I’m considering doing something like taking the train up to North Wales,Bangor maybe, and walking home to Cardiff. Most of the biking routes come in around 200 miles ish, but I haven’t got a walking route. I’d have to either find a pre-made one or do one myself.

I’d take my bikepacking kit which is fairly light. I’m not a big walker but I walk about my neighbourhood a bit, and I can manage a full day without too much drama now – and no blisters. How much of a step up is it to walk for say, a week? I realise 200 miles in a week is a bit of a stretch as it requires 30 miles a day which is probably too far, but of course the route can be tailored to fit into a week.

Am I insane? Will I die? I don’t normally feel like using poles, is there a point in a long walk where you suddenly want them?

Before I knackered my feet, I’d done a few long distance walks…

Terrain will dictate how far you can walk daily and the stress on your body. Harder surfaces will be faster but can kill your legs.

Allow lots of overnight recovery time. Should be easy at this time of year.

Consider interspersing nights out with B&Bs, especially if the weather isn’t great.

I like poles. I’ve a long story about “walking poles” but that’s for another time.

Hopefully, TJ will show up on this thread

Should be easy at this time of year.

Will probably be in the spring I’d say.

Doesn’t quite get you home to Cardiff, but how about Offa’s Dyke Path https://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/en_GB/trails/offas-dyke-path/ ?

30 a day is quite tough, you’d have to work up to that, I think. I did St Cuthbert’s way this summer over 5 days, which was really far too relaxed, but even over 4 days it would only have been 16 miles a day. Didn’t use poles but do have some very comfortable boots.

How about the Offa’s dyke path? Southern half is lovely, I haven’t done the northern section but it looks just as good.
For me, 30 miles a day would be ridiculous/impossible, particularly fully loaded in hilly country. 15 to 20 is more like it, but don’t under estimate the way tiredness builds from day after day of this kind of effort.
Ha, just beaten by OWG!
PPS I bloody love poles!

30 miles is a good walk, and just because you don’t get blisters walking round your neighbourhood doesn’t mean you won’t after 30/60/90/300 miles. I’ve done a back to back 30 and that was a long couple of days, my perfectly fitting walking shoes started to hurt and there were a few chafing issues.

In conclusion, I doubt you’ll die, but it’ll be bloody hard work, it’s 10 hours per day on your feet. It’ll also be a touch boring as the route won’t be views all the way.

Dunno, but I’ve decided to walk to Milan for a coffee next Spring. Probably get the train home though.

Fitness generally isn’t an issue as people “walk themselves fit” after a few days. Main thing is avoiding blisters. Walking shoes that you’ve broken in and fit perfectly, plus fresh socks every day, and you should be fine. Oh and don’t carry too heavy a pack.

OD path doesn’t float my boat as much as staying more to the West and hitting the big country. My initial thought would be something like Ogwen, then the Rhinogs, really want to stay the night in Hengwm, then Hafren Forest, then Llanwrtyd area, Eppynt, Beacons obviously then home via the route I usually ride which is via Dowlais and Caerphilly.

In fact I might make Hengwm a must-do because it’s a fantastic spot but not really very good on a bike. It might even be better to go Bangor to Aberystwyth that way and get the train back from there.

just because you don’t get blisters walking round your neighbourhood doesn’t mean you won’t after 30/60/90/300 miles

Of course I’m aware of this – what I meant was I don’t tend to get blisters when I do a 10 hour walk.

I think maybe a day of 30 miles if the terrain is OK is perhaps doable with a rest day after, but not day after day. (certainly wouldn’t plan it like that) I think you’d have to really look at the route closely to see what’s do-able on a particular route day in day out though. Regardless walking poles would be on my kit list

I’m keeping an eye on this thread because I’ve been tempted by similar recently.

I would bank on 25 miles per day maximum. Anymore and your feet start to feel it.
Also, do the Wales Coastal Path around the LLeyn penninsula and down around cardigan Bay. It’s much better than Offa’s Dyke path and probably better weather (as it’s coastal – less rain). It’s also well waymarked so saves your brain from constant map-reading.

