Support Team Report - Day Seven

I was awoken in the early hours of this morning by a flock of birds fighting around my tent. Why they choose my tent at 5am I didn't know, but there they were squabbling, pecking, flapping and landing on the top hoop of my tent poles. I couldn't be bothered to do anything about them at that time in the morning and decided to leave them at it: maybe they would go away of their own accord. When suddenly my tent was hit by a two inch square block of what I could only describe as cheese. I could see it there, above me, silhouetted against the morning sky. So I batted it with the back of my hand and sent it flying and the birds scattering. I opened my tent door flap to see what it was and yes, there it was on the floor, a block of blue veined cheese!

The night before, in the Oxford Arms, Simon had had a cheese platter for his puddling but there was just too much to eat and so had wrapped three blocks of cheese in serviettes to take back to the tent to have for breakfast. On returning to the lawn where we were camping Simon had put the cheese down on top of the fence whilst he negotiated the gate and forgot about the cheese. A fine feast was awaiting the early bird!

Simon was awoken by Ester, the lady who's lawn we were camping on, with a cup of tea. Simon isn't used to being served a cup of tea in bed in to morning but he sure warmed to it very quickly and wanted to stay. I think Heaven for Simon is sleeping on Esters lawn just a few yards from the Oxford Arms.

Most of the day was spent travelling on buses again and when we arrived in Hay there was quite a steep climb up a hill to the campsite. The walk did go along part of the ODP so we have done a little Dyke walking today, although I'm not going to include the 400 yards in any personal tally.

Eating at the Blue Boar in Hay-on-Wye this evening. Very high prices considering the amount of food served. So after eating we moved on down to the Rose and Crown where they were more set up for locals than tourists.

We haven't arranged tomorrow's travel yet so we will see what comes along in the morning. Hopefully it will be bird and cheese free.

Richard.

The first thing I am going to do, after sleeping on a bed that isn't the floor, is to collate all the bus and taxi info! I reckon writing a travel guide for the damaged should be a best seller for all those poor injured Dykers who still want to take part. Thanks for the idea Linda.

Simon.

Location:Hay-on-Wye

Sponsors

During our walk we have been given a number a very kind donations from people when they hear what we are doing. We would like to thank all of those people and so they are listed here:

The couple at Newcastle on Clun camp site.

Jan and Andrea Scott in Kington.

Fred and Sadie Hawkins, proprietors at The Oxford Arms, Kington.

Support Team Report - Day Six

"There used to be a bus that went direct from Kington to Hay, but that was eight years ago, so you're a bit late" was the advice we received this morning on arriving in Knighton. We were trying to plan our route for the following days travel.

This morning we had taken the taxi from Newcastle on Clun to Knighton. The driver was from the bus company that only runs a service from Buttington to Newcastle every other Tuesday and coloured up a bit when we told him our story about that bit of travelling.

The lady at the Offa's Dyke Information Centre was very helpful and let us drop our bags there whilst we went shopping for Russ's provisions. He wanted noodles and we managed to resist the urge to instead buy prunes and Ex-Lax. There were only spicy noodles so we bought All Day Breakfast.

We then picked up our kit and took the bus to Kington. We arrived at our next overnight spot at just the wrong moment because the proprietor had to get out of the shower to answer the door.

We set up our tents and walked around the town. The only thing you can buy in Kington on a Wednesday afternoon is a house. The estate agents are the only shops open.

We settled in The Swan Inn and watched the road for Russ. When he appeared we ushered him in and fed him a pint.

We have just finished three lovely meals in The Oxford Arms, Simon's new home-from-home: the Guinness is only £2.70 a pint!

So tomorrow we are taking the bus to Hereford and then another to Hay-on-Wye to pitch base camp. I think Simon is planning on visiting a few bookshops as the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts opens tomorrow.

Richard.

Location:Kington

Day Six Blues!

My feet hurt! Set off for another 20 mile solo walk at 0730 this morning and it was switchbacks central! There is no doubt that the scenery and views on this walk are absolutely stunning, but blimey it's hard, especially with a pack on - even if the pack is only 10 kilos.

It was cool and cloudy, but dry when I set off and there were small pockets of mist sitting in each valley I crossed - it really did look like a scene from Tolkien's middle earth. And that pretty much accounted for the morning - breathtaking walking.

