adventure

Cotswold Way, Day 8 Cold Ashton to Bath

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Looking back on Day 8 of 8 on the Cotswold Way – yes that’s right, finish line day!

We clocked this day in at 15 kilometers and just over 5 hours back in July – wrapping up before the sun was sweltering but still warm enough that the cold ‘finish line’ pint in the ONLY pub with air conditioning in all of Bath felt amazing. In fact, it felt epic!

We kicked the day off as early as possible as part of our continued ‘beat the heat wave’ strategy. We were staying in Bath so had to arrange taxi transport from our B&B back to Cold Ashton to start our walk back to Bath (where the finish line is for the Way).

Our walking company had arranged the taxi to pick us up at 930am originally but in light of the 35C temps we expected by noon that was no longer going to work! Chatting direct with the taxi company, they agreed to change it to 6am for us. We had to skip our included breakfast at the B&B but totally worth it! We were on the trail for 630am and the temperature was really comfortable of hours. That 3.5 hour difference would likely mean a 10C difference – that’s a big deal!

Much of the day (morning really) was spent walking though fields of cattle or crops. Most had wide open views of the hills and other fields around us – the sense of being small in such a big space was fantastic!

The path today was ‘easy’ in that it was a lot of rolling up and downhill – not the dramatic, heart pumping climb in and out of every town we had grown used too. The trail and the views were still spectacular mind you! Recognizing that we would soon be playing in Bath and London and the views would be all city scape and not these beautiful green hills – we had to snap one more selfie ‘up top’. So lush!

A little bovine excitement …

One of the fields we crossed had a ‘Bull in Field’ sign. While we appreciate the heads up, the warning can make you a little more nervous than is maybe warranted. I could have probably crossed this field blissfully unaware that Mr Bull was present but the sign had me on high alert. (Refer back to terrifying Bull vs Brande of 2008 on Hadrian’s Wall incident here for background lol)

We stayed together walking with a pep in the ole step to the rock stile (steps up and over the field’s rock wall perimeter) where we would leave the field behind – no reason to dilly dally even if Mr Bull was being entertained by his ladies in the far corner.

As luck has it though, when we stared our trek across the very long field, the cattle also made their move and started to make their way to the same end of the field we were headed towards. But no worries folks – our graceful, stealth like hiking skills had us at the rock fence well before the beef arrived. In fact, we were so non-pulsed by the walking steaks and hamburgers heading our way that we hung out at the rock wall a while for a little photo shoot. We knew we could just pop over the fence quickly if the beef headed our way.

Little did we know, the fence was not complete. The beef walked right through the gap to the very next, again long and large, field we were also heading into. Another field where we had to walk to the far side of AND then walk the length to the farthest corner (where the cattle were heading too) to reach the next stile to leave said beef filled field behind. Yikes! We double timed it a little more seriously this time … just in case Mr Bull heard us laughing at him and took exception to our tom foolery!

We made it and little did we know that would be some of the last livestock we would see as we wrapped up Cotswold Way. Soon we were in more urban settings, passing though a golf course (where we took a nice snack break), then city parks and finally the city itself.

By the time we did get into Bath late morning, we were smoking hot – the temp was already in the low 30s and the approach into Bath was full of steep hills and little shade. An emergency iced latte was required from the cutest coffee shop called Hungry Bear before we even approached the finish line.

Rested a bit and refreshed a little, we made our way to the Bath Abbey where the Cotswold Start/Finish is located – a circular plaque on the ground with an acorn in the center, matching the one we started at in Chipping on Campden.

Unfortunately the Abbey was in full swing all week for local university graduations so we couldn’t visit the actual Abbey (as many do when they finish or start) and we had to act like bouncers to get some time with the acorn plaque without a grad in the frame. So while not quite what we expected – it felt pretty amazing all the same.

Right, well there is the Cotswold Way wrapped up with a spectacularly hot finish but what a long distance adventure! While not listed as difficult or even moderately strenuous in guide books, the Way should not be underestimated. There is a good amount of work on the trail to be done – you cannot achieve great views without great climbs. Most definitely easier that the Offa’s Dyke Path but still a heck of a work out and but felt great to finish.

Ok now let’s go find a celebratory pint …

Brande

Cotswold Way, Day 6 Dursley to Old Sodbury

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Day 6 of 8 on the Cotswold Way was the first day we saw the temperatures rise to well above the 30C mark. The heatwave that we are experiencing here in England has definitely changed our approach to the walk and I am secretly loving it .. we have decided to start these last days of the Way as the sunrises at 5am. My favourite time to be hiking! Brings back fond memories of my Camino adventure.

All of us were up at 430am (if not earlier) to get ready and quietly sneak out the doors of the Woodlands House B&B in Dursley. The B&B does not do breakfast for 430am so instead they left us a nice note and had some fruit, crisps (potato chips) and granola bars for us to grab and go. I have to admit I did missed my full English Breakfast and pot of tea.