I’ve done 4x50ks back to back.

Never used poles. Big issues are blisters but don’t underestimate the pounding your feet take.

Should sign up to the 4daagse!

I would bank on 25 miles per day maximum. Anymore and your feet start to feel it

Entirely dependant on terrain, weather and physical fitness/conditioning – and other variables too tbh.

Look at the many Cape Wrath Trail completion vids on youtube, granted Wales won’t be quite as rough, but most average under 20 miles per day, and have a rest day too.

I’m firmly in the ‘you won’t know until you try it’ camp.

@duncancallum have you looked at the ring of fire route yet? cracking big route for you to explore your newish surroundings 🙂

I have done this a lot. 200 miles would take me at least 3 weeks

I work on 12 miles a day for carrying all my kit on rough terrain. Day after day that is enough. You want time to enjoy the scenery and your lunch and to retain some energy for the next day and when you get overtired is when you make mistakes and fall. I can do 15 or even 18 but I find 12 is a realistic number for planning. 30 is an absurd amount. thats 10 hours walking head down every day – no time to sight see and packing up and pitching camp in the dark at this time of year

Every gramme you carry counts as well. Light boots are important to reduce fatigue and IMO poles are essential – I walk with one and carry a second for steep downhills. Even if just for sability crossing streams or prodding bogs to see how deep

Thats my experience of many hundreds of miles walked in multiday tracks on all terrain and climates

Oh – and a day with a pack in rough terrain is far far more effort that a day on the flat with no pack

when did you last walk 30 miles in a day? When did you last do more than 15?

Fatigue is cumulative on this things. I also tend to have a day in a hotel every 2nd or 3rd day

Dunno, but I’ve decided to walk to Milan for a coffee next Spring. Probably get the train home though.

*High fives with an awkward handshake movement*

When I retire I had thought about having a coffee in the most northerly, southerly, easterly and westerly coffee shops in Europe.

I have been to the most northerly, most NW, most NE, most westerly, most southerly and most south west spots in the UK. Just the eastern bit to do. also been to the most northerly point in europe and most westerly

Yea, 25 miles on undulating terrain found in the UK. More in Norfolk, less in Snowdonia/Highlands

When I retire I had thought about having a coffee in the most northerly, southerly, easterly and westerly coffee shops in Europe.

But by the time you walk there your planned coffee shop will have closed and the next one will be somewhere over there… Whereas,

I have been to the most northerly, most NW, most NE, most westerly, most southerly and most south west spots in the UK

these bits don’t move. 😀

30 is an absurd amount. thats 10 hours walking head down every day – no time to sight see and packing up and pitching camp in the dark at this time of year

I’ve watched a few of the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail (etc) films. Some of them aim for 20-30 miles a day, for months on end.

I watched one where they challenged themselves to do as far as they could in 24hours. One did 60 miles – with pack on through the hills…

When I retire I had thought about having a coffee in the most northerly, southerly, easterly and westerly coffee shops in Europe.

I’ll play. Does it have to be a dedicated coffee shop? The most northerly cafe appears to be the Scandic Hotel at the Nordkapp:

https://goo.gl/maps/T3JZRTpDNVNr7PBs7

EDIT nope, there’s apparently a cafe at this lighthouse:

https://goo.gl/maps/3akwZwsbVBMm8wfj9

You’ll struggle to define the easternmost point of Europe though. It might be Baku if you’re being generous.

According to Wikipedia it might be this place:

https://www.google.com/maps/@67.5169563,64.074035,3a,90y,230.56h,92.74t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1syAoO4VZWvRWrqaMa3ixfGQ!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3DyAoO4VZWvRWrqaMa3ixfGQ%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D5.0172176%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

Up for it?

You’ll struggle to define the easternmost point of Europe though. It might be Baku if you’re being generous.

To me the game is about getting there, not being ‘right’.

