Cliff's Walking Programme and Progress

14th July 2009 Brain failure. I tried to do too much. I reverted to my old boots, stiffer and heavier. I loaded up the new rucksck with 25lbs weight of tent etc and then walked too far on this first training session. Only eleven miles, but I ground almost to a halt after just two and a half hours and took four hours in total. Lessons learned: 1. Throw out old boots. 2. User a shorter route but with the same altitude change. 3. Have a better lunch ready in case it takes longer than expected.

(Saw a black Jeep L197XJC with an AfroAmerican or Afro Brit driver on a non-vehicle bridle path at TQ225072. The black Jeep station waggon was equipped with double very large spot lights on the bumper bar, an extra wide spare wheel on the roof rack and a logo of a golden spread eagle on the bonnet. He seemed to be working a satnav or pda so I'm concerned that he's doing a recon for an illegal off-road event. If I'm wrong there'll be no apologies as he shouldn't have been there. I've never seen him or the car before.)

12th July 2009. Technical failure yesterday - my boots are not waterproof. On the practical side I've decided to get into trim by carrying the correct weight all the time and just extending how far I walk. I've prepared the nut, date and raisin goody bags ready. Next target is to walk to Arundel and back 15miles each way.

10th July 2009. Whooa boy, back to basics, I did a 7ml walk this morning and it was not as effortless as it should have been. Still I've repacked the (Gelert Solo) tent so that it will be quicker to put up in the rain and it fits nicely in one of the side pockets of the Berghaus 40+10 rucksack with the Highlander 600 sleeping bag in the other. Also I've now received the missing map - OS185 and finalised the South Down Way Schematic. The programme now needs a few jobs to be done on my allotments and then get walking - up the Downs and down the Downs, without pack and then with pack.

8th July 09. I'm not sure that it's a 'programme' yet, just some ideas. For example I've signed up for the Hike4Hospices 25 mile walk on Sunday 23rd August so I need to get some pracatices in; also I've just received my new sleeping bag, tent and rucksack with a view to going off for a three day walk occasionally. Taking the two separately I worked out a nice 13ml circuit up and over the Downs so I need to do that twice in one day. For the longer walks I need to get used to carrying a 28lb pack, so I need to practise that separately, at least to begin with.

The new rucksack, bag and tent weigh only nine pounds in total. My previous SDW pack weighed 18lbs full and 3.5 lbs empty, so the contents weighed 14.5lbs, plus new RBT 9lbs = 23.5lbs plus heavier jacket, plus emergency food, (eg tins of luncheon meat.) My plan is to camp where I can also get dinner and breakfast as then I won't need to carry neither cooking equipment nor food etc. It means I will also need some shops along the way.

Longer term I'm thinking I might do the Cotswolds Way. (Years ago I did the Pennine Way, so may be I will collect "Ways" and do more of them. All excluding the Monarchs Way - at 609 miles he was appalling at following a map.