Day 3 Alton to Farnham

We have been extremely fortunate to this point having excellent weather with sunny days and brilliant blue skies. Atypical for England where the old saw “There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing” is a motto to live by. The last half of our hike will be a bit soggier.

However the hiking this day is a bit more arduous, not because of hills and elevation, but because of the terrain of long grasses and plowed fields.

IMHO this best surface to walk on is pine straw or mulch. Easy on the feet and good traction. Long grass can be easy on the feet. But, one must typically lift their feet and poles higher thus expending more energy per step. Long distance hiking is very much an endurance activity where one, at least myself, works diligently to conserve energy wherever possible to allow for times when one has to expend energy to properly address the issue at hand.

Cobblestones or a plowed field are my least favorite surfaces as they are hard on the feet and ankles and traction is less than optimal, particularly if they are wet.

As one may recall, many of the paths in England are over private land where the owners have given permission for a path to cross their property. In a plowed field it is often difficult to discern the path. This day had me more than once staggering around like a drunk in a dark room as I attempted to keep us on the path through an unmarked, plowed field.

Short post today, not a lot new to show and I was tired, just trying to get from point to point. I will make it up with the next post regarding Chartwell mansion, the home of Winston Churchill.