What a load of crop!

Today we went out locally on a short (16 miles) training walk, mainly to try out the loops (actually the same loop but in both directions) we will be using on our one and only 40 miler later in June. Today is exactly 5 weeks until Trailwalker and we started walking at exactly 10am, our start time for the event.

We set off into West Wood and out the back across the 'hayfever field' onto the track beyond, then tried out a new footpath which cut off the corner of the road down to Up Somborne. Everywhere was pretty overgrown but passable and the countryside was as green as I have ever seen it, not surprising given all the recent rain!

We made really good time for the first 5 miles, consistently less than 17 minutes per mile. Then we arrived at Ashley Glebe Farm. At this point the footpath goes straight across a big field and normally there is a vehicle width track through the middle of whatever is growing, but today we encountered shoulder high something (possibly rapeseed plants?) everywhere we looked, no way through. We knew where the footpath was supposed to be so set off to battle our way through, and a battle it truly was. The plants were all interconnected and very tough, it was a real energy drainer. I can feel a complaint to the council coming on! That one mile took over 26 minutes and the field probably only accounted for less than a quarter of it.

After that, the remaining few miles back to the car was a breeze. We had a bit of food and a change of socks and boots and then set off again on the same loop in the opposite direction. We'd already decided to circumnavigate the offensive field on the return trip but had a difference of opinion about which way to do so. I favoured anti-clockwise and that is the way we went... wrong decision! After about 10 minutes of walking the field and hedge merged into one and there was no way through. So we turned round, went back and set off again clockwise... much better... smooth track right round to where we could rejoin the footpath on the far side of the field. As it turns out, it would have been quicker (although not easier) to plough through.

Part of the route took us up a very steep hill, about in the centre of this picture, off to the right of the road. When we do the 40 miles, we will have to go up this 3 times, the last time after 39 miles... that will be a test!

The rest of the walk was incident-free and we got back to the car after 5 hours of walking and 16.21 miles covered. The route is here, the attempted detour round the blocked footpath field can be clearly seen!