Although I’ve known this for some time, it’s only now that I
can actually confess to the fact that I am a slow walker. There’s nothing wrong
with that of course, or indeed shameful, and it certainly doesn’t make me a
lesser person, but it’s not just on walks to pubs, with fellow beer enthusiasts,
that I’ve noticed this effect, I’ve come across it in other areas of life too. I remember back in my early teens, going hiking with the
youth group I belonged to, when I always seemed to be amongst the stragglers at
the end of the walk, keeping company with those who got left behind.
At the
time, there seemed nothing more frustrating than seeing the lead group ahead in
the distance, sitting down and enjoying a break whilst waiting for stragglers
like me to catch up. You’d then find that as soon as you’d caught up, the
advanced party would announce that it was time to get going, and off they’d go
again. They’d had time to rest up for a while and recuperate, when you of
course, hadn’t.
This pattern of behaviour was most apparent on the
youth-hostelling trip to the Isle of Wight, that I made, with the same group.
It didn’t particularly bother me at the time, because there were others walking
at the same pace as me and they weren’t concerned either. There was also
something of a rebel about me back then, and not conforming was part and parcel
of the scene I was involved with, at the time. As the week drew on, we got lost on more than one occasion, which
was quite easy, as none of us had a map. We knew roughly where we were supposed
to end up, and usually, once off the hills, there were buses we could catch. On
at least one occasion, we managed to get a bus that either went directly to, or
pretty close to our final destination for the day and arrived ahead of those
who had stayed the course, on foot.
The group leader, who was the local vicar
(it was a church youth group), never seemed bothered about people being left behind,
working on the basis of self-reliance, and “toughening us up”. Perhaps he should have done, since he was a man of the cloth,
although in those days, I don’t think any qualifications were necessary to be
in charge of a youth group. Fortunately, none of us came to any harm, even
though there were cliffs we could have fallen from, or rivers we might have
drowned in, proving perhaps, that the vicar of Wye & Brook was right in his
approach, even though it would be frowned upon today.
Back to the walking, as well as the present day. Many of my beery
trips out, start from Tonbridge station, which is reached by a 20-minute
downhill walk from Bailey Towers. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve
set off only to be overtaken by people coming up from behind. Once they’ve
passed me, they seem to disappear off into the distance, arriving at the
station some considerable time before me. I appreciate most of them are
probably seasoned commuters, who know exactly how long their journey is going
to take, but their speed does seem a little disheartening at times.
They are obviously people whose natural walking pace is much
faster than my own, and this includes individuals of both genders, many of whom
seem to stride effortlessly by. Fortunately, I normally factor in sufficient
time to not only reach the station, but to purchase my ticket as well. The
other occasions when I’ve noticed this head down, fastest foot forwards
approach has been during company business trips to Cologne, where we were
exhibiting at the International Dental Show (IDS). The mornings would begin with breakfast at the
hotel, followed by a walk past the main station and then up across the river
Rhine, via the Hohenzollern Bridge.
The latter is a similar structure to London’s Hungerford
Bridge in so much that it carries pedestrians, alongside the train tracks,
across a wide river. Once across the Rhine, we would make our way to the Köln
Messe exhibition halls, where the show was taking place. There was normally half
a dozen of us, and I was never part of the leading group, as there were
colleagues who walked so fast as to give the impression of participating in a
relay race. Nevertheless, we all arrived, each morning, at the company stand in
time for the show’s opening. I’ve given up trying to emulate these people,
although the joke is Mrs PBT’s thinks I’m a fast walker. I probably am, compared
to her but certainly not when it comes to many, if not most, of my
contemporaries.
Back to hiking, or rambling, if you prefer, and the last
major long-distance footpath I walked, was the North Downs Way, which I completed
in September 2022. After starting this LDP as part of a group, I ended up walking
the majority of the trail on my own primarily because I felt that as my pace
was slower, I was holding the group back. This is why I recommend walking solo,
at your own pace, as it allows you to see what you want to see, take breaks for
meals or drinks as needed, find a discreet place for personal needs, enjoy the
solitude and experience the joy of being in nature alone.
There are exceptions to this, especially if you can find a
walking partner whose pace matches your own. I was fortunate to experience this
with my friend Eric, 15 years ago, when we completed the South Downs Way LDP,
walking the trail in strict linear fashion, east to west (Eastbourne to
Winchester). This was different, and perhaps more satisfying, than the piecemeal approach I adopted for the North Downs Way
Our walking pace must have been equal, because I don’t recall ever
feeling rushed, or feeling that our progress was too fast, or too slow. Perhaps
it had something to do with stature, as we are both of similar height, and
build, although now I am carrying quite a bit more weight. It might also be down
to leg length, which must have a bearing on one’s stride. I don’t know my friend’s
inside leg measurement, but at 29”, mine is on the short side, and Mrs PBT’s
likes teasing me about it.
Having recently turned 70, I am pleased I can still enjoy
outdoor activities and appreciate the great outdoors. I am aware though, that
my stamina is not quite what it was 10 or even 5 years ago, but this is a
natural part of aging, and despite this my aim is to continue walking as often
as possible. Walking is an excellent form of exercise, allowing one to maintain
fitness while enjoying the fresh air and the beauty of the English countryside.
Although this has been rather a brief post, and not particularly
beer related, I would be interested to hearing about others’ experiences when walking,
whether individually or as part of a group. For much more detailed information about
hiking, and walking in general, I strongly recommend checking out Rambling Man,
the highly informative, and also entertaining website of seasoned walker,
Andrew Bowden. Andrew has completed many of the long-distance footpaths in the
British Isles, and as well as recounting his experiences of walking these
trails, his blog is packed full of useful facts, figures and important information
for those inspired to hike some of these paths themselves.
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