And now here we go again! I’ve bussed it up to Portland and am going to have a crack at the 250km long GSWW.
I’m not going to lie. It is a real struggle this morning to feel motivated. The wind is still howling, rain is predicted, the bag is heavy having been loaded up with 6 days worth of food, there is every chance I will be completely alone on the trail, and I’m tucked into a nice warm bed. Yes, this was a real test of my fortitude this morning. What got me moving in the end was the thought that all of this is leading to Scotland next year. And I’m pretty certain this is exactly the sort of weather I’m going to encounter. Time to get moving.
The rain does begin almost immediately. I’m in my full rain gear today, but it’s still just a drag. Especially as I’m walking through Portland to get to the outskirts of town. I feel like such a dick. It’s absolutely bucketing down, the wind is blasting and here I am trudging along with a huge backpack on, ready to go on some outdoor pursuit. I just know that every person, in every car, sees me and is no doubt thinking “What an idiot…..” And it feels a bit like I might be. Is this really a holiday?
After a solid drenching for a couple of hours, the rain starts to ease up a bit. And it is great timing, because I’m just about to leave the highly habited area and move into the forest.
Almost immediately I can feel my angst diminishing, as I look at the tall trees, listen to the birds, seemingly also calling with joy also that the rain has stopped, and taking the first break of the day.
The walk to Cubby’s from here is essentially a walk through verge forest. Not virgin forest. Verge forest. Corridors of forest between neighboring properties and the railway line for the most part. It’s nice. Very flat, practically no hills at all. And well signposted, so the walking is on very easy trail.
It starts to rain again just as I reach camp, so I sit and relax under the shelter, nibbling on my food and stretching the legs until it passes. A quick look at the walkers registration book tells me that the last people through were a tour group of 10 who passed through 5 days ago. Yep, this is going to be a practice in solitude I think….
It rains on and off all afternoon, but I enjoy whiling the day away listening to podcasts and starting a book that I have been saving just for this walk (The Salt Path by Raynor Winn). Yep. Things are pretty good.
Not the most joyous of days, but still, you gotta do what you gotta do. I’m sure the weather will get better, well, pretty sure, OK, hopeful. xxxxxx
Pretty sure I’d have stayed in bed man lol, you have far more fortitude than I!
Dar Clorset looks only marginally better then the one at the ‘Farm’ on the TA 🙂
I’m sure the wet sections on the NZ trek have prepared you well! What a soldier you are, trudging on…