The Goat Track

I joined the Shepherd’s Walks festival volunteer walks leaders at 10.00 on Saturday morning in the National Park car park at Alwinton. Russell the Ranger promised us a challenging day in the hills with an emphasis on group management and safety. This was the final day of training for the prospective leaders – having been through a programme which included map and compass navigation and first aid. As Jon, from Shepherd’s Walks, gave them their bright new walks leader fleeces, waterproof notepads and survival bags they began to realise that the festival was coming up fast and they were soon to be expected to lead the public, many for the first time.

The volunteers explained to me that they had been recruited from the Morpeth Footpaths Society. They were all keen walkers, getting out and about at least once a week. Ahead of us was a 10-mile walk… in the summer heat… in the Cheviots. But, I resisted the temptation to get back in the car and drive home. On with the sun-tan cream and hat and we were away.

Russell had named this walk the “Goat Track”. The route, or a variation on it, appears in the Rothbury Walking Festival on Wednesday 17th June. I would certainly recommend it.

As the name suggests, there is an element of altitude involved in the walk and one of the themes of the day was how to manage a group where not all participants feel able to complete the walk as originally planned. What do you do when someone in the group feels too nervous to continue? Or what would happen if there was an accident in the hills and the group had to split up?

Adding to the challenge of the walk was that big bright light in the sky. Probably one of the hottest days of the year so far – we needed to protect ourselves from sunburn and de-hydration and learn to watch out for everyone in our group.

It was a wonderful walk – an entertaining leader, good company, the big open spaces of the Cheviots – plus one or two unexpected highlights, such as finding newts in the shallow pools by the footpaths. And to continue my earlier photo theme for this blog – we even came across a boot on this stile as we approached Kidlandlee:

We headed back down Clennell Street at around 4.30 and by then Alwinton was a welcome sight . It had been a great day in the hills. The leaders are ready, and I at least know I can cover 10 miles.

Pedometer: 19,171 steps

Getting prepared

We have all seen them lying at the side of the John Reid Road clutching their blisters, or staggering into the first aid tent before they have reached the Tyne Bridge. What made them even consider they were capable of running a half-marathon anyway, when they wouldn't consider buying a newspaper to read the sports pages without getting into their car?

Now me, I've done the Great North Run twice. Well, not actually running....but we did provide the motivational music for the runners on the final straight. That was us, just next to Minchella's ice-cream kiosk. Timing, that's what you need to do the Great North Run successfully. We got through every barrier seconds before the road was closed in the morning. Perhaps we got a bit cocky. For our second appearance, the bassplayer arrived and told us he'd got there in twenty minutes - half-an-hour ago he was in his pit! "Where's your bass then Malcolm?" I asked. His missus was summoned and arrived, purple-faced, an hour and a quarter later, complaining of diversions and rat-runs. It was quite a while afterwards that she admitted she had also dashed straight out of bed on her mercy mission before realising, half-way to Shields that she had also......forgotten the bass!

So, be prepared, is what I say. The walking programme has started...to the Tap and Spile, to the Rat and last week, St.Oswald's Tea Rooms. Hmmm, bit of a pattern developing there - I must remember to pack refreshments for the real walks.

The most gruelling day in the programme so far has been the "Toon Trail". I'd promised the Grey Bombshell that we would get some proper waterproofs and walking shoes and, yes, if you really want a new rucksack dear.... I had planned on twenty-five, thirty minutes at most. But no, I ascended and descended Dean Street / Grey Street on at least three occasions. Don't buy the first item you see. It needs to be compared in at least two other shops. And is it in this season's colour? Apparently biscuit is the new brown and eclipse is... well I am not sure if it's black or blue, but I bought one.

Back in the internet cafe we looked up Lyme disease - my mother warned me about it when I said I was going walking in the fields. Nasty little critters these sheep ticks - I think I'll just pop back down Dean Street for a pair of extra-long hiking socks.

The Office Walker
Grey's Monument, 20 miles east of base camp.