Petronella's Voyages: Oh no. Whatever happened to the Big Walk?

Lying in a sweltering bed last night, unable to sleep, I suddenly realised that yesterday's "list of good things during our time in the UK" had omitted the Big Walk. "What's that?" I hear you clamouring.

Well, thirty years ago, after we arrived back from four years in South Africa, we asked a group of friends if they wanted to do a long walk so we could catch up with what they had been doing since we left. That first walk across the North York Moors, known as the Lyke Wake Walk, followed the ancient coffin route from west to east, a total of around 40 miles if I remember correctly. Since that time these walks have become annual events. Over time we've picked up new walkers and a few have gone by the wayside. One, Julian, who died of bowel cancer ten years ago is still remembered by us every year. Some of the current regulars were introduced not by us but by other members of the Big Walk club which is great. These regulars now come from Ireland, England, Norway, Germany and South Africa. Even better, whilst we have been away for the past few summers they've carried on without us. And even better better - this year with us being back in the UK during the summer they welcomed us back into the group as if we had never been away.

The routine is pretty much the same each year. Meet on Friday night with a pub meal, walk on Saturday (all day, especially nowadays!), another pub meal and a long sleep, a leisurely breakfast on Sunday morning when someone volunteers to coordinate the following year's walk. With luck a date and venue is set and the cycle begins again.

At the start the "rules" said that the walks must not get any easier as the years go by. We like to think that that is still true but I have a sneaky suspicion that this year's 22 miles across Exmoor in the south west of England was maybe just that little bit less of a challenge than the Lyke Wake Walk was thirty years previously. We generally have a support minibus that meets the walkers every 6 or 7 miles providing refreshments, muscle balm and encouragement. This year's walkers were a particularly fit group - no stragglers and a strong finish by everyone. Thanks guys - we hope to see you all again next year on the South Downs Way.

How the years pass!!