Hike : Sat 19th Mar 2011 : London Loop from Croydon to Chislehurst Rail Station : 29.6 km

Croydon, Littleheath Woods, Bramley Bank, Addington Hills, Addington Golf Course, Threehalfpenny Wood, Coney Hall, Hayes Common, Keston, Keston Common, High Elms, Farnborough, Darrick Wood, Crofton, Roundabout Wood, Sparrow Wood, Jubilee Country Park, Kyd Brook, Chilehurst Rail

So I got out of bed early enough to complete this walk! I tried the other week but didn't start early enough and had to quit at Orpington. Good job I did too because the section from Orpington to Chislehurst through Roundabout and Sparrow woods is very wet and quite remote so it would have been very dark in the failing light too. A lovely walk but at nearly 30k, a bit long! And I still have another mike to go tomorrow too.Anyway, the weather was perfect. Frost in the morning and blue sky all day long with a cool breeze. Heaven!

Here's some photos.

 A beautifully quiet and frosty morning on the way out of Croydon.

A monster viewpoint at the top of the Addington Hills

 Ponds in Keston Common

The Wilberforce Oak where William Wilberforce apparently made up his mind that slavery was a bad thing.

High Elms Country Park

Wickham Court Church

Farnborough Village

Roundabout Wood

Chislehurst Station

 Proof!

Hike : Sat 12th March 2011 : London Loop from Croydon to Coulsdon Rail Station (again!) : 21 km

Croydon, Forestdale, Selsdon Wood, Warlingham, Riddlesdown, Whyteleaf,  Kenley, Kenley Aerodrome, OLd Coulsdon, Coulsdon Common, Happy Valley, Farthing Downs, Coulsdon

Well there's limit to the number of places you can hike without having to break out the car or have someone pick you up and this was a nice walk last week so I thought I'd do it again! The miles flew by. I think I'm getting there. But my feet were still sore!

Anyways, here's a few more photos from the route. Spring is slowly arriving!

Here's the path into the public section of Coombe Woods.

Spring arriving!

Littleheath Woods

Not very impressive right now but the bluebells are on their way!

Hamsey Green is a tiny little intersection with a pretty green.

Kenley Aerodrome is an active airfield where lots of gliders fly from Surrey Hills Gliding School

The Fox Inn where if you have the time and fancy ending the walk, you can have a drink and a great lunch.

And the inside of Coulsdon South Railway Station. Don't bother asking for much help here! She did! She didn't get far!

Please don't forget to sponsor me!

http://www.justgiving.com/Simon-Oliver0

Hike : Sun 6th March 2011 : London Loop from Croydon to Coulsdon Rail Station : 21 km

Croydon, Forestdale, Selsdon Wood, Warlingham, Riddlesdown, Whyteleaf,  Kenley, Kenley Aerodrome, OLd Coulsdon, Coulsdon Common, Happy Valley, Farthing Downs, Coulsdon

A hike along the London Loop from East to West this time ending at Coulsdon Rail station. Thanks to Southern Rail for running NO trains today! Not what you really want to see after 15 miles hiking and dreams of home and a hot shower beginning to press to the front of your mind! The rail-replacement bus was an ok alternative I guess.

A pleasant walk with some extremely steep climbs up into Coulsdon Common. Some lovely views from the tops of the downs. Lots of Bluebells starting to form in many of the woods along the way. A great walk to do again in May!

Hike : Sun 27th Feb 2011 : London Loop from Croydon to Orpington Rail Station : 24 km

Croydon, Littleheath Woods, Bramley Bank, Addington HIlls, Addington Golf Course, Threehalfpenny Wood, Coney Hall, Hayes Common, Keston, Keston Common, High Elms, Farnborough, Darrick Wood, Crofton, Orpington Rail

Another training hike on a day forcast to be sunny. So spending the majority of the day inside a soaking wet cagoule was something of a surprise! Thanks Met Office! Anyway, it provided a change to try out the wet gear to make sure nothing leaked or was uncomfortable.

Nice hike through gentle terrain, mostly in woodland and mostly well sign posted. Muddy in places.

Here's a few photos

Here's a nice spot really close to where the walk began. You can find out more here : Coombe Wood and Gardens

The downs are surprisingly close to Croydon. Plenty of wide open spaces.

Here's the obligatory 'muddy shot'!

And oddly enough, someone had their own private observatory in the middle of nowhere!

