Legs like lead and not a good day to make squirrelly mistakes, which I did

Day 6 Walking

Kington to Knighton

Officially 13.50 miles, but probably did 17

8 hours

Last night on BBC 4 watched a program about the disaster on K-2 in 2008. Many perished. Part of the problem was poor decisions and tiredness.

Everyone continues about their business in the rain. Great rain covers on strollers (prams).

Cups with literary bent

At breakfast today (porridge with fresh fruits, a warm crusty REAL croissant with butter and raspberry preserves) had an interesting conversation with the Australian couple. They are retired from various jobs with the Environmental organization in Sidney. He put Vegemite on his toast. And it was not just an egg salad sandwich yesterday they were eating in the church, it was a tuna and egg salad, which they were surprised to find rather tasty.

When I left home a week ago I wore old clothes for traveling that were destined to be discarded that first Night in Chepstow, instead decided to continue wearing them for the first day of walking as it was pouring rain. That night the pants were left at the Florence Hotel, but decided to get more use out of the shirt. After all, within 10 minutes of walking each morning I was completely soaked in sweat so a clean shirt wouldn't have mattered, and because the waterproof jacket was on all the time, nobody even saw what was worn. Not that anyone looked or cared. And it has been worn everyday since. Well, tonight the shirt is put in the trash.

Slept in England last night, not quite sure which county I am sitting in now.

Learned the difference between a rabbit and a hare. Hares hold their tails down when running on their large hind legs and live in nests above ground. Rabbits have white under their tail which is held high when running away, and live in burrows underground. Saw two small rabbits today.

Probably not visible to anyone except me, but on the distant ridge line are the Monkey Puzzle trees from yesterday where the wild ponies were.

Set off ahead of the Aussies this morning after first buying a Cornish pasty at a little bakery (lunch finally) and climbed and climbed. All was going well except for the first time I felt tired all over.

Baa baa

The legs felt like lead had been poured into them. Plod on and up. Missed a turn in the trail because of a confusing sign and went Down through three pastures. Realized it didn't seem quite right. Returned UP to the top of three steep pastures. Look at the sign once again. Decide I was correct and went back down 3 steep pastures. Climbed over fences and after two more fields came to a gate with a trail symbol on it - it was the WRONG trail. Studied map and thought to follow that trail to where it came out at a road and then follow that road back, but - what if I was not where I thought I was on this new trail??? Could end up even further off course. Decided to take a forest track that showed up on the map and head straight west where about 1.5 miles later - merged with Offa's Dyke.

Trudge on. Ate Cornish pasty sitting on a rock. Missed a sign arrow pointing where to go and went to wrong side of pasture. Another hiker had come down from the high country and waved me towards where I should be. Follow man

Cornish Pasty

Later caught up to man as he was sitting on a bench by the road. Sat with him and ate the Cadbury bar to celebrate turning the map over for the day. Halfway for today. He was from New Zealand and his wife was supposed to be hiking the Dyke with him, but on the way to the airport she fell and hurt her knee, so was not walking at all. What a bummer.

All day the weather varried between sunshine and rain. Very much mountain like. Kept the hood on most of the day. Mid afternoon a VERY DARK CLOUD MASS formed that covered a good half of the sky (and there is a Lot of sky to be seen from up there). Looked like a giant tornado type cloud except it was too cold for that.

I was way up on open ridge sheep land when suddenly the wind picked up, drops began to fall, came to the next trail sign which showed 3 other trails meeting and branching off, but Offa's Dyke was not clearly marked. Suddenly pounding rain that quickly turned to hail. Decided to just get this body down off that open land to the valley below. Went straight down through pastures of sheep, climbed fences, and tried to hold the hood up to keep covered as much as possible the face to keep the hail from beating me too hard. Climbed through into a pasture with cows huddled under some trees to escape the hail. But when I entered their space they came running over and ran in a clustered clump around me. I yelled. Kept going down and down.

Lawn furniture outside home in Knighton

After half an hour reached the valley floor where there was a little settlement. The storm had passed and the sun out once Again.

Decided to continue by road which was tricky as it was narrow with fast cars. Whenever one approached this body would leap up on to the narrow edge, and if no narrow edge, would stand still and suck all of me in as far away from the cars as I could get. Not a good situation!!

After two miles of road walking the Dyke path crossed the road and of course I gratefully got back to trail walking. Two miles further and Knighton was reach.

Found the George and Dragon where I am staying in a converted Stable. Have been stretched out with tired and sore feet elevated (think a blister is happening to the left heel - not good). Soon will venture to look for food.