As we started our walk with the moon heading to bed and the sun coming up all in the first hour of the day. The temperature was perfect and, crazy enough, still warm enough to be in just tank tops and shorts (a signal of the heat to come!)

The Way kicked off with a climb out of the town (of course), a nice jaunt across a golf course, some more uphill and then we were rewarded with our first break of the day at the Broadway Tower.

An amazing tower on the top of a lengthy hill surrounded by forest and fantastic footpaths all over the place. No wonder we saw so many early morning dog walkers here – they too were beating the heat of the day at a great place!

While the rest of us settled into our first break to enjoy our trial breakfast, Shar popped up the 187 steps of the tower to see the 360 views of the landscape. Adding more steps to an already 26km day on a skinny old, stone, skinny spiral staircase was not my idea of a good time. She was our tribute to head up and see what she could see – while we snacked lol.

While sitting enjoying our breakfast we heard scary, freaky animal screaming from the forest we would be entering next – like blood curdling kind of screaming. We had no idea what made the sound. A bird of prey, tortured souls, maybe a werewolf! The dogs in the area were barking heaps when it happened too. When we asked the locals who passed us what is was they also had no idea. What the heck?! I asked one chap walking his dog if there are werewolves in the areas, jokingly of course, oh wow he laughed. We chatted about our hike with him a bit more and as we said goodbye, he said ‘good luck with the beasties’. Hilarious!

Happy to report we made it through the woods safely. We may never know if it was a werewolf or white walker or a death eater.

From there we crossed field after field of crops and livestock. One crop we had not seen yet was a field of, we think, Canola plants. They were head height and the field was so long it took us quite some time to get through – poor Cheryl was in the front of our pack on spider web clearing duty and her shoulders and arms were on fire by the time we came through. Thanks Cheryl!

I took my turn on spider web clearing in the next Vegetation Corridor of Humid Hell (what we came to call skinny paths between chest height brambles and grasses). One of the down sides of getting out first on the trail is that no other hikers cleared the arachnids for us already.

One ‘exciting’ moment on the trial was when we tried to get through a pasture of cattle. Other walkers came through before us and cause the cattle to move to one end of the pasture which was quite skinny with bramble (thistle, stinging nettle, blackberry bushes, etc) and either side and our gate dead centre where the beef were currently standing. Doh!

We tried to find a high path to get past and down to the gate but nope, trued a low route and nope, tried to encourage them as a group to move along to one side or the other but nope, and tried to walk through them also nope.

After way too many minutes in the hot sun hoping they might move away from the gate on their own, we made our way through the devil brambles and used the arms wide and saying ‘Bubba Bubba Bubba’ over and over again (not sure why I used that word in the first place but we all got in on it and it worked) moved the massive cows off the path enough to get to the gate. We mostly came out unscathed…Rosa’s legs (she was the lead on the bramble taming portion of our plan) however will never be the same!

In our travels we passed a few other cool sights, another tower, a fantastic church, neat shine stile and some new Cotswold Way sign style we hadn’t seen before.

Our most favorite moment, was this sweet sign from a local child offering us weary hikers some fresh water on way too hot of a day.

Just a few kilometers from Old Sodbury, our destination for the day, we stumbled into the Beaufort Arms pub to refresh with some iced sparkling water and a look at the trail ahead. The temp was already in the 30s and we had just finished a long section of the trail where there was little or no shade to take breaks in.

As it got hot on the trail our technique was to hike from shade to shade. Cross a long pasture in the sun, take a micro standing break in the shade to cool down and slow the heart rate – repeat! During the afternoon, these shaded breaks were getting far and few between with no trees or clouds to provide refuge. We were sorta, kinda, totally melting.

Looking at the trail ahead, we had just a few km left but it was all through wide open farmland – that meant waist high crops and zero trees / shade. We would have been like mini donuts on the deep fryer conveyor belt at a carnival. I like to eat donuts not be a donut. So what to do? When in doubt let the path decide…

The bartender (we refer to her as Beaufort Bonnie now) was going into Old Sodbury at the end of her shift in an hour and offered us a ride AND the kitchen had cooked too many roasted potatoes for Sunday dinner and brought us out a warm bowl for free to enjoy. A sign to order cold pints to wash the potatoes of joy down and hitch the ride!

We arrived at the Old Sodbury, thanks Beaufort Bonnie, at about 4pm to enjoy a shower, maybe a nap, and then a great supper in the Dogs Inn pub (also our accommodation) and some pints in the beer garden with some other hikers we met along the way. Fun!

A fantastic way to end the day before we start again tomorrow at 5am again!

Brandé

Offa’s Dyke Path, Day12 Llangattock-Langoed to Monmouth

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Day 12 of 14 done and it was a long but amazing one on the Path today. Clocking in at 26 kilometers and 24 degrees we arrived in Monmouth just before 5pm.

We stared the morning with a full cooked breakfast which include sausage, bacon, fried tomatoes, beans, egg, fried mushrooms, toast, and some yogurt and fruit. Sometimes you even get some black pudding mmmm. All washed down with tea of course. A big breakfast fuels the hike for hours!

