By: Blonde Two
You may remember dear Blondees and Blondettes that a few weeks ago, the Two Blondes had lunch with a fellow walkist. This walkist was an impressive chap, not least because he has complete the LEJOG walk. (Look it up! I didn’t know what it meant at first either.)
We Blondes bimble a lot but we often talk about longer distance walks that we would like to do. So far, we haven’t even found time to do our North to South Dartmoor route that we have been planning for years.
If we did have time though, there are three long distance walks that I would love to be able to look back on and say that I had done;
1. The Milford Track – New Zealand, South Island.
Distance – 53.5 km (4 days). Sleeping – booked huts. Reasons to go – a) Pretty much everything in New Zealand is amazing. b) My cousin has done it and I don’t like to be outdone. Reasons not to go – a) Someone would have to blindfold me to get me across a swing bridge. b) Sandflies.
2. Laugavegurinn Hiking Trail, Iceland.
Distance – 55 km (4 days). Sleeping – booked huts. Reasons to go – a) Glaciers and hotsprings. b) Nowhere I have ever been has seemed as wild as Iceland. Reasons not to go – a) Every place name is impossible to pronounce b) The beer is very expensive.
3. El Camino de Santiago de Compostela, France (St Jean Pied de Port) to Spain (Santiago).
Distance – 800 km (40 days). Sleeping – a variety of options (most involve red wine). Reasons to go – a) A spiritual journey. b) Wine and good food. Reasons not to go – a) It is a very, very long way. b) It is a very, very long way.
Do share if you have a long distance walk that you have always wanted to complete 🙂
The first night I took VR (then an SRN) out for dinner, I accompanied her on the last tube to Finsbury Park (in London, just north of Swiss Cottage), walked her to the door of her flat, then walked back to the Thames embankment to catch an all-night bus back to Clapham Common. In fact my feat is celebrated in popular song:
I know how it feels,
To have wings on your heels,
And to fly down the street in a trance.
But it has to be sung with a really posh, Home Counties lady’s accent. Compostela? Spiritual? Pah!
Wow! I hope you showed this morning’s response to VR (trust a Blonde! She’ll like it).
I don’t know who this walkist guy is you are on about but I also have walked the LEJOG and many other LDPs (there’s another acronym for you, although it is not really a pronounceable word). By the way, does that guy have a funny hat? I keep bumping into somebody like that but never gat the chance to speak to him; he looks a bit odd anyway.
My main ambition at the moment is to get back to walk ANY multi day route after causing myself various injuries on the last one.
There are two recognised paths on my hit list: The Anglesey Coast Path and the Isle of Man Coast Path. Going abroad at my age to be bitten by snakes, eaten by bears, or falling into a hot water spring are off my list at the moment. Having said that, my provisional plan for next year is to start from Dundee, picking up from The Fylde Coast Path which I walked a couple of years ago and continue north with the vague intention of getting to John ‘o Groats.
If you want to stick to recognised routes my two favourites were the GR10 ( traversing the French Pyrenees from Atlantic to Mediterranean – 52 days), and the LEJOG (77 days), although there is no official whole route to follow, but the concept qualifies as a standard undertaking, but…
…I have gained more satisfaction from pre-planning and walking the routes I have devised for myself. The most enjoyable was walking round the whole Welsh boundary in 2011 (58 days). I am so glad that I did this before the Welsh Coast Path became official keeping the whole of my route as mine. Two factors contributed: the helpfulness, above and beyond, of the Welsh people, and the whole of the Welsh coast line which is the longest continual stretch of beautiful scenery I have walked anywhere.
I would avoid chaps in strange hats if I was you. Although, I imagine that, if you were to ask him, he would be a mine of information on great places to walk in the UK!
The vague intention sounds gorgeous. Wander where you will, sleep where you arrive. Spiritual journeys – well – more likely to be “Where did I put the compass? Which stream is this? Wish I’d left a rice cake for breakfast. Glory, these socks are GRUBBY. Where did I put the compass? How did the jam GET into the milk in the first place? Well, buy a whole bar of soap and post one half home. Is the shirt I washed 4 days ago dry yet? Where DID I put the compass? Well, it’ll dry if I wear it. WHERE DID I PUT THE COMPASS? And who moved that stream? ”
The Dartmoor one sounds great to me. And if you ARE going to do a long-distance path, Start building up the weight in your rucksack now – it’ll help when you come to pack!
That is a VERY FUNNY comment. Particularly the jam in the milk and the moving stream! Worthy of a Blonde Blog Post I think!
A certain Brummie that we know very well wants us all to do the West Highland Way. Maybe one day!
He is a great Brummie – I think he should organise it and surprise us!
As a coincidence I’m just completing (toes crossed – 2 days to go) a LDW in Spain, the GR 7 which travels 2000 k from Tarifa to Andorra. It’s taken me 6 years doing a few weeks at a time.
As you realise from talking to the “guy with the funny hat” LDW is addictive.
As for recommendations the best is the one you have just finished, the next one
will be better.
Thinking when I get home will join up with TMITFH to do a walk and we’ll blog as Two Greys Walking – don’t tell him.
I will definitely not tell him but the names are good!
2000km, are you mad?!?
After watching the start of the Tour de France last year (only from my lounge sadly!!!) in Corsica, I quite fancy the Haute Route along the spine of the island (124 miles!!). And I doubt there’s anyone in the South West who enjoys walking who hasn’t contemplated the South West Coast Path!!! I know I have!!! One for retirement!!!
I definitely have wondered about the South West Coast path, it is very up and down though 🙁
The ups are steep, but not very long compared with toiling up a Munro for two hours. It would be a breeze for you two.
Which reminds me, it is not very cool to have an empty Munro bag! So many hills to climb …
Hadrians Wall
Wainrights Way
And really ambitious, Cairo to Cape Town