Tism

Logistics, reflections, and random trail thoughts As I went along the trail my mind would wander more than my legs and I thought I’d share some of those mental threads. There’s also a few bits and bobs about how we did the trail and what we learned along the way.  Clothing A couple of MVPs from the wardrobe that deserve a shout out. First off, they say it’s inevitable you will hit some rain on the trail and we opted for poncho style rain coats. The style we used have extra space so that you can throw them over your backpack, keeping both you and your stuff dry. The added benefit being that you had a bit of extra airflow around your legs. So even though the fabric doesn’t breath we never felt wet from sweat. 10/10. Would recommend.  Poncho in action For hiking we both really loved our long sleeve sun protection shirts. Fortunately the styles have evolved beyond “day-at-the-beach” chic and we felt comfortable wearing them as our smarting-casual clothing too. Another bonus was th...

Heddon-on-the-wall to Wallsend Today was a big day. It was a big day in distance but more importantly it was the day we finished the Hadrians Wall Path. The excitement, the relief, the euphoria; finishing the hike had all those emotions and more.  But let’s back up to the start of the day.  Getting started Our bunkhouse offered a simple but nutritious breakfast of muesli, yogurt and fruit which was enough to get us started on our way. It was a short walk back to the wall path and we were on familiar territory once more.  Starting the last day Leaving rural paths As a wise man once said: “be bold, start cold” so even though it was a cool morning we donned shorts and light clothing to start things off.  The first part of the walk was actually quite pleasant as we strolled the village and made our way down the valley to the River Tyne. At this point we joined a wide, paved path that meandered along the river, with lots of tree cover and no breeze to speak of.  Sce...

Chollerford to Heddon-on-the-Wall Another restful night of sleep and we were up and packing for day 5 on the wall. Our hotel offered a buffet breakfast along with al a carte hot food so I opted for eggs Benedict. I did get my black pudding fix last night so I could forgo the full English breakfast.  This morning was also an opportunity to check in with our fellow travellers with whom we have come to know over the last few days.  Bryan and David from Iowa were looking for an easy day ahead while John and Deb from Indianapolis were reminiscing about their 10hrs on the wall the day before. As for us, we had a lazy day ahead to Heddon-on-the-wall. With bellies full and friendships replenished we started east.  Setting out from the George Hotel The terrain now is generally flat but we did still face a steady ascent to start the day. From there it’s mostly been farmers fields, footpaths by the road and the occasional forested path.  Walking by the road was less than ideal ...

Steel Rigg to Chollerford  Yesterday was a big day. I don’t think my blog post for day 3 really captured what a grind it was. The scenery was spectacular but the distance was long and the cumulative elevation gain was relentless. However the way the wall climbed up and down the Rigg (ye olde word for ridge) made for the real essence of what walking the wall is all about.  With all that being said, we slept incredibly soundly last night - almost a full 12 hours each and whatever vestiges of jet lag remained have been kicked to the ether.  Our breakfast today was unphotographed so you’ll have to imagine the banana, porridge and croissant with instant coffee. I’m sure you can. Since our accommodations was a bit off the path, our walk on the wall started with about a 1 kilometer hike straight up as a warm up. Our aching muscles probably needed it but we would have been happy to forgo the extra distance.  All smiles at the start of the wall Today we started along the terr...

Walton to Steel Rigg The day ahead was yet to be revealed when we dragged ourselves out of our cozy bed. Looking over the misty valley from our vantage at the old vicarage we could see low cloud and the threat of rain. The forecast had um, forecast much the same so we prepared ourselves mentally for a day with a few curve balls.  Leaving Walton I enjoyed yet another traditional English breakfast and Gloria tasted some lovely fresh fruit and yoghurt and granola for breakfast. The hosts at the old Vickerage are truly wonderful people and I recommend this accommodation.   Breakfast of champions  Breakfast for losers Today was an early start and we were hiking by 7:45 AM and we know that today will be a big day.    The terrain was quite a bit different too; initially more rolling hills trending towards hilly ascents and descents over the ridges.    Previously the terrain has been quite flat. Today however gave us a bit of everything; a mix of walking ...