The South Downs way part 1

The South Downs way. 100 miles from Winchester to Eastbourne

Welcome to the South Downs Way. 100 miles from Winchester to Eastborne. Done this one before about 5 years ago. I know what lies ahead. So, let’s get going. I’ve done seven national trails now. This still to this day is the one that gave me the most satisfaction finishing. You’d have thought maybe the coast path because it’s such a long one, but it’s it felt so fragmented fragmented that one, not being able to get the time off to do that in one hit. But this gave me the most satisfaction with finishing cuz I found it such hard work. Be interesting with more experience now if I still feel that way. I know it’s still going to be hard work because of the amount of food I’m carrying on this one. Um, and it is a lot of hills. The Cotswwell Way has got more elevation than this, but they tend to be bigger hills and spread out. So, you walk up a big hill, have a rest, and you forget about it. Whereas this one, it just seems to be constantly walking uphill for some reason. That was my overriding memory of it. A roller coaster of hills up one straight down and up another one straight down. So particularly with the coast path under me belt and how brutal that one is at times. Be interested to see if my perception changes of this one now. [Applause] We’re in about the 14 mile mark now. Honestly, it feels like more. I do remember the South Downs being quite quite tough, but uh yeah, it don’t feel like 14. It feels like near 18 19. Coming up to Old Winchester Hill now. I’ve just left Xton behind a couple miles back. Stopped in the pub for a a beer and a Coke. Very busy in there. Uh but I started to see some other South Downs Way hikers as well. A couple of groups, older boys there. One of the first ones I’ve seen all day. Oh, I’m hoping this is just a first day. Well, because I’ve done it before, it lacks that you’re not as inquisitive about the trail and you know what’s coming up. Takes the edge off it a bit maybe, but I’m struggling today. Finding it hard. This ahead is old Winchester Hill. South Downs goes down there. I’m going to take the path straight up the hill. As it’s my second time around, we’ll mix things up a bit. It’s a little bit shorter, but it’s much steeper, I’m going to imagine, because we’re attacking the hill head on, whereas the other path goes around the side, and you kind of half walk up the hill. Just on the top of Old Winchester Hill now. W steepest one of the day so far. I’m just trying to catch me breath, but there’s a nice breeze up here. It’s so hot today and it’s going to be warmer tomorrow. So, I think that’s why I would take the um walk a bit further today, set up early tomorrow when it’s a bit cooler and again do a few extra miles tonight when it’s cooler. I just had a look in the sustainability center to see if I could get a pitch for the night, but there’s no one there. I think everything’s pre-booking, but it said online it was fully booked. The place is empty. I know it’s 5:30 and many people might not have turned up yet, but come on. There’s room for lots of people to get in there, so that’s frustrating that I’m at Queen Elizabeth Country Park. I just got the stove on to get some dinner ready. Fire pot bolognese. I haven’t really recorded anything today. I am struggling to stay motivated. I think I’ve learned a lesson. Don’t walk a trail a second time that you weren’t blown away with the first time. I don’t know ever know what makes the edit on this, but the reason I chose it cuz I got six days off. I thought, what can I get to complete and get back and the weather was good for six days, so I wanted to use all six days. Plus, my two best mates live down this way and I wanted to meet up with them. But I have struggled to stay motivated all day, so I haven’t filmed anything. Yeah, I know I get this way when I have to wild camp cuz I don’t like it. I’m not maverick enough, but it’s this I’ve been like this way all day. Just can’t stay motivated. I’ve got a feeling I’ll probably get to Ambley and call it which is the halfway mark. That was the original plan to redo this this and redo this in the Cotswwell Bay, split them in half and just do over long weekends. I should have stuck to that plan, done something else this weekend, this week. I’ll feel better in the morning because I’m at a campsite tomorrow and it’s a short day, but it’s going to be hard when I get to Ambley at 50 mi not to walk away. Physically, I’m fine. I’m knackered, but fine. Nothing hurts. But knowing I’ve got 80 miles to go and I cannot be bothered. I think I made a mistake doing this one. We’ll see. Anyway, I’m gonna make this the last video for the night and me dinner. We’ll see how we do tomorrow. I know I’ll be better in the morning, but will I stay motivated for the whole day? Let’s see. Day two of the South Downs Way. I camped I’m right on the outskirts of the Queen Elizabeth Park. I camped just behind these trees. There’s a little ridge there with some lovely flat spots. So, I end up camping there. This is um the road that goes