THINGS ARE GETTING SERIOUS

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Still trying to get my head around this blogging stuff. I need to understand how the formatting goes. Others' blogs look really good with loads of photos and stuff on them. I am not sure if this can be formatted in quite the same way but I really need to get it sorted soon as day of the trek starts very soon. I leave London on 4th July and then start off from Edale on the 5th. I have allowed myself a fairly generous 21 / 22 days to complete with only one day off completely. I have on my plan towards the end, broken some of the very long hard sloggers down to a combination of 8 miles and 13 miles to give me some slack.

So I have really committed to this trek now. Work will finish on 30th June and I have now booked up my full schedule apart from the final night at Kirk Yetholm when I hope some friendly faces will be waiting for me to pick me up and whisk me away. Am I being too optimistic? Perhaps but I will hold back booking up on that final night.

I have been walking everywhere for the last month or so putting on long walks. In London alas there are very few hills and those that do exist are not really hills are they? So my approach is to get my legs in full walking order and then to deal with the hills when I get out there.

I have a full comliment of kit, lightweight wherever possible. I am not going mad on new walking wear as I already have plenty of outdoor cycling and gym wear that I am going to use. Lightweight vests, fleeces and waterproofs. But I have just tried out my new water proof Mamot side zipping, fast-on and fast-off trousers in yesterday's down pours and I really think they are fabulous. Have been humming and haaing over gaitors - why? Do I really need them? Well I decided to "invest" in a very small and very cheap pair at the weekend. It says waterproof on the packet. If they are good then I will let you know. But have not over committed as I really do not want another useless bit of tat. Actually could have done with them yesterday but would really have looked a complete odd ball in Richmond Park in the full gear! Somehow what is acceptable in the wilds of Northumbria just looks plain stupid in the mini wildernesses of London!

Also have gone 50% on walking poles and have invested in one only ie the uni-dexter pole position. Not sure I actually want it but can see the benefit perhaps if I have two. I do really need to try it out even if it is on the level terrain of London - suppose I have been a bit afraid of looking like a fool, but bumped into other full scale hikers yesterday with the full waterproofs and poles so perhaps not such a silly idea to get it out of its wrapping and start practising with it.

I have most of the maps for the early section of the walk and have marked out my route. Have down loaded a free GPS mapping tool on my iphone as an added security blanket and my wanderings can be traced by my folks at home should they wish to check out that I am actually doing what I say I am doing. They may see lengthy periods spent in places with a tankard symbol on them....
That is all for now. Will post full schedule on next blog with one or two mages of kit as a refence if anyone else is planning a trip like this in the future.

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