Philip's Walk Statistics
Walked 480 km
Climbed 19500 ft
43 sketches/watercolours
in 24 days
longest day walk 38km
rucksack 25lbs
best sustained walking in Picos 100km in 3.5 days with 8000 ft of ascent and about the same (unmeasured) descent
worst moment - in the dentist chair
best moment - 5 minutes after leaving dentist chair
next best moment- walking into France in the Basque country
most amusing night - in a monastery with 75 others for 6 euros-lights out and silence at 10.15
worst meal- 3 oz of rice and dried dates cooked in a grotty pan
best meal- Auberge de la Place - Cazals
most fulfilling rest - Marminiac
most lonely moment- Sierra Gredos 4pm and still climbing with no end in site, poor map and village about 20km away.
Most annoying moment- missing an evening bus in Pamplona
most fortuitous moment- getting a 36 km hitch from Pamplona and overtaking the bus.
Nicest rendezvous- the Culm valley inn
30th April
Here we are crossing the channel and I must say a big thank you to all the romilly supporters including those along the way who threw euros at me and made the staying and eating all the more comfortable.
There is no correlation between price and hospitality: for just 8.55 euros for a bed in a refuge everything was brilliant to ten times that amount at 88euros in a Parador where there wasn't a proper smile and the service was appalling and I had to get out of there by 6.30am as I couldn't sleep!
Thanks to those who walked with me and for the effort to seek out the time and energy.
Yes an adventure for me and thanks very big to my family for waiting and keeping the home fires burning.
A message to anyone with the wish to do something different-do it now!
Bye everyone and thanks again.
Details about sketches will go out later by post.
29th April
To have anticipated over 20 days of rain on the trip would have been pessimistic but in Baden-Powellesq fashion I was prepared and today, my final day is no exception. I am soaked and I hope Brittany Ferries have turned on the hot water. Northern France is lovely and verdant with everything on the brink of summer. I much prefer the southern parts of France as the darker stone on the buildings and more intensive farming make for a less sympathetic mix of people, field patterns and ugly roads and aerials. .
The port is like any other on a blustery spring evening. I have found my boat which looks older than me but should do the job if my arms don't give up: but then my legs haven't yet. See you on the other side.
The sun and the rain over Breton Country contrive to get me very wet as we approach the north coast of France . Alas the sun is beaten into a grey sky by the hail!
29 Arriving in Brittany from the south starts to remind me of Devon with the wooded valleys and the agriculture looks a little moire intense than the I have seen for a few weeks. The clouds look rather English but on the whole I was in the dry end up at the place Pope Jean Paul II held his French mass at Ste Ann. D' auray. So now at Melrand with one day to go before ferry.
28th April
Sorry don't think this worked in the Lot . Last three days now. Spent half an hour in lovely sun with Rom and Josephine on Saturday. Did a Vtt xcountry ride Sunday and had supper with Ann Thorpe. Will be in Brittanuy by 2.30 and staying with muy brother tonight. On boat on Tuesday night. I don't think there will many at the pub on Weds so if its all a big effort then please duck it. Good to see at least one face I know if you do make it!
27th April
Today was a day to march with the French but they do it on VTT bikes. Registering for the 9am start with Charles and Alex Loftie we set off down the myriad of tracks in this part of the Lot valley. All premarked with red arrows. Certainly uses different muscles and the seat is so uncomfortable without padded pants. Now leaving Lot for long leg to Brittany by train and the last two days in France .
Saturday 26th.
Today we walked to Marminiac with Alice Loftie. Through meadows and pine woods on the hottest day at 26 degrees with soaring buzzards on the thermals. Took late luch in a local auberge before retiring hurt to have an afternoon sketching.
Glorius day walking from the Lot to Les Arques which is a tiny village where old friends Loftie family live. Spring flowers and warm sunshine covering 27km - back in shorts and tee shirt wanting to discard all that wet weather gear on my back.
Walking in the heat in the Lot requires a litre of water an hour. Eau Portable is very welcome. And this a novel way to reload to save unpacking. Note lunch strapped for an unsquashed variety today!
25th April
a journey in air conditioned bliss to get north. Slightly panicing as to where to stay on the GR 36 out of Cahors as there appeared to be nothing en route ( but of course there always is). Rang The Marie in Luzech on the River Lot and was offered gites d'etap-did I need sheets? Oh yes please? When would I arrive as the Marie closed at 7? No problem about my 8.30 arrival as the keys and sheets with full instructions would be left in a box to the right of the window in front of the Marie. Pay the 12 euro in the morning and the local restaurant would be asked to keep some food hot for the traveller. Marvellous. Alas got in much too late as miscalculated distance but a sunset was great to see after a month! Rice and dried fruit mellange just went down a treat
23rd April
went through 'nothing to declare' but no-one about at the border and so Navara Spain behind - the warming sun of Pyrenees Atlantic ahead. St -Jean-Pied-de-Port is where many start their pilgrimage to Santiago and I have never seen such a concentration of 50 something year olds with backpacks and a grimace on their faces as they strike south. All nationalities shapes and sizes. Pate baguette is certainly better than a Hamon Tapas. Sun is properly warm for first time all trip.