We joined the Path literally steps from the Old Rectory B&B door …I am on the Path and Impossible Turtle is leaving the B&B in this photo. Love it!

From there we made our way down an initial steep section and then across farmland. At about 1.5hrs the Path passed right by White Castle. Wow! We toured around the castle ruins for a good half an hour – so amazing. The pictures do not do it justice. I put up a video on the Instagram Running for the Gate but still the sheer size of all that remains is just unreal.

From White Castle, we spent the next few hours crossing more pastures and farm land and through an apple orchard. We stopped on little stone bridge for our lunch – our break spots are based on where I can toss of the hiking shoes and put the feet up for a break. Each break makes the next couple hours that much easier. Happy feet = happy hiker!

We had the pleasure of passing the ‘St. Michael’s Church of the Fiery Meteor’ in the small village of Llanvinhangel-Ystern-Llewern. (I could not makeup these names if I tried .. and it is quite entertaining to spend some of our trail time trying to pronounce the towns!)

A couple of hours later we took another short break alongside the River Wye in a fantastic little spot (thanks to the farmer for the bench … or seat as our guide book calls them).

From there we got a much welcomed break from the sun with some forest sections – hello soft walking and shade! We were just 3 miles from Monmouth at this point and keen to wrap up the day with a tea, a shower and then a pint!

Another short jaunt through some pastures we arrived in Monmouth – greeted by the fantastic bridge and tower at the start of the city centre walk and some great old buildings!

We checked in at the Ebberley House B&B (last photo below – you can see our hiking stuff hanging in the windows) and made our way to the town square for some dinner and a little more roaming around this great town! Seems they like pubs with the word Head in them – we saw an Old Nags Head Pub, The Kings Head, and the Queens Head Inn. Interesting! We also found the Monmouth Castle ruins.

A fantastic day, now off the cream up the accidental sunburn and get these feet ready for tomorrow’s walk. We are up for 10.5 miles to our accommodation at the Parva Farmhouse but taking on a little extra so we can spend some time at the Tintern Abbey ruins. Love all this old, stone stuff.

Brandé

Offa’s Dyke Path, Day7 Day of Rest

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Today is a rest day for this gal!

I started the day at the Offa’s Dyke Cottage B&B with a full Welsh breakfast and then some. I was the only one staying at the Offa’s Dyke Cottage B&B and just look at the spread they made me. Breakfast heaven!

From there, I made my way to Knighton by literally accompanying my luggage as it was transferred – a really pleasant hour drive with the luggage lady. She was so fantastic telling me a bit about the wildlife and small towns as we passed them. Such a great visit – filled up my people cup after so much time alone on the Path!

Knighton literally means ‘town of the Dyke’ and marks just over the half way point for us ramblers walking North from Prestatyn to South! A great place to pause.

I am staying at the Red Lion Inn in Knighton. The owners were so kind to let me check in super early – so it could be a foot up, little adventure, foot up kind of day.

My the little adventures have been mostly about chores – first up was a visit to the tiny little laundromat (foot up while the clothes were washing and drying) to refresh my hiking clothes for the last half of the Path.

The owner of the Red Lion Inn walked me down to the laundry so I wouldn’t miss it as it’s quite a small doorway (I would have totally missed it) and gave me a bowl of ‘washing up mix’. Literally a glass bowl from their kitchen with detergent in it. So sweet.

While doing laundry I met a nice women folding her clothes and we got to talking about the trail and books. I asked her if there was a place to buy a book in town, sadly no. We talked about how great it is to finish a book but then how bad it is to then be without a book – which is my current problem. Anyway, she left .. and 5mins later she comes in and hands me a book. She popped home to grab it for me! So, so sweet!

Back to the Inn to hang my now clean clothes and spend … you guessed it .. the afternoon with my feet up!

A little outing late afternoon to get some tape for my foot, grab an early supper and snap a few pics of this cute little town was my last adventure.

A pretty low key day that’s for sure. I am excited to get back on trail tomorrow!

Brandé

Offa’s Dyke Path, Day6 Buttington to Lower Cym

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Day 6 of 14 done and dusted folks! Today was a great day – the path and the weather behaved marvelously and my foot, for the most part, minded it’s own business too! A win!

The day started with a 1.5hr up, up, up and more up that got the heart pumping! It was largely through livestock fields or pastures so pretty easy walking underfoot. Nothing too-too steep but just enough of an incline that you still need to really work for it. The next gate or stile in the distance is a major milestone.

What goes up, gives you a great view, and must go down. The next section of the walk stayed up top for a bit in a forested area and included a tour of the Beacon Ring which would have been one of the beacon fire locations from the ole castle days. Very cool! (Yes Shar, like Lord of the Rings lol)

Even cooler was the Offa’s Dyke Path Stamp box I found. Scrapbookers dream! These little boxes are in a number of places along the trail and believe or not I found two of them today!