And don’t tell me Iceland is in Europe… 🙈

I did the Swiss Peaks race this September, made it to 260km or so before having to drop out due to injury. Despite going very light (no need to carry food, and my sleeping bag + change of clothing went on ahead of me) it still took me approx 5 days, and that was sleeping less than 3 hours / day. Bear in mind I’d been training for this most of the year, including lots of 40-50km outings and a 100+km ultra a couple of months beforehand.

OK, it was in the Alps, but I doubt central Wales would be that much easier and the weather’s likely to be worse. So I’d echo what everyone else has said: you haven’t got a chance in hell of doing 200 miles in a week. TJ’s estimate of 3 weeks would be far more reasonable.

@nobeerinthefridge

Nice loop. Would have been keen once. I don’t do well on long distances anymore. Hip replacement let’s me ride fine but walking is hard especially big downs. Though I might look at doing bits

Second eastern-most shop looks much much better though:

https://goo.gl/maps/CxDkhsWoSzgL8eGN7

So I’d echo what everyone else has said: you haven’t got a chance in hell of doing 200 miles in a week.

I know, it does say that in the original post.

I know, it does say that in the original post.

Not really, it says “a bit of a stretch” and “probably too far”, which is highly optimistic. Bordering on insane 😀

I said probably too far, and I was right 🙂

However now this has made me want to try it and see how far I can actually go in a week.

I’ve done 62.5 miles in a day on 4 or 5 occasions, travelling light and not doing back to back days. Carrying stuff and doing day after day the most I tend to aim for is around 12 miles.

As above, waking up after a day of walking, having slept on the floor, having to pack up all your stuff then set off I find taking it easy and walking a slow 12 miles over say 4 or 5 hours then setting up again, finding a pub, dinner, bed, repeat is about my limit

You could do the Camino de Santiago as a start to see how you get on – it’s actually set up for long distance walkers, with accomodation available at nicely spaced intervals (based on 100s of years of experience).

30 is an absurd amount. thats 10 hours walking head down every day

Quite. I find 15 miles to be a pleasant distance – a proper day’s walk but enough time for a pub lunch and finishing in time for a relaxing evening.

I’m keeping an eye on this thread because I’ve been tempted by similar recently

Same here,I’m looking at doing the Penine way

25-30km a day for the first week I suggest. I’ve done 845 km in 29 days, my first walk to Compostelle along the north coast and Primitivo from St jean de Luz. 25-30km a day the for the first week and 30-35km the last week. We’ve never done more than 42km in a day with camping kit. You do get walked in but there’s a limit. I had a 12kg pack including 1 liter of water and food for the day and Madame 10kg. On subsequent routes we’ve done less.

I always carry sandals. In fact the boots spend more time in the pack than the sandals. Every bit of easy trail I change into sandals and sometimes do the whole day in them.

Keeping your feet clean and dry is essential. Over trowsers that go over waterproof boots if it’s raining.

The route will be tricky, we do things that keep roads to a minimum, that often means that we see a road sign to our destination for the day that’s 5km less than we’ll walk. From Bangor to Cardiff I’d want three weeks and I’d do the walking routes through Snowdonia, the Berwyns, the desert of Wales and Brecon Beacons. In a week I wouldn’t plan to get beyond Machynthleth.

Glyndwrs Way is a more remote route than OD.The northern half will require wildcamping so more weight.We have the maps etc if you decide to go that way.

However now this has made me want to try it and see how far I can actually go in a week.

I think that’s the approach I would take. Go as far as you want to each day.

Which is great until you’re trying to find campsite or accomodation on our crowded little island.

I’m confusing the Berwyns with the range behind Harlech. 35 years since I lived In Wales.

You could do the Camino de Santiago as a start to see how you get on

Significantly more difficult to arrange and with more travelling time though.

The plan would be to wild camp anyway. It’s free, and more flexible than having to make a booked place and not being able to go any further if you get there too early and feel good.

Walked the coastal section of the Bibbulmun trail in Western Oz. Around 350km. Took about two weeks or so.

Was 19 at the time and was walking it with an English teacher (38) who had split with her husband. I learnt an awful lot during that time and no, it wasn’t grammar and spelling.