I arrived at the Offa's Dyke Centre in Knighton at about 11am and immediately bumped into Simon and Richard who had got a taxi from Newcastle on Clun. Bearing in mind that, as we left Prestatyn with a spring on our step, Richard only got 100 yards before saying, 'I think I've left my IPhone back there', I approached the counter to be asked, 'Any idea who's left this IPhone ?' I nodded, 'Yes' I said pointing at Richard who was approaching the counter with a worried expression. 'I think I've left my bloody hat in the taxi' he blurted, and then proceeded to snatch the IPhone from the woman and then push past her, behind the counter, where he'd left his kit. Her expression was priceless and didn't improve when Richard marched out of the storeroom wearing his hat and telling her not to worry!

So I left them to it and marched on to Kington. I stopped to eat my lunch near a village called Dolley Green and as I climbed up out of the village I pulled my left thigh muscle. I was devastated. Failure just isn't an option, so I spent the next 5 hours and 12 miles limping tentatively in an attempt to minimise the damage - this in turn has caused my feet to blister and the tops of my feet to bruise through abnormal impact- so by the time I reached Kington at 5pm I was thoroughly fed up and hobbling.

All is not lost though. I've patched the blisters, the pulled thigh feels better after an afternoon of limping and a hot shower and the bruised feet just ache. The good news is that tomorrow's stretch along Hergest Ridge is challenging but only 14 miles long, so my plan is to get up early and knock the thing off by lunchtime which will then essentially give me the afternoon off to recuperate.

On the upside, I've now completed 110 miles, with only 70 left to go. Tomorrow's forecast is for torrential rain again, but at least the wind has dropped!

Simon and Richard have already enquired into the bus service for tomorrow and it looks like they need to travel via Hereford. Anyway, that's it from me for tonight, I've cheered up now that I've had liver and bacon with mash followed by bread and butter pudding - you beauty!

Thanks again for all your supportive comments - they make the world of difference. I'll be back again tomorrow after the Hergest Ridge stomp!

Russ.

Location:Kingston

Half Way There!

What a fantastic day! For the first time I set off early morning with the sun rising and, more to the point, visible. Simon and Richard planned to get the bus to my day's destination, Newcastle on Clun, so it was with a happy heart and a spring in my step that I set off on a solo 21 miler in the beautiful early summer sunshine.

The first 90 minutes was a tough climb to the summit of Beacon Ring Hill, the site of a historic hill fort, followed by a stunning 2 hours walking through forest and woodland of oak, pine and redwood - breathtaking.

The Dyke itself is a regular walking partner now and you can't help but ponder the hardship and suffering that must have been experienced by those who built it - often under duress.

Once again though, the afternoon brought a significant contrast and once I'd passed by Brompton Crossroads, the switchbacks began. The switchbacks are, essentially, a series of hills, most reaching anywhere between 1400 and 1900 feet that rise up, one after the other, as you progress along the Dyke - there really is no let up - you're either climbing steeply, knuckles dragging the ground, or scrabbling down, desperately trying not to go too fast or lose your footing. This constant climbing and descending went on for 4 hours.

Having said all this, it was wonderful - the weather was perfect, I'm getting fitter and stronger with every day on the trail, and to top it all, after walking virtually non stop for 10 hours, I reached a finger post which announced that I was half way there! I literally jumped up and down - much to the amusement of the couple who were climbing the hill towards me - I hadn't seen anyone for hours! The sign announced ' Prestatyn 88.5 miles - Chepstow 88.5 miles' Brilliant!

Got to the campsite in Newcastle at about 5ish and was delighted to see the support team had put my tent up, hung my washing out and Simon had the kettle on. I had a brew, lay in the sunshine with my feet airing nicely and chilled out for an hour before showering and going for something to eat at the village pub.

So, that's how today panned out - tomorrow promises another 4 hours of switchbacks in the morning followed by a mix of woodland and hills on the 21 miler to Kington - Simon and Richard have already booked a taxi to take them to Knighton where the Offa's Dyke Centre is based, before catching a bus onto Kington.

