Source of the Alderbourne near the M40 at Fulmer

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Part of the Chiltern Rivers Series
River start: Pond at Low Farm, off Framewood Road, Fulmer, Buckinghamshire
River end: Confluence with Colne Brook, next to M25 on Uxbridge Moor
River length: 8 km (5 miles)
Cycle route start / end: Black Horse Pub, Windmill Rd, Fulmer, Slough SL3 6HD
Cycle route length: 18 km (11 miles)
Cycle route elevation change: +/- 116m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Beeches Way
Other routes touched (cycle): Beeches Cycleway, NCN 61
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East 
Links: Fulmer, Uxbridge Moor

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The Alderbourne loves motorways. A long time ago it flowed through quiet South Buckinghamshire countryside. Now it's flanked by both the M40 and M25, crossing right through the junction of both. Despite this, there's some interesting routes near it, as I found out on this circular ride loosely based on the river's course.

The best base for the ride is the Black Horse in Fulmer. It’s a regular of mine and one of my favourite pubs in the area. From here, cross the main road and go down Hay Lane to the junction with Framewood Road. This is as far as you can go by bike as both directions of Framewood Road are private. To see the source, lock your bike here and continue straight on the footpath for a third of a mile. A junction in the path will take you through a gate where you can see the small lake that feeds the river at Low Farm.

An optional add-on is to continue north-west along the main path for 5 minutes. Here you can see the decaying remains of Picking Farm. Once a large manor house, its been rotting for years getting overtaken by Japanese Knotweed.

To follow the Alderbourne, retrace your steps to the Black Horse and take Alderbourne Lane, heading east. The lane will briefly join Hawkeswood Lane which is crossed by the river with a ford. As with many places around here, being close to Pinewood Studios, the ford was a location for a movie (Genevieve 1953). Follow Alderbourne Lane to the end and it will meet Pinewood Road at the corner of Black Park and the film studios.

The route continues down Silverhill Road while the river diverts north without public access. The closest route to the river would be to take Silverhill then the A412, however this is a very busy road and not a pleasant cycle. Instead take the bridleway on the right of Silverhll before the M25 crossing. This follows the boundary of the Pinewood Studios extension and meets Iver Heath. Keeping to bridleways next to the M25 for 2.5 miles, you'll reach the Alderbourne's end where it meets the Colne Brook.

To complete the circular route, continue along the bridleway and follow the Beeches Way / NCN Route 61 until Billet Lane next to Langley Country Park. Follow this north to the A412 and cross it into Black Park. From here you can follow the eastern perimeter of the park along the side of the original Pinewood Studios site. At the North End of the park you can take Fulmer Common Road, then Windmill Road back to the Black Horse.

Despite not seeing much of the Alderbourne except for the start and end, its a great excuse for an interesting 11 mile ride around the area. Don't miss out on the opportunity for a meal and a pint at the Black Horse too.

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Blue = River, Red = Cycle Route

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Elevation for cycle route

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Northern end of the route where the River Frays ducks under the Grand Union and meets the River Colne

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Part of the Chiltern Rivers Series
Rivers start, end & length:
- Colne Brook: Splits from the Colne at Uxbridge Moor, runs 14.4 km (9 miles) to the Thames at Hythe End near Staines, Surrey
- Wraysbury: Splits from the Colne at West Drayton, runs ~9 km (5.5 miles) and rejoins the Colne near the confluence with the Thames at Staines, Surrey
- Frays: Splits from the Colne at Uxbridge Moor, runs ~9 km (5.5 miles) and rejoins the Colne near the confluence with the Thames at West Drayton, Middlesex
Cycle route start / end: Colne Visitors Centre, Denham, Uxbridge, UB9 5PG
Cycle route length: 46 km (28.5 miles)
Cycle route elevation change: +/- 149m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Grand Union Canal Towpath, London Loop, Beeches Way, Colne Valley Trail, Thames Path
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 4, 6, 61
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East, OS Explorer Map (160) Windsor, Weybridge & Bracknell
Links: Colne Brook, Wraysbury River, Frays River, Uxbridge, West Drayton, Staines

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This route is not pretty, but it is interesting. This is the lower Colne Valley, a land of marshland, rivers and moors sliced and diced by motorways, rail lines and dirty industry. It’s a place that few people discover and why would they? The Chilterns surround it to the north west and Windsor Great Park is not far to the south. What this area lacks in beauty it makes up for in intrigue. It’s a chance to get lost in a place you’ve wizzed by on the way to somewhere else.

I'd made a failed attempt at this trip in January. It's been a winter of cancelled running events and I've added a few extra kilos. I was eager to get back on my bike for another attempt and a short window in a rainy Easter weekend gave me a chance. It was wet, muddy and cold. I loved it.

The best place to start the trip is car park at the Colne Valley Regional Park Visitors Centre. From here, its a 2.5 mile cycle down the Grand Union to the start of the Colne Brook. You can see the split from the River Colne from a bridge on the A4007 at Cowley. About 500m further on, a footpath next to the M25 follows the end of the Alderbourne before it meets the Colne Brook. The cycle route stays as close to the river as possible, passing through Iver, Thorney Park Golf Course, Colnebrook village and the back of Heathrow T5 industrial estates.

Once past Heathrow the route gets more pleasant as it weaves through the Wraysbury reservoirs, emerging at Hythe End. After passing the start of the Staines Reservoirs Aqueduct, the route joins the footbridge on the M25 river crossing. From here you can see the confluence with the Thames opposite the Runnymede Hotel.

After a short ride east along the Thames, cross back over the river and you'll find the point where the River Colne reaches the Thames near the old Town Hall. The junction of the Colne and the Wraysbury can be seen from a bridge off Church Street a couple of hundred meters to the north.

From Staines, the cycle route stays in sight of the Wraysbury river for most of the route except for a diversion around a grotty industrial estate at the back of T5. The start of the river at West Drayton is within a stone's throw of the end of the Fray's River. This end of the Frays is hard to keep close to, so the route diverts through West Drayton and Yiewsley before meeting the river at Little Britain Lake. From here the river can be tracked pretty closely through Uxbridge up to the junction with the Colne at Denham Lock.