And here's Happy Valley. Its surprising that no matter where you hike in Surry, it seems you are seldom away from the sounds of traffic in the distance. This is one exception. Its a very popular spot with weekend strollers so you do get the sounds of dogs yelping and children laughing, but it is really a lovely quiet spot away from it all. And its also really close to The Fox pub too and they do a great Sunday Lunch!

And finally Coulsdon Station; where there were no trains!

Do JustGiving take any of your donation?

I have been asked whether any of the cash you so kindly donate ends up in the pockets of the JustGiving people?

Fair question!

Here's what happens when you make a donation of £10:
(Based on information on their web-site here JustGiving)

You donate     £10.00
+ Gift Aid reclaimed on your behalf    £ 2.82
Total Donation  £12.82

JustGiving 5% fee     £0.64
Credit card fee @ 1.3%     £0.13
Total cost to your charity     £0.77

Your charity gets     £12.05

*Debit card (17p) *PayPal (1.45%)

So the answer is yes it does and some ALSO ends up with your credit card company. But by using JustGiving, the charity normally gets more than you originally donated! Fair deal!

A common myth!

It is a popular belief that the Coast to Coast route crosses England at its widest point.

A quick look at a map will show that the accepted route is much shorter and thank goodness for that too! It is still about two hundred miles but the path is selected primarily because it is rewarding to walk and doesn't bring the walker into conflict with private-land owners.

Myth busted!

Please sponsor me!

So I have decided. Outward Bound is the charity I'd like to sponsor.

When I was very young, a charity paid for me to attend an Outward Bound course and I really do think it changed my life. I'd like to give other young people the same opportunity. Please give whatever you can afford via my JustGiving page at:

http://www.justgiving.com/Simon-Oliver0

Someone will be very glad you did!

Thanks
Simon

Training walk number 1

So a nice little training walk in the drizzle. Yum! This is where the training really has to start. 6 weeks and counting. . . . 

Thought I'd better try out my new rucksack and boots and walk some strength into my legs.

It turned out to be a very drizzly and muddy 10 miles of squelch.To my shock and horror, my legs didn't want to work when I got out of the car on getting home! After just 10 miles! Oh very dear! I'd better get training harder or I'm in serious trouble in April!

 Here's some pictures.

Yes, I really did do the hike! 

 And the clouds were just about skimming the tops of the trees.

But just in case I had forgotten, here's proof that spring is nearly here.

And more proof. . . 

Yup! I really was there. 

I realised my camera balances really well on fence posts and has a self-timer!

Seemed pretty at the time.

Turns out I had gone too far along the North downs way and though it was reassuring to see the 'tombstone' below, it was also a complete red-herring. I had to back-track a quarter of a mile! Drat! I wonder what someone chiselled out of the stone in both places? Kilometres perhaps?

 It was far to wet and boggy to put my rucksack down on the ground so had lunch 'on a style' just near here. To my surprise, after not having seen a soul all day, another lonely walker came tramping out of the woodland the other way; and wanted to get over the style. Timing! Life is all timing! I said 'Hi!', he looked at my sandwich, muttered 'Nice!' and carried on walking. Have I joined a club for the socially challenged? Suddenly I'm feeling uncomfortable!

I have not idea what this was all about. I think I strayed into a mountain biking circuit since there were other similar locations all around!

And this is what it was like an awful lot of the time. Boot-sucking, squelching mud! Slippery and very hard to wade through! Is this really fun?

By the time I past these little chaps it was gone 5pm and was getting dark. They had gone to sleep for the night! I should most certainly have got started sooner!

Clouds hugging the hills I just came from. I'd about had enough anyway! Time for home.

Sponsorship. . .Maybe. . .

You know, I'm inclined to go for sponsorship. There are a lot of people in this world that could do with a little bit of a helping hand, and who knows one day I may be one of them. Also, if I ask you all to sponsor me, then I'm going to look like a complete loser if I quit when things get tough (or boring!). So I just need to find a charity that makes my heart go 'yes'! Feel free to suggest. I'm in ponder mode!

So to Charity or Not to Charity. . . That is the question?

To go a-wandering all alone for the pleasure of a-wandering all-alone! Or to make a few pounds for those in need while I'm at it? That is the question! Would you sponsor a guy to spend two weeks hiking? Hmmm.... To ask for sponsors or not? What do you think?

Its all booked. I'm on my way. . .soon!

Accommodation is all booked and I have my train tickets in my pocket. April 5th to April 21st. Pray for nice weather! Here I go! .....