East End Girls on the Thames

June's walk saw the East End girls on another section of the Thames Path, this time from Tilehurst, west of Reading to Cholsey. It was a 12.5 mile route that had a mile trek to the station at the end.

This photo was taken at Pangbourne, from the bridge over the river - it was so still and peaceful. The bridge is a toll bridge but thankfully not to pedestrians.

We had our morning coffee in a lovely deli/coffee shop in the village.

I only noticed when I downloaded the photos, that this one tells a lot of the story so far. This was taken at Mapledurham Lock where we had a loo and refreshment break - vital to walkers wellbeing!

It has to be pointed out though that we did come from further than Central London. In fact rather than starting at the Thames Barrier, we began our quest at the Woolwich foot tunnel and have to date covered approx 103 miles of the 184 mile National Trail - http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/.

Our next section in July will see us pick up the trail at Cholsey and walk to Culham. We hope to have finished by the end of September although the 4 last sections will necessitate a long weekend as public transport is virtually non exsistent.

As usual we had the great walking weather we come to expect and great view and scenery to enjoy.

It was great to welcome Claire Chapman (on the right with Cajsa and Chris) on her first walk and hopefully it won't be her last. It was also good to have our local expert Lindsey, who was able to get us to just the right pub in Goring at lunch time, one we wouldn't necessarilly have found on our own. Thanks.

The chips were great and eating in the frest air is so good , as is knowing that you've earned these and are going to walk them off again after.

Whitchurch on Thames, on the other side of the bridge from Pangbourne, is very pretty. It has a beautiful church - here are the girls in the church yard.

The Thames Path, contrary to what you may believe is not all flat. On this walk, we left the water at Whitchurch on Thames, such a pretty place, and headed up and along a ridge where the path, at times, followed a roller coaster style.

Here's Lindsey, Cajsa and Teresa leading the way up to the ridge. Great to get a different view of the Thames from here, it's changed so much through the course of it's journey.

I wonder what we'll be doing once we finish this challenge.

Maggie's London Night Hike

If you missed out on getting into the Moonwalk, then you might want to try Maggie's London Night Hike. It's 20 as opposed to 26.3 miles long and easier to sign up for. No, I haven't done it but it looks fun and those bacon sannies at the finish line do tempt.

It's on September 18th and kicks off with a party. Sounds like a good night out. Grab a few friends, make up a team and go have some fun knowing you're doing it all for a very good cause. Find out more - http://tinyurl.com/ogp5dt

Story Of London Walking Weekend, London

Bringing London to life with over 150 walks, this weekend of meanders takes in 2,000 years of history, with Blue Badge Guides leading tours that can take you from the Romans to the 2012 Olympics.

It's a case of pick your subject or pick your area of the city, as you can choose between literature, feminism, architecture or medicine, with everywhere from Edmonton to Lambeth covered.

Transport enthusiasts may enjoy Trains, The Tube And Texts, while those with darker tastes can opt for Burnings, Beheadings and Bodysnatchers from St Paul's.

Some walks are being led in Russian, Polish and Japanese.

Find out more - london.gov.uk/storyoflondon

Walking the Petworth House 20 Mile Pink Ribbon Walk

Yes, I need you.

On June 27th, that's just three weeks away, I'm walking 20 miles in one of Breast Cancer Care's Pink Ribbon Walks. This is the first time I've done one of these and my team of 6, including me, have been training hard. We've done as many as 23 miles so we're all going to complete the walk and in the usual East End Girls Style.

We all love to walk and we're also passionate about using our walking talent to help others. We met when I ran training walks to train local women to do the 60K Aviva Breakthrough to Breast Cancer walk in 2006 and as a result of that formed a fabulous women only walking group. Now we walk once a month at least.

We've all had friends or family who have had this disease, some have survived, some haven't. I've seen a couple of female colleagues not even reach their 40th birthday, 2 children at my daughter's primary school left without a mum, and just over a year ago a close friend lost her battle against this disease which takes away too many wonderful women in the prime of their lives when they have so much to give. Happily, I've also seen wonderful women overcome it and bloom even more as a result of having to face their own mortality much earlier than expected.

I need you to sponsor me and help fund services and support, research and publicity so that this tragic loss of life can be prevented.

Just click on this link - http://www.justgiving.com/heatherwaring1 and follow the instructions.

Thanks so much

Heather

The Wandle Trail

I haven't tried this trail out yet, in fact I only just found out about it, and only then because it's not featured in the Rough Guide to Walks in London and Southeast England. Someone doing a review of the book was rather annoyed that their favourite walk wasn't included and being the curious person I am , I decided to investigate.



The Wandle Trail is a good one day walk for a seasoned walker as it's 14 miles long (20km) and it gets its name from the River Wandle which it follows from Croydon to the Thames at Wandsworth.



Having walked loads in and around London with my East End Girls - http://www.walkerscoach.com/meeting_others.htm I'm not at all surprised to hear that the walk "allows you to enjoy the heritage, flora and fauna of this typical chalk stream in the heart of some of south London’s most industrialised landscape".



