Forging Superman

Today is VBW 70/70-70. 70 days to go until I start my 70-day walk to arrive at the destination on my 70th birthday.

I am raring to go. This week's very hard walking -steep, rocky - has reminded me that after the first day I will be walking in territory which is completely new to me. The only Grandes Randonnees I have walked in France have been within a day's walk of home.

I can only hope that it will not be all like the paths we have been walking this week. If so, I would either collapse at some stage through sheer exhaustion or I would arrive in Blackpool as a newly-forged superman.

Vic's Big Route

I have been asked a few times lately to provide details of my route. I did publish details last October, but here it is repeated. Initially, I intended to walk mainly on roads, for a more direct route, but decided it would actually be more of a direct route to the mortuary.

Vic’s Big Walking Route

France Section

Start Puivert track to:
Mirepoix roads to:
Lisle sur Tarn, pick up GR46
Rocamadour, switch to GR6
Les Eyzies de Tayac Sireuil, switch to GR36
Perigeux
Brantome, switch to GR 654
Rochechouart, switch to GR48
Montmorillon
Saumur, switch to GR36
Le Lude
Pass East of Le Mans
Pass West of Alencon
Caen
Ouistreham
Ferry

English Section

Debark Ferry at Porstmouth, then:

Solent Way to Brockhampton SU 798 058
http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_id=422
Wayfarers Walk to near Abbotstone SU 569 334
http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_id=508
Oxdrove Way to Bradley SU 634 416
http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_id=339
Three Castles Path to Ellisfield SU639 458
http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_id=464
Thames Valley Circular to Goring SU594 807
http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_id=8610
Thames Path National Trail to Oxford
http://www.ldwa.org.uk/ldp/members/show_path.php?path_id=460
To Oxford 130miles (208KM) miles from Portsmouth

From Oxford

Oxford Canal to Braunston, then Hawkesbury Junction.
Coventry Canal to Fazely Junction, then Fradley Junction
Trent and Mersey Canal to Stone, Kidsgrove, Middlewich, Northwich, Preston Brook.
Bridgewater Canal to Leigh
Leigh Branch of Leeds and Liverpool, then Rufford Branch of L&L to Tarleton
Douglas/Ribble to Preston.
Roads to Blackpool.

Plans

"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood".

- Daniel H Burnham

Oh, How We Ached This Morning…

… after that strenuous waterfall walk/climb.

So what did we do today? We went round again, of course. Just to check yesterday’s impressions. The legs that felt, before reaching the waterfall, as if they could never make it to the sight, never mind trying to get back again.

I can confirm that it felt just the same, second time round.

We may do the same walk again and again in the next few days. We need some tough stuff, some self-punishment, because in a week’s time we shall be in travelling mode again, with no hard walking probably until the end of the month, when we get home once again.

Imperfect Storms

News of the great storm in France has reached us even here in New Zealand, which is poised between relief at the minimal effects of the tsunami (and amazement at the stupidity of people who actually went onto the beaches to watch it) and speculation as to when the next NZ “Big One” earthquake will hit.

This is, to my knowledge, the fourth huge storm to hit France in the past ten years. One was only last year. The other two were on consecutive days only hours before the “millennium” – which even before that had many people speculating about associated disaster.

The two hurricanes felled, if I recall correctly, 29 Million trees. Many of these fell in areas crossed by the Grandes Randonnées, the great walking tracks of France. In Oliver Andrew’s book of his long walk (some of which covered the same ground as the upcoming Vic’s Big Walk) he had a great deal of trouble as a result. He was constantly climbing over fallen trees or even finding his way completely blocked by them.

So of course I am today visualising all those trees as they fall across my chosen path.

Strangely enough, our own very strenuous walk to the waterfall here in Hanmer Springs, this morning, was affected by fallen trees. The alternative return track was blocked off forestry notices so we had to walk (climb, in some places) back to Hanmer. The total walk was only 16 kms, but the change in altitude was from about 350 to 840 metres. Hard work.

Is Omega 3 A Bad Thing?

75 days to go until the start of VBW. We walked 106 kms in the week finishing yesterday. Quite a good total for 7 days which included 2 travelling.

We have all been bombarded with advice over the past few years to eat foods containing Omega 3 because it has so many health benefits. When my eye problem was diagnosed last year I was advised that the only thing which might possibly slow down the rate of attrition is Omega 3. So I have been absolutely ramming the stuff into me.

But what do I read now? Omega 3 is one of the causes of gout (which is something no walker would want). Not only that, but another cause of gout is fresh fruit! Where do we go from here?

Tsunami!

We awoke this morning to reports of the massive earthquake in Chile, and tsunami warnings for New Zealand.

Normally on a Sunday we have to wait until 6 pm for any news programme on the television, but today there are news alerts every half hour.

Fortunately we are on the West Coast, and well away from all the beach walking we were doing only a couple of weeks ago in the Catlins and other places.

There will be some effect on the West Coast, but not so much as the East Coast, the whole of which is affected. This is good, because here our accommodation is virtually at sea level, with just some sand and one row of houses between us and the sea.