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Yellow = Cycle Route, Red = River Colne Brook, Blue = Wraysbury River, Green = River Frays

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Elevation for cycle route

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When: March 25th 2018
Where: Black Park Country Park, Buckinghamshire, UK
Course: 2 laps of the parkrun course
Other routes touched (walk): Beeches Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Finish time: 55 mins

Good to be back in action after a winter of cancelled events.

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When: March 11th 2018
Where: Harpenden, Hertfordshire, UK
Course: Muddy mixed terrain starting and ending at Rothamsted Park, leading out to the Rothamsted Estate, the Nicky Line and some nice residential streets of Harpenden.
Other routes touched (walk): Nicky Line, Chiltern Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 57
Finish time: 2:05

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When: March 3rd 2018
Where: 20 Fenchurch Street, London
Floors: 36
Steps: 828
Finish time: 6 minutes, 49 seconds
Charity: Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital
My donation / sponsorship total: £250

 

Coming back to Tenerife wasn't very appealing to me until recently. I must have been there about 20 times with my family when I was growing up. My parents had a half share in an apartment in Las Americas with my Dad's’ business partner’s family . We had some great times there and it was the setting for some of my fondest memories.

I only got the travel bug in my mid twenties and since then I’ve been on a mission to see the world. I developed a rule about not going back to places, so Tenerife never got a look in. It was going to Madeira last year and walking the Levadas that started to change my mind. I realised that I’d only seen holiday resort Tenerife, not the outdoor wonderland that most tourists never visit. It was time to return and to show Timi the holiday places of my childhood.

First up, a 5 mile walk of the resort to recreate some old moments...

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Playa de las Americas

Playa de las Americas beach - early 1980s 

2018

Dad: view to Villamar, Bouganville Playa and Gran Tinerfe - early 1980s

2018: Same view from lower position. Upper walkway now closed for building works.

Dad: view to Parque Santiago 1,2,4 and Conquistador - late 1980s

Richard - 2018

Los Angeles cafe & view to Roque del Conde mountain: mid 1980s

Flanagans: the scene of some epic 1980s dad dancing.

Cafe amazingly still there in 2018. Mountain obscured by palm trees

2018: Flanagan's is long gone. Still classy though.

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Parque Santiago 3

Parque Santiago 3 was the resort where my parents shared an apartment with the Blore's, the family of my dad's business partner. 

Mum in front of Parque Santiago 3 being built in the 1980s

Mum: late 1980s. The big ugly block in the distance is the now-demolished Europa hotel

Timi in 2018

Same bridge 30 years later.

Late 1980s: Perfecting my smug grin

2018: Smugness comes naturally now. Bigger me, bigger tree. 

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Mount Teide Cable Car

Summit of Teide, early 1980s

2018: slightly different angle, bit colder, but still there.

Old cable car: mid 1980s

2018: new cable car. Click here for the Teide website's history of the cable car

1980s low tech sign on the cable car station

2018: same building, new tech.

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Dragon Tree, Icod de los Vinos

800 year old Dragon Tree in 1980s

835 year old Dragon Tree.

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La Gomera

Roque de Agando - mid 1980s, rocking the Comic Relief T-shirt

Ruins of old banana harbour - mid 1980s

View of Tenerife from La Gomera ferry: mid 1980s

Roque de Agando - looking a bit older in 2018

2018 - still ruined but looks like someone lives there now.

2018: much more development. Think there's a volcano in there somewhere.

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And finally, one of my favourite photos: The Gowers and The Blores at the Santiago 3 apartment before a night out (late '80s). Sadly, no 2018 recreation for this one as not all of the original cast are still with us. 

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See also: Gran Canaria: Then and Now

Mt Teide

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Mt Teide

Significance: High point of Tenerife, The Canary Islands and Spain
Summit height: 3,717m
Highest point reached: 3,555m
Guidebook: Europe’s High Points (Cicerone)

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I don’t remember much about visiting Mt Teide. I’ve definitely been before, at least to the bottom of the Teleferico (cable car). Judging from the old photos it must have been about 35 years ago.

I do remember talking with my dad about going up again when I was an early teenager. This was in my less adventurous days and I was scared when my dad told me that the air would be thinner up there. I had this fear that it would be too thin for him and he would have a heart attack. I realised today that he would have been about the same age as I am now ... which I’ve now decided is really really young.

So, on my first trip back in over 20 years and with a well developed adventure obsession, I had to make it to the top. I’d made all the plans: permit, pre booked tickets, all the right clothing. The only problem was that it was February and the trail from the upper cable car station was shut due to ice.

Despite the near miss of reaching the summit, Timi and I had an amazing day. We ticked off the Teide National Park UNESCO site and got some amazing photos of the peak and Los Roques de Garcia before the clouds came down.

I was a bit disappointed in not getting to the top but February is always a risk. It’s was the same reason we didn’t get to Mt Olympus in Cyprus 3 years ago. After all, our mission for the week was to have a relaxing end of winter break, not to get to the summit. Anway, I figured that we would have better luck climbing Alto de Garajonay on Friday.

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Alto de Garajonay

Significance: High point of La Gomera
Summit height: 1,487m
Highest point reached: 1,250m

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Whilst a Teide trip is simple to organise, La Gomera is trickier. We wanted a 1 day trip from where we were staying in Costa Adeje, Tenerife. I started researching 6 weeks before. The first company that I emailed obviously hadn’t got the knack of using computers. After 2 weeks with no reply to my enquiry I emailed again. Apparently their reply was stuck in their draft folder. They sent me as brief an email as they could muster, so I replied with a few basic questions. No response.

With a bit more research I found another company that had a few interesting trekking options on their website. I picked one and paid online, giving all the details they asked for, including the hotel where we were staying it. It was a good sign that I got a response straight away, but strange that they were asking me again where I was staying. I told them our hotel name and within minutes got a refund with a blunt email saying I that I could not join the trip as I was not staying on the island. After a bit of back and forth with me trying to explain how god customer service works, I gave up.

