Oxfordshire Way Day 2 - 7 August 2022

I slept quite well. Around 11pm a nearby deer was barking so I threw sticks in its direction and it moved away.

I was away by 7am, looking forward to covering a few miles before it got too warm. The villages I passed through were so quiet. I went into virtually all the churches along the route to enjoy the cool. The walking was delightful and the Way is generally well signposted.

 

At Tetsworth I called in at The Red Lion (which also serves as the village shop) and downed a pint of lime and soda. I also bought a slab of lardy cake to have with lunch.

 

It's been a leisurely day. With long daylight hours and just seventeen miles, I've taken a couple of stops of about an hour. A couple passed me as I was stopped for lunch on the edge of the Rycote estate but I've only seen one or two other walkers and they seemed just out for a Sunday walk.

My day has ended, as planned, at Bernwood Forest. I'm in the corner of Drunkard's Wood, cowboy camping again.

 

Oxfordshire Way Day 1 - 6 August 2022

This is just a short outing and not too far from home. I can't find any account online by anyone who has backpacked and wild camped it. Such accounts as there are have been a succession of day walks but that's not my way.

The Oxfordshire Way officially starts at Bourton on the Water (which is actually in Gloucestershire) and goes for 67 miles to Henley on Thames. I've chosen to start in Henley and walk about 60 miles along the Way and then leave it to walk the few miles home.

I've packed waterproofs but no rain is expected. The weather is forecast to be very warm.

I bought some lunch in Henley and four litres of water, most of which is around my waist in an Ortlieb water bag. I wouldn't want that weight on my back and, as it's been so dry, I'm not expecting many natural water sources.

The path out of Henley

 
The Way is easy to find out of Henley and follows a mix of field paths and quiet lanes. I passed through Warburg nature reserve where I've camped with The Backpackers Club (with permission) a few times. There, and beyond, much of the walking was through woodland which gave relief from the heat.

Warburg

I'd planned to walk about ten miles (as I'd started walking at lunchtime) and found a fine place to sleep in the extensive woodland just short of Christmas Common. As there was to be no rain, I cowboy camped. There seemed no point in pitching a tarp.

TGO Challenge Day 13 - 24 May 2022

Walking 6am to 2pm

Distance walked 15 miles
Distance remaining 0 miles

I heard a couple of loud noises this morning whilst under the tarp. I thought a bird had collided with it but when starting to take the tarp down it appeared that one or more birds might have taken exception to me being under their tree. There was a lot of it but I was able to scrape it off and then wipe down with a wet cloth.

 

The woodland I had planned to camp in would have been fine; also around an electricity substation immediately before it. However, the exit of the path on to the road was totally blocked by a fallen tree but it would have been possible to exit just before the gate.

 

I road walked all the way into Brechin. There wasn't much traffic. I shopped for breakfast and lunch at the large Co-op.

All was well with my planned route until I reached a farm shown on the map as Caldcots. Here, I asked a lady walking dogs about my route as there were a couple of stretches with no right of way on the map. She wasn't sure but just then the farmer came along and I asked him. He said my route wasn't on rights of way but kindly gave me directions with advice to keep clear of cattle in a couple of places. Looking at my map, he pointed out a stretch further on where he wasn't sure there was a right of way. Sure enough, there wasn't. I went down a farm track marked private which, after a while, led to a grass track along a field margin (although shown as a white lane on the map). After this, I just trespassed along the route I wanted to go. There was no path at all and at one point I went through a hedge backwards to emerge on to a vehicle track.

Eventually, I reached a highway and road walked to Hillside and then on to Charleton Fruit Farm where there is an excellent cafe. Here, I stopped for a coffee and a substantial chocolate, pecan and caramel tray bake. 

Sustained, I walked the half mile across Kinnaber Links and on to the beach to complete my Challenge. 

Kinnaber Links

It was then a walk of something over a mile down the beach to Montrose where I booked into the campsite and then on to the Park Hotel to check into Challenge Control, collect my certificate and rather good Rab t-shirt.

TGO Challenge Day 12 - 23 May 2022



Walking 7am to 2.30pm
Distance walked 10 miles

Distance remaining 15 miles

As I was packing up, Peter and Rachel Cornish passed by. They had been camped a few hundred yards back. Had a nice chat and Rachel took a photo of the three of us which she'll post to the TGO Facebook page. 

Hunthill Lodge

It was easy walking down to the end of Glen Lethnot. My planned route had been over Ordies Hill and then following landrover tracks up and then down to a narrow lane at NO512707 but it was much easier to simply follow the tarmac lane around to meet at the same point. It was a lovely morning and Road walking doesn't get much nicer with fine scenery and I ascents. For some of the way I walked with Darren Smith from Northumberland until I stopped to make coffee and he went on. In fact, as I had time to spare, I stayed for over an hour reading and admiring the view. 