From there it was mostly a gentle downhill stroll (one uphill with stairs that went on forever) through the forest. I did see a German couple walking North but I think they were going for ‘personal best time’ so no idea where they were heading to or coming from. A ‘hiya’ and ‘good walk’ was our exchange. They were speedy!

After coming out of the forests downhill portion, it was all about the open fields and another field and another. For the most part I had the path to myself – once in a while sharing with a few sheep of course who were so kind and gave me my personal space.

Met an old American fellow also walking North he was quite excited about being in his last few+ days of this walk and waxed poetic about Cotswold Way (he did it last year).

And a few more forest bits to wrap up the day – this section reminded me of the Hobbit! (You can take a peek at the different trail highlights in a compilation video of each day on @runningforthegate Instagram)

I stopped a couple of times to do the sunscreen thing – it doesn’t really show in the photos but it was one of those overcast but still bright days. Those are when I burn the worst! Oh and one quick stop for a shoe change and half sandwich – funny how much energy you put out when walking but so little appetite. The Welcome to Shopshire signs were in so many places – what a friendly bunch!

So really it was a near solid 6hr walking day, I left at just before 10am and arrived at my B&B at 4pm. The Offa’s Dyke Cottage B&B is literally on the Path – and is absolutely amazing! I thought I was still a couple hours away but a quick map check out it at the 45min mark instead and that put a pep in the step!

I have the run of the place. They made me a fabulous cottage pie (like shepherds pie) and so many wonderful veggies for supper, now I am sitting in the guest’s living room in front of a fire with a view out over the country side. Wow! Everyone needs this gem on their ODP!

Ok that’s a wrap for the day! A tea and a book by the fireplace is in order.

Tomorrow I am off to Knighton for a heal-my-stupid-wrecked-foot-in-a-day rest so I can ‘keep swimming’ the rest of the OPD and then onto Cotswolds Way. I am all about the long game on this one peeps and am currently at about 140km of the 450km+ planned!

Brandé

Offa’s Dyke Path, Day5 Trefonen to Welshpool

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Day 5 of 14 done and I loved it! Ok full disclosure it was a LONG 27km that took me over 8hrs to complete and the last couple of kilometers along the canal and then through Welshpool city to town centre seemed to take FOREVER … but what an easy walking, long stride, sunny day!

I started the day with sunglasses on and a climb through grassy sheep filled fields to the top of Moelydd at 934feet. A nice little warm up to the day – a little yoga and stretching may or may not have occurred at the top.

From there the path moved into some fantastic forest walking. A little dark, soft underfoot, sounds muted and another very steep and long climb up to the Llanymynech Rocks Nature Reserve. Such a great section of the trail and oddly some of it was along a golf course!

The only downside – I was clearly the first person through the forest this morning. I was glittering with webs by the time I made it through and had to send a few 8 legged hitch hikers on their way. Free loaders!

As I came down from the Reserve I was surprised to be welcomed to England! I knew the Offa’s Dyke crossed the border a few times but just felt odd to actually experience being in Wales one minute and England the next! And no one asked for my passport of vaccine proof lol.

The next bit was a couple hours walking the canal. This section is ‘dead flat’ as per my guide book and the entertainment was all the different tunnels/bridges.

From canal to cattle … I spent the next couple of hours walking a very, very, very long grassy embankment through so many livestock fields. The benefit of sheep – they are cute and move for you. The downside of cattle – they are also kinda cute but you move for them. This can add both a lot of steps and a lot of thistles and stinging nettles to your day as as you try and find ways to give them a wide berth. I felt like they were on my path EVERY TIME!

Along the embankment section I met a couple of ladies who where from England and walking the Path but crazy enough had lived in Vancouver for 20 years as nannies! I also met Al (an older American gentlemen who may also be doing the Cotswold next) and is the very same walker I was asked to say hello to by Bruce (an older English / Australian) who I met on the Path yesterday. What a network!

Now back to canal … I finished the day with a couple more hours on the canal. While maybe a bit monotonous there are some benefits – like a bench every once and a while for a snack or to throw the throbbing feet up for a wee bit.

Highlight of the day? This wee guy peeking at me as I was walking along the canal! I wanted to just cuddle and keep him so bad. Cute!!

I wrapped up in Welshpool at the 300 year old Royal Oak Inn that I am sure is haunted… but I enjoy my large glass of wine so I sleep like a baby and then wait to Google ‘ghosts of Royal Oak Inn’ tomorrow when I am already well on my way!

Speaking of tomorrow, I am off to Lower Cym and staying at the Offa’s Dyke Path B&B right on the Path. My last waking day before a rest day.

Brandé

10 Sleeps and 10 Things

/ runningforthegate / 3 Comments

The final count down to departure is here!

My hubby reminded me I am one more sleep until I am officially in single digit ‘sleeps’ till departure! Which means packing needs to happen … which means checking in for my flight is almost here … which means actually leaving on a jet plane is gonna happen (did you all hear the song in your head, oh yah!) and …holy heck … which means actually kicking off this adventure for reals! Eeeek!

