Sunday 1 September 2013

Day 1 Chepstow to Llangattock 32 miles


Today the boys have set out on this year’s coast-to-coast “Offa’s Dyke” 180 miles from south to North Wales. Normally the walk takes place over 12 days but as usual they have set themselves a challenge and will be doing it over 7.5 days! The walk is totally self-funded with all money raised going to the Kennel fund.

Offa’s Dyke Path passes close to the entire border of England and Wales. The full route links Sedbury Cliffs, near Chepstow on the Severn Estuary with the coastal town of Prestatyn on the north Wales coast. The route passes through 3 areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; the Clwydian Hills, the Shropshire Hills and the Wye Valley as well as such enticing areas as the Clun Forest, the Brecon Beacons, the Black Mountains and the Vale of Clwyd. The path crosses the border no less than 20 times


A lovely lady called Laura from Greyhound Gap picked the boys up from their B & B and drove them to the starting point! just as well as it turns out because Marc said they'd have wasted 30 minutes trying to find it on their own AND Laura kindly took some photo's for me


The boys posing at the start





 Laura's greyhound gap hound Marley with Marc and Scarlett Bear.



 Scarlett bear sitting on the monument that indicates the start of the walk



 And the boys posing in their specially made tee shirts for 2013 with Marley

and they're off

Scarlett Bear has been travelling and raising money for greyhound gap since 2007, she even has her own blog page. When she returns after the walk she will then be making her way to Australia if you please. Scarlett has a box that travels with her and has something from everyone who has had her. We shall add a stone from the beach to it and a little walkingthebeat sash! I shall have to take some photo's of all the things she has LOL. Marc is on strict orders not to lose or damage her! 

I spoke with Marc at 3pm, they'd been walking for 6 hours at that point and he estimated they would finished about 9pm tonight! the B & B have booked them a roast at the pub close by and then they can crash for the night. Hoping Ned is okay as he in his own words describes himself as "the weakest link" whereas Marc and Steve being on year 3 of these long distance walks are used to walking and pacing themselves they know when to be quiet and when to offer encouragement, hopefully Ned will come up to speed quickly LOL.

Tomorrow sees them walk from Llangattock to Hay on Wye 20 miles.

A few moe photo's from day 1





View down to Tintern Abbey

I hope you'll join me each day as we follow they're progress and adventures.

*** STOP PRESS*****

Another update................. boys walking through a field when 30 bulls appeared and circled them whilst stamping the ground, boys stood deadly still but still the bulls kept on moving forward so they ran for it in 3 different directions, each lept the fences with barely 3 seconds to spare before bulls crashed against the fence! Marc says it is the most frightened he has ever been in all his life and this from a policeman must,  have been really bad!
Great that's me worried already and only day 1 LOL.

Sue x

PS Donations can be made via https://www.justgiving.com/Marc-Norman1, we really appreciate how hard times are for everyone but even a £1 or 2 all adds up and will make such a difference to the hounds.

Day 1  Chepstow to Llangattock 32 miles

Day 2  Llangattock to Hay on Wye 20 miles

Day 3 Hay on Wye to Knighton 28 miles

Day 4  Knighton to Forden 20.5 miles

Day 5 Foredon to Trefonen 23.5 miles

Day 6 Trefonen to Llandegla 24 miles

Day 7 Llandegla to Bodfari 17 miles

Day 8 Bodfari to  Prestatyn 15 mile

Total 180 miles that’s the equivalent of 7 marathons in 7.5 days!

2 comments:

Sue said...

Sounds like an eventful start:) Glad the lads and Scarlet survived the bulls.

Are the t-shirts available to buy?

What Remains Now said...

I imagine the boys will be telling that bull story for the rest of their lives. So glad they all made it out without any harm. What a way to start the walk! You know that I will be following along every single day.