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| FOG ROLLING OVER NANTLLE RIDGE |
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THEY LET ME ALONE AS I LOOKED A BIT GRIZZLY (OR DO I MEAN GRISTLY?)
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SUMMIT OF ROWTOR - A PERFECT CAMP SITE WHEN IT’S DRY AND WINDLESS
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| ISAAC GEOFFREY - AT LAST, I’VE FOUND SOMEONE WHO LOOKS UP TO ME! |
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| MEDIA GURU KAY & HUSBAND CHRIS ATTEND STAND AT BISHOP’S WALTHAM FETE |
On
Saturday 17 May I undertook a 13 mile walk from Gosport to Bursledon in aid of
the Rainbow Centre www.rainbowcentre.org organised by the Rotary
Club of Bishop’s Waltham (don’t tell Cancer Research UK and the BHF). I have
also shared a few 16-mile walks along the South Downs and, as usual,
participated in the annual 32 mile BHF ‘Round the Harbours’ cycle ride.
I spent from Friday 22 - Monday 25 May in Snowdonia with my Outcast friends (www.the-outcasts.hampshire.org.uk). A group of us traversed the length of the Nantlle Ridge on the Saturday, then on Sunday I walked alone for 9 hours, starting and finishing at our campsite near Waunfawr and navigating a loop which included Moel Tryfan, Mynydd Mawr, Rydd Ddu, Foel Goch, Foel Gron and Moel Eilio. The rest of the Club ventured off to scramble and climb near to the other, more well-known, ‘Tryfan and the Glyders’ (which, to me, sounds more like the name of a pop group than a group of mountains). This popular area was heaving with people due to the wonderfully sunny, clear and windless weather. In contrast, I doubt I saw more than a dozen walkers all day. My social skills returned on the Monday when I shared a climb of Moel Hebog, near Beddgelert, before driving home.
The weekend of 30-31 May saw me on Dartmoor. Leaving the car at Bellever Youth Hostel, near Postbridge, I bog-hopped and tor-hopped north towards Okehampton on the Saturday, finding a wonderful place to wild-camp atop Rowtor (tors are those strangely formed lumps of granite commonly found near the tops of Dartmoor hills). I awoke before 6am Sunday and opened the tent flap to be greeted by sun streaming inside. After enjoying a leisurely breakfast, I ambled back south by a different route, just breathing in the atmosphere and drinking in the wonderful views with my eyes. Over the two days I visited 28 tors and walked 35 miles, which wasn’t bad for an unhurried trek across such rugged terrain with a fully laden pack. This gives me confidence that managing this sort of mileage on the JOGLE is not going to be a problem.
Great news on Thursday 11 June – I’m a Grandpa! Eldest son Richard and Alison have together produced Isaac Geoffrey – an 8lb 6oz bruiser. Can’t wait until he learns to walk.
Finally, there was a ‘Steve’s Long Walk’ stall at the Bishop’s Waltham Carnival and Fete on 13 June, where we collected over £131 in donations to my charities. Winners of the ‘Guess the Weight of the Rucksack’ competition were Sally Sharp of Botley and Rob Webley of Itchen Stoke, who each received £50 worth of gift vouchers, courtesy of my main equipment sponsor Cotswold Outdoor (www.cotswoldoutdoor.com) in Hedge End.
I spent from Friday 22 - Monday 25 May in Snowdonia with my Outcast friends (www.the-outcasts.hampshire.org.uk). A group of us traversed the length of the Nantlle Ridge on the Saturday, then on Sunday I walked alone for 9 hours, starting and finishing at our campsite near Waunfawr and navigating a loop which included Moel Tryfan, Mynydd Mawr, Rydd Ddu, Foel Goch, Foel Gron and Moel Eilio. The rest of the Club ventured off to scramble and climb near to the other, more well-known, ‘Tryfan and the Glyders’ (which, to me, sounds more like the name of a pop group than a group of mountains). This popular area was heaving with people due to the wonderfully sunny, clear and windless weather. In contrast, I doubt I saw more than a dozen walkers all day. My social skills returned on the Monday when I shared a climb of Moel Hebog, near Beddgelert, before driving home.
The weekend of 30-31 May saw me on Dartmoor. Leaving the car at Bellever Youth Hostel, near Postbridge, I bog-hopped and tor-hopped north towards Okehampton on the Saturday, finding a wonderful place to wild-camp atop Rowtor (tors are those strangely formed lumps of granite commonly found near the tops of Dartmoor hills). I awoke before 6am Sunday and opened the tent flap to be greeted by sun streaming inside. After enjoying a leisurely breakfast, I ambled back south by a different route, just breathing in the atmosphere and drinking in the wonderful views with my eyes. Over the two days I visited 28 tors and walked 35 miles, which wasn’t bad for an unhurried trek across such rugged terrain with a fully laden pack. This gives me confidence that managing this sort of mileage on the JOGLE is not going to be a problem.
Great news on Thursday 11 June – I’m a Grandpa! Eldest son Richard and Alison have together produced Isaac Geoffrey – an 8lb 6oz bruiser. Can’t wait until he learns to walk.
Finally, there was a ‘Steve’s Long Walk’ stall at the Bishop’s Waltham Carnival and Fete on 13 June, where we collected over £131 in donations to my charities. Winners of the ‘Guess the Weight of the Rucksack’ competition were Sally Sharp of Botley and Rob Webley of Itchen Stoke, who each received £50 worth of gift vouchers, courtesy of my main equipment sponsor Cotswold Outdoor (www.cotswoldoutdoor.com) in Hedge End.