Ambling Around Amberley - CP4 to CP5

Wednesday 4th July

Although it was Independence Day half of Vale Venturers decided to depend on our Support Crew for our last training walk on the South Downs before the big day.  Lynda was our driver and Emma her trusty navigator as we left after school drop off.  Barney, Pebbles, Yoshi and Sid formed the rearguard on 4 legs!!

Sid takes the words Amberley Mount a bit too literally!

The weather was definitely not in our favour.  We found the checkpoint and waved goodbye to the girls (muttering about them being able to find a nice cosy tea rooms or better still a pub whilst we plodded through the mud with 4 mad, randy hounds in tow!).

The section down by the River Arun is MUDDY! Leeches were happily swimming in the shallows on the path.  Both Sue and Sandra found it very difficult to get into our stride especially as the dogs had to be on leads for quite a while.

Heading for the clouds!

Eventually we reached the bottom of Amberley Mount. Its is pretty steep but nothing on the scale of Beacon Hill! We are sure the views from the top are breathtaking on a clear day. Unfortunately this wasn't a clear day! The top was shrouded in mist and we could barely see 50 yards ahead.  Sue was trying out her new trail shoes and detected a "hotspot" on her heel.  A Compeed and chocolate stop was deemed necessary and we both perked up considerably! Emma texted some brain teasers to keep us occupied (for about a minute- come on Emma we need something for the other 23 hours and 59 minutes!!!).

A lone horse rider loomed out of the murk - very Jane Eyre in style but not a dark, handsome Mr Rochester unfortunately! A few kms further on we met two fellow hikers, one of whom was wearing very revealing wet, flesh coloured shorts!!! After walking a few metres past them we both collapsed into giggles. More Mr Bean than Mr R!

Heading downhill towards the checkpoint we met Lynda and Emma coming to meet us! They had checked out the locality and had found a fish and chip shop! Chip shops are a requirement of Vale Venturers! We reached the car near Checkpoint 5 very muddy and wet. After a lot more giggles about the man in pants and Sid's amorous behaviour we got changed (changing towel nil points) and headed for some chips and Sue's homemade soup!

Just like a real checkpoint!

Last day of training on the trail. Rubbish weather, path pretty awful but spirits are high and support crew are wonderful.  We can't wait for the big event! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=valeventurers&isTeam=true

Wild strawberries, wild orchids and tanned bottoms

Wild strawberries

Sunday 1^st July 2012 and 3 out of 4 of the Vale Venturers Team set off for their final training walk prior to the “Big Event”.  About 5 minutes before our scheduled departure time, the heavens opened, meaning that we headed off along the side of the ranges in full waterproofs, two dogs in tow.  En route, we came across some wild strawberries and orchids, which were beautiful.

We reached the lake and then continued following the side of the ranges, with Sue (navigational expert) claiming that she was sure we could turn right towards Pirbright and then skirt back towards a farm we have previously passed.   

Checking the map (again!)

 A quick map-check later, we took the correct path (albeit rather boggy) and worked our way back towards the lake.  The weather couldn’t seem to make its mind up, and it kept raining, stopping, raining, stopping….!  And we kept donning our waterproofs, stripping off…donning our waterproofs, stripping off…luckily there were no soldiers around to witness these stripteases!  We have decided that a fake tan may be necessary before we tackle the actual trail in 2 weeks’ time!

Henley Park Lake

Eventually, several map checks later, we arrived at the lake for our lunch stop.  Minestrone soup, tuna sandwiches, sour cream and onion crisps and cashew nuts provided well needed sustenance, before we began the trek home.  The lake itself was beautiful, with water lilies in bud.  Barney even went for his first ever swim (pushed in by Pebbles) and we all got drenched when the dogs decided to shake off excess water all over us!  Thanks dogs!

Ready for the challenge!

The walk home was good-humoured, discussing the relative merits of Ann Summers parties (!) and we were pleased to have covered almost twelve miles in 3 hours 22, despite the intermittent rain, one dodgy foot and two overly energetic dogs (excluding stops!)  Go Vale Venturers!!!