Attempt #3 was prompted by an email from my hotel asking if there was anything they could do to help with our upcoming stay. They even had an Experience Centre with a dedicated email address. I wrote to them to explain what we wanted to do on La Gomera. No reply. Was the island was actively trying to discourage tourists? By now I’d given up hope of making arrangements in advance and decided to chill out and sort out when I got to Tenerife.

Once we’d arrived at the hotel and settled in Timi and I went to the hotel’s Experience Centre to ask about La Gomera. Having not quite got to the top of Teide we were determined to bag at least one island summit. I asked whether the jeep safari they offered would go to Alto de Garajonay, the highest point on the island. The guy made a phone call and confirmed that yes, it definitely did. Result.

On the day of the trip we were picked up early and taken on the ferry from Los Cristianos to San Sebastián de la Gomera. Soon after arriving the jeep convoy stopped at a nearby viewpoint and the main guide explained the day’s agenda. It all sounded great but was a bit odd that he didn’t mention to stop at the summit. I asked him about it... “no, unfortunately we don’t go there, it’s a bit of a hike and no tour company goes there.” I was, as you could imagine, not amused.

The tour itself was OK but not special and certainly nothing to make up for the lack of summiting. We did the usual stops for the Aloe Vera Farm, Banana Plantation, local lunch and Botanical Gardens. All fairly interesting but not worth the money we’d paid for, especially as I’d been there before. So close.

Back at the hotel I made sure they understood my frustration and eventually got my money back. I’ll spare you the details here as my Tripadvisor review explains it well.

So, the learning for La Gomera is not to go with an excursion if you want to get to the high point. Don’t believe anyone who tells you they go there unless you’re sure they completely understand that Alto de Garajonay doesn’t mean just the National Park that surrounds it. You may have better luck than I did with a local company on Gomera, just don’t expect good customer service.

We plan to go back but we’ll organise it ourselves now that we know what to do and where to go. The best plan seems to be to go by ferry on foot and hire a car on La. Gomera. Our first plan had been to take our Tenerife based rental car over on the ferry, then we found out that most rental companies don’t allow it. The island roads from the port to the national park are good and there’s several parking spots around the trail to the summit. We will probably stay on the island for a few days and check out the many other trails too.

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So close

Roque de Agando - volcanic plug, a highlight of the centre of La Gomera

 

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This was a Christmas present from Timi after a bit of heavy hinting. A great Saturday double-bill of the Adventure Travel Show in London followed by the Archipelago restaurant. My new favourite place in London. Had the zebra to start with, crocodile curry main course with silkworm pupae side dish and chocolate covered scorpion for desert. Awesome 

 

http://www.archipelago-restaurant.co.uk/

Total Distance in 2017

• Run: 455 miles

• Cycle: 1,256 miles

• Trek: 284 miles

• Total = 1,975 miles

Trek = recorded hiking & walking events, not general steps.

Key Events in 2017

• 1 Ultra Marathon

• 10 Half Marathons

• 44 Total parkruns

• 25 New parkruns

• 4 New County Tops (Goatfell, Kinder Scout, Cheeks Hill, Black Hill)

• 2 New Countries (Romania, Peru)

Stats from 2010 .. first year of tracking via Garmin

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Start: Salisbury Cathedral, The Close, Salisbury, SP1 2EJ
Finish: Winchester Cathedral, 9 The Close, Winchester, SO23 9LS
Distance: 44 km (27.3 miles)
Elevation change: +599m / -605m m. Net -6m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Old Sarum Way, Monarch’s Way, Test Way,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 23, 24, 246,
Map:
- OS Explorer Map (130) Salisbury and Stonehenge
- OS Explorer Map (131) Romsey, Andover and Test Valley
- OS Explorer OL32 Winchester, New Alresford & East Meon
Links: Clarendon Way, Salisbury, River Test, Winchester

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I struggle with December. I don't know whether its real Seasonal Affective Disorder, but I'm definitely affected by the short, dark days. By the time I finished work on the 20th I was barely clinging on for the break. What I needed was a 1 day microadventure: a whole day outside and to get physically rather than mentally tired. The Clarendon Way solved this.

The route is a 20 mile sign posted trail between Salisbury and Winchester. It has the feel of a Pilgrimage route with a cathedral at either end and long, straight ancient paths. It connects 2 old Royal Palaces, including Clarendon Palace after which it is named.

There's a lot of pleasant countryside and some interesting sections at either end. Much of the middle is unremarkable though. Maybe I've been spoilt by other trails like the Ridgeway that have more to see. That wasn't really the point of today's trip though.

The day started with a head full of unfinished work thoughts, re-mortgaging details and annoyances about dodgy builders. Thoughts came and went over the course of the 8 hour trip. Ideas rumbled around, solutions presented themselves and some things lost their importance. I've read about people finding enlightenment on a Pilgrimage. I wasn't going to get that on a 1-day walk, but I understand where it comes from. For some its a religious experience, for me its the head-clearing power of exercising outdoors.

Getting there:

The Clarendon Way is a good 1-day walk or, in summer, a trail marathon run. Although it can be broken into sections, the completed journey in a day is enormously satisfying. I parked at Basingstoke station and took a 45 minute train to Salisbury, returning from Winchester to Basingstoke. This is the best solution if you're coming from the north and there's a similar option using Southampton station as the connector. The train station in each city is about half a mile from the cathedral.

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For an alternative 2-day option on walking the Clarendon way, check out Hiker Hero’s blog about the trail. It’s a great article with some awesome photos and more description on the route.

