Contact Me: West of Bristol

Subject: Next
Posted: 1 Jul 2010 7:49 pm

Interesting contrast in reactions there, i'm amazed Mark has resisted Daryl's suggestion which is of course a very good one and i know i'm not the only one thinking about Jogle next year taking in some of the west coast.

The two finnishers i met both sounded like me,e.g. hum suppose it's over, doesn't really feel like it, retire to nearbye hotel and over pot of tea, it soon turned to how everyone was pleased with their own routes, then disscusion about routes not explored, places not visited. The seeds of journeys new were sown, this winter will reveal how they grow.

What to do next, well i've read much about how tough the south coast path can be as a lejog start, so have decided to give it ago, 630 miles of coast line, starting Monday (5th July), thanks for your time and idea's. The advice gained here got me there when on my own i would never have devised the route.

Same blog, iv'e just altered some of the settings and mad a copy of my lejog in a sub blog as a reader version.
Cheers J.P.

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Subject: West of Bristol - cracked!
Posted: 2 Jul 2010 1:27 pm

Many months ago I started this long-running post by asking if if was feasible to walk West of Bristol and on up the Severn, since very few people attempt this obvious route.

Well having completed my walk last Monday I can state clearly that it can be done. I would like to thank all of the people here who gave me valuable advice.

However, there are provisos that I would like to point out to anyone who wishes to follow this route:-

As Daryl May has mentioned previously, the couple of days walking South of Bristol is not enjoyable and very circuitous since you have to walk around lots of drainage ditches.
- see Day 18 2nd May on my blog where I had to go through a flooded service tunnel under the M5

Also if you are camping there are no campsites between Weston-super-Mare and Slimbridge (a distance of nearly 50 miles

Finally the bridge over the M5 North of Bristol has been knocked down. Although it only means a slight detour it is much easier if you know about this beforehand.
- see Day 19 3rd May where I wrote,
"A great start to the day. National Cycle Network Path took me from Portishead, over M5 bridge to cross the River Avon, and straight through the outskirts of Bristol. Then NCN Path 10/41 took me straight to my planned crossing over the M5 again to find that the bridge has been removed."

Having said all this I was pleased with my choice of route around Bristol and would repeat it, rather than go via The Cotswolds Way.

May I also point out to anyone who starts off by doing the South West Coast Path that the tales of its physical demands are not exaggerated. It is an absolute killer, much more demanding than The Pennine Way. On some days you are climbing 4000 feet of ascent. It was undoubtedly the highlight of my trip but I wish that my pack had been a lot lighter.

Pete (and Gyp)

http://gyptackleslejog.blogspot.com/

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Subject: Western route
Posted: 5 Jul 2010 6:57 pm

'I was pleased with my choice of route around Bristol and would repeat it, rather than go via The Cotswolds Way.'

I didn't doubt it for a minute, Pete (though it's great that it did turn out well). I found the Cotswold Way really frustrating when done as part of a longer walk; it's a great track for meandering about for meandering's sake, but when you're trying to cross a country, it's a bit frustrating. I dare say I'd feel the same way about the Southwest Coastal Path, though one day I'll have to find out for myself...

Mark

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Subject: To meander or not
Posted: 29 Jul 2010 11:17 pm

Mark,

I related to your comment "I found the Cotswold Way really frustrating when done as part of a longer walk; it's a great track for meandering about for meandering's sake, but when you're trying to cross a country, it's a bit frustrating."

What I discovered in walking Lejog or Jogle is that just about everyone has an opinion of where you SHOULD HAVE walked. They're basically short-distance hikers (no criticism intended) enjoying local scenery to the max. On the other hand, the long-distance hiker needs to GET THERE, and may reckon that 60 days or so is all he can give to it - while, to mix a metaphor, he gives it his all. In other words, no time or energy for dawdling. I infer that that's what you found in the Cotswold Way portion of your hike.

As much as I am able to defend my shortish routings, the adverse comments were quite incessant. Have you guys found the same?

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Subject: west of Bristol and adverse comments.
Posted: 1 Aug 2010 3:45 pm

I thought one of the great things about lejog was it had a start and finnish point, other than that people could devise their own routes for their own reasons and any would be interesting to read about.
This i believe proved true this year, i was very lucky to finnish with Andy green, we both appeared equally pleased with our own routes and interested in each others. I was very pleased indeed with my west of Bristol route but that dosn't mean others have to follow it, another time i may go further east for the differnt places that would include.

When given advice on what i should have done, i just thank people as i assume they qenuinely believe in that advice, i have met the same with advice on kit, e.g. i really should have walking poles or wear thick wooly socks, i don't do either but that dosn't mean they are wrong, it's just not how i do it.


This really is a great disscusion group and i thank everyone for making their blogs of their journey just that.

Cheers J.P.

PS. Pete suggested the coast path was tougher than the pennine way, I AGREE, i sure have lost some sweat on it so far.

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Subject: Personal opinions
Posted: 3 Aug 2010 1:38 pm

I agree - I love the fact that the only rule of LEJOG is that you start at Land's End and finish at John o'Groats (and vice versa for JOGLE). Some people like walking along roads for the whole way, some avoid roads like the plague, some believe in conquering mountains en route, some stick to flat canals... and that's half the fun, I reckon.

I don't get much stick for the route I chose, as the route I chose is fairly easy to justify - it takes the main national trails heading north and strings them together, so people tend to understand the reasoning. What I do get stick for is the fact that I hated the Pennine Way, but that's fair enough; I'm not exactly polite about it.

Mark

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