A very unusual experience to be posting about a walk only a couple of hours after getting home. Normally it’s weeks or even months delay.
Been a quiet couple of weeks since my last post. A weekend of truly dreary weather last week and a drab an grey one this week. Yesterday I indulged my new “passion” for cycling with a 35km ride around the Forest of Dean but today the weather seemed a little brighter (I could actually see the Black Mountains from the bedroom). Forecast said east and not too high so the classic circuit of Hatterall Hill from Cwmyoy fitted the bill.
I’ve been up here many times as its short and satisfying for a half day or after work.
I’ve enhanced the walk of late with a sneaky way up the back of the small un-named top created by a landslip – I think anyway. The cloudy views were enhanced by some beams of sunlight and scant patches of blue sky
It was a very mild day but there was a keen wind so finding a lunch stop was a challenge as was not getting ourselves shot. For the second time recently we had to share the hills with several people driving around the summits in 4WDs and armed with shotguns. I have to say I find it intimidating. I have no idea what today’s sport was but in the few hours we were out I never heard a single shot so they can’t have been very successful
We did find a spot out of the cold wind with a fine view over the Marches countryside
Nice to get out but I’m starting to reach that point in the year when I want the weather to make up its mind. Either winter needs to re-assert itself or it needs to bugger off for the year and warm up so I can start walking in T-shirts and shorts again. I hate this cold gloom, not sunny but not cold enough for clear skies, frost and snow
surfnslide 
We’ll get down there one day…..
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I can be your local guide for a reasonable fee
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People driving 4WD’s on the summit shooting shotguns? I thought those things only happened in the US. 🙂
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There are a couple of rogue areas near where I live that have that sort of mentality but I’ve never seen it so brazen in a National Park. It really does make you feel uncomfortable, I don’t like guns!
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Hm, the skyline is a tad low. So glad you still got out.
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Its been an odd winter. A couple of weeks ago we had mild and then snow 24 hours apart and now we are talking about the warmest February days on record. I was supposed to be doing some winter walking in Scotland in a couple of weeks but looks like I might have to pack my shorts!
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In my twenties I was inspired to visit the Forest of Dean and go cycling there after reading ‘A Child in the Forest ‘ by Winifred Foley, easily as good a read as the more famous Cider with Rosie about a childhood set in a similar time period. Can’t beat the mix of cycling and hill-walking for variety although you get a spoiled mentality on a bike being able to cover so much ground on any outing.
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I’ve never been a big fan of cycling, this latest attempt is more to try and keep some semblance of fitness while I wait for my knee op and also to strengthen the muscles around the knees to help support them. I try and get out most dayts when I’m at home for 20k or so round the local roads which I find a bit dull but I have to say I’m enjoying my rides around the FoD. Hilly enough for a workout without anything too steep and the woodland is rather fine
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The cycling fitness thing seems to be working!
Winter reasserted itself in the end for Scotland. We’ve had a couple of glorious sunny, very spring-like days this week, but the forecast for the weekend looks utterly pants. Where’s the EWO when you need him?
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Walking around in sunny patch of blue sky I imagine. Not really noticed the weather this – still recovering from 30+ miles in 3 days and getting home at 02:30am! Cracking weekend though 🙂
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