Review of the 2015 walks

2015 Summary

During the year to December 21st we “logged” 42 walks covering 419 miles – an average of 10 miles per walk. However, our longest walk – the Gatwick section of the West Sussex Border Path - was 16.1 miles, the second longest we have ever done.

During the year we exhausted all the main “National Paths” through our area and we started to make up our own routes and very successful they turned out to be. It soon became apparent that the successful formulae for these walks were A) choose a pub that we had not been to before (and check its opening times!) B) move back about 6 to 8 miles and search for a decent start point that had parking and a footpath; C) search out paths that would take us in the general direction of the pub and plot it to check the distance. After all, you don’t want to arrive at the pub too tired! D) repeat the exercise back to the start taking a different route and hope the entire loop comes out around 10 to 12 miles. Fortunately our forefathers always laid down footpaths to the local pub (as they also built pubs opposite Churches so if they didn't drink they preyed and either way the footpaths led to the pub!)

Our “Walk Away” break this year was to the Dorset coast and we had a couple of amazing and very stiff walks. Whilst our Lake District walks the previous year took us up some steep and high peaks, the coastal path of Dorset turned out to have a higher ascent overall than the Lake District because of the undulating terrain. Our accommodation was a “Family Room” at a pub in Weymouth and the 3 of us sharing a room tested the “Camaraderie” !

Compared to previous years this year was slightly shorter in miles at 419 than last year’s 452 and also last year we managed 47 walks compared to the 42 so far this year. Its because we are all getting older! But our average walk length was almost a half-mile longer per walk this year than last. However, the “Ascents” this year added up to a massive 45,223 ft where as last year we did 43,690 ft. That is 1.6 times the height of Everest and we have often wondered why those Sherpas get such accolades when us Oldies do it without any complaints! On the calorie front we also continued to burn the fat. 44,000 calories were burnt off during the year down on last years 48,737 but still excellent for the tummy!

We started our “Monday Walks” at the end of March 2012 and since that time we have walked 1,506 miles which is all the way from Lands End to John O’Groats and almost all the way back again using public roads. We have climbed up 159,638 ft which is 5.5 times the height of Everest (eat your hearts out Sherpas!) and burnt off 92,711 calories – equivalent to not eating anything for 37 days.

One highlight of the year was the first walk where we got absolutely soaked right through to the skin. We have had showers before but up on top of the South Downs with a 50 mile an hour wind blowing ice cold rain horizontally at you was a first and probably not to be repeated experience. The year also showed us expanding our eating habits. We stopped at a Café at least 5 times including the “Pie & Mash” shop in West Ham and Camden Lock Market! We frequented the same pub on only 4 occasions this year – The Anchor at Hartfield; The Crown at Groombridge ; The Cock Horse at Hildenborough and The Royal Oak at Flimwell. 19 “New” pubs were added to our itinerary in the year.

2016 will be a new "WALK YEAR" and so a new Blog will be created. May we continue to enjoy our wonderful countryside on our "Mondfay Walk".

2015 Log

		Rateing 1 = Poor  2= OK  3= Pretty good  4= Excellent
Date	Village	Pub	Rateing	Miles	Calories	Ascent ft
05-Jan-15	Mark Beech	The Kentish Horse	4	8.17	868	1,318
12-Jan-15	Groombridge	The Crown	3	6.59	709	972
19-Jan-15	Tenterden	The Vine Inn	3	9.28	952	755
26-Jan-15	Hartfield	The Anchor	4	10.55	1,135	1,575
02-Feb-15	Hadlow	The Carpenters Arms	4	9.45	955	235
09-Feb-15	Tudely	Gearge and Dragon	3	7.05	751	843
17-Feb-15	Birling Gap	Birling NT Café	3	11.48	1,231	1,787
23-Feb-15	Wadhurst	The Greyhound	4	11.32	1,207	1,160
02-Mar-15	Flimwell	The Royal Oak	3	6.89	711	305
09-Mar-15	London Greenway	Camden Lock Market	4	11.51	1,190	385
16-Mar-15	London Greenway	Pie & Mash shop West Ham	2	12.45	1,218	43
23-Mar-15	Cowden Loop	The Fountain	4	9.21	1,000	1,474
30-Mar-15	Poundgate Loop	Crow & Gate	4	9.55	994	879
07-Apr-15	Tonbridge	Bowls Club Tonbridge	4	5.67	599	784
13-Apr-15	Southborough-Tonbridge	Morning walk only	n/a	6.02	620	748
20-Apr-15	Ivy Hatch	The Plough	3	11.46	1,206	1,010
27-Apr-15	Hildenborough	The Cock Horse	4	11.72	1,176	484
05-May-15	Best Beech	Best Beech Inn	4	11.72	1,440	977
11-May-15	Portland Bill	Afternoon walk only	n/a	5.19	498	255
12-May-15	Lulworth Cove	Lulworth Cove Inn	4	12.66	1,321	2,657
13-May-15	Charmouth	Seafront Café	3	10.63	1,179	2,510
26-May-15	Flimwell	The Royal Oak	3	11.27	1,157	734
01-Jun-15	Hartfield	The Anchor	4	6.17	640	538
22-Jun-15	Leigh	Fleur de Lis	4	10.77	1,124	1,210
06-Jul-15	Hawkhurst Moor	The Eight Bells	3	8.1	852	1,359
13-Jul-15	Rye	Sandwich shop	n/a	11.79	1,172	154
20-Jul-15	East Grinstead	The Ounce and Ivy Bush	4	13.66	1,422	1,955
27-Jul-15	Falmer	The John Harvey, Lewes	4	9.59	981	884
03-Aug-15	Charlworth	The Half Moon	4	16.09	1,716	1,762
10-Aug-15	Mayfield	The Rose & Crown	4	8.38	872	775
17-Aug-15	Horsted Keynes	The Green Man	4	14.64	1,547	1,541
02-Sep-15	East Dean	Tiger Inn & Café	3	11.24	1,209	2,092
21-Sep-15	Patcham	Black Lion	3	12.63	1,334	1,403
28-Sep-15	Penshurst	Leicester Arms	3	12.75	1,335	1,933
19-Oct-15	Alciston	Rose Cottage Inn	4	9.92	1,042	1,088
26-Oct-15	Vines Cross	Brewers Arms	4	9.36	1,001	806
02-Nov-15	Wye	Tickled Trout	4	9.62	983	1,388
09-Nov-15	Mayfield	Half Way House	4	8.5	908	1,516
16-Nov-15	Wrotham	The Bull	4	11.08	1,142	875
23-Nov-15	Lamberhurst	Chequers	4	11.16	1,172	798
30-Nov-15	Groombridge	The Crown	4	6.62	720	952
21-Dec-15	Sevenoaks Weald	The Cock Horse	4	6.76	711	304