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Relive 'Clarendon Way'

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Cowroast Lock near the source of the Bulbourne

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Part of the Chiltern Rivers Series
River start: Cow Roast and Dudswell in Northchurch, Hertfordshire
River end: Confluence with the River Gade at Two Waters in Apsley near Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire
River length: 11 km (6.8 miles)
Cycle route start / end: Bridge where Lower Kings Road meets the Grand Union at Berkhamsted
Cycle route length: 24 km (15 miles)
Cycle route elevation change: +/- 86m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Grand Union Canal Towpath, Chiltern Way
Other routes touched (cycle): Chilterns Cycleway, Berkhamsted Route 6
Map: OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North
Links: River Bulbourne, Cowroast, Berkhamsted, Hemel Hempstead

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I nearly didn't bother with the Bulbourne. Its a chalk stream running 7 miles from Cow Roast to Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire. Despite being on a mission to walk, cycle or run all the Chiltern Rivers, I felt that I'd already done it. It doesn't have its own footpath but the Grand Union Canal towpath runs alongside it and I'd cycled it several times before. The completed-finisher in me couldn't let it go though. I may have cycled the route, but I never taken any notice of the river. Had I missed something wonderful? No, as it turned out, but it did make for a nice Winter Solstice microadventure and a way to avoid Christmas shopping.

My ride with cycle-buddy Charles was a 15-mile circular route starting in Berkhamsted. From here the source of the Bulbourne is a 3-mile cycle up the A4251 to Cow Roast. The actual source is penned in between the Grand Union, the main road and a Mini dealer. There's not much of the river to see for the first few miles, just marshy ground. 

After 3 miles on the Grand Union, and back at Berkhamsted, the river appears and follows the right hand side of the towpath. For the final stretch to Hemel, it disappears and reappears several times, crossing over the canal at one point. The river finally merges with the Gade at Two Waters, hidden behind a garden centre. From here the return trip to Berkhamsted is a 25 minute ride back along the A4251.

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Blue = River, Red = circular cycle route

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Elevation for cycle route

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Start: Brecon Canal Basin, Brecon, LD3 7EY
Finish: Crickhowell High Street, Crickhowell, NP8 1BE
Distance: 25 km (15.5 miles)
Elevation change: +134m / -201m. Net -67m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (walk): Taff Trail, Usk Valley Walk
Other Routes Touched (cycle): NCN 8
Maps:
- OS Explorer OL12 Brecon Beacons National Park - Western & Central areas
- OS Explorer OL13 Brecon Beacons National Park - Eastern area
Links: Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal, River Usk, Brecon, Talybont on Usk, Crickhowell

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I’d only seen the Monmouth & Brecon Canal a few times before and that was only the basin at Brecon. It’s where I started the Taff Trail many years ago and was the venue for a Landscape Photography course I did in 2012. I never thought about where it went to until recently. Timi and I were staying in the Valley of Ewyas on the Welsh border and I needed a one-day adventure while she spent time with her coaching friends.

I looked at a few options from cycling the whole length of its to walking or running a section. The 16-mile Brecon to Crickhowell section was an obvious choice for a short winter day. There’s an infrequent bus between the towns which helped the logistics for a point-to-point walk.

After a thwarted attempt on Pontypool parkrun I arrived at Crickhowell at 09:30. I’d driven over an hour to get there from our isolated farmhouse only to find that the run was cancelled due to ice. It was especially annoying as I had checked the run’s homepage the day before to see if it was on. It must have been cancelled overnight and, without internet at the farm, I had no way of checking that morning.

With the bus leaving at 10:20 I had a while to fill up on coffee and carrot cake at the Latte-Da cafe next to the bus stop. The last time I’d spent any time in the town was 25 years ago. I remember a cafe there that was a shrine to Cliff Richard. His songs were on constant rotation and there were photos of him all over the walls. It was a quirky place that I hoped was still there but it was now long gone in the history of the town.

After a short bus ride and a 5 minute walk to the canal basin I started my walk. The first section was pretty snowy with some amazing views of Pen-y-fan and its sisters on the first 3 miles. The well kept towpath is dotted with wooden sculptures and information boards depicting the history of the canal.

The route follows the River Usk remaining higher than the river in most parts and crossing it on viaducts several times. The A40 is also close by and, apart from the first couple of miles out of Brecon, it’s distant enough not to spoil a quiet walk.

There were a couple of places, like Talybont on Usk and Llangynidr, with canal-side pubs that would have been nice stops. As it happened I decided to plough on so I could be back at the farm before it got dark.

The first 5 miles were the most interesting then a lot of the route was much the same. That’s why I prefer to cycle along canal towpaths as they’re often a bit samey for the slower speed of walking. Even so, it was a lovely walk and a good use of a chilly winter day.

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When: November 19th 2017
Where: Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, UK
Course: Hertfordshire country lanes with Start and Finish at Knebworth house. Undulating.
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 12
Finish time: 1:58

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When: October 29th 2017
Where: Luton, Bedfordshire, UK
Course: Tarmac, mix of park and city. Starts at Stockwood Discovery Centre, through Luton Hoo Estate, City Centre, Wardown Park, ending in the Town Hall Square.
Other routes touched (walk): Lea Valley Walk,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 6
Finish time: 1:59

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When: October 7th 2017
Start & Finish: The St Madoc Centre, Llanmadoc, Swansea, SA3 1DE
Distance: 79.8 km (49.6 miles)
Elevation: +/- 881m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Wales Coast Path, The Gower Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 4
Map: OS Explorer Map (164) Gower, Llanelli 
Finish time: 15 hours 30 minutes
Links: Gower Peninsula, Rhossili & South Gower Coast National Trust, The Mumbles

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After last year’s Race To The Stones I thought that I had scratched my Ultramarathon itch. That one was the event that first got me excited about doing an Ultra. Now that I had done 2 I was happy that I didn’t need to do more. That feeling lasted 6 weeks until I saw an ad for the Gower Ultra. It had my name all over it. I signed up straight away, 1 year before the race.

A year later and I was still excited. My usual support crew, Timi and Mum, were there. We drove down the night before, staying half a mile from the start. The plan was the same: I would run the first 20 or so miles on my own while they have a leisurely breakfast and we would meet around lunchtime.

