Reflections on a Year's Walks - 2012

I've had an amazing year. Eight walking trips, 95 days of full- on walking and loads of adventures.   At the moment, as well as trying to keep fit on the South Downs, I'm busy working out a schedule for 2013 and reflecting on the lessons I've learnt this year.

The lessons with hindsight seem blindingly obvious.

The first - already having an impact on plans for next year - is that you can't have too much of a good thing.  I had thought that 7 weeks in Nepal would satiate my appetite for the Himalayas but it had the opposite effect.

Although I didn't get to the top of Mera Peak (the weather was exceptionally bad this spring and very few groups did),  I had an amazing adventure.  The memories of the night at high camp (perched on a 5,400m cliff on the edge of a glacier in a ferocious storm), the attempt on the summit next day (a fall into a crevasse followed by an agonising trudge through fresh snow a metre deep) and the descent the following day with arguably the best mountain view in the world (clear sight of five 8,000 m plus summits including Everest) will stay with me forever.

The view to Everest from Mera

26 Days Along the Via Alpina

Just back from 26 wonderful days walking along the Via Alpina through Austria, Germany and Italy.  Everything "self-organised", it was another example of how rich the walking experience is in Europe and how lucky we are to have such accessible trips on our doorstep.  The only thing that surprised me was the fact that we only met one other person from the UK on the whole trip.

Day 26 Villach

We survived our night in the primitive Schultzhutte without any ill effects despite the interesting smell of mouse droppings on my pillow. The view from the window was stunning, a lovely clear night with a distinct view of the Milky Way above and the lights from Villach at the bottom of the valley below.

Schultzhutte

Walks for 2012

Definitely getting “stir crazy” and ready for another big walk. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking for another six month trip like last year’s walk along the E4, but I need some more adventures.  So, as well as tidying up E4 notes and photographs, doing a bit of baby minding,  I’ve spent the winter putting on weight and planning trips for next year.  I now have a schedule that takes me from the end of February through to October.

The first trip takes me back to Andalucia and four days hard walking along the GR48 Sendero de Sierra Morena. The GR48 goes west to east from Barancos, just inside Portugal, and through to Santa Elena on the eastern side of Andalucia. The total distance is 581 kilometres and over four days I’ll be doing the first 160 or so, starting at Encinsola, the first “stop” inside Spain, and finishing at Cazalla de la Sierra. I’ll be walking with Juan Holgado, the No 1 Spanish walking expert, and the mad 40 kilometre a day schedule has been set by him - just hope I can keep up.

If I have any energy left at the end of each day I’ll try and blog but will definitely be writing the trip up when I get back.  In the meantime, if you’re interested in the walk than go and have a look at the GR48 Sendero de Sierra Morena website, really good, lots of detailed information including a GPS trail and everything you need to plan your own trip.  Really nice people as well. I left a comment on their Facebook page and they came straight back offering to send me English language versions of their Topoguides.