Thank you very much for all the kind and supportive blog comments and texts I've received - it's great to know people at home are right behind you. Don't forget though, we're doing this for a reason - to help out the folks at Woodmarket House - people who, through no fault of their own, will probably never get the opportunity to experience a wonderful challenge like this. So please, if you haven't done so already, get your hand in your pocket and chuck some of your loose change our way so that we can make their lives more comfortable.

Thanks for tuning in again, there are two blog posts today.
Russ.

Location:Newcastle on Clun

On The Buses

On The Buses
Day five and Simon and I caught the bus in Buttington. We had been advised to go to Shrewsbury where there would be a better chance of getting a bus to Newcastle.

On arriving at the bus station in Shrewsbury I stayed with the packs, all 50kg of them, while Simon went in to the station for information.

Simon went up to the woman on the enquiry desk and announced "I need to get to Newcastle on Clun" to which the woman put her head in her hands and groaned. Apparently there is a bus that goes from Newtown to Newcastle but it only runs on every other Tuesday and that wasn't this Tuesday.

So we then had to get on the same bus we arrived on to take us back through Buttington to Newtown. At Newtown we were advised by another bus driver that the only chance we had was to get a taxi. So that's what we did.

We arrived at the campsite at around 2:30pm having been travelling since 9:30am. We had to wait then until about 5pm before the campsite owner turned up to tell us where we could set up our tents. It wasn't long after that when Russ arrived looking as fresh as a daisy with a big smile on his face.

Tomorrow Simon and I are taking the kit down to Knighton in a taxi to have a little mooch around and stock up on provisions (Russ's Mars bars) then, hopefully, catch the bus to Kington which is the next overnight spot.

After the 20 miles I walked yesterday my right knee has been screaming at me today so I will rest it tomorrow and then make a decision about whether I will tackle the next leg, Kington to Hay.

The landlady at the The Crown, Lindsey, has just given us the phone number of a taxi firm in Knighton in case there is no bus. Lindsey has been very helpful to us this evening and cooked three very fine meals.

Richard.

Location:Newcastle on Clun

Day Four - Up For The Challenge!

Day Four - Up For the Challenge!

I decided last night that I felt I had taken in enough calories to attempt the whole days walk for 20.5 miles. That would be the longest distance I have ever walked in one day in my life.

It started out raining horizontally in 50mph winds, but I was happy to just be doing it again. We soon entered some mature woods which were beautiful and had the added bonus of keeping us wind free and dry.

We walked up a 60m climb and I hardly had to breath hard so I was really pleased with my performance there. Russ thought it was more like 120m, the wuss, but I knew that we had to cross four contour lines on the map at 15m per contour so 60m!

We had another challenging climb of 74m to the top of Moelydd and boy it was windy there. It was also covered with ancient mine shafts.

The biggest challenge came when we climbed Llanymynech Hill at Blodwell Rocks. 120m steeply through woodland then exited out of the top onto a golf course of all things!

We then had to walk all the way down again into Llanymynech, where we got a little lost due to bad signage, and had lunch in a cafe. That was the half way Mark.

The next section was dead flat walking along the Montgomery Canal. It rained and blew hard so we couldn't appreciate it much. We then followed the meandering River Severn where we met Simon. Had a cup of tea at the White House, recommended, then headed off to Buttington, our end point.

My task tomorrow is to support the support team i.e. Simon. His strain played him up today but I'm really impressed that he walked about thirteen miles. We will do the usual and carry Russ's load, setup camp then walk out along the ODP to meet up with him. I'm not looking forward to it because it means several hours of travelling on a few buses, I'm going to need to dose up on travel sickness tablets.

So we are now sat in the Green Dragon pub at Buttington. A lovely pub with a restaurant serving very good food. The staff are great and the locals chatty and friendly.

We have time and energy enough for three blog posts this evening. Don't forget to look below this post for the others.

Richard.

Location:Buttington

Day Four!

Had some company walking today which was great - Richard felt fit enough to walk the 20.5 miles from Carreg-y-big to Buttington. We started out at 0740 and were immediately walking hunched forward into driving rain again, and that really set the scene for the day with only a couple of hours of rain free walking out of the ten it took

It was a day of two halves, the first 10 miles we encountered plenty of hill and woodland walking, whereas the last ten miles was flat as a pancake along the Montgomery canal and the Severn flood barrier.

