Cotswold Way Post Script: Medical, Organisational, Cost and ‘Could I Do It’ ReportsSep 9, 2009
|
|
When I last reported on my feet they were in very poor state due to the ‘blistering’ pace on the Camino de Santiago in Spain. With, at that point, the Coast to Coast walk in mind, I had purchased a new pair of boots in Edinburgh, only to return them the next day when departing for London. I thought I would purchase something better there before heading north again, however, as you now well know, all plans changed because of Peggy-Ann’s twisted ankle. I decided to keep the old boots, hoping they would suffice on the softer trails of the Cotswold Way. And so it proved with only one toe, not fully recovered from previous damage being problematic; even that recovered sufficiently each night, well anaesthetised with ‘medical supplies’.
Her Hoppyness wrapped her ankle in a support, rubbed it with soothing lotions and limped forward on the first few days, but as the trail was conquered, the pain and discomfort eased well enough not to be of great hindrance. As all who have had ankle injuries would attest though, recovery does not occur swiftly. A weeks’ rest in Paris and two in Tuscany may be just what the doctor would order.
Finally, before leaving The Cotswold Way, which we thoroughly enjoyed not just for the walking and superb country but equally for the times we spent with acquaintances encountered on the journey, a little bit of information may be of interest for anyone thinking of doing the same thing.
When, at the last minute, I looked at using a ‘tour company’ to book our walk, the cost was quoted at £540 per person for the B&Bs and baggage transfer. I found a baggage transfer service and booked the accommodation independently. Our cost came in at £350 per person or a saving of £380 ($760) for the two of us. Of course, we departed at the end of the summer season and had little trouble in booking ahead so if you plan on going in the middle of the madness a little more planning may be required. A visit to www.nationaltrail.co.uk/Cotswold is worthwhile.
The last thing that you may ask is, ‘Could I do this even if I wanted to?’. The answer is, I believe, a resounding yes. All that you require is a reasonable sense of humour (how else do you suffer the ‘crap’ moments?), a body that half works, a desire to enjoy nature in both its calm and its tempestuous moments and a belief that walking (surely the best way to encounter our world) between 4 and 8 hours a day is a joy, not a struggle. Then, just go for it.
