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