Day 9: Exploring the Welsh Marches

Start: Buttington

End: Chirk

Distance: 24 miles

After dinner last night, I thanked Justin for the lift and wished him all the best for his upcoming adventures. I said goodnight to Pete and Craig, wishing them luck for the rest of their journey. Although it would be lovely to spend more time with them, I needed to go a little further this next leg which meant a very early start. I left a day late for this adventure, due to train strikes and extending my recovery from my Norway trip. This means in order to stay on track for my upcoming trails, I needed to put in a double shift at some point. Having reviewed all my options taking into account weather forecasts, elevation gain and terrain - the long day logically had to be today. The upcoming route was relatively flat, presented very little challenge in terms of the terrain and the sun was shining. Equally this would ease the pressure off the final days through the Clwydian Range, which would be significantly more arduous than my recent days. I emerged at 6am, it was a chilly morning for August - my hands felt cold as I packed my rain saturated tent away and folded up the poles. But the sun was out and I had a big day ahead of me, I would soon warm up. So I strapped my pack on, tied my boots and headed north.

Being up and out so early allowed me to witness my favourite part of the day. The sun rays were warm but not harsh, casting an orange light upon the leaves and the dew droplets glistened. The birds chirped happily and rabbits bounced around, darting into the hedgerows as I passed. My pack felt lighter this morning, a combination of growing stronger after a week of carrying it and having a lower food supply. It felt like an extension of my body at this point. Walking through the trees this morning with the sun rays peering through the gaps in the branches and feeling contented, gave me a sense of nostalgia. Like I'd been here before. It felt like it could have been many moments of my life and I was grateful to be reliving them. 

The route was relatively straightforward throughout the morning, following a flat trail alongside the River Severn. I picked blackberries from the hedgerows, the brambles scratching my arms as I reached for the biggest ones. The afternoon's route became a little more complex, demanding more focus on my map where waymarking was a little patchy and the route twisted through the Oswestry uplands. The views felt different to previous days and the sun helped brighten the landscape. The bare limestone cliffs of Llanymynech Rocks contrasted with the gentle slopes and wide panoramas of Selattyn Hill. I passed through fields of sheep and cows with calves. As always the cows were right on the route, obstructing the gate I needed to pass through to the next field. One of the large cows with a calf grunted at me as I approached, which I translated to "Don't you come any closer!" So back to wading through dense bracken and climbing fences it was.

By the final miles my body had become tired. Burning shoulders, calves screaming and sore feet. But the satisfaction of knowing I had covered the miles I needed and was on the final approach to camp gave me the motivation and determination to push through. The final miles of long stretches are always a baffling paradox of joyful suffering, misery entwined with ecstasy. Everything hurts, but the elation of completing the miles overrides. I dropped my pack at camp, scanned my progress on the map and felt a smile form across my face as I collapsed in a heap on the ground. This is what I love about these challenges. Life is simplistic, you have a clear goal that you inch towards everyday. Your purpose is defined. There is freedom, there are new places, unexpected encounters, progression and daily rewards. Back in normal life, progress is not always tangible. It is not simply judged from scanning a map, calculating mileage or counting contour lines crossed. But as I lay on the grass looking like a tired mess, I justified my exhaustion as I calculated my daily miles. 24! Just 2 miles shy of a marathon. I made peace with my fatigue, feeling happy and a little proud of today's achievement.