Cowden to Copthorne Common

Cowden to Copthorne Common along the Sussex Border Path

Complacency gave us a slap this week. I had printed the detailed route maps for this walk earlier in the week but then forgot them. Never mind, we had the route on the Garmin GPS - only to find the batteries hadn't been charged up from last week so it wouldn't boot up. Never mind, I always keep a spare set of batteries in the walk bag - but were they there, nope! So we set out from Cowden with no navigational aids at all other than hopefully, way markers from time to time. So we had to rely on our Boy Scout training - using the sun, but it was cloudy and looking to see what side of the trees the moss grew on. Actually, Ivan said he had found the Girl Guides more informative until they discovered him and kicked him out!

Anyway, with a bit of luck we made the first 7 miles to East Grinstead with only minor errors and then batteries were purchased and once more we had that marvel of the walkers age - GPS. We also stopped for lunch in the town at The Ounce and Ivy Bush situated in the town cinema. Not our usual quaint country retreat but OK all the same.

The walk was "OK" with weather "OK". The trail was a mixture of open country and woodland up until East Grinstead and then it followed an old railway line - The Worth way (see Wikipedia link  ) which makes for easy walking but very un-interesting scenery.  We finally turned of the Worth way to head north to reach Copthorne common and catch a bus back to the car. There was no rain but very high humidity made it feel damp for most of the day.

I guess the amazing thing about this walk was that it was mostly in peaceful countryside yet took us through one of the most populated parts of the UK and only a few miles from Gatwick Airport.

Out on the trail!

Our unusual lunch stop

This was the longest walk, by just over a mile, of THIS year although our 2015 expeditions have lagged far below the energetic ones of last year. Maybe we are just getting older!

Stats for the walk were...

Finished Hike: 20 Jul 2015 15:38:04

Route: SBP Cowden to Copthorne
Weather:

temperature	19°C
humidity	94%
wind	6 mph SSE

Explorer Link: http://walkmeter.com/818ee85cf2cf57d1/Hike-20150720-0949

Import Link: Google KML link

Hike Time: 4:18:15

Stopped Time: 1:30:16

Distance: 13.66 miles

Average: 3.15 mile per hour

Fastest Pace: 13:50 min/mile

Ascent: 1955

Descent: 1890

Calories: 1422