Had last Spanish breakfast in this monastery before settin g up the Pyrenees on the Camino Santiago for 27km.
22nd April
Leaving the Picos by the 9am bus was sad but with a feeling of some real walking accomplished with Nick Allan who was determined to meet his 100km target. Arrived in Pamplona to catch the evening bus up into Basque Pays which straddles the Pyrenees and on advice of a local found refuge for 8.55 Euros for the night. Extra thick bean pottage and lamb stew a little extra but they threw in the purple vino Tinto. I took this picture as I left the main road - 25km from France and that's just over that hill so that's the target for tomorrow . The area full of keen walkers carrying out the Santiago Way . Just can't wait to get a decent meal in France and perhaps some weather with it.
After yesterdays marathon which have now calculated to be about33km with 1725m of climb, we took a more gentle walk to total about 15/18km for the day mostly in rain though dry as we walked in. So that's about 90km of hill walking since 4pm last friday. Snow drifts, wind and rain are the biggest threats and at times it has been very cold. We found a hotel with baths that are long enough to lie in and that has helped rebuild the energy and revive muscles in starting each new Picos day. Onto Pamplona and the Pyrenees tomorrow. Nick clocking some kms so as to exceed the 100 for his trip and before the afternoon flight to London
Today was a mamouth task of over 30 km in the Picos. Spectacular gorge. And being forced to retreat due to snow and ice and the mountain being closed. Nick and I overtake the locals pace and only booked into the Hostal at 8.15 Pm but all ok. I had wild boar gruel and Nick Goats neck and butter beans. All very necessary after 9hrs on mountain in rain and shine but shorts were just great
18th April
The last 6km went wrong tonight as I took wrong turn but complete magic verdant countryside with these mini grain stores. Luckily the Spanish eat late; and so Organic chicken and soup for supper in Posada del Vallee, a place for romantics food lovers and mad hill walkers. Alastair Sawday apparently agrees. The only problem we have now is circumventing the un melted snow of the Picos
17th April
Today it was lowland walking through dog barking farms and unmarked tracks. I literally took a compass bearing and tried to stick to it which ended up in some funny corners. One man profered a map which was useful for 2km. Eric Newby wrote a book called the Long Straight Track and I found it in Spain (see photo). Piling over the now dusty tracks ending today at Infiesto
16th April
Well the last couple of days I felt like Laurie Lee, wondering through the midland area missing out Vadalloid but hitting Leon, one of those really great cities that you don't get in the UK . Space, low on cars,utterly clean and relatively inexpensive. Last night I had fresh Sardines and Pimentos which were exquiste. Mind you I needed to be in a bar with a drink as at 6pm I found myself in a dentist chair with severe toothache. Language was a barrier but with diagrams and the word nerve we got to it. Walked through old mining areas and today onto the edge of the Picos Europa
15th April
Passed half way mark oin Spain . Headed for Leon and the Picos Europa. Weather holding, rain predicted
Rain and mist lifted to reveal a gem of an evening
14th April
White bunnies above the snowline - just.
Today was the most arduous yet with 4500 feet of ascent and 2000 decent over the Gredos to a wonderful high village of Hoy but no where for supper. Wonderful view of what took me 9 hours
13th April
High in the Gredos the mist jas come down over the snowcaps but hope to see them tomorrow. This hostal, no more than a room above a bar has its own balcony with view of hill and within touching distance of the Castille
12th April
7.30 am Saturday leaving andalucian hills. We were each given an orange and a Jamon sandwich for breakfast before boarding the punctual train to Seville ......for lunch of course!!
Leaving cortes. Yesterday we walked from the hoizon fiirst sun of trip
10th April
Most roads lead to Rome but this one only led to. Cortes. On the unusually straight and steep Roman road at the end of wet day where we are holed up watching a bullfight in a bar before retiring to an appartment James just hired for 50 bucks
James arrives to join Philip trying to walk on water
7th April
Eventually I found the path
7th April
Started at San Roque just north of Gibralta boasts a deslolate railtrack two Palm trees and a boillowy cold day so to the hills
31st March
Spring snow training in the alps with family before setting off south by train from Moutiers
28th March
Devon
10.48 blast off! To london
27th March 08
Devon
