Anxiety no. 1 - will there be cows?

I have an aversion to cows - well bullocks, cows, or anything that looks bovine really. I find it especially alarming when I come cross them blocking my way as I can only recall stories of people being trampled to death by them. Perhaps its irrational - after all, if they were truly dangerous they wouldn't be allowed in fields with footpaths .... would they? My instinct is not to take the risk, even if the alternative is to climb over barbed wire to get away from them. 

But what will I do if I have people with me? I have been told that the way to tackle it is to stand with your arms wide and to make yourself look as big as possible. Not sure how that helps but hopefully it's advice I won't need.

One final practice walk

 

My six days of walking is getting closer by the hour and my instinct was to have an easy weekend to make sure I didn’t jinx the whole thing by pulling a muscle climbing a stile or falling down a hole and breaking something. But I also feel that the more training I do the better prepared I will be, so when I spotted that there was a walk arranged for Nesscliffe with the Shropshire 1000 milers, I decided I would go along.

Nescliffe is on my doorstep so I walk it regularly as my “go-to” hill to climb.

But this was a longer walk and quite a different route from the one I normally take so I was interested to see where that would take us. Walking with the group brought extra interest with two very well behaved young children and a stop in the café in Ruyton XI Towns. The weather was fabulous, best day of the bank holiday weekend so it was the perfect way to spend a Saturday and another 6½ miles under my belt.

6kms, 6 bridges - Sunday in Shrewsbury

 

Another gorgeous day – perfect for a walk. But after such a long day yesterday I decided I should have an easier one today. I had spotted that the Food Hub was arranging a self-guided “Walk against waste” in Shrewsbury so decided to give it a go.

I didn’t need a map of course, these were routes and paths I have walked many, many times before but I was very happy to be supporting the Food Hub and the route they planned was pretty.

I have lived in Shrewsbury for more than half my life and I love it! It is such a beautiful town that people come here on holiday and decide to come back to live here so I am very lucky to call it home. But I don’t often take time to appreciate it, dashing as I do, between errands or shopping. But today I had the time to wander at will and take it all in, reliving a few memories: the swimming pool where I learned to swim; the library where I had my first holiday job (and decided that I didn’t want to be a librarian after all); the Castle where I got married and the Lion Hotel where we had our Reception. It really was the most self-indulgent morning for a long time.

Art has started to spring up all over the place so I went “off-piste” for a while to take a few photos and ended up walking nearer 8kms than 6. But so worth it.

 

Time for a longer walk - and a trip down Memory Lane

While I was researching Oswald's Trail (Day 2 of my upcoming trek) I fell down one of those rabbit holes on the internet (as you do) and came across the rail rambler’s organisation. I noticed they were doing a 9 mile walk today around my old stomping ground in Wales, and decided to give it a try. I bought my train ticket to Ruabon and turned up on Shrewsbury Station with little idea of what to expect. Would there even be anybody else there? I need not have worried, there were 17 assembled on the platform, easily recognisable by their walking boots and backpacks.

Over the years many people have said to me “Oh I couldn’t sign up to walk/go on holiday/share a room/tent with a bunch of strangers like you do!”. Well, yes it can be a bit daunting but it has never gone wrong for me yet and walking with a group of strangers is more fun than walking alone with less chance of getting lost! 

As always, the group members were very friendly and welcoming with interesting stories to tell. The train journey flew by and before I knew it, we were spilling onto the platform in Ruabon, site of many an arrival and departure when we lived in Rhosllanerchrugog.

 

The walk was delightful, lots of really pretty and varied terrain, some very interesting stiles to negotiate, and a welcome finish in the lovely pub by the station. I was amazed that all this had been on my doorstep for 20 years and I never realised or made use of it.

And with a much longer day of walking walking ticked off with no ill effects, I am feeling more confident about my upcoming trek.

Rodney's Pillar - a workout for the legs - and the lungs!

 I am very fond of Rodney's Pillar. I can see it from my back garden and I love the way that group of hills strides along the horizon, finishing with a spike as though a hand is raising a victorious sword into the sky. Certainly every time I get breathlessly to the top, I feel like doing the same, shouting "I've done it!" (which of course I never would).

I don't usually do climb it alone but it was Good Friday afternoon, gorgeous weather and too late to ask anyone to come with me so, on impulse, I set off on my own, activating my phone location settings just in case I fell down a ravine or unexpectedly got blown off the top. I needn't have worried - there were LOADS of people around, almost too many to get a spot in the car park.

It didn't disappoint - its a steep slog the whole way, especially taking the footpaths rather than sticking to the road, but the 360 degree views are so worth it, even if they don't photgraph well. 

And the walk back down is so much easier.

Happy Easter!