Into Fern's Gully!

Spirits high and sunshine finally in the sky, three members of Vale Venturers set off on their final long (ish) training walk before the “big event”!  With Sue in charge of route, and two dogs in tow, and Becky’s temperamental foot, we headed off towards Mytchett Ranges.   

The back side

 First “check-point” was the Basingstoke Canal centre, where we tucked into Olive Bread with Marmite, cashew nuts and tasted Becky’s “cranky cranberries” as well as planning an essential food list for 3 weeks’ time.  2 cups of coffee and three dog-sick clean operations later, Vale Venturers attempted and failed to make a toilet stop before continuing with their walk (toilets closed!).

We carried on across the Mytchett Ranges, skirting some rather large puddles, almost falling over (Sandra) and climbing some very steep hills before trying to find our way back to the main range track. Sue was convinced that we had to cross the road (which we did) only to cross back over (again) and follow another track (which we christened “Fern Britton Gully”) before stopping for Check Point Two.   

Looking totally natural!

Pretzels and Tropical Sun refreshed us before we crossed the road yet again (following Sue’s directions) and finally made it back to a point that Becky recognised, and was then able to shepherd the team home safely….although Sandra almost got knocked into the canal by Pebbles!  All in all, despite a poorly Barney dog, 2 almost comedy falls, 2 “getting lost moments” and one temperamental foot, this was a successful and enjoyable final training walk. 

Near the end and still dry!

   

We walked almost 14 miles,ascended 1800 feet and enjoyed some interesting conversations and motivational tactics!  Needless to say that we will need many “units” of motivation to keep us going in 3 weeks time!

Stage 2 – Tackling the big one again!

Wednesday 20^th June

Bath time!

With children dropped at school & nursery ½ of Vale Venturers, Wendy & 3 dogs set out to tackle Beacon Hill again! We parked up at Harting Down and set off. Sandra & Sue have walked this stage before and decided it wasn’t too bad – but after all the other teams reviews of this demon stage we decided another practice was in order!  It wasn’t long until we realised why everyone comments on Beacon Hill but before we got there we were delayed – this time because Mollie the dog jumped into a trough for an early bath! 

View from the top

Then we could put it off no longer – Beacon Hill! Now Sandra’s infamous hill coding was required and she defined this as definitely a sh****r of a hill! In the dry, it was ok! It is steep and unforgiving but we were rewarded by beautiful views at the top! 

After that hill climb we had to descend only to go up again and again! The views and conversation kept us going nearly all the way to Cocking! We then did a tactical U-turn to be back at Harting Down in time for the school run!

The trail on the other side towards Cocking

Mr Badger breaks cover

As we started our hike back another walker pointed out - 6 week old badger in the field! Amazing to see so up close!

Lunch was on some logs at the top of a hill – so we were able to see the sea and enjoy the warmth of the sun. Barney dog decided now was the time to get the urge on Mollie dog so we were all glad we hadn’t packed sausages for lunch!  After much giggling and hilarity at Barney’s expense, we set off again.

Oh yes – Beacon Hill again! This time we had time to stop at the top and look at the trig point and identify some landmarks! Coming down Beacon Hill was just as challenging – Wendy was fearless, Sandra traversed and Sue just exclaimed she was stuck!

Back to the car with minutes to spare! 9.9 miles walked 1600 feet ascended and Beacon Hill conquered with no poles!

24 days and counting – BRING IT ON!!

Game chicks head for Gamecock! 9th June

Trying to suppress the excitement!

At last the day we had all been waiting for - the Gurkha Training Day at Nuneaton.  Unfortunately  due to holiday and work commitments Becky and Vicky were unable to make it so Sue and Sandra were accompanied by the lovely Lynda - a key member of our support crew.

We got off to a good start with the place name - Gamecock Barracks home to the Queen's Gurkha Signals.  Lots of giggling ensued.  Definitely one to add to our list!

