02 Mar 2014; Amersham to Wendover
| Walk descriptor | Practice | Day | 00 | ||
| Date | Sun 02 Mar 2014 | Start to end time | 04h 31m | ||
| Start point | Amersham | End point | Wendover | ||
| Miles today | 13.81 | Cu miles | 13.81 | ||
| Ft today | 1,406 | Cu ft | 1,406 | ||
| Route miles left | .00 | Route ft left | |||
| Today’s weather | Dull and overcast; dry at first; heavy drizzle by mid afternoon. Moderate southerly breeze. Temp around 9C. No sun | ||||
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| Today’s location (the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment) |
GPX based track of today’s walk (click here to access to access downloadable file) |
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Commentary
The walk to Wendover via the north-east side of the Misbourne valley is one of my favourites, but this time I decided to modify my usual route by adding a detour through Wendover woods. The interesting thing about the walk is that although the end at Wendover is 100 ft lower than the start in Amersham, about 90% of the walk is actually uphill – pretty much constantly from Chesham to the summit of the walk in Wendover Woods. Tactically, it might be better to do it the other way round next time.
But it was an extremely enjoyable day out, despite the inevitable rain which set in at the end of the walk. Good views across the Misbourne valley, particularly from near Kingsash and near the Hale in Wendover woods. Once again I took the opportunity to carry the full pack that I will be taking on the LE2JOG hike and it proved mainly manageable. But I think there is probably some excess weight I could shed so I’ll have to go through it again and see what gear I could do without.
On the route, red kites were in evidence, especially near the Chesham Model Flying Club site, on the way up towards South Heath. It was wet everywhere, and mud was a nuisance, as usual. Fields and rivers were flooded, and every millimetre of fresh rain seems to result in more waterlogging, as I think the water table is actually above ground level now. I small herd of roe deer crossed my path in the Halton Wood. Whenever I see them I do wonder why evolution coloured them exactly to match their surroundings, and make them nearly invisible to predators, then added a huge splodge of white on their backsides which makes them stand out a mile.
The advantage of the detour through Wendover Woods is that the route goes right past an excellent tea-shop, at the highest point in the woods. A great place to carbohydrate-load with tea and cake and to wonder about the sanity of the tree-climbers at the nearby “Go Ape” facility. And then afterwards it’s just a short downhill walk back to Wendover to catch the Chiltern Line train back to Amersham – though the steep chalk path today was greasy and extremely slippery, bearing more than a passing likeness to the black runs I was attempting last week!
Today’s photos (click to enlarge)
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| Can’t imagine why this path (by the Queen’s Head in Chesham) is closed | On the Ridgeway path in Wendover woods |
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| Humid, mild conditions over this winter have been ideal for vivid green moss which is growing everywhere. Like living in a rain forest | Yes, I know it is.. |
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| Fantastic tea-room in Wendover Woods | Path comprehensively blocked by fallen tree on slippery slope down to Wendover |
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| Bullrushes growing by Chesham Bois Bricky pond. This formed in the early 1700s when a clay pit was dug, to extract material for brick production. Now the home of deer and edible dormice | |
