Thanks to those of you who followed along with our walk on the Offa's Dyke Path on Facebook. We finished the walk last Friday (our only day of rain in 17 days), traveled from Prestatlyn to London on Saturday, and then flew home to the USA on Sunday. We were in Europe for almost four months, mostly leading our tours. The walk was our vacation and a way to get some good exercise and relaxation and get to know another part of the UK.
This was our 10th long distance walk in Europe and our fifth in the UK. (We did the Coast-to-Coast walk across England-- 192 miles-- in 2004 and 2014.) This was the hardest walk we've done, and we both thought that it was harder than the Coast-to-Coast. Our longest day was just short of 15 miles. What made the walk difficult were the number of climbs involved on many of the days and the steepness and length of the climbs-- both up and down. You need to be very fit to do this walk, and we were not as fit as we should have been. I did a lot of daily walking over the summer, but very little involving the steep climbs.
To do a walk like this, you also need to be an experienced walker in walking in remote rural areas and using a map and compass. The ODP is a National Trail so it is very well signed, but we really had to watch carefully and in a few places the signage was missing or guidebook directions were unclear. We did get tangled up a few times. Also, although we got unbelievably lucky with the good weather, we could also have ended up with rain or fog on the more challenging days. You have to be prepared to walk in a variety of conditions, as we experienced on our other walks.
That said, the area along the border of England and Wales is incredibly beautiful. We had not expected the moors, and we were lucky to be there when the heather was in full bloom. The people were friendly and welcoming, and the food was plentiful and very good. Some days we didn't even pass through a single village... just farms, woodland, and moors... and we didn't see as many hikers as we expected. Some areas are quite remote. Although we stayed in many towns and villages, several of our accommodations were at farm B&Bs. I loved this experience, but you're basically staying in someone's home and it may not be for everyone. We did have two rest days, and this was a good idea for us and gave us a chance to explore two interesting towns along the way.
We definitely like the longer walks, as a week-long walk would not be enough for us. But I think at this point, we won't do another walk this difficult. We'll focus on "moderate" walks and perhaps a max of 12 miles a day. There are so many other great walks we can enjoy in the UK... I'm already studying possibilities for our next adventure.
I'd be happy to answer any questions anyone has about the Offa's Dyke Path, any of the other trips we've done, or walking trips in Europe in general. We like the self-guided walks and they are certainly economical, but several companies also offer guided trips and that could be the right alternative for some people.
Kathy
