Training stepped up a gear last weekend with a two day hike featuring 30 miles on day one and 12 miles on day two. Day one started at 8am with me, Kev, Paul, Mat, Joel, Jorge, Glen and new man Rich who was along for the walk. Everyone was in fine fettle looking forward to a days walking. Except perhaps Glen who was perhaps rightly apprehensive having joined us with a new pair of unbroken in boots. He was let down during the week by the shop his actual new boots are coming from. So Glen turned up in a pair of cheap "disposable" boots as he wanted to experience the walk and also wanted to meet up with everyone. This as it turned out was a slightly unwise but noble decision. So off we trekked with a route set by Joel which took us from Chilton to Upton, onto Blewbury, Aston Tirrold and then Moulsford before heading back towards the Ridgeway, down to Compton and then back past Chilton to Upton, picking up the track back to Chilton. This was our first 20 miles which finished at about 3:45pm with 2 men down as Rich had to leave us and Jorge was suffering an injury. After a bit of repair work and some food we set off again from Chilton this time heading south up to the Ridgeway and then turning west towards Wantage. Before we got to Wantage we headed north into East Ginge and then worked our way east again back into Chilton. After 30 miles we we're all suffering from various ill's such as bad hips, bad knees, bad backs and in Glen's case very bad feet.
Day two started with a few men down. Five of us set off for a 10 miles ring which in fact turned out to be a 12 mile ring when we missed a footpath which would have taken us more directly towards East Ilsley. Once at East Ilsley and dodging the vast amounts of water that seemed to be flooding the village we heading to West Ilsley then north up to the Ridgeway before heading back into Chilton.
All in all a pretty good weekends walking with at least 3 of us completing all 42 miles and all of us learning from the walk. Well done all.
Here's a feast of photos for you...................
A very common theme on our walks recently. Mud, water, mud, more mud and some mud! This is the path out of Aston Tirrold to Moulsford
Yep that theme continues with yes more mud and deep water. They were waiting for me to slip and face plant.
Now now boys no time for that. Oh your feet please!
These four didn't get to the bench in time! Rich, Jorge, Mat and Kev looking relaxed
oh crikey it's getting worse. Joel is falling asleep!!
This picture really doesn't show how steep this section of the walk was
Yes it's this way to the chin reduction centre!
A nice spot for lunch. I don't think Paul is being sick here but you never know!
Our favourite sport continues here........yes it's the regional finals of mud jumping and here is Paul with a great 5.5 effort.
The setting sun over the Ridgeway. If only the pain in our legs would let us appreciate it more!
Come on boys only 6 miles to go! Here's Joel, Glen and Paul on the Ridgeway heading west
Day two started out very foggy or is that misty!
Paul inspecting the overflowing well at East Ilsley on day two.
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