26/07/14 - Drinking with the Daleks

Distance - 13.5 Miles
Walk Inspiration - Made up Circular Walk from Aldbourne to take in Stage 4 of Ridgeway
Distance on the Ridgeway - 4 Miles
Caches - 32 Found, 1 DNF

The rain on May's monthly jaunt on the Ridgeway did not put me off in June. I simply did not have enough time. So I am back in July, with a self made long stretch that takes in the village of Aldbourne. I am also going solo. My student daughter has come back home for the weekend, which means my usual caching partner wants to take her shopping. Not that Mrs Mappiman would have been up for an 13 miler.

So what does it mean when your 20 year old visits for the weekend.  Here are her highlights;

• Get home at 7:30pm
• Wolf down a sandwich
• Do hair
• Ask for a lift to the pub at 8:15pm
• Help yourself to a twenty out of Dad's Wallet.
• Shout "Don't Worry, there are others left, when mild exasperation raised by fleeced father
• Offer no guarantees about coming in quietly because robbed father's alarm is going off at 5:30am
• Come in at 1:30am and ask your mother to help with the "little accident on the stairs"
• Laugh heartily, take selfies, upload to Instagram

I am sure there was nothing about how to deal with this behaviour in Dr Spock's child rearing manual.

Still, no problems for me getting up and down to Aldbourne at the crack of dawn.  Park up in the centre.

Parking Spot - I am sure it will come in handy later

The start of the walk is along the road I drove in on.  The caches also start more or less straight away.  When I do head out onto the byways, there is one of the few muggles I see of the day, letting her dogs get some exercise by chasing deer.

The walking is stunning, as I climb to the Ridgeway.  Blues Skies, Golden Fields.  If it wasn't so beautiful it would be boring.

Typical Vista on my way to the Ridgeway

Work my way up to the Upham Court.  Chance for a selfie.  I have less Instagram followers than a student.

Mappiman in Front, Upham Court Behind

I have got 9 caches (and 1 DNF) by the time I reach the pylon where I left the Ridgeway on Stage 3.

Back on the Ridgeway

Being around 2 hours in, I vow to stop at the first bench for breakfast.  This soon comes up and not only does it have a Geocache underneath, once I sit down, it also has a queue of disgruntled cyclists who wanted to sit there.

Malt loaf and a water bottle from the freezer.  Bliss.

The Ridgeway offers more of the same sort of views, only this time from on high.  I meet a woman walking a dog that looks likes Molly, my erstwhile elderly pooch.  I ask if its a Labradoodle but get told its a Giant Schnauzer.  We then spend 5 minutes discussing routes and when she determines I started from her home village, she tells me all the live entertainment that is on tonight.

Schnauzer Chat on the Ridgeway

Not long before the 4 miles on the Ridgeway is done.  I spy parking spaces at Fox Hill for Stage 5.  I also see what I think is a useful post walk watering hole, only to find its now an Indian.

Still, I quite like Cobra

The end of the Ridgeway reminds me of how far I have walked.  The path down Hilton Downs is not really different, so I still have good walking to get back.  And a new cache trail starts up to keep me entertained.

All this effort, and I have only done 15.75 Miles

Caching all the way down.  A stop for lunch on a big circular thing that has a cache and a great cryptic clue and then down to the M4, with only the fruits of a joyriders labour to ruin the beautiful countryside.

Ford Fiesta?

Water runs out.  Heat increases.  I am still finding plenty of caches but I am seriously looking forward to my post walk refreshment.  As I reach the outskirts of Aldbourne, I can see they have suitable entertainment for me tomorrow.

To be fair, had enough treasure hunting today.  Wiltshire is cache laden

Hit Aldbourne at the village square.  I have done my research and I know it has been used in many films and TV programmes as the quintessential English Village - incluing an episode of Dr Who called "The Daemons".  No, I haven't seen it either.

It certainly is a pretty place and I arrive at the village green epicentre.

Village Square

Pub Number 1 - if I stopped here, I may not have started back up

So I pass behind the Blue Boar (singer songwiter on tonight according to Mrs Schnauzer) and make my way to the place I first saw at the start of the walk.

Enter in and some decent real ales on but I need something cold.  I go for a Peroni.  When the barmaid retrieves the ceremonial chalice from the freezer, I know I have struck gold.

Take it out and sit next to my new mate.

Back of the Net

They play on their Dr Who heritage.

It's actually a recently repainted bid.

As if the afternoon could not have been any more English, Inspector Morse turns up for a pint and parks directly in front of me.

Morse's Wheels.  Mappiman's Rucksack

The only way I could have enjoyed my pint more would have been to make like a 20 year old Student, stay the night, enjoy the live music and then go on a Sunday Treasure Hunt.

Cheers - All hail the ale with your flaps down