The start was great, along sandy dunes leading down to Rhosilli Bay. The tide was half out but slowly coming inwards. Through much of the beach section there was an equal mix of stones and sand. The sand was easier to run on so I kept on it, only moving onto the stones every few minutes when the tide came in further. That worked well ... until it didn’t, with a sleepy lack of concentration resulting in a major soaking from a wave. I was only 3 miles into a 50 mile run and my feet were already drenched.

I was exactly on plan by Port Eynon where I met up with Timi and Mum for the first time. Mobile signal was poor and my texts calling for new socks hadn’t got through. I decided to carry on a get re-socked at the next meeting point at Oxwich Bay. By the time I got there I was already 30 minutes behind, not having factored the cliffs, mud and beach into the plan.

Having learnt from Race To The Stones I had increased my minutes-per-mile on my plan. I reckoned on 13 minutes-per-mile for the first 15 miles with an extra minute per mile for further 10 mile blocks. That seemed pretty realistic when sitting in from of my computer at home. The reality was that this was a tough course and the wettest weather in the event’s history.

By 20 miles the plan had gone out the window. At Langland, where the route leaves the coast, I was 2 hours behind. With a 16.5 hour cut-off I had enough time to take it slow. From here, it was only about finishing.

The inland section began with a marshy common, drenching me again. I had no more dry socks so I had to carry on. I even decided not to look at my feet at the checkpoints. I knew it wasn’t going to be pleasant and seeing them wouldn’t help my motivation.

By the time I reached the north coast it was dark. Something in my trainer popped painfully. Probably a blister, possibly a toe. I was still 15 miles off and now hobbling at a 23-minute-mile pace. Timi and Mum were now stopping every 2 miles, also directing other runners who were wandering off-route in the dark.

The trickiest part was at mile 40 where the route follows a tidal road. The instructions were clear that there was a higher ground alternative. It had been over 12 hours since anyone had read that and, after all, how bad could it be? Pretty bad as it turned out. The tide was coming in pretty fast and was already covering the road. I got to a point where it was up to my knees but decided to carry on as I could see the other side only a few metres away.

A couple of miles further on Timi and Mum were waiting at a junction. They had driven further but had to return as the water was now really deep. They were directing us half a mile up a small lane to the main road on higher ground. We heard later that one girl had attempted the tidal road and had water up to her chest.

The final few miles were a slow muddy slog. My head torch had run out of battery and all the spare batteries so I was using the light on my phone. Cars were roaming around the country lanes at the end looking for lost runners.

After a final steep cliff, I closed the 50 mile loop and crossed he finish line in 15.5 hours. It was by far the hardest and most painful thing I’ve ever done.

Back at the hotel we examined my feet. The burst blister was actually a burst toe and there were deep prune grooves all over. I’ve not posted the photos of them here. You’d not eat for days if you saw them. Needless to say Timi wasn’t impressed. Maybe I’ll leave it a few weeks before signing up for my next one ....

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Part of the Chiltern Rivers Series
River start: Near the Black Horse Pub, Aylesbury Road, North of Great Missenden town centre.
River end: Confluence with the River Colne at Denham Country Park, Buckinghamshire
River length: 27 km (17 miles)
Running route start / end: Black Horse pub to Denham Lock
Running route length: 28.6 km (17.7 miles)
Running route elevation change: +102m / - 107m. Net -5m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): South Bucks Way, Chiltern Way, London Loop, Grand Union Canal Towpath
Other routes touched (cycle): Hampden Route, Milton Route, NCN routes 6, 61,
Map: OS Explorer Map (172) Chiltern Hills East, OS Explorer Map (181) Chiltern Hills North

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My latest in the Chilterns Rivers Project and a final (and only) long-run before the Gower Ultra. It's only really suitable for walking or running as the paths are not cycle friendly. The A413 is the closest cycle alternative but it's not very interesting.

There's not a single sign-posted route for this one so here's how it's done.

1. With your back to the Black Horse pub, run south along Aylesbury Road / High Street, through Great Missenden centre until the junction with the A413. An alternative is to take the South Bucks Way behind the pub, running parallel to the road and following the river more closely.

2. Turn right onto the A413, following it for just under a mile until Highmore Cottages, the lane leading into Little Missenden. ** WARNING - this is a busy road with no pavement so be extra careful ** There's no footpath alternative without a major diversion.

3. After approx 2 miles, Highmore Cottages will turn left crossing under the A413. Before this turn, take a right turn onto the South Bucks Way,

4. Follow the South Bucks Way for just over a mile, through the Shardloes Estate to Amersham Cricket Club. Follow footpath signs to Amersham High Street.

5. Follow Amersham High Street, turning left into St Mary's church opposite Whielden Street. Turn right at the Misbourne, following footpaths leading behind Tesco to Station Road.

6. Turn right at Station Road, cross the roundabout and follow the A355 for about 100 metres until you see the footpath leading south-east across the fields.

7. Continue on the footpaths (signed Chiltern Heritage Trail) running parallel with the river until Chalfont St Giles.

8. At Chalfont St Giles, cross the main village road, taking the footpath along the right/west side of the church. After the path crosses the river, do not continue on the Chiltern Way, instead, take a sharp right following a path that continues to follow the Misbourne until Chalfont St Peter.

9. At Chalfont St Peter take the A413 underpass opposite the Greyhound pub. Immediately exiting the underpass, turn right and follow the path parallel to the A413.

10. Just after passing Woodside Hill, take the footpath that crosses Gerrard's Cross Golf Club. Watch out for golf balls as the path crosses the fairway three times.

11. After the golf course, the path goes into a wood (often muddy underfoot) and follows a small lake.

12. At the T-junction it's not possible to follow the river. Turn left and follow the path up the hill, then diagonally crossing a field until a gate by a care home. Turn right along the drive until Denham Lane.

13. Follow Denham Lane / (becoming Slade Oak Lane) downhill, past Denham Golf Club station bearing left onto Old Rectory Lane. Continue until the junction with the A412.