Simon walked out to meet us and the three of us walked to our destination from Four Crosses. An interesting highlight for Richard and I was encountering the biggest Hereford bull I've ever seen, and as we ran up the Dyke to get away from it (I don't have to run quicker than the bull, just quicker than Richard!) we were set upon by a swarm of horseflies. As we ran screaming from the field, I shouted to Richard, 'Where did those bloody things come from?' to which he replied, 'I think they came out of my pants!' Wow!

Anyway, that's 70miles under the belt. I think I'm doing tomorrows 20 miles on my own, with Richard and Simon carting some of my heavier stuff on the bus to Newcastle on Clun.

We're just having something to eat in the pub where we're camping-I've done all my hand washing and hung everything on the fence near a herd of goats-Simon's convinced they'll have been ate when we get back!

Anyway, I think Simon and Richard are going to add their bit tonight, so I'll sign off for now. Please keep tuning in to the blog and please encourage everyone you know to make a sponsorship pledge-it's for a great cause and I promise you we're earning it!

Russ

Location:Buttington

Day three done!

Well, you'll have gathered from Richard's blog yesterday that the ODP is incredibly challenging. The Clwydian Range was something else yesterday - mountain after mountain after mountain, with no let up for 17 miles! By the time I'd finished I was shattered physically and mentally. It's one thing to traverse the Clwydian's, quite another to do it with 20 kilo's on your back.

Anyway, it's done and today was another day. I've just finished the walk from Llandegla to Carreg-y-big - 21.5 miles of beautifully diverse country, starting with Llandegla forest and then onto the mountains approaching Llangollen - driving rain in gusts up to 60mph was a bit nerve racking on the narrow mountain paths, but it eased off by the time I reached Llangollen - by the time I crossed the Pontsicyllyte aqueduct (not a chance of spelling that right, let alone say it!) the sun was out although it remained windy.

I walked along the canal for about an hour before climbing the much gentler hills towards Chirk, with lovely views of Chirk Castle, before getting my first view of Offa's Dyke itself - an hour further on and I was actually walking along the top of the Dyke itself as I climbed up to Craignant and on to Carreg-y-big where Simon and Richard had walked out to meet me.

So, we're in a great facility here - no need for the tents tonight, we can sleep on the floor in the walkers barn and it's even got two settee's! Luxury! My feet are up, I've got my first blister, but we're being fed later.

Of course it's Simon's birthday today, so we stuck a candle in a Boost bar, gave him a card, and sang happy birthday whilst he blew it out and made a wish - don't think it worked though - Richard's still here Only kidding - Richard's just come up trumps by pulling three cans of G&T out of his rucksack, so happy days.

That's over 50 miles completed now - needless to say, but I'm delighted beyond words that the lads are staying to help me out. Tomorrow throws up another challenging 20.5 miles, so tune in again tomorrow for the report.

There are a few picture available to post on the blog but we can't send them yet due to signal coverage. It's all we can manage to send this text.

Location:Careg-y-big

Day 2 - A Tale of Three Routes

Day two didn't start out well for me. In the few days before we started the walk I contracted gastroenteritis, lost 5kg in weight and couldn't eat properly. Simon and Russ started day one with a full English breakfast and all I could manage was half a scrambled egg on toast and a couple of Imodium.

Consequently I didn't have the energy to power me through day one so it was very painful and a lot slower than the Malvern Hills practice walk from two weeks earlier. Last night I tried to eat some steak and had an immediate whiteout, felt sick and couldn't eat. So this morning I made the difficult decision not to continue the walk due to not being able to get enough calories into me and you need a lot for this sort of thing.

I was bitterly disappointed when I waved Simon and Russ off this morning. I pottered around the campsite and then got a taxi to the next overnight spot, Llandegla. I could see the ridge my buddies were walking throughout the whole taxi ride and the peaks looked huge. I couldn't believe they were actually up there, tackling it. I mean they are huge, really, really huge. Nine of them!

When I got to Llandegla I rejoined the ODP heading North towards Simon and Russ. I eventually met Russ some 3 miles up the path at 5pm. He looked absolutely knackered, which he was. Reminded me of my day one. But there was something missing, Simon!

