Week 7 distance walk 6.5 hours – 17 miles – Marcus Dacombe

“Careful the wish you make. Wishes come true, not free.” Witch, Into the Woods

19th Feb

I had planned this walk the week before, but had no idea that I would be setting out in the shadow of Eunice. The storm hit the south west with fury from Friday morning onwards, gusts recorded in the South in excess of 100 mph, damage across multiple areas, and a red weather warning for most of the south of the country.

Planning aside, as I was sitting in my loft office on Friday, listening to roof tiles lift and slam back into place inches above my head I was doubtful that I would be able to attempt the walk the following day. But when I woke on Saturday all was calm. No wind and a light misty drizzle. Nothing that caused me any concern.

I had decided that I would attempt two stages of the Cotswold Way (stages 7 & 8 of the whole route, taken from the Cicerone Map Book), starting at Painswick and routing through Middleton, Stonehouse and Kings Stanley en route to my home town, Dursley via Long Down.

Having spent the last few weeks walking around Uley and that part of the Cotswold escarpment I knew that part of the route pretty well, this, I have to be honest, was an absolute boon. But I’ll get to that later.

The other half drove me to the starting point, (this was the first non-circular route), and dropped me off just before 10:30. I had the book, the map loaded onto my phone and a full battery for my sports tracker watch. Loaded down with 2 liters of water, sandwiches and a few snack, I felt pretty confident.

All that lasted about 20 minutes into the walk when the heavens opened and the wind picked up. What I didn’t know, (even though I checked the weather forecast, ‘light rain between 10 and 12′) was that following in the footsteps of Storm Eunice was Storm Franklin. Not nearly as severe, but a storm nonetheless.

The waterproof held up, but I found that I was walking into the wind, so that when I was exposed, it was like climbing uphill the whole time. The climb to Haresfield Beacon was incredible, standing by the trig point was exhilarating, if not a little scary to think that at this high point, there was little or nothing between me and the Atlantic ocean. Well, not really, but that’s what it felt like.

The route then undulates across a number of hills and into Standish Wood, which is just a lovely walk. I can imagine spending time there with #dogbeast in the summer. And then all of a sudden I was down the hill and into the north of Stonehouse. I stopped by the canal for 20 minutes for some lunch and water, only to be greeted by the sun for the first time that day. It was only then that I realised quite how soaked through I was. My top half was dry (new waterproof), but the rest of me, not so much. Time for me to invest in some waterproof trousers!

The second half of the walk kicked off with a monster hill out of Middleyard, up Pen Hill and following the top of the escarpment to Coaley Peak. I used to bring #dogbeast up here when he was a puppy, so I knew the area well. I was now in familiar territory.

I was extremely tired by this time, having walked for some 4.5 hours over some pretty lumpy hills. Knowing what lay ahead was great for me to start to break it down into manageable chunks.

From Coaley to Uley peak – nice and flat.
From Uley down TBH to the bottom of Long Down – downhill, nice.
Up from Hodgecombe Farm to the top of Cam Long Down – horrible, horrible, horrible, will take three huge pushes to get to the top.
Long down to Cam Peak – nice, flat, great views of the Severn Oxbow.
Cam Peak to home – flat, doable, no more than a dog walk.

So that’s how I approached it, I didn’t think further than one micro-stage to the next. When I got the end of one of them, I envisaged getting to the end of the next one. The rain let up, the wind dried my clothes, I stopped frequently for water and then I was home. Six and a half hours later.

Just an unbelievable walk. I was shattered, but with a sense of achievement I hadn’t experienced before. Chocolate milk in one hand and a towel in the other, I started to think that the Dartmoor 108 may be achievable after all!

“You musn’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.” Eames, Inception