14. Cross the A412 and turn right, following the footpath and take the first left onto Village Road.

15. Follow Village Road through Denham Village until you reach the South Bucks Way on the left.

16. Take the South Bucks Way crossing Buckinghamshire Golf Course and past the Colne Visitors Centre.

17. After the Colne Valley Regional Park Car Parks, cross a field and along the Colne until a footbridge.

18. The path meets the Grand Union Canal just after the footbridge. The confluence of the Misbourne and the Colne is just on the right of the towpath as you look right towards Uxbridge.

Red = River Misbourne, Blue = the route described above. The route stays tight to the river except for a small section west of Gerrards Cross crossing the M25

Elevation for running route

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Although I'd done Silverhill in 2013, I later learnt that there's a dispute over the highest point in Nottinghamshire. The hill at Silverhill is formed from the slagheap of the former colliery, whilst nearby Newtonwood Lane is natural peak of roughly the same height. As my peak-bagging friend Mark hadn't done either, we conquered the 2 on the way back south from our Peak District weekend.

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Silverhill

Member of: None
Parent Peak: Kinder Scout. NHN = Newtonwood Lane
Elevation: 204m
Date climbed: 25th September 2017
Coordinates: 53° 9' 11'' N, 1° 17' 50'' W
Route Start / End: Silverhill Wood Car Park, 4 Silverhill Lane, Sutton-in-Ashfield, NG17 3JL
Route Distance: 1.4 km (0.9 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 30m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer 269 Chesterfield & Alfreton
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir),
Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Nottinghamshire), Wikipedia (Silverhill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

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Newtonwood Lane

Member of: None
Parent Peak: Kinder Scout. NHN = Lees Moor
Elevation: 205m
Date climbed: 25th September 2017
Coordinates: 53° 8' 23'' N, 1° 19' 8'' W
Route Start / End: Parking spot near junction of Newtonwood Lane and Chesterfield Road
Route Distance: 0.5 km (0.31 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 8m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): None
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer 269 Chesterfield & Alfreton
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir),
Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Nottinghamshire), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

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OTHER HIGH POINT IN Nottinghamshire

• Nottingham M1 (132m) Nottingham City Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

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On the Pennine Way between Black Chew Head and Black Hill

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Our Peak District trip was the latest in what was now becoming an annual County Top bagging long weekend. We based ourselves at YHA Castleton and did day trips to conquer the historic and some present day county tops in the area.

First up wit Kinder Scout, the County Top of Derbyshire and the hugest peak in the area. We started from the car park at Edale station and too an anti clockwise route taking in Grindslow Knoll and Crowden Tower. We had to divert from the route to find the actual summit. With low visibility, drizzly rain and an ambiguous high point we relied on following a GPS bearing. With no Trig Pillar or obvious summit market we decided that the big stick on a clump was the summit and declared victory.

Although neither an historic nor present day County Top, Mam Tor was too iconic to miss. It was also close to our YHA and a quick and easy Trig Point bag, so we ticked it off in the way to Cheeks Hill.

This was the underwhelming peak of the trip. The high point of the historic county of Staffordshire is a short walk across boggy ground to a lonely corner of the county market by a sheep pen. One for County Top completists but at least it’s in the way to Shining Tor. This one makes up for the underwhelm of Cheeks Hill. It’s a short walk but rewarded by a Trig Pillar and good views on a clear day.

We saved the best walk for last on this trip. In one 8 mile walk you get an historic county top, a present day one and a scenic section of the Pennine Way. This was a point to point walk but we had the advantage of having 2 cars between the group so we could do a 2 car shuffle. We left one in a lay-by on the A635 and parked the other at our starting point at Crowden. For much of the walk we followed the Pennine Way, with a diversion after 3 km to visit Black Chew Head. If Black Hill is all you’re interested in then an out and back from the A635 is simpler.

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Kinder Scout

Significance: Highest peak in Derbyshire (Historic CT), Peak District National Park High Point
Member of: Marilyn, Hewitt, Hardy, Nuttall
Parent Peak: Cross Fell. NHN = Fountains Fell South Top
Elevation: 636m
Date climbed: 23rd September 2017
Coordinates: 53°23′0″N 1°52′2″W 

Route Start / End: Car park at Edale Train Station, anti-clockwise circular route via Grindslow Knoll, Crowden Tower and back via Jacobs Ladder
Route Distance: 14 km (8.7 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 480m
Subsidiary tops on route: Grindslow Knoll
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Pennine Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer OL1 The Peak District - Dark Peak area
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Derbyshire), Wikipedia (Kinder Scout), Peakbagger, Hillbagging, National Trust

Kinder Scout is an icon of the Peak District and extremely popular walk. Strangely though, the summit is amazingly hard to find and most walkers don't stray far from the footpaths to find it. We gave it a good go, taking a bearing from the main trail just west of Pym Chair. After 10 minutes of faffing around we found a pile of stones a stick which may have been the summit. That was good enough for us to call it the peak and celebrate with a 1 kilo, now frozen, gummy bear. 

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Mam Tor (and Lords Seat)

Significance: N/A
Member of: Dewey
Parent Peak: Kinder Scout. NHN = Lords Seat, then Brown Knoll
Historic County: Derbyshire (of which Kinder Scout is the County Top)
Elevation: 517m
Date climbed: 24th September 2017
Coordinates:  53°20′57″N 1°48′38″W

Route Start / End: Mam Nick Car Park, Sparrowpit, Buxton, S33 8WA
Route Distance: 4.2 km (2.6 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 145m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP4623 - Mam Tor
Map: OS Explorer OL1 The Peak District - Dark Peak area
Links (Mam Tor): Wikipedia, Peakbagger, Hillbagging, National Trust
Links (Lords Seat): Peakbagger, Hillbagging

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Cheeks Hill

Also known as: Cheeks Hill-South Slope
Significance: Highest peak in Staffordshire (Historic CT)
Member of: N/A
Parent Peak: Shining Tor. NHN = Whetstone Ridge
Elevation: 520m
Date climbed: 24th September 2017
Coordinates: 53°13′31″N 1°57′44″W

Route Start / End: Where Dane Valley Way crosses country road between A53 and A54
Route Distance: 1.5 km ( 0.9 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 25m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Dane Valley Way
Other routes touched (cycle): None
Map: OS Explorer OL24 The Peak District
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Cheeks Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagger

A competitor for the least interesting County Top prize at less than 1 mile and 30 metres of ascent. Only makes sense if done whilst in the area.