Simon had quit after peak two at around 11am with a groin strain after having stepped over one too many styles. He had then left Russ and walked down to the next town and caught the bus to Llandegla. Spent the afternoon talking to the locals at the village fate. You meet a lot of very nice people on one of these walks.

I then came up with a plan to keep us both on the ODP and support Russ much better. The plan is that Simon and I will literally take the load off Russ's back so he carries the minimum weight possible. We will then get a bus or taxi to the next overnight stop and setup camp so Russ doesn't even have to do that. We will then walk North up the ODP until we meet Russ and give him provisions of Mars bars.

So although Simon and I will not be walking the full length of the ODP we will still be walking as much of it as we can, despite sickness and injury, and enabling Russ along the way.

I tell you; this walk is really hard and I get the impression from Russ that he underestimated it a little two. So Simon and I will do our utmost to help Russ get all the way there.

We are now bedding down in the village hall because it is raining outside, and very windy. Luxury.

Support team signing off. Good night.

p.s. Have I mentioned that this is a really tough walk?

Location:Llandegla

Day one done

We eventually arrived at Prestatyn at 0930 and immediately made for the seafront. No pebbles so we collected a few shells each to carry to chepstow and set off on the walk. A real tough day made tougher by four and a half hours of torrential rain. We've set up camp in Bodfari and have just eaten. We're all shattered, so off to hit the sleeping bags and prepare for a 17 mile stint tomorrow. Tomorrow's report should be a bit more in depth - just got to go and push out some zeds.

Posted live from Offa's Dyke.

Location:Bodfari

Day One - 'They're Off'

It's 6.30am outside Rugby Station and the lads set off on the first leg of their journey towards Prestatyn.

One for the road

One for the road!  The lads met for a farewell drink with a few friends before going home for a relatively early night - 11.30pm.  You'll notice Richard is wearing tomorrows clothes tonight.  Why? 'Well when I take them off they'll be ready to put on by the side of the bed'. ???????????????  

STOP PRESS!!!

Tomorrow's the big day - the start of our 177 mile adventure and the Lutterworth Mail have come up trumps and run a half page story about us in today's paper - let's hope it generates some more sponsorship through the blogspot. The more eagle eyed amongst you will have noticed that they did get the dates a bit mixed up - they reported us as starting the walk on 29th May instead of finishing, but hey...any publicity is good publicity.

Well, we're all ready to go - our rucksack's are packed - Simon's weighed in at 17 kilo's, 3 kilo's lighter than Russ and Richard's - yeah right!!....it obviously didn't have any grub in it Si!!

As I mentioned yesterday, we're off to the pub at around 9ish tonight if anyone fancies joining us for a farewell pint and then up at about 5am tomorrow to pull the boots on and get on our way.

Thanks again to all who have sponsored us - if you haven't done so already, it's not too late - simply click on sponsorship page and away you go - you don't need to pass on any bank details, just tell us how much you'd like to pledge and we'll be in touch when we get back. It really is for an incredibly worthwhile local cause - the old folks of Lutterworth and surrounding areas.

Tomorrow's blog should come directly from the walk itself, so don't forget to check in on us every evening if you get the chance. Thanks for looking.

Two More Sleeps!

Well, we're nearly there - only 2 days to go. We spent yesterday evening at Richard's - watching him struggling to fit everything into his pack. Four hours later and the pile on the living room floor was still bigger than the rucksack and Richard was forced to rethink. Out came the 32 inch flat-screen TV, the 3 sets of waterproofs, the luxury, nickel plated, Jamie Oliver cook-set consisting of 12 pans, a cruet set, steamer, slow cooker, egg poacher, a Ken Hom wok,  and a year's subscription of Britney Spears Weekly (Simon's quiet groans didn't go unnoticed - I suspect he realised that his entire collection of Canal Boat Beauties was destined to a similar fate). Another hour later and most of the stuff was in the sack. Both Richard's and Russ's sacks weighed in at a fraction under 20 kilos - we await Simon's final weigh in sometime today.

