The perfect poem before a trek

Going all the way by Charles Bukowski:-

If you’re going to try, go all the way.

Otherwise, don’t even start.

If you're going to try, go all the way.

This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe even your mind.

It could mean not eating for three or four days.

It could mean freezing on a park bench.

It could mean jail.

It could mean derision, mockery, isolation.

Isolation is the gift.

All the others are a test of your endurance, of how much you really want to do it.

And, you’ll do it, despite rejection and the worst odds.

And it will be better than anything else you can imagine.

If you’re going to try, go all the way.

There is no other feeling like that.

You will be alone with the gods, and the nights will flame with fire.

DO IT. DO IT. DO IT. All the way

You will ride life straight to perfect laughter. It’s the only good fight there is.

This poem shall accompany me like a good friend with a precious advice.

First contact from the charity

 The Charity is aware of our endeavour!

Our Charity!

 The Charity for our big walk north is the air ambulance service!

https://www.justgiving.com/page/andy-green-1706654338414?utm_campaign=lc_frp_share_transaction_fundraiser_page_launched&utm_content=364d2931-33eb-4794-9ed8-f89679b6644f&utm_medium=email&utm_source=postoffice&utm_term=1706654613166

Our first charity donation!!!

Many thanks to Sandy!

Donated £40 towards the charity.... And I've not even set it up yet!!!

Some lovely people in the world!

How I plot the routes

I use memory map, the latest version, for plotting the route I go through a few stages....

1, a very rough route picking up any points of interest I fancy visiting.

2, I decide how many miles I want to walk each day (16 this time with a lot of wild camping)

3, I make the rough route more accurate so it can be followed on the app while I create the final route

4, finally I follow the second route plotting each twist and turn and working out wild camps/campsites even the odd hotel as I progress the final route.

4, the last bit of mapping is going through Google and Google Street view to locate shops and eateries on the route, handy for knowing how much food to carry on each stage!

Note

When it comes to printing the maps it's a bit of a pain that the latest version of memory map hasn't got printing available yet!

But you can easily transfer the route onto the old version that's free to download then print from your purchased maps,

Make sure when printing to choose landscape or portrait and to print both sides of each sheet to keep map weight down.... I generally print 1-50000 scale maps at 1-60000 to reduce size a bit more!

Routing

The route is now sorted and the maps printed, next job is plotting every resupply point/ cafe/pub/restaurant onto the maps..... Eyestrain here we come! 😵‍💫

This is an essential part of the planning, it enables me to have the best idea of how much food I need to be carrying day to day, keeping the pack weight down and hopefully not starving! 

I won't be in the Welsh borders at all this time thankfully, the scarcity of villages with existing pubs/shops should be a lot more accurate! 

accommodation

I'm going ultra light weight for this expedition!

1.1kg with an Alpkit Tarpstar 1 tent!

The three ways.....

Roll on April 2024

I'll be heading off on the golden trail!

coming soon.....

The return to Jog.....

2024 🤞

Absent!

Been to long away from the trail and it's starting to show.

Got a little poetic....

The trail.

To trek to hike to wander trail,
To see to feel to splendor hail,
A path you walk within your mind,
As distance and troubles both unwind,
The greatest salve for gentle souls,
The solitary path thru wooden boles.

To trek to hike to wander trail,
To touch to breath that misty veil,
A spectral land on mountain high,
Your realities trouble you can pass by,
The grandest challenge climbing sheer,
The fear of heights? you gladly sneer!

To trek to hike to wander trails,
To see the spray whip distant sails,
A border land tween life and death,
A coast ed by the briney depth,
A place no man truly belongs,
But of the sea oh so many songs.

To trek to hike to wander trails,
My soul companion with wagging tail,
His ready smile lifts heart when low,
His looks at me say go dad go!
But end of day with small tent up,
He steals my bed that soggy pup!

To trek to hike to wander trail,
Eventually this path must fail,
And as we wander homeward bound,
Amidst the bustle and the sounds,
Great memories of places been,
And wonders many yet unseen.

Thanks to my muse....you know who you are!

Day 62 Job done jogle is complete!!!!

There and back again................. More to follow!!!

Day 61 heads in the clouds

The morning started darkly under a thick blanket of sea mist, we stumbled along the cliffs to Portreath with two steep cuts in the cliffs making this a tough start to the day. A quick stop at a bakery, then with visibility still nil we headed along the road towards Hayle, after eight kilometres of the road we cut across to follow the coastal path along the beach, largely still in mist this quite an ethereal affair! Until it started to lift as we approached Hayle for lunch, yet another pasty!.
Under the rail viaduct and along the roads to St Erth for a quick rest by the bridge, Alfie had short cooling swim here, he'd been struggling with the now hot day.
Following pretty footpaths and tree shrouded lanes we reach an overgrown path that with some confusion led us under the railway and then to Crowlas , through and up the hill to Ludgvan we have a great view of St Michael's mount and before it the valley I camped in on my way north in 2010!.
A little further up hill and we're at Ash farm campsite and preparing for the final day tomorrow! All things going well!!!