As I approach the runway, I like to compartmentalize the things that need to get done before I go. This helps me control the wee bit of overwhelm that tends to happen just before I leave. Prepping home and life and work to leave for a whole month does take a little work!

Here is how I go about prepping of things …

1) Trial Your Time Away

I figure out the exact number of days I will be away. Then a couple of months before actually departing, I pay close attention to and write down what happens in my world for that same span of time. For example, leaving for a month? Bills will be due, monthly subscriptions will arrive, dog food needs to be bought, plants will be thirsty, etc.

2) Make Three Lists

Write down ALL the things that needed to happen during that trial. Now organize that list into 3 buckets:

  • what you must do list before you go
  • the things you need someone or something to do for you while you are away
  • best yet, the things that just won’t get done and that’s ok. (Try to put most in this last bucket to save yourself some stress and work before you head out)

3) House and Home

From that list, look at what needs to happen around the house and just start making it happen as soon as you think of it. Don’t wait till the weekend before you go – you just never know what might trip you up.

Out for groceries and needs some deodorant for the trip – buy it! Take the dog for a check up and you need dog food to tide your pooch over while you are off galavanting – buy it right there! Summer is here and you usually plant amazing flowers but they need daily work – don’t, plant a fern or try a rock garden, my speciality. Water the indoor plants every week? Trail one of those plant test tube watering things you out in the soil.

Pro tip: be kind to your ‘just back from a trip’ self and think about what you might also need at home the couple days after you get back. No one wants to run out to the vet for dog food the day after a long flight, so buy enough to cover some time after you are home too.

Pro-pro tip: leave your house clean. Wash the sheets, empty the dishwasher, clean the toilet – coming home after a trip is so much more glorious when your house is clean and you can just relax!

4) Work out Work

Start months ahead of time! All those things you have been meaning to delegate – make a list and make it happen! All that cross training or mentoring or process documentation you have been meaning to get done – do it right now! Meow, meow!

No matter how prepared you think you are and how much you do in advance … be aware that your ‘do before I leave’ list at work will get LONGER not shorter before you go. Remember ‘indispensable is un-promotable’! So embrace it, do what you can and lean on your team to make magic happen without you. They will!

Pro tip: when you return, before jumping in to take things back or return to that committee or portfolio, pause a beat. Are there things that actually make more sense with your humans than with you? Are they rocking it and should keep on rocking it? Let them!

5) Prepping to Pack

It has been a while since I have had the pleasure of a big long distance hiking trip …so I thought I would look back and take my own advice about packing. I reviewed these past blog posts and, not to toot my own horn, they are quite helpful!

Some reading and thinking about how you want to approach packing will help you identify things to take with you as you go about your every day life – packing as you go!

6) Collect the Things

Set a space aside in your house to start collecting the things you want to pack.

I put up one of those huge post it note posters up on a wall with my packing list and start adding the items to a bin or laundry basket beside it as I find them or wash them or buy them.

Pro-tip: pay attention to how much is in that pile. Seeing the things collect makes the trip real for me AND gives you a good idea of just how much stuff you will soon be jamming into a pack! This should keep you mindful and not overpacking!

7) Organize your Travel Documents

A few things I always make sure I have with me – not just on my phone or in my email – but actually in hard copy are:

  • Photocopy of my passport (tucked into a very secret place in my pack just in case my real one is lost or stolen)
  • Photocopy of my immunizations (and not just the COVID-19 vaccines, all of them – your immunization passport)
  • Print out of key contacts – your emergency contact phone numbers, travel insurance and credit card company, etc. The just in case you need a life line list!
  • A copy of your itinerary with accommodation addresses and contact info and confirmation numbers, and your flight itinerary, etc.

Pro-tip: some countries have special requirements to visit at all or for trips of a longer duration. When I went to Scotland for 6 months in 2008, I needed a letter from my employer that I had a job to go back to, from my bank that I had a mortgage, proof I had enough money to support my trip, a return ticket, etc. I guess they thought I might have been there to find my Outlander and never leave. Ha ha

8) Documenting Memories

Think about how you want to document your memories from the trip. Photos? Special camera? A journal? Snapchat? Then prep what you need to make that plan happen.

I am a scrapbooker so my approach is a little much for some people but this is what I am thinking for this upcoming trip:

  • Ephemera – I bring a freezer size Ziplock with me for all my receipts, brochures, train tickets, etc. Toss a black Sharpie in the bag to write just a sentence or two on the back of each of things you want to remember about that memory.
  • Photos – I set up an album for each day of my trip. I use the date and a highlight for that day as the album name in my iPhone. Example: June 24 YVR to LHR. Each night, I review my photos of the day (delete the ones that are not amazing) and drop the keepers in the day’s album.
  • Social media – I will start with a short proof of life video each morning on my Running for the Gate Instagram and finish with a blog post with photos and some details about the day.
  • Journal – I love sitting in a pub or coffee shop pouring this traveller’s soul onto an actual paper page with a great pen. All the soulful stuff that is a little too deep for my blog. I also add some notes in the margin of my guide books about the trail and weather and my walking times for the day.
  • 9) Book Tours and Make Plans
  • When you are in the final stretch to departure, makes some detailed plans. Get the train tickets, book that epic restaurant you saw on a show on Netflix, buy the Castle Tour pass, etc.
  • Found a cool hidden pub tour in London that strikes your fancy? Book it! More on that tour later my friends 😉

    • 10) Be Social

    The next best thing to talking about how amazing your trip was is to talk about how amazing it WILL be!

