Day 7 - The final push

Princes Risborough to Ivinghoe Beacon (Guide book distance: 17.5 miles / 28 Km)

Total steps (From Phone: 44440, 21.5 miles / 34.61 Km)

I was grateful that I had decided to only use my bivy bag last night as there was a lot of dew on the ground again this morning. It therefore saved a lot of time only having to dry out my bivy bag and sleeping bag and not the whole tent.

It was an odd feeling to be packing my kit for the last time, but also a nice feeling to know that my food had worked out just right so there were no left overs or waste. All I had left was my snacks for the days walk.

I had also enjoyed doing all my cooking and eating using only spoons and a spatula that I had carved myself.

With a mix of feelings I said goodbye to my new friends John and Dylan and set off for the final leg of my journey. They had decided to break the last section into two days as Dylan had been suffering very badly with blisters on his feet since day 1. That is the true example of mental toughness, pressing on even though every step hurt him, despite the pain he kept up a decent speed and hardly even mentioned them.

I think long distance walking requires a different kind of mental strength to other sports. Whereas in other sports you may have to push yourself for the duration of the event and during training, these are both relatively short periods of time. During a long walk you may have sections of 5 hours or more without any real break and you have to keep pushing yourself only to repeat it all again tomorrow.

I think this is where having a real interest in nature and the outdoors helps, as you distract yourself with the changing bird song, the trees and plants around you and even the terrain under your feet.

Anyway, back to the walk; shortly after leaving Princes Risborough the Ridgeway passes though the Chequers Estate.

Suddenly I had the feeling that I was being watched!

It was a shame that the patrols didn't bother to pick up littler though:

The entrance to the estate from the inside!

I left the Chequers Estate around 10:30 and it was already feeling very warm so I decided to have a cool drink from a nice little farm shop.

While resting there, I saw a civilian helicopter being escorted away from Chequers by a military one.

After a steep climb you reach the top of Coombe Hill which is the highest point in the Chilterns.

I had planned to have another mini break here, but it was already very busy and noisy with tourists. I found this to be a bit much after so long enjoying the peace and quiet. I only stayed long enough to take a couple of snaps then moved on to find a quieter spot to rest.

I reached Wendover around midday and as I was running out of water already I decided to stop for an early lunch and find somewhere refill my water bottles.

Sitting on a bench half way up the high street I had a strange feeling of loneliness. I almost felt as though I was invisible, no one seemed to pay me any attention or even give me a second glance. It was as if seeing a guy with a huge pack on his back was an everyday occurrence and nothing unusual.

It wasn't that I wanted attention, but I had gotten so used to people saying hello or nodding to me as I passed and sometimes asking how far I was going or stopping me for a quick chat. Wendover just felt a bit unfriendly and I was glad to pass thorough and get back to some open areas.

Electric Bikes!

On steeper sections of bridleway I had gotten used to walking uphill on the left-hand-side so I was on the opposite side to bikes going downhill and less likely to get wiped out! Also as I was trying to keep up a good pace, even on the hills I usually had plenty of warning of a bike catching me up due to the sound of the riders breathing ( more like panting and grunting!).

It was therefore quite a shock when I heard a bike bell fast approaching me from behind. I moved to the side and stood by as the cyclist passed me, it was a very strange site to see him pass me with his legs hardly moving and no sign of sweat on him while doing a fair rate uphill on a really hot afternoon.

Water at the village hall.

Shortly before entering Tring woods I was running low on water again, I was definitely drinking a lot more today due to walking in the heat. With no nearby water taps shown on the map, I took a chance when I heard power tools being used in a small village hall. Fortunately the couple working in there were kind enough to let me fill up in the kitchen and even asked if I wanted a tea or coffee. I declined as I wanted to press on as I still had a long way to go.

Path side critters.

All along the Ridgeway I had heard the scurry of little path-side critters and even been lucky enough once or twice to see a mouse disappear amongst the leaf litter, but the number of times I heard a rustle and saw the leaves move really increased just after I passed Tring. It's amazing how they seem to just disappear in an instant.

The final push.

It was great to see Ivinghoe Beacon finally start to appear on the sign posts and to see the distance count down. Soon after I could actually see the finish, which helped me keep going in the heat!

Some of the final hills were definitely among the steepest for the whole journey and my legs and feet were starting to feel pretty tired and sore. But at least I knew that any discomfort was only temporary and I would be able to rest at the end, or so I thought.

I could definitely feel the excitement starting to grow as I neared the last hill and the finish and the views were amazing as ever.

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The Finish.

It was a strange feeling to reach the top of Ivinghoe Beacon and end of the Ridgeway. If I am honest, it was somewhat of an anti-climax as there is nothing there to identify it as the end of the Ridgeway. There is only 'Trig Point' and a stone pillar which is missing its information board and from the look of it, it has been missing for some time.

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I had arrange to meet Kelly and the kids in the nearby car park to save the kids the climb to the top as it was getting late in the day. After a quick break and a couple of phone calls to my Mum and Kelly, I set off towards the car park where I could finally take off the backpack for the last time.

The kids were waiting for me along the path and showed me the way to the car where I could drop the pack and really relax.

Kelly had been kind enough to bring me a beer (and plenty of cold water) to mark the end of my hike.

We then headed for a quick celebratory drink at the local pub then home for a from what everyone in the car told me a long-overdue shower!

The end of another journey..........until next time.