We managed to compose ourselves long enough to be introduced to some of the officers and to say hello to Tom from Oxfam.  After grabbing a much need cuppa we sat down to hear tips and advice on training for the event and most importantly how to deal with the dreaded blisters! The pros and cons of Compeed and zinc oxide tape were explored.  After hearing about a soldier who needed skin grafts after ripping off the tape we may give that a miss! Up side though - most people lose half a stone doing the event and some a whole stone!

Don't lean back!

Next up was the army simulation exercise where we were joined by the Red Harrows team. Basically this involved walking with a pack the size of a small chest freezer on your back! We all, surprisingly, kept upright! The kit the Gurkhas have to carry is incredible and aside from the pack they also have a webbing belt and a rifle! After walking for about 15 minutes on the flat we were in awe of them!

Armed and very nearly dangerous!

We all needed a good stretch after this.  Sue's wobbly leg was playing up a bit so she needed the support of the young, seriously fit physical training instructor to keep her upright! (Any excuse...!). Sue we are spending only 15 mins at each
checkpoint including Gurkha massage time!!

 Squats!

Fortunately, we could now smell the wonderful aroma of curry floating across from the mess tent. Unfortunately ,we still had to do the Circuit Training and Aerobics before lunch which had filled us with dread since we received the invitation! We think they were very gentle with us really. About 10 minutes of running (WE DO NOT RUN - EVER!) and then the circuits.  We all managed to plank for 30 seconds and Sandra managed the Mexican wave several times (not strictly an exercise at all!). It was a lot of fun and, judging by our inability to laugh with out pain for the next few days, very good for our fitness levels!

Definitely liking our technique!

Too beautiful to eat!

What can we say about the lunch? Delicious just about covers it. Gorgeous creamy curry and we were forced to have seconds! It's very impolite in Nepal apparently not to do so!  Even the salad was a work of art and the chefs obviously took great delight in feeding us all up! After a massive slice of cake we were ready for the afternoon session.

First up a potted history of the Gurkhas and their involvement with the British Army.  Only Nepalese men born in Nepal can serve in Gurkha regiments and they take just 150 or so young men each year after a rigorous selection process.  Then pep talk from a Gurkha who has run Trailwalker in a ridiculously short time! When a soldier is picked to do this challenge they devote 6 weeks solely to training for the event! Civilian challengers be afraid! The best part though is that he recommends we eat a choccy bar every hour to keep our energy levels up! Brilliant - that's 24 choccy bars in the bag!

It was time to say farewell (after another accompanied visit to the loos!).  We had met some lovely people including the other teams present: The Bun Loving Criminals, Mental Orientals and The Red Harrows.  The Gurkhas were amazing.  They were so polite, modest and strong.. We should all be honoured that they want to serve our country! We hope that in completing this challenge we can give a little bit back.

CP6 (almost) - CP9 (almost) and Back! First Blood to the Gallops!

The team split in half on this occasion.  Becky and Vicky decided to stay local mainly due to injury worries and Sue and Sandra headed for the Trail. We parked at Upper Beeding after looking for a car park off abridleway in the village which proved to impassable!  Bearing in mind that we knew we would be out walking for at least 12 hours without support crew we had brought along quite a few snacks. This resulted in plastic bags being tied to rucksacks!

In order to join the South Downs Way we made our way up a pretty steep hill. Luckily we will not have to tackle this on the walk itself! We proceeded with shopping bags towards Devil's Dyke and CP7. The route is straightforward after the initial climb but the hills keep on coming. There are however, several rude place names which kept spirits up!  Bushy Bottom, Fulking and Steyning Bowl are our particular favourites! Sue soon threatened to break out her "soft pear" and in true Carry On style we were forced into an emergency comfort stop through laughing too much! We felt fairly jealous of the hangliders at CP7. Was this where the classic Only Fools and Horses episode was filmed?

Looking back towards CP7

After a well-deserved 15 minute break we ploughed on to CP8 . Ice-creams are available from Saddlescombe Farm although not sure they will still be open when we reach this point in July.  New Timber Hill (or Spanish Hill as we have now dubbed it) awaits after this.  It is a bit of a sh***er to say the least.  Several photo stops required here.