    Do not leave too much to do at the last minute. Instead use the couple weeks before you go to be social. Go to the pub, host the BBQ, do the social things and let your friends and family build up that excitement even more!

    Wow, this trip is real now peeps!

    Brandé

    Offa’s Dyke Path – the Deets

    / runningforthegate / 5 Comments

    Just 25 sleeps until I depart for Wales and kick off my next adventure, the Offa’s Dyke Path. So excited! Thought it would be a good time to share a few details about the Path and my hike.

    What is this Offa’s Dyke Path?

    • 177 mile / 285 kilometer national walking trail in mostly Wales – considered strenuous and undulates (my favourite hiking word) continuously.
    • The path runs the length of the English and Welsh border, crossing over the border many times (I walked the English and Scottish border – Hadrian’s Wall – in 2008. Once I complete this path I will have walked the entire land border of England! Cool)
    • Lonely Planet ranks this Path as one of the world’s greatest walks. (I will decide that for myself but it does bode well for my adventure)
    • The Offa Dyke is the longest and most ancient monument in Britain.
    • The Saxon Monarch, aka King Offa, is due credit for building the Dyke as a natural border rampart between Wales and England.
    • The Offa’s Dyke Path runs beside or on top of the rampart and was declared an official Path in 1971.
    • There are many intact or ruins of castles and abbeys along the route.
    • Offa’s Dyke Association advises the Path passes through one Natioanl Park, three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and at least two Environmentally Sensitive Areas.

    What is my hiking plan for this Path?

    • Walking North (Prestatyn on the coast, literally on the beach) to South (Chepstow) – this way I am closer to the start of Cotswold Way the hike in England I am doing a couple days after I finish this one.
    • Average walking distance a day is 19km – longest day is 26.5km and shortest is 13km. Hoping that shortest day gives me opportunity to laundry of my stinky, sweaty hiking gear – that will depend on what town I staying in that night of course.
    • A few sections are giving me some chest pain and I have not even started … specifically wide open, thin trails on the side of steep scree (aka hill of broken rock and gravel). The fear of heights is strong in this one but I am sure if I could to Pembrokeshire Coastal Path on the edge of 70 foot cliffs in gale force winds for 16days I can do some short scary bursts on this Path. Insert hopeful face here.
    • Except for a few nights, I walk from accommodation to the next accommodation and most are just a few km off the actual Path. This adds to the length of my walk each day but it’s pretty exciting to just walk ‘home’. On the days I don’t walk ‘home’ I just call the place I am staying for transport – hopefully from a pub 😉
    • The Path can be tackled in 5 days if running (an annual running competition proves this) but walking it is usually tackled in 12 – 14 or more days. I am going for 14 days short enough to keep some pep in my step but long enough that I am not racing to the finish line each day to arrive before the pub stops serving food. A long hoof followed by only a cold granola bar and an apple at night is a sad end to a day, lived experience!
    • I am doing the Path on my own … sorta! Eeek this is the really exciting part. After Offa’s Dyke Path, I am meeting my long distance hiking crew Shar (sister) and Cheryl and Rosa (our besties) in England to walk the Cotswold Way – more on that later. Cheryl, trail name Impossible Turtle, is so excited to get her boots on a path, and see castles, she is joining me early and is going to do the last 6 days of Offa’s Dyke Path with me! Doctor Boots (me) and Impossible Turtle getting it done.
    • This amazing company called Anglessey and Wales Walking Holidays have done ALL the work for this one y’all! They have booked all of my accommodations (including making a big change when we added Cheryl – yahoo!) and arranged my transports and luggage service and everything. Wow!

    My plan is to do a short good morning video on the Running for the Gate Instagram account from the Path each morning before I start out, and then wrap the day up with a blog post and some photos at night. So loads of details coming your way about this amazing Path! Stay tuned.

    Brandé

    All the love for the West Coast of Newfoundland

    / runningforthegate / 3 Comments

    Looking back …

    Thursday of last week – our merry band of Newfoundland tourists (ok some tourists and some local and acting like tourists) took a break from the pea soup fog hiking conditions and decided to explore the best of the west coast in the glorious 24 degree sunshine Mrs Mother Nature offered us!

    We started out with a yummy breakfast at our cabin in Norris Point and the headed in the direction of Steady Brook with ‘Nick our tour guide’ at the helm. First stop – the lookout of Gros Morne Mountain!