down to the cafe at the bottom of about 10-minute walk to the uh cafe. There used to be some like barbecuing car ports down there, but last time I did this, I camped in one of them cuz it rained heavy all night. And I just thought, you know what, I’ll cowboy camp in one of those. But they’ve gone there. They’ve turned them into mountain bike tracks. So, I knew this was up here. So, I thought I’d go there. And it turned out I think a park ranger came down at about4 to 10 last night. So it’s probably a good job I wasn’t in there cuz I got thrown out. But because I was behind these trees here, you couldn’t see the tent. After last night’s little wobble about pushing on with this whole trail, I’m hoping it was just cuz uh I was tired and I don’t like wild camping. Yeah, never have. Never been able to switch that thing off my brain that you shouldn’t be here. Although last night I actually had a really good camp. Probably one of the best wild camps I’ve ever had. I’ve never camped in the woods before. I’ve always camped in the corner of a field. Can’t park there, mate. [Music] I’m about 2 and a half, three miles outside of Cocking now. First flat bit of trail for quite some time actually. Um, this means I’m almost halfway for today and it’s only 10:00 and I’ve been really trying to kill time. Every time I see a bench or a log to sit on, I sit down for 20 minutes. I’m really going to have to string this out a little more. So, I might spend about an hour at the cafe just chilling out. But yeah, about 2, three miles to cocking and then five more miles to the campsite. I am all set up now. This is Littleton Farm campsite. I’m the only one here, which is good. That means no noise. 16 miles today. It’s quite hard. 16 miles. I’m hoping tomorrow, day three, my walking legs usually come in cuz I’m going to try for Truly Youth Hospital tomorrow. See if I can get something there, which is 21 miles. That’s the game plan for tomorrow. So, I’m going to sign off for the night, charge these batteries up, and I will see you tomorrow. Just leaving Littleton Farm campsite there. This is the southbounds way. So, it’s right on the trail. 21 miles today to um where am I going? This way. 21 miles today to Truly Youth Hostel. Going to have to stop somewhere and get some lunch. Don’t know where yet. There is a shop about 6 milesi from here, but cuz it’s 6:00 a.m. it might not be open. Online says it’s open at 8:30. When I Googled it, it said 9:00. So, I might have to take these next six miles pretty slow cuz otherwise there’s nowhere to get any food today. Just had another mile and a half long drag up a hill out of Liington Farm. This is how the South Dams kicks your butt. Not through big hills, through long drags like that. It’s amazing how much more it lifts your spirits when you just got some great views like this. I think way off in the distance here I can see quite a clear track which is probably the South Downs. But I can see a river down here which I know is it that means that must be Amberly. So that’s where we’re going to get some food. 7:00 now. The shop opens in 2 hours, so I might have to slow this down a bit. It’s a lovely morning. A little bit [Music] nippy, but it’s so much better now. The views have opened up. Ambble is about two miles down that way. It’s another one of those long ascents. God, they add up. Change of plan though. I got to Amberly and I took a chance and asked the lady if the shop was open. She goes, “Yeah, it must be open by now.” So, I went down there and it was got lucky there. It’s um it’s a good little shop. This is what makes the South Downs an easier walk. Drinking taps. And here you got a sign saying the next one’s 6 milesi that way, 7 milesi that way. Does help so much. We haven’t got to worry about water. And 6 milesi back to Ambley means we are about 12 to 13 miles into the day. And it’s 11:30. This is my digs for the night. I’m going to be honest. I was a bit reluctant to spend 50 quid on a bell tent, but it’s a comfortable bed for tonight. I’m looking forward to it. 21 miles today was actually really quite It went really well actually, really easily. I was a bit worried about today cuz I felt pretty battered after the 15. It probably wasn’t even 16 miles yesterday. I felt pretty battered by the time I was pitching the tent up. But today just Yeah, my walking legs kicked in. Went really well. Smashed the miles out. So, I’m hoping I can do the same tomorrow. There’s another 21 miles. And tomorrow there’s a couple of parts I really enjoyed last time Ditchking Beacon. I think it’s Furl Beacon as well. Really good parts they were. Um, so looking forward to tomorrow. The plan is 5 miles to the petrol station where I’ll get some breakfast in the morning and then just push on I think as quickly as I can like I did today because it’d be nice to get about an hour’s kip tomorrow at the youth hostel before I then shoot down to New Haven and meet friends for a drink. But I’m going to sign off for the night. Really good day today. be really pleased. Hopefully tomorrow will be the same. So I will see you tomorrow.