New Timber Hill

Off to tackle the A23 next.  After walking for miles without many signs of civilisation this came as a bit of a shock. But Pyecombe lay in wait along with the Pyecombites! (horses in the field!). The trail continues up hill through the golf course and then the lovely sight of the windmills at Jack and Jills - CP8! Where were the Gurkha massages? Looking forward to this come July 14th!

We re-traced our steps and carried on a little way before stopping for lunch (15 mins only!). Lots of sheep and lambs very interested in us and the lunch but a few whispers of rosemary and mint sauce saw them off.  As we set off again we were hailed by two cyclists who we had seen earlier who shouted "nee hah" in a cowboy like manner and "come on girls" which were just the words of encouragement we needed.

OOPS!

CP8 to CP9 is a long slog in terms of distance but there are no challenging hills here.We, however, managed to go spectacularly off-piste near the notorious Gallops.  Why didn't we follow warrant officer Coop's advice to check the map? Who knows! To cut a very long story short we ended up scrabbling through the brambles in Ashcombe Bottom before finally picking up the trail again.  We had seen wild orchids and deer but to say we were at a low ebb when we got near to CP9 would be an understatement! Tired and scratched to ribbons we decided to cut our losses and follow a footpath back up to Black Cap (the scene of our muppetry!).  We realised that we would not get back to the car until 11pm unless we really picked up our pace.  The path was not as clear cut as we had hoped and we ended up crossing the Gallops before seeing the dire warning signs!!

After walking for nearly 4 hours without a rest we stopped for a much needed refreshment break.  Feet powdered, socks changed, bellies full and bladders emptied we set off a with a new found vigour and marched back to the car.

Evening at Jack and Jills CP8

Apart from a herd of cows and a very randy bull we hardly encountered a soul apart from a few mad buggers who were running!?!  We were rewarded with a stunning evening and a renewed sense of what we are undertaking.The mental challenge of the event was really brought home to us by the afternoon's mishap. We had coped and although we were tired our spirits were high. Until the final cock up....the wrong route back to the car but hey we got there in the end! 13 hours and 60km after we left it.  We had ascended 1300 metres (higher than Ben Nevis) and we still managed another 10 miles next morning!!

Sunset near CP7

Snailwalk (Giant African Land Snails required)

2nd May 2012 - Ash Ranges and Basingstoke Canal

We thought it would be fun to give our friends and supporters a taste of what we are facing in July by holding a couple of 10km walks ending up at our local, The Swan in Ash Vale, and asking them to pay a fiver for the privilege! Surprisingly several people agreed and on Wednesday evening we met at 7pm ready for a leisurely evening stroll (that's what they thought anyway!).

Becky and Sandra arrived early and waited by the side of the road. Sandra was keen to look a bit less conspicuous but Becky pointed out that kerb crawlers were probably not going to approach two ladies dressed like ramblers! We were soon joined by 7 friends, (and a dog), one of whom expressed surprise and a little dismay that Becky would be in charge of the route! It's not just us who are dubious about her navigational skills (sorry Becky!!!). On this occasion we did not get lost!

We were all chatting and walking along happily enough as the evening's weather looked promising. Sandra confidently declared that it wasn't going to rain...well it didn't for the first twenty minutes or so! We discovered that this was a great way to catch up with friends who we normally just shout hello to on the school run. We had two whole hours to share news and anaesthetic stories (oh yes!). At "The Top of the World" we decided it was time for cake. Sue's fruit and ginger cakes and Sandra's brownies were on offer as well as some cans of Tropical Sun's yummy Coconut Water!

Becky and Sandra "model" the coconut water!

We set off again along the Ranges' road and encountered a pheasant, a deer and a bird of prey.  The darkness was beginning to draw in and soon the head torches made an appearance! Great for avoiding all the mud! After promising no "killer" hills we manged to squeeze a small one in before descending to the canal and the final stretch to the pub!

We managed to avoid falling in despite the rather uneven towpath and arrived back at The Swan in time for a most welcome drink. Over 7 miles walked (we lied about the 10km!) and £35 raised! Thanks to all who came and enjoyed. Where were the men? We'll have to do another to get the blokes out!