Between the poles..
Two winters ago I managed to collect a stress fracture to my right foot. Distance+rough ground+heavy Bergan+age resulted in a small piece of bone flaking off. As I found out in early January down on Exmoor, any distance over about 5-6 miles on rough ground carrying a load now results in discomfort . I remember the xray Nurse who explained the injury saying " Oh, you'll have to get some hiking sticks"...I didn't think about it until the other day in the local Outdoors Shop.Two sticks for the price of one, final sale reduction!! I thought I would give them a try at that price..
It's a long steady climb up onto the Downs from the river valley
Looking up the trail, it's steeper than it looks. The walking poles (cheap end of the many available) have spring loaded shock absorbers and it was here I really noticed that they actually work, I could feel the shocks working, plodding up the steep side of the Down.
Sunny but very cold, the wind has a bite keeping the temperature down around freezing and I have all the appropriate kit so the Bergan is not superlight.
Beautiful as ever, I saw nobody all day except a tractor crawling over the land in the distance.
The bright sun is deceiving, proper kit is advisable.
In the far distance the town huddles under the protection of the grey castle.
I found the walking poles take a bit of getting used to, I started by tending to stab them into the ground rather than reach out ahead with them. Once I'd cracked the left-right-left system I found I was covering known distances quicker, not because I was walking quicker but using the poles, for me at least, seems to increase the length of my stride and I cover distance that little bit quicker.
But..here was the real revelation..the trail crossed a field of young Kale, the soil had softened in the sun and was very slippery. The walking poles made a huge difference in walking in those conditions.
Off the Kale and onto the plough. The farmer had run a heavy Tractor across the field to designate the public Bridleway which had been ploughed under. There is no doubt that I would have found crossing this without the poles a much more precarious business. Here they were of great benefit.
Imbolc, the old Celtic festival. Imbolc marks 'the time of the Lambing'...and here in a warm field these little woolie jumpers follow the wheel of the year...
Turn for home now, the temperature has dropped and I'm feeling the miles.
Here's the poles alongside my usual walking companion, a Hazel staff with my Saxon friend that I cut into it..
His helmet is the end cap from an industrial strip light I found in a rubbish skip..I felt he needed the protection from invading Vikings..
I've run the little map measurer over the paper map route three times just to avoid inaccurate readings and it's shown 14.1 miles each time, so a fair walk and today no tell tale ache in my right foot, so all in all I think the poles are of benefit to me.
They won't go on walks along the level seashore route I take sometimes or to the wood but long wanders over the Downs will be made with the poles in future.
And that's about it from me for a while. Soon I'm going to load the Guzzi up with my camping gear and go for a wander up Norfolk way to the big coastal nature reserves. I'll try to come back with some photos.
Whatever path you follow, travel safely all.
Sax..
Reply With Quote
That's a lot of open country 
lol, but if they help make the trip more enjoyable, by all means use them 
Originally Posted by zoot
