The back story...

Trailwalker Training Walk 1 - 24/11/07 with Jo - 5 miles round the North Downs above Reigate. Av speed 2.97mph

Our first walk of any sort, and it was at least dry, but also freezing! We parked at the top of Reigate Hill, just off the motorway and walked along (and down and up!) the North Downs. I didn't really think about the route and poor Jo had to slog up the steepest part of the North Downs for miles around - Sorry!


I also placed a cache (http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=fc38be96-c805-42d8-a01f-2f5282e60e72) on the way round - one of a series of Trailwalker Training caches I intend to hide on my walks.

It was Jo and I who first talked each other (and then others) into doing this walk in the office one day in October I think, so it was fitting the first tentative steps were taken by us. Jo won the prize for first person to complain about chaffing. Other than that, not the most eventful occasion, but one has to start somewhere. As shown by the pale blue line on the map.





Trailwalker Training Walk 2 - 01/12/07 with Katie - 6.25 miles round the North Downs above Reigate. (Red line above) Av speed 2.96 mph

This time Katie was the unlucky victim, and was really the first time I'd properly spoken to Katie, so it was really good opportunity to learn more about our latest team member. Katie works in the same department as me but in a slightly different area of expertise so we hadn't really known each other before we started asking around for team members. She's done some walking before whilst holidaying in Africa and has been really enthusiastic and committed from the start. She's also a very good horsewoman, if that's the right word, competing at international level previously and now focusing on carriage driving. Katie is a little quiet but with an air of confidence and always with a smile on her face and I think she's a really great addition to the team.



We walked through part of Walton Heath Golf Course, a former home of the Ryder Cup in 1981 and one of the hardest courses I have played - way too much heather and wind for a hacker like me, but a lovely course and deservedly in the Worlds best courses. It is also the only English Club to have had a reigning Monarch as Captain, when the Prince of Wales became King during his Captaincy in 1935/6.




Trailwalker Training Walk 3 - 13/01/07 with Sasha and Katie - 10.3 miles round the North Downs from Ranmore Common towards (Red line below) Av speed 2.64mph


The first time that Sasha joined us on a 'walk' - or the words longest slip in poor Sasha's case!


Sasha was originally invited whilst she was on a break in her homeland of South Africa. I can only assume the sun and sea had given her a false sense of serenity when she came back and agreed to join our little walking team. Given that she had only joined our team at work at the start of the year, accepting to do this walk with us was really a case of throwing herself in at the deep end. She had worked with and knew Katie previously so it wasn't 100% blind, but still, a good effort.


Sasha had been in training for a half marathon that is imminent, and turned up for the walk in her running gear, including very clean running shoes....


The ground was absolutely soaking throughout the walk and Sasha did very well to stay on her feet for as much of the time as she did, as the paths were very muddy and even Katie and I win 'proper' walking shoes found the conditions very slippery! It was however a really fun walk with some great views down over Reigate and off towards the South Downs. We also passed through a couple of the famous Lovelace Bridges (one in the pic, along with very muddy footwear!) (http://www.geograph.org.uk/article/East-Horsleys-Lovelace-Bridges-Trail) in the area.





Trailwalker Training Walk 4 - 27/01/07 with Katie - 7.4 miles around Leith Hill area (Red route below) Av speed 2.6mph


The first of two walks round the beautiful Leith Hill area of Surrey via the Leith Hill Tower, the highest point in South East England I believe.



We started from the Plough Inn car park in Coldharbour (shame I didn't have time afterwards for a pint!) and headed NorthWest towards Wooton before turning back and walking along the Greensand Way, passing, somewhat surprisingly, a waterfall on the way, before heading uphill for a couple of miles arriving at Leith Hill (where we stopped for tea and cakes and probably ruined our average speed!) before a swift downhill back to the car park!



















Trailwalker Training Walk 5 - 10/02/07 with Katie, Anne, Sasha, Jo, Claire and Lucy - 9.2 miles around Leith Hill area (Blue route left) Av speed 2.3mph


Me and 6 women - way too outnumbered. Still, I struggled on round! Much the same as above, but with more chatter. Well, for the first couple of miles anyway! We went to see the waterfall again where Al's Angels Team posed for a pic, then back out to Friday Street. Walking past the Stephen Langton pub at about 11.30am and smelling the cooking was tough not stopping.

We did however stop at the Leith Hill Tower for cakes and a hot drink - I think the promise of cake was what got some people that far!!

I was greeted at work the next day by one anonymous walker with the comment "My **** hurts!" but aside from that, I think everyone enjoyed themselves!! Now all we have to do is that distance another 6 times and we'd have finished!