Skunk Cabbage

Living somewhere flat does pose a few problems for a hill walking chap.

To get fit for the hills I have been trying to follow Chris Highcock’s excellent Hill Fit guide on a bi-weekly basis, and I am pretty sure things are improving on the strength front.

On the stamina front it’s more of a struggle. This year’s route is a bit of a toughie and so “something has to be done!” With no hills to beetle up and down I am left with just distance work. Under my old normal routine with Lord Elpus, we would by now be walking every Sunday about twelve miles or so with loaded rucksacks, scaling the Suffolk Munros.

Without the hills, I have been increasing the distance and now manage, pretty comfortably, a giddy fourteen miles. But, with no rucksack. Today’s stroll was more or less the same as Saturday’s with a slight deviation at Virginia Water to take in these wonderful chaps:

I knew you would be impressed. I got my feet quite muddy so I could be in the right spot to take this picture, so you had better be appreciative.

There have been rumblings from my fellow challenge team members (Andy & WeeWillyWilky) about the annual PreWalkDaunder. Nothing had been organised as possible hospital appointments might clash with dates chosen. But as the Royal Berkshire and Addenbrookes don’t seem to be able to talk with each other, we have picked a date anyway. The summit team will be heading off when all the little brats will be back at school children will be gainfully employed learning how to fill in Job Seekers Allowance forms at school, leaving the hills empty, save for ourselves. We don’t want any nasty children pointing and laughing at us, see.

Of course, it wouldn’t be the same without Lord Elpus and so he has manfully accepted the role of chaperone, in case a coven of three (or more, the more the merrier!) nubile lovelies wish to take advantage of three balding fat blokes.

We have dates, a rough idea of where we are going, so now we just need a route. It needs to start at a pub…