New Valley Hills

Thames Path National Trail

Some background first. In 2022 at 55 having found I had a lot of time on my hands I was scouting around for a new hobby. Working in an office environment for decades had given me the usual musculoskeletal issues – lower back pain, minor RSI, poor posture. My parents had instilled in me a love of hill and British mountain walking, though this had been bashed out of me during the wage slave slog. What had been walking every weekend had turned into an occasional outing with some longer trips – of note 7 days Welsh Pembrokeshire Coast Path, 7 days in the Italian Dolomites, 7 days around French Cathar country and Carcassonne, Jbel Toubkal, Kilimanjaro, plus always walking on other holidays. The big three UK mountains have been walked and others. 

Desperate, literally, to enjoy walking while I could, as I saw my elderly parents’ health and physical vitality ebb away, I started pounding the local Mendip Hills. Cross-crossing them repeatedly I built some stamina and a desire to continue. Twice weekly walks with two friends Sandy and Pete got my love of walking flowing again. 

Autumn found me with Brother Ben on the Italian Via Francigena pilgrims route. 7 days of glorious southern Tuscany hiking staying in backpackers hostels and monasteries.

March 2023 started with 7 days at the Welsh Crickhowell Walking Festival.

I’d found my new habit! Dreaming of long distance hiking I found an affinity for the Pacific Crest Trail. Wow! How on earth was I going to do that? Train and practice that’s how. 

Decisions quickly fell into place:-

• Do an accessible long walk, longer than I’d ever done before, to test equipment, physical stamina and mental approach. The Thames route seemed a good one – 373 k over 16 days, flat, passing by shops, bus stops and train stations daily. Eastern start is 79 k away, easily accessible via public transport. 
• Follow with a more strenuous test of distance, time, and path difficulty. The English South West Coast Path starts 79 k from my home, again easily accept via public transport. At 1013 k it’ll be a real test of distance walking. PCT is 4265 k!

More on those later…

Back to the Thames.