    We climbed that sucker the day before! Wow it looks amazing when it’s not half hidden in fog and when I am not Gollum-ing up that gully on the left. Urgh what a climb and what a memory!

    Next stop – Pasadena Beach! Oh this beach is nothing like the one in California but it is a very close second. As we arrived we scrambled out of the truck (I don’t think we have ever unloaded so quickly) and made our way across the hot sand to dip our after-a-hard-won-hike toes in the water. The sun was shining and temp at 24C – I could have stayed all day … or long enough to enjoy the ice cold Rolling Rock Lager our resident, happy go lucky comedian Chauncey bought us!

    This beach is a real beach! Complete with an awesome amount of sand for castles and lounging, clean crisp water, a marked off family friendly swimming area and a full service, large beach side restaurant at its centre. If you have a day in west coast Newf and it’s warm enough for the beach – this is definitely a good way to spend that day!

    Well, before Chauncey’s fish belly white legs could get crispy in the hot sun we high tailed it out of there to our next destination.

    Next stop – Corner Brook and the James Cook monument and look out! Despite the perhaps less than ideal things some of the colonialists of the past have done, we do have to give credit to Mr Cook for his skills at literally putting Newfoundland on the map. Crazy to think about how much time he would have had to spend in and around the 10,000 square kilometers of Newfoundland’s amazing but harsh coast to get it all mapped out. Wow!

    Next stop – lunch! Now his was extra special and extra delicious! Our very own Nick has a friend who owns, operates, and makes all the amazing sushi creations at Newfound Sushi in Corner Brook. Can you say yummy? I can and did about b-zillion times over lunch. Yummy! No joke with the menu this sushi-whisperer as created this restaurant would be slammed in big cities like Vancouver, Montreal, and more!

    We started with some pork belly boa buns (drool) and then I moved into a yummy California roll topped with chunks of delicious (cooked) lobster, the yummiest tuna sashimi ever, and of course had to have The Yamocado (yam and avocado) roll because I love them and the name made me happy! All washed down with a local pint that had the best glasses ever – check out the marking on the side ‘high tide’ and ‘low tide’

    Next stop – caffeine! We headed to an awesome little coffee roaster Nick bragged up called Brewed on Bernard. Loved it! Loads of fun coffee options, sweets and all kinds of fun lunch ideas. The roasting coffee was particularly fabulous to smell and I loved see all the games and books they had available. Wish we could have spent the the afternoon but we had things to see!

    Next stop – another little amazing path and look out which sadly I do not remember the name of (oops – travel writer fail! I know it’s near the old hospital?! lol) In any case this one was also a gem! A great little path and an amazing look out over the town and bay. The big bonus? We even had a chance to Geocache on this one. Cheryl, Shar and I have geocached but I don’t think our other peeps have. It so fun and the first few times is especially exciting!

    Geocaching is such a great way to add a little more adventure to your travels – for adults as much as kids! If you have never done it, so worth a go! Oh and if you need someone with you who is willing to poke about spider webs and places with bugs for the cache … call Charmaine! Rock star!

    Next stop – some waterfalls! We made our way out of Corner Brook and headed to Steady Brook to see the falls. They are really proud of their brooks in this part of Newfoundland. There is even a Hughes Brook but two brooks is enough for a day, any more than that would be brook overkill really.

    First though a quick stop at 2 tourist attractions – the Old Man in the Mountain and the tree of Newfoundland. Let me explain …

    The Old Man in the Mountain is a rock formation on a cliff face that absolutely, without a doubt looks like a fisherman looking down over the nearby river. Legend says he is looking over the treasure that has been buried on the small island in the middle of that river. Seems some people find it hard to find him so they offer a little help at the pull over site – once you do find him though it’s so obvious! It’s a great story and cool spot!

    Now this Tree of Newfoundland business – this is a massive tree trunk, think totem pole on steroids, that was shipped from west coast Canada to Newfoundland and a very talented artist has literally carved the history of the province into it. Pretty cool! There is even a few blank spots with just ‘future event’ carved in it lol.

    The only odd part about this tree/pole thing was the strange doppelgänger of our resident Swede, Chauncey… perhaps Chauncey has a wood carving modelling career he needs to come clean on?!

    Now onto Steady Brook Falls – so great. A short hike up (totally flip flop compatible) and voila there were the falls!

    I could not believe that some folks, not in our crew this time, take the path farther up and then swim in the pool at the top of the fall – a sort of natural infinity pool! Ok that’s basically what we did in the Devil’s Pool on the Victoria Falls a few years back but that’s not the point. Cray-cray! I prefer a full panoramic view of rushing water from massive heights and will therefore stay right her on this purpose built platform!

    Now I have to say as great as the waterfall was … the highlight was definitely the little fairy door we found! Complete with some moss and a little box of fish. So super cute and in Newfoundland, with its fairy and gnome legends, sort of believable. Mr and Mrs Fae live there – I am sure of it – but were off collecting fallen flower petals for their dinner salad so we didn’t have a chance to say stop in but next time we are in town we will say hi for sure.