The trail is mainly off-road and passes through the London Boroughs of Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth. As it's in built up areas there are of course points where you can access public transport and there are numerous cafes, pubs and restaurants where you can have a break and recharge. There are also local attractions such as Merton Abbey Mills, Deen City Farm and Wandsworth Museum and the Wandle Trail Art Programme is providing numbered gateways, viewing platforms and distinctive waymarkers. A travelling ‘waste wall’ will be the focus of community rubbish collection events - Wandle Trail arts website . In fact it sounds like the kind of trail you could do bot by bit over a number of weekends to take everything in.



The river has been used since the industrial revolution and is dotted with mills, offering glimpses into local history. More than ten parks and green spaces lie on the route, providing a great opportunity to see local wildlife and escape the hustle and bustle of south west London.



The Wandle Trail partners (the London Boroughs of Sutton, Merton and Wandsworth, Groundwork Merton and Sustrans) have published a map leaflet which shows links to other cycle routes and public transport - Wandle Trail leaflet and map


Finally there are places where the ground is uneven which makes the trail difficult for wheelchair users and even those with prams but improvement work is in progress. The leaflet describes alternative routes for wheelchair users and people with limited mobility, where necessary.

Heading to Mallorca? Ideas for walking and hiking.

It's not all nightclubs and parties, take yourself away from the coast and you can find yourself in a very different world where there are breathtaking views and fantastic walking and hiking. The island offers walking for all ages and abilities.

The first thing that caught my eye was the existence of the Dry Stone Route which is a 90 kilometre path, much of which dates back to the Moorish occupation of the island, on which you can walk the length of the island. I love walks like this.

The island’s best walking region is said to be around Lake Cuber which is a man made reservoir in the Sierra Tramuntana. Like many other similar reservoirs, in drought times, you can still make out the outline of the settlement which was flooded. In this area you can see falcons, ospreys, black vultures with a near three metre wing span and even eagles circling the peaks. If you like circular walks, Lake Cuber offers one of the best offering a rugged, steep downhill path which leads to the first of a network of tunnels housing the irrigation pipes bringing freshwater from the mountains into the reservoir. You'll need stout boots and torches on this walk as you have to make you way through the five tunnels which are dark and uneven. Worth it though as the views, on emerging from the tunnels are stunning. From this point it's back towards the Lake again and more wonderful sights.

Another recommended walk is along the cliffs from Soller to the fashionable town of Deiá. This walk takes you past Robert Graves’ house. In the centre of Deiá try out the tapas and then walk or take the bus back to your starting point - guess it depends on how much sherry or Sangria you've had!

If you are looking for more strenuous hikes then you might want to try out some of the paths built by the Austrian Archduke Louis Salvador. These paths take walkers to the foot of peaks, like the Teix (1060m), from where you can see the entire coastline – from Soller to Valldemossa.

Finally for the fit and/or adventurous how about the six hour descent down through the Torrent de Pareis, through gorges and across massive boulders, to the sea. There are fixed iron rings and ropes to ease your way down but you would be advised to bring your own ropes just in case. You can stop at Sa Fosca, a subterranean cave and lake complex which offers potholing adventures for the experienced. Do take loads of water especially when the weather is hot as people have died from dehydration in the oven like atmosphere in the gorge in the summer. If you make it to the end, your reward lies in plunging into the sea at Sa Calobra.

The best months for walking are January, April and May, September, October and November so plenty of scope for you this year or add it to the plan for next. I'm just salivating at the thought of all the possibilities and in true East End girl style I'm looking forward to the stops to people watch, enjoy the food and the odd glass of wine too.

Yosemite's Half Dome.

I visited Yosemite for the first, and only time so far, in July 2007 and loved it. The whole experience made me realise just how insignificant I am in the scheme of things as everything was so huge and I, so small. This wasn't a bad realisation as it brought home to me the need to get less caught up in the small things that didn't really matter.

We spent 3 days in the park getting a feel for it, following some of the trails, spotting wildlife, including a bear and marvelling at the wonderful scenery.

For me, a walker, I just wanted to take off and hike but this wasn't really the right time for the big ones and on my 'to do' list is definitely the plan to return for the sole purpose of hiking the longer trails.

One hike that appealed took in the majestic Half Dome which I got to see from a number of places in the Park and I was able to get different perspectives on this amazing Rock Outcrop. Some day.

Today I read that on May 15th, just yesterday, the cables to the summit of Half Dome have been installed which now enables the completion of a grueling 17-mile round-trip hike during which hikers gain 4,800 feet of elevation and are treated with stunning views of Vernal and Nevada falls. Oh, I want to go......

The route means that after passing the falls, weary travelers reach the cables and are close to the goal of the trek. The series of metal cables are placed on Half Dome's steep granite shoulder and are an aid to help hikers reach the summit. It's a popular trail and as you can see, the route is sometimes crowded.

If you are planning on walking the trail, Yosemite advises taking appropriate precautions and be prepared for rapidly changing weather. Rain, thunder and lightning are all common in the Sierra Nevada, especially in summer and fall, and hikers should not attempt to summit the dome when lightning appears possible.

Enjoy this place and Half Dome and whether you hike it or just view it, you will be amazed.