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Shining Tor

Significance: Highest peak in Cheshire (Present Day CT), Cheshire East Unitary Authority High Point
Member of: Marilyn, Dewey
Parent Peak: Black Hill. NHN = Brown Knoll
Historic County: Cheshire (of which Black Hill is the County Top)
Elevation: 559m
Date climbed: 24th September 2017
Coordinates:  53°15′39″N 2°00′34″W

Route Start / End: Car park of Peak View Tea Rooms, A537
Route Distance: 3.3 km (2.0 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +/- 75m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: None
OS Trig Pillar: TP5950 - Shining Tor
Map: OS Explorer OL24 The Peak District
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)
Links: Wikipedia (Cheshire), Wikipedia (Cheshire East), Wikipedia (Shining Tor), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

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Black Chew Head

Significance Highest peak in Greater Manchester (Present Day CT), Oldham Unitary Authority High Point
Member of: Dewey
Parent Peak: Black Hill. NHN = Black Hill
Historic County: Yorkshire (of which Mickle Fell is the County Top)
Elevation: 542m
Coordinates: 53°30′57.96″N 1°55′17.76″W
Links: Wikipedia (Greater Manchester), Wikipedia (Oldham), Wikipedia (Black Chew Head), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

Black Hill

Significance Highest peak in Cheshire (Historic CT), West Yorkshire (Present Day CT), Kirklees Unitary Authority High Point
Member of: Marilyn, Dewey
Parent Peak: Kinder Scout. NHN = Bleaklow Head
Elevation: 582m
Coordinates: 53°32′18″N 1°52′53″W
OS Trig Pillar: TP3980 - Holme Moss
Links: Wikipedia (Cheshire), Wikipedia (West Yorkshire), Wikipedia (Kirklees), Wikipedia (Black Hill), Peakbagger, Hillbagging

For both peaks:

Date climbed: 25th September 2017
Route Start / End: Point to point walk along Pennine Way from Crowden to Greenfield Road
Route Distance: 12.9 km (8 miles)
Route Elevation Change: +531m / -296m. Net 235m
Subsidiary tops on route: None
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched: The Pennine Way
Map: OS Explorer OL1 The Peak District - Dark Peak area
Guidebook: The UK's County Tops (Jonny Muir), Walking the County High Points of England (David Bathurst)

Two County Tops for the price of one in a scenic section of the Pennine Way. The 11 km trek started in Crowden, finishing at the junction of the Pennine Way and the A635. A short diversion from the main path at Laddow Rocks takes you up to Black Chew Head, the high point of Greater Manchester and Oldham. It was a clear day and we found it easily. Be extra careful in low visibility, especially when re-joining the Pennine Way as the path follows a cliff-edge here. Black Hill, the (Historic) County Top of Cheshire is right on the Pennine Way path at around 8km into the trip.

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Other High Points In Cheshire

• Hoarstone Edge (497m) Tameside Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Mellor Moor (327m) Stockport Unitary Authority High Point (alt): Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Robin Hood's Picking Rods (327m) Stockport Unitary Authority High Point (alt): Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Raw Head (227m) Cheshire West and Chester Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Halton Castle (100m) Halton Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Green Walk (Bowdon) (67m) Trafford Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

Other High Points In Derbyshire

• Allestree Park (138m) Derby City Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

Other High Points In Staffordshire

• Turners Hill (271m) West Midlands Ceremonial County High Point and Sandwell Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Cawney Hill (251m) Dudley Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Meir Heath (250m) Stoke-on-Trent Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Sedgley Beacon East Slope (232m) Sedgley Beacon Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

• Barr Beacon (227m) Walsall Unitary Authority High Point: Peakbagger / Hillbagging

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When: September 17th 2017
Where: Marlborough, Wiltshire UK
Course: Circular off-road/trail route starting and ending at Marlborough Rugby club. Hilly and often boggy through woods along Fyfield Down.
Other routes touched (walk): Wessex Ridgeway, Great Stones Way, White Horse Trail, The Ridgeway,
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 45, 254, 403
Finish time: 2:10

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June 12th 2007, Park Hyatt Hotel, Tokyo. It was the last night of a 2-week trip around Japan. I was there with a couple of friends who were on a pre-marriage-and-kids tour of the world. I only had 2 weeks off work and Japan seemed like a cool place to join them.

The Hyatt’s New York Jazz Bar was the obvious place to finish the trip. It was the setting for much of my favourite film, Lost In Translation, so a final drink there would have to happen. The prices looked reasonable for Tokyo too, until I realised that the price per bottle was actually the price per glass. Just the one then...

As we recalled the highlights of the Japan trip we also listed the future trips we’d discussed on the way. Kilimanjaro would be a must... and Machu Picchu (obviously). The next day my friends continued east to Hawaii and I flew back west to London. I was already planning the new trips on the flight home.

Machu Picchu nearly happened 2 years later. My girlfriend and I were researching big holidays and Peru was my favourite at the time. In the end, we opted for Bali instead. That was the trip where my girlfriend, Timi, became my fiancé and she would have been my wife for 7 years by the time the Peru plans came round again.

In the meantime, my Japan trip friends also got married and had 3 children. I’d done Kilimanjaro and all of the other trips from the Hyatt list had been ticked. Machu Picchu was now on top of the list by a very long way.

I prepared myself to be disappointed. I’d wanted the do the Inca Trail for 10 years and I was expecting an anti-climax. I’d also read about the crowds on the trail. It still had to be done though. There was no anti-climax. It was amazing. I’d use the word awesome if it hadn’t been ruined by people using it to describe their dinner on Facebook. Yes, the trail can be crowded and there are lots of ways to do the trip badly, but our experience exceeded all of our expectations.