    Next stop – dinner and amazing conversation with Nick’s dad and stepmom. Can you even believe volunteered to host the 6 of us for dinner? Oh and what a dinner it was! We pulled up to balloons for Charmaine and Cheryl’s bday – cute! For the rest of the evening we sat on their deck having beers, eating all the cheese toast you could dream of as a yummy side to the delicious chilli, and finished off the meal with a bday rendition and some cake! Perfection! Happy birthday twinsies!

    Before leaving this little spot on Steady Brook heaven, the 6 of us walked down to the water (about a block away) to check out this great place Nick lived in as a kid. What a community. Oh and we also accidentally geocached one more time! This time it was a nano size cache (think of a thimble as reference for size) and Charmaine in her awesome-not-scared-of-spiders way found this wee gem hanging from a tree branch!

    What a day! After some goodbyes and thank yous, we departed Steady Brook and made our way the 1+ hour back to Norris Point for some evening pints and games at our cabin.

    While we didn’t get to see all the amazing things the west coast of Newfoundland offered, I have to give total kudos to our tour guide Nick for showing is a day of highlights!

    Now let’s see what the east coast has to offer…

    Brande

    Losing Stars on Yelp

    / runningforthegate / 3 Comments

    Tuesday’s hike was amazing, wonderful and absolutely, totally fear factor for this gal! The rest of our merry band had no issues of course but this ‘scaredy cat of heights’ had to resort to full Gollum (crawling on all 4s) for a good hour+ … here are the details:

    We woke up in the morning and had a great eggs and toast and granola breakfast with fabulous coffee and by 9am our crazy crew was out the door the bottom of Gros Morne Mountain. Today the new addition to our band, Amy and Sheldon, are joining us for the fun! We met them at the mountain for 930 and off we hiked!

    The path was beautiful instantly – wow! Lots of rocks and roots to step over, some muddy muck and built in boardwalks! Beautiful! I was feeling like I could hike this thing all day – my favorite kind of trail!

    At about 4kms into this 16km hike we came out of the tree filled path into the rock gully. The very steep, crazy, uphill, hell gully we would be climbing the rest of the way to the top! Ok so not all of us considered it hell – for me it was though and I had to crawl most of it on all 4s! The pictures do not do justice … to showing you what I can only imagine is a great view or showing you just how steep the ascent really was but I promise you it was super sketchy! My favorite part was the snow pack on the way up – slick, icy snow on a steep hill where you could slide to your Gros Morne death. So the very best!

    At about 8km we finally made it to the top – let’s be clear most folks were there before me. Seems crawling takes longer than walking. I felt sort of bad as I had the lunch sandwiches in my pack but also vindicated as I was confidently advised the trail would not be a problem for my fear of heights so making them wait for sustenance was a little payback lol. Stick with Nick (our ‘travel guide’) was losing stars on Yelp with every Gollum-like crawl I had to complete … at one point his fake guide company we made up received a rebrand to Nick the Trick!

    Once at the top, we toasted the ascent with a massive shared can of local brew and the sandwiches I trudged up in a crawl. The fog was even thicker on top – making the lunch stop a little cold but also eerie in a really cool way! Still recovering from the gully of satan I was giving this hike a thumbs down!

    After a short break and before the fog and cold seeped into the bones – we started to make our way down. We walked clear across the top (the shape of which Chauncey, our resident comedian and mechanical/wood working Rain Man, described as a bread bun) on well makes rock paths and boardwalks – so cool. If you were any more than 50feet apart you might as well have been alone though, the fog just swallowed everything up!

    The Yelp stars were going up on Yelp again for Nick our friendly, neighborhood guide with this cool on top stuff. I loved the random built in boardwalks – felt so good to get a full stride in after crawling about for a couple hours! On the initial part of the descent down the back side of the mountain we even came across a random ‘staircase to nowhere’ – so cool!

    From there we just continued down and around the mountain for another 8km – it felt like the longest 8km ever, ever though I have to tell you. I think the heart rate of 270 up the gully climb made me pretty tired for the downhill. I felt a little like an overlooked noodle but the company was fabulous! A 8km hiking conversation among me, Shar and Cheryl was like coming home … we just needed Rosa! (We missed you Commander Butter)

    We started out at 936am and wrapped up at about 530pm and could not have been more thankful. Sheldon and Amy provided some yummy homemade oatmeal chocolate chip cookies at the finish line, Amy chucked her super muddy and now fully worn out sneakers (my boots should have probably followed) and then we set off for Rocky Harbour for some eats and a pint!

    What a day! What a trail! What a crew! I would hike any day, anywhere with these geeks but next time I am picking the trail!

    Brande

    PS want to know what the dinner bun (aka Gros Morne Mountain) actually looks like without all the pea soup? Here you go – the arrow marks our route! This picture was taken the day after the hike.