Our (Mud) Island Adventure: We Walk the Wight

A few weekends ago, as some of you will have noticed from FB, we walked the Walk the Wight in aid of the Earl Mountbatten Hospice. A worthy cause to be sure, and we certainly earned the sponsored funds we raised for the charity. We chose the 8 mile walk.....ok I did and then Sammy told me I was soft and upgraded us to the 14.5 mile walk. That is 23.5 kms! And I am here to tell you that is a long way to walk.

I have not had much chance to keep fit or cycle since we got here, so I admit I was a bit nervous leading up to the day. Sammy jogs regularly but even she was a bit nervous the night before. The walk was well organised with lots of free shuttle buses to take us to the start and the islands normal bus services allowed free passage to all participants. Sammy and I started just after 9am, well prepared with water, energy drinks and snacks to keep us going. We started from Carisbrooke Castle and the idea is to walk the route at your own pace from there to Alum Bay, finishing the race at the famous Needles. Now Carisbrooke Castle is on the top of a hill so we started off down a very steep path, everyone around us very excited and Sammy out of the gates like a racehorse so to speak. I had to slow her down several times in those first couple of miles. This is how it went:

Me: Sammy slow down angel, we have a long way to go

Sammy: No no no, I can't take it when old people overtake us!

Me: Um, those two are no older than 25?

Sammy: Still, pick up the pace slow coach!

We walked for what seemed like ages, but the pace was pretty hot thanks to Sammy and her race face. It was also very very pretty as we keep on mentioning. The route got steep pretty quickly and followed a path up past the radio masts that transmit for the island. I felt we were making good pace and at about 6 miles we came across the first water point.

Waterpoint Guy: Here chaps, have some water and an energy drink

Me: Thanks Mate, are we making good time?

Waterpoint Guy: Not too bad only a few hundred past here so far (11 000 walkers in the event so not too shabby)

Sammy: A few hundred?? Hurry up Rich we need to get going!

Me: Baby we have already done at least 6 miles so don't stress we can pick up the pace now

Waterpoint Guy: 6 miles? Um no sport, you are at 3.5 miles and you have 11 miles to go.

That shut us up a little bit....

The route undulated through a few pretty hills and dales and some really nice forest bits, at this point a cold breeze had got up and we put our jackets back on for a bit. After what seemed to be a long way past that water point we came out the end of a forest section and could see ahead in the distance Freshwater. A great feeling but short lived.

Me: How far do you think we have gone now Sammy?

Sammy: At least 10 miles, look there is a water point in the distance, at the bottom of the steep hill. Can you see it?

Me: No because I am too busy looking at the steep hill we have to climb after that!

Sammy: That's not so steep! Hurry up and stop dragging that leg.

Me: I am not dragging it, it stopped working at 6 miles

Sammy: Mmm, my legs are getting a bit tired too. See if you can harden up and make the next 5 miles

When we got to the bottom of the hill it turns out we had only done 8 miles and still had 6.5 to go. The hill Sammy had decided was not so steep turned out to be so steep, even a mountain goat had made his home on the side of the hill, and was watching us struggle up in amusement. Sammy's gungho attitude was replaced by a milder encouragement and we had to really push ourselves. As we neared the bottom of Freshwater, even the mild encouragement had dissolved.

Sammy: Is this walk never going to end?

Me: I am not sure I care anymore. Lets just walk off the edge of the cliff, it would be less painful

Sammy: I think I am bleeding from my eyes? Am I bleeding?

Me: No baby you have just got your eyes shut because the wind is howling at us!

The last 3 miles were desperate! You have to walk up yet another ridiculously steep hill into a howling gale that blows straight on at you until you arrive at the Needles. We did pick up the pace somewhat on that last climb. Not because we wanted to overtake some people, but because we were so tired if we stopped for even a second we would both begin to cramp and stiffen up.

Me: We are nearly there baby, just a couple of hundred metres to go to the battery at the end of the Needles.

Sammy: At last, I don't think I can feel my face anymore from the wind

Me: I don't see the finish, do you think we made a wrong turn?

Sammy: If we did I am not going on you can come and fetch me later

As it turns out, the ~~sadistic~~ cruel organisers had decided that we would have to turn at the Needles and walk down a path another mile to the end at the Alum Bay Amusement Park. Funny that because we were not amused! Still despite being totally exhausted and full of blisters by the end, we are proud to say we made it! Below are some pictures. The early smiles are genuine, the later pics are all photo shopped to remove the tears, blood and sweat it takes to do this walk!