to hers, then out to dinner for a massive two racks of ribs to undo all the good work of the day. It was worth it, though!
Also, it's worth remarking that this was fourteen miles walked in two days. I tried my impact-absorbant insoles in my boots to try and relieve pressure on the previous day's blisters but to no avail. They dramatically reduced the amount of room in my boots and probably made things worse, but never mind. These things heal.
Also, it's worth remarking that this was fourteen miles walked in two days. I tried my impact-absorbant insoles in my boots to try and relieve pressure on the previous day's blisters but to no avail. They dramatically reduced the amount of room in my boots and probably made things worse, but never mind. These things heal.
10 April 2010
The Slaughters circular, 9 miles
I'm writing about this walk a couple of weeks after the event so it'll be a bit sketchy. I can remember it was one of my favourite walks with great hills, lovely views, punctuated with good stopping spots and a couple of beautiful villages with a river running through them. Once again I highly expected my legs to ache after this walk but didn't feel anything the next day except a couple of blisters in a new place.
02 April 2010
Crackington to Boscastle, North Cornwall Coastal Path, 7.5 miles
Well, I'm tired out and a couple of pints under, so hopefully I can do this walk justice.
Having caught the bus from Tintagel, I started out at Crackington bridge, replaced in 2004 after the huge floods which trashed Boscastle and Crackington, but only the former made headlines in the UK. Uphill past cliff-side tennis courts, which is a first for me, up up up the cliff to a lovely peak with a good view of the Crackington inlet, then down, then up possibly the toughest climb on the route. I say possibly - the climbs and descents have all kind of melted into a big pot of up and down, such was the undulation of the whole walk.
It was at the top of the second climb when the heavens opened. I'd seen the rain approaching from the direction I was heading and was prepared with my waterproof jacket. What I wasn't prepared for was the severity of the shower - despite being a shower, the rain made sure it soaked my jeans and the wind ensured I know what it's like getting a tattoo on your face.
Another descent, then the third climb up to High Cliff - Cornwall's highest cliff - I found myself tiring and aching and getting slightly concerned I wouldn't make the whole distance to my destination if the terrain continued as it had been. Fortunately, half-way up while puffing and panting and aching I found a second wind and trotted up the last third without a care.
The view at the top was simply stunning. I'd compare it with shots I've seen of the peaks in the Lake District except with 110 degrees of sea. I stopped and had a small pork pie and a snack, and continued on my way.
The rest of the walk has its moments but I couldn't put them into chronological order until the final two miles as the terrain wasn't particularly notable. Stunning, yes, but it's a bit of a blur. I saw a kestrel hunting on the cliff-side, two seals swimming through my binoculars, hippie cows and mountain goats, wonderful cliffs and crashing waves.
Before the approach to Pentargon falls, I was faced with a choice: coastal path or "optional route". Coastal path, obviously, until I got round the corner and was faced with quite a tricky cliffside descent with incredibly gusty winds. I took a short walk down to reccie and decided to turn back and take the optional route across a couple of fields to rejoin the path further down. The walk to the falls itself was lovely, but I could feel my legs burning as I came down to the water and was starting to crave my lunch. An interesting thing about the falls themselves is the wind coming up the inlet blows the water back up the falls and onto the surrounding hill. I got a good drenching as I walked up the steps on the opposite side of the stream, my legs shouting enough is enough.
Fortunately, I could see my lunch destination in the distance as I reached the peak and headed down to Penally Point to sit on the rocks and munch my lunch.
I'd initially planned on walking all the way to Tintagel on this walk but the GPS had me down at 7.5 miles, despite the sign at Crackington saying 6.5 miles to Boscastle. With my guide book saying it was another five miles to Tintagel I didn't want to overdo it and decided to catch a bus from Boscastle. I had to spend almost three hours wandering around the village killing time before the bus came so I dropped by the Visitor's Centre which described the rich history of the village and showed footage of the terrible floods which devastated houses and businesses alike. I got quite emotional watching the horror unfold along the beautiful stretch of Cornish countryside I'd appreciated.
This walk has gone straight to the top of my favourite walks. The scenery was just stunning, the challenge immense, and I'm incredibly proud that I managed to acheive what less than eighteen months ago would have been impossible.
Having caught the bus from Tintagel, I started out at Crackington bridge, replaced in 2004 after the huge floods which trashed Boscastle and Crackington, but only the former made headlines in the UK. Uphill past cliff-side tennis courts, which is a first for me, up up up the cliff to a lovely peak with a good view of the Crackington inlet, then down, then up possibly the toughest climb on the route. I say possibly - the climbs and descents have all kind of melted into a big pot of up and down, such was the undulation of the whole walk.
It was at the top of the second climb when the heavens opened. I'd seen the rain approaching from the direction I was heading and was prepared with my waterproof jacket. What I wasn't prepared for was the severity of the shower - despite being a shower, the rain made sure it soaked my jeans and the wind ensured I know what it's like getting a tattoo on your face.
Another descent, then the third climb up to High Cliff - Cornwall's highest cliff - I found myself tiring and aching and getting slightly concerned I wouldn't make the whole distance to my destination if the terrain continued as it had been. Fortunately, half-way up while puffing and panting and aching I found a second wind and trotted up the last third without a care.
The view at the top was simply stunning. I'd compare it with shots I've seen of the peaks in the Lake District except with 110 degrees of sea. I stopped and had a small pork pie and a snack, and continued on my way.
The rest of the walk has its moments but I couldn't put them into chronological order until the final two miles as the terrain wasn't particularly notable. Stunning, yes, but it's a bit of a blur. I saw a kestrel hunting on the cliff-side, two seals swimming through my binoculars, hippie cows and mountain goats, wonderful cliffs and crashing waves.
Before the approach to Pentargon falls, I was faced with a choice: coastal path or "optional route". Coastal path, obviously, until I got round the corner and was faced with quite a tricky cliffside descent with incredibly gusty winds. I took a short walk down to reccie and decided to turn back and take the optional route across a couple of fields to rejoin the path further down. The walk to the falls itself was lovely, but I could feel my legs burning as I came down to the water and was starting to crave my lunch. An interesting thing about the falls themselves is the wind coming up the inlet blows the water back up the falls and onto the surrounding hill. I got a good drenching as I walked up the steps on the opposite side of the stream, my legs shouting enough is enough.
Fortunately, I could see my lunch destination in the distance as I reached the peak and headed down to Penally Point to sit on the rocks and munch my lunch.
I'd initially planned on walking all the way to Tintagel on this walk but the GPS had me down at 7.5 miles, despite the sign at Crackington saying 6.5 miles to Boscastle. With my guide book saying it was another five miles to Tintagel I didn't want to overdo it and decided to catch a bus from Boscastle. I had to spend almost three hours wandering around the village killing time before the bus came so I dropped by the Visitor's Centre which described the rich history of the village and showed footage of the terrible floods which devastated houses and businesses alike. I got quite emotional watching the horror unfold along the beautiful stretch of Cornish countryside I'd appreciated.
This walk has gone straight to the top of my favourite walks. The scenery was just stunning, the challenge immense, and I'm incredibly proud that I managed to acheive what less than eighteen months ago would have been impossible.
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