Coffee stop

Eventually moving on, I took the lane that passes between White and Brown Catarthuns, Iron Age hill forts. I had lunch by the small parking area. I asked some people coming down from White Catarthun whether it was worth going up to have a look but was told that it depends what you expect to see. Hmm.

Walking on, it rained hard. I had been planning to camp in some woodland before reaching Brechin but before then I came to the Tigerton National Grid Odourless Gas Installation. It's well fenced in but inside the hedge and tree perimeter it is grassed and ideal for pitching a tarp. There's been a couple of waves of torrential rain while I've been here. Tomorrow I'll have a look at the woodland where I intended to camp. There's been so much tree damage up here lately. 

Behind the gas installation

Sent from my iPhone

TGO Challenge Day 11 - 22 May 2022

Walking 7am to 3.30pm

Distance walked 13 miles
Distance remaining 24.5 miles

A very overcast morning but not cold. I walked down past the Glen Doll car park; just one campervan their presumably having spent the night. A lovely location. I then road walked the three miles along the almost deserted lane to Clova. 

Deer

In the car park of the Glen Cova Hotel I picked up someone's recently dropped bag of cheese and onion crisps and made quick work of them.

It was then a long, slow ascent to Loch Brandy but half way up found I had a 4G signal so made my last check in call to Challenge Control. I also phoned home. Shortly after, Paul from yesterday came up behind me. He and a couple of other Challengers had overnighted at the Glen Clova Hotel. He was following the same route as me today so we walked together. Up on the tops the mist was swirling and there was quite a wind. With his navigational gadget, a Garmin Fenix (I think), we got across some pretty featureless terrain. It was pretty boggy with stretches of black peat. His navigation brought us precisely to the landrover track which led us down to Shielin of Saughs bothy. This was to have been my planned overnight stop but it was far too early. Here, we took shelter from the wind although the mist had totally cleared. I made coffee and he went on to find a wild pitch as the day for both of us was to end in Glen Lethnot which we were about to enter. I stayed and my coffee stop morphed into lunch.

Walking down to Shielin of Saughs bothy

Glen Lethnot was quite lovely and the route followed a landrover track all the way until a marked footpath snaked down to the river. Along here I found what is possibly the best and flattest pitch so far and the river for water very close by. I haven't seen Paul so he must have gone further. I didn't want do as I have now walked nearly four miles into tomorrow's mileage.

TGO Challenge Day 10 - 21 May 2022

Walking 6.40am to 3.45pm

Distance walked 15.5 miles

Distance remaining 40.5 miles

Away early and a lovely morning. I took the single track road on the west of Clunie Water, past the golf course. 

The bridge at Auchcallater

At Auchcallater I took the signed landrover track to Glen Callater. My planned route had been to take the path on the north side of Loch Callater but, instead, I took the easier vehicle track on the south side. In retrospect, this was a bad decision as the track crossed the burn at the far end and I had to walk through it.

Coffee stop opposite Callater Lodge

Glen Callater

 

The path was indistinct on the approach to Knaps of Fafernie and boggy. About here I met another Challenger, Paul, and we walked together on and off for about three miles although he was faster than me and I later lost him (or he me).

My original route was through Glen Doll but Storm Arwen some months ago caused extensive damage to the forest there and we were advised to divert via Glittering Skellies and Bachnagairn. This route was good at first but then became boggy above Loch Esk. It came on to rain, was windy so I didn't stop for lunch. The descent to Bachnagairn was lovely as the glen to the east came into view.

 

It was then a couple of miles to where I'd planned to camp but it wasn't really suitable so I carried on walking towards the Glen Doll car park. A short way before the car park I saw a couple of tents up to the right and went to have a look. It's not a great location but as a tarp pitch it will do. Nice view. I'd assumed my two neighbours were Challengers but they are not. They are friends up from near Glasgow for a few days walking and one uses a drone.

Storm damage

TGO Challenge Day 9 - 20 May2022

Walking 6.50am to 12.30pm

Distance walked 11 miles
Distance remaining 56 miles

Up and on my way early. A bit overcast but no sign of rain. A level walk along landrover track and tarmac all the way. At 4km from Mar Lodge Stables was the first notice of several by the roadside that tea and coffee (and hopefully more) were on offer. 

In fact, there were biscuits as well, but no cake. At the Stables were Grant and Lindsay who I'd met yesterday, Michael (who'd been at Melgarve bothy) and a new face, Dougie Symes. A very pleasant time spent.

I road walked into Braemar, rather than taking the undulating woodland route, and the views were good. I went straight to Braemar Caravan site and pitched, showered and shaved, had lunch and phoned home, not forgetting (but almost) to phone in to Challenge Control.

I then walked back to the village to resupply for the last few days to the coast.