So, our plan is to meet up for a farewell drink tomorrow (Thursday) evening at the Olde Royal Oak in Bitteswell - do come along and join us if you're at a loose end. We plan to leave home just after 6am on Friday morning - Dawn has kindly offered to drop us off at Rugby station and, if all trains are on time, we should roll in to Prestatyn around 0930, allowing us time for a full English and a dip in the Irish Sea before setting off proper bound for Sedbury Cliffs some 177 miles down the road.

If you haven't yet sponsored us, please have a look at our sponsorship page - we'll collect the money when we've finished the walk. If you live some distance away, you can always drop a cheque in the post - I'll provide my address for those who would prefer to do that when we get back - just let me know via the comment box on the sponsorship page.

And of course, we will be updating the blog as we walk and will include photos where possible.

Provisions

Russ has his energy food sorted out. Nine Mars bars. We suspect there were ten before he started packing them.

When?

A question has been asked that highlights a small omission on this site: "when are you going on your walk?". Yes, good point. Well, Steve, it begins on the 20th of May. Only seven more sleeps. Just enough time to buy more Kendal Mint Cake, yum.

Location:Coventry Rd,Lutterworth,United Kingdom

Camp-site's sorted!

All the camp-sites en-route are now booked. You will see from our itinerary that these vary from proper camp-sites, to caravan parks, pub gardens, an equestrian centre, outside a village hall and even a very kind lady's garden! Should add to the experience overall, which, we are all looking forward to immensely now - only 9 more sleeps!

A Little More Malverns

I've had a few texts and emails asking if we had any more photos from our Malverns walk - it really is beautiful and the day we went was exceptional for the views. Richard was the only one who had the sense to take a camera and because he was trying out his new walking poles (it had to be seen to be believed!) he didn't get too many chances to free himself up to take photos. That said, here are a few more which contain images of views which I hope you like.

We've also bought our train tickets today for the journey from Rugby to Prestatyn on 20th May and our return tickets from Chepstow to Rugby at the end of the challenge. In terms of personal investment on equipment, we reckon we've probably spent the best part of two thousand pounds - add to that the cost of travel, camping fees, food and blister plasters and I hope you can see that we really mean business! So, please sponsor us - none of your donation goes to us personally - our contribution is the cost of the equipment, the time off work and the blood, sweat and tears to do the walk itself - every penny you donate goes directly to the Woodmarket House Comfort Fund. Thanks again for looking at our blog - don't forget you can get regular updates by becoming a follower - just click on the link to the right - we'll regularly update it before, during and after the walk.

Training on the Malverns

Less than three weeks until the start of the ODP challenge now and our training continued today with a 15 mile romp across the Malvern Range in Herefordshire and Worcestershire. The weather was just about perfect - dry, warm and sunny - although it was blowing a gale on top of the Worcestershire Beacon. We were up at 5am (well Simon and Russ were - Richard fell out of bed at 5 to 6) and we set off for the Malverns at 6.20. By 7.50 we were walking out of Hollybush towards British Camp and the range beyond.

Simon was struggling a bit with a swollen ankle, Richard was struggling to stay on his feet - not sure if that was because he'd just woken up or if it was his two new walking poles which he'd adjusted to suit a 7ft Harlem Globetrotter rather than himself and Russ was struggling with his new pack which was weighed down with Mars and Snickers.

We had a great day, albeit a challenging one at times. We walked from Hollybush to North Hill and back again in less than 8 hours and that included an hour's break for lunch.

Unfortunately, due to the ankle swelling up, Simon didn't make it to the top of the Beacon, but here are a few snaps of Richard and Russ looking dashing and windswept - well, windswept anyway.

What did I say about those poles?..............Wow!

Great day and we even had the energy to pay our respect with a quick visit to Elgar's final resting place before coming home...

If you haven't done so already - and huge thanks to those who have - please consider sponsoring us for this massive challenge...177 miles of really challenging terrain in 9 days and carrying everything we need to camp and survive along the way. Less than 3 weeks to go, so do please help us to help the old folks at Woodmarket.

*Here's a little known interesting fact about Edward Elgar: He didn't want to be a composer, he wanted to be an escapologist. He was good at it too but soon discovered that he was allergic to Hessian sacks so had to give it up and became a composer instead. A great loss to the world of escapology I'm sure you'll agree.

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*Some portions of this interesting fact about Edward Elgar may be partly or wholly inacurate and completely made up.

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