Saturday 16 July 2011

16/7/11 - Humped!

Distance - 3.5 Miles
Caches - 8 out of 10
First Cache

Rabbit Trail on Wasley Hills



There is no denying it.  Today is a strange day and time has no meaning.  I am a creature of habit - walk on a Saturday morning, blog on a saturday afternoon, drink on a saturday night.  Events conspire to change things around.  Although I am still hoping for a pint tonight.

Ellie is up at 4am as she is working at the Next Sale.  When she goes to bed last night it is under the strict instruction that she does not make a noise in the morning.  To be fair to her, it was her mom who was making all the noise at 4.23am, questioning whether there was time to be applying mascara.

I have a walk planned in Winchcombe for the 2nd week running.  I even know where my post walk pint will be held (plaisters arms).  However, it is a filthy day today.  The rain is coming down in buckets and it is worth saving this walk for a nicer day.  There was almost a post today to say "sorry blogfans, rain stops play".  However, at 1pm, when I am well into the Times the sun comes out.  So I hastily look for a local walk to do and find this one over the Waseley hills, near j4 of the m5.

This is an underrated waling area - at least as good as Clent but without the crowds.  I head off and as expected the heavens open again.  I would call it a shower, but it is more biblical than that.  Fortunately, it stops as I park up.

The cache trail follows the Rabbit Walk.  There are signs to follow, although from a certain angle, you could say it looks more like a duck trail.

Duck or Rabbit?
From the visitors centre, its a nice climb up to cache 1, with some fantastic views over Malvern.  If only there wasnt the drone from the m5, this would be a super walk.

No Pylons, no TV.  Fair Trade.
Cache number 2 is a classic of its type and the paths here are great.  I was that engrossed in reading other peoples logs of the cache that I walk past the trail markers and have to double back on myself.

Cache 3 is easy, Cache 4 is a nightmare.  I think I will encrypt my log and add a bit more of a clue.  There are however, wonderful views of Birmingham from the Coppice.  This walk lets you choose whether you are a country person by looking out to the Malverns or a City person by looking over the City.  Both have their appeal.

Cache 5 is the easiest of the day for me and cache 6 is a dnf.  I would say it has been half inched, but there have been some DNF logs in the past but the last couple have been recorded as found.  Maybe it just alluded me.


Cache 7 is nice and easy and then todays drama, and the reason the blog is so named happens.  I meet Charlie the Staffordhire Bull Dog.

I am looking for the cache when I can see a couple with two dogs walking down.  One is on the lead (I dread to think what his crime was) but Charlie is free.  He has a cursory play with Molly but then comes on jumps up me.  The owner shouts that he loves humans and I soon understand what it is that he means. 

Within moments, Charlie has a vice like grip of my leg and is pumping away for Britain.  I don't know whether I am too shocked to react or intrigued by the mixture of concentration and excitement that is on his face but I do nothing.  I don't need to worry as Molly absolutely kicks his horny arse.  I dont think I have ever seen her react with such ferocity but she certainly saves my honour.

After this, caching loses its appeal.  I just feel like a long shower.  So we record this as a DNF.

Walk on up to cache 9.  I think Waseley Hills are trying to big up the local interest here and I am always interested in a history lesson.  However, I think they are pushing it a bit with their information boards.

If you have nothing to say, say nothing

One of those biblical rainstorms starts up again at cache 9.  Fortunately, the knarled tree provides a little bit of cover.  At least the hunt distracts me.

We are then back at the visitors centre for Cache 10.  A bit like cache 2.  Loved the walk and the caches and glad to get out at 2pm, where my confusion over time had me saying "Good morning" to everyone that I saw.  Thanks to team_hayward for an enjoyable couple of hours.  Even if I am in need of counselling.

Vistor Centre - 10 minutes ago was rain on an epic scale.

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