It's grim Down South

So it's October - there's bit less daylight and a lot more rain it seems. So for my next trip I looked for a quicker rail connection and an easier route. The South Downs Way seemed to fit the bill. The King Alfred Way I completed in August includes about 50 km from Petersfield to Winchester, so my plan was to go to Petersfield and travel in the opposite direction - East towards Eastbourne.

One of the great advantages of living in Balham is that just 10 minutes away is Clapham Junction Station - the busiest in Europe allegedly. Making the train to Petersfield a doodle.

The route up from Petersfield onto the Downs Way is anything but. Once there you are essentially following a chalk ridge as it wends its way to Eastbourne punctuated by a series of river valleys - the aArun, the Adur and the Ouse. So there's a series of steep hills to cover - with a profile that looks a bit too much like a saw for my liking.

Here's the route I planned.

Petersfield to Eastbourne.gpx

Download GPX • 360KB

Based on my last few trips I was planning on about 100km on the Friday with a final 20km on Saturday morning.

I was wrong.

The hills up (and down) are brutal. While the rain we've had across the UK since August meant that mud was a pretty much constant feature. And the ridge being chalk and flint - the result was long sections of either slick grass or a kind of gray sludge punctuated with razor sharp flint nodules. An honourable mention should also go to the number of gates you have to open and close on the way. Each one set in its own pool of manure filled water to step in and out of. (Note to self: make sure your water bottle has some kind of crud cover!)

All that to say, by about 5.30 as the sun was starting to set I was way short of 100km. I was at about 65 km at Truleigh Hill. I'd been to the Youth Hostel there a few years ago for a family weekend get together. So I thought I would stop there. The staff there are great - not in the least put out by a mud spattered old geezer rocking up to demand a camping space plus a can of pale ale and a bag of crisps.

There's a camping field out front with sensational views out to sea. I found a sheltered-ish spot beneath a chestnut tree for the bivvy bag ///shot.forgotten.spilling and then took advantage of a hot shower (worth the tenner I paid alone). Though next time I will take a towel - it turns out that using a hand drier to dry a whole body is quite tricky. I was also able to wash all my cooking kit and put wet boots in the drying room.

All wins in my eyes. It was pretty rainy overnight - though my AlpKit Hunka XL bivvy bag kept me dry if not comfortable. But the next day dawned murky and drizzly. The sea views I'd been hoping for did not materialise. So rather than do the remaining 60km to Eastbourne I decided to go to Lewes and take the train back from there.

Even with low cloud and mist the South Downs Way is a truly spectacular route. Though how anyone does the South Downs Double is literally and figuratively beyond me. Cycle 200 miles, climb 22,000ft and open 200 gates in under 24 hours!

Maybe next year. Until then here's the video.

Thanks for reading - and please let me know what you think.