We took the full 4-day Inca Trail starting from Kilometre 82 at Piscacucho. We were guided by Enigma, the local partner for Audley who organised our 2-week Peru Trip. We wanted a small group experience and, by luck, we ended up with an especially small group of Timi, myself and one guy from the US. It would have been a group of 5 including a couple from Houston but Hurricane Harvey had changed their plans.

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Day 1: KM82 to Llulluchapampa

Date: September 2nd 2017
Start: KM 82, 08680, Peru. ~2,600m elevation.
Finish: Llulluchapampa Camp, ~3,800m elevation
Distance: 14.7 km (9.1 miles)
Elevation change: +1,291m / -237m. Net +1,054m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): Salkantay Route
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Our trek was planned around avoiding the crowds for much of the trip. The key to this was an earlier start on day 1. This meant a 04:00 pickup from our hotel in Cusco and starting the trek as soon as the KM 82 checkpoint opened. This got us half a day ahead of other trekkers and we had the whole morning on the trail to ourselves.

Following an easy and relatively flat first morning, the afternoon was a steep slog. This part, from Hatunchaca to our campsite at Llulluchampa had an elevation increase of 850m in a couple of hours. 

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Day 2: Llulluchapampa to Chaquicocha

Date: September 3rd 2017
Start: Llulluchapampa Camp, ~3,800m elevation
Finish: Sayacmarca Camp, ~3,850m elevation
Distance: 7.5 km (4.6 miles)
Elevation change: +847m / -1,041m. Net -194m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): None
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

After breakfast on Day 2 our guide Marco introduced us to our 9 member crew. All were farmers from the local mountains who spend 5 months of the year portering. It's a good job but it means that they don't see their family for most of that time. Many are constantly on the trail, returning to the start for the next group as soon as the last has finished.

The trail is highly regulated with a limit of 200 walkers plus porters per day. There's also high standards for the guiding companies and we were pleased to see them all with good quality clothing and equipment.

Day 2 was billed as the toughest day. We followed an M-shaped elevation starting with a climb to Dead Woman’s Pass, the trail's highest point at 4,200 metres. This was followed by a steep descent then another climb to our campsite at Chaquicocha at 3,500m.

Along the route, Marco told us about the history of the area and the significance of the different Incan ruins along the way. Some were “post offices” which were relay stations to get messages over the mountains. Others were rest stops for Incas on their pilgrimages to Machu Picchu. All of it was brand new to us. We had only heard about Machu Picchu itself before the trip, and even then, only small bits about it. The trail itself is full of history, nature and amazing ruins. Overshadowed by the endpoint, the wonders of the Trail itself are an undiscovered secret to most.

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Day 3: Chaquicocha to Winay Wayna

Date: September 4th 2017
Start: Sayacmarca Camp, ~3,850m elevation
Finish: Winay Wayna Camp, ~2,600m elevation
Distance: 6.4 km (3.9 miles)
Elevation change: +124m / -973m. Net -849m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): None
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Day 3 was by far the most enjoyable. It started with a short climb and then followed a ridge with views to Salkantay Mountain. Much of the rest of the morning was a steep descent on slippery Incan steps. Timi had been nervous of this section having had knee problems on steep descents in the past. With a mix of training, turmeric and Coca Tea, she mostly escaped pain this time.

We reached Day 3 camp early in the afternoon. This gave us time to rest before the crowds caught up. As the last camp before the entrance to Machu Picchu and the link with the 2-day trail, it was an especially busy site. While the other groups arrived through the afternoon and early evening we took the opportunity to explore the Winaywayna ruins next to the camp.

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Day 4: Winay Wayna to Machu Picchu

Date: September 5th 2017
Start: Winay Wayna Camp, ~2,600m elevation
Finish: Machu Picchu, Carretera Hiram Bingham, Km 7.5 08680, ~4,200m elevation
Distance: 5 km (3.1 miles)
Elevation change: +47m / -561m. Net +541m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other Routes Touched (Walk): None
Other Routes Touched (Cycle): None

Day 4 was a short day of walking with just 2 hours to Machu Picchu. The checkpoint opens at 05:00 and as everyone wants to get through it early, queues start from 03:00. Once people were let through it was a mad stampede for an hour up to the Sun Gate.

Inki Puku, the Sun Gate, is the first point on the trail where you can see the Machu Picchu ruins. It's so named as it's the spot where, on the summer solstice, the sun's rays come through the gate and light up the temple in the centre of Machu Picchu. Nowadays it's a prime selfie spot as everyone jostles for the right position for their new Facebook profile pic. We didn't spend too long here.

Leaving the crowds behind for a while, we slowly walked down from the Sun Gate, stopping often at less disturbed photo spots. By the time we got to Machu Picchu itself, just before 07:00 it was already busy with day trippers who got the bus up from Aguas Calientes. Most were competing for space at the National Geographic spot for the iconic photo. We were starting to resent the day trippers. We had earned our place there whilst they had just got the bus. Bastards.

The annoyance we had with the other tourists had a lot to do with being tired and feeling grubby. Like the Inca Trail itself, Machu Picchu has its quiet spots despite the crowds. Marco did his best to steer us to the quieter places for our tour of the ruins.

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Day 5: Huayna Picchu

As we had a ticket to return the following day we left the ruins after a couple of hours to have a rest and a shower. We are really happy that we did as we could have a more relaxing time at the ruins and find some quieter spots.

Our highlight of our return trip was the 1-hour climb up Huyana Picchu. This is the big central peak you can see behind the ruins in the main photos. Access is even more restricted and, being pretty steep, it's not for the casual visitors. The view from the top gives a different perspective of the ruins and the path we took the day before down from the Sun Gate.

Just before leaving we found a quiet spot on the hill and stared at the ruins below and the peaks rising up above it. I could have stayed there all day. Far from being an anti-climax, it was a perfect moment. Having visualised this moment for 10 years since Tokyo, it was so much more than I hoped for.

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The Complete Route

Each colour represents an individual day. Red = Day 1, Blue = Day 2, Green = Day 3, Yellow = Day 4

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