Relief!! We returned safely and relatively unscathed. The journey took slightly longer than planned, this was down to a number of factors ranging from horrific blisters to the sheer number of pubs en-route! 

 

We started in the picturesque town of Weymouth, having caught a train from London Waterloo. 

The terrain varied over the journey starting off difficult with plenty of uphill and downhill walking. 

Perhaps the hardest part though was walking on a long straight road for seemingly endless miles as the sun sapped our energy as we passed the MOD firing ranges just outside Lulworth. 

The easiest walking for us was in the New Forest. Having both grown up in the New Forest, it was a home coming of sorts and the forest put an extra spring in our steps as we crossed it. We may also have been spurred on by the well known Carlos ice cream parlour just outside of the forest.

 

The walking was hard at times, energy drained and tempers began to fray. Farnham being a particularly hard time for us as we arrived late into the night and had a disagreement on the best direction to travel.

 

We soon overcame our differences and pressed on with the terrain getting easier to traverse, we made some very good time on the way to our finish point in Croydon.

 

We wish to give a big shout out to the folks that helped us on the journey, not least to Mrs Bennett, Mr Bennett and Rick and Alice who not only put us up for 3 of our 7 nights but also allowed us to shower... it's amazing how grubby one can get while out hiking!

 

Also a shout out to The lovely lady that served us at Holme farm shop near Wareham (http://www.holmeforgardens.co.uk/farmshop.shtml) and the £10 donation she made to our cause. The fresh veg we bought there made a fantastic stew that evening too so if you're nearby I highly recommend popping in and defy you not to buy something delicious!

 

As well as a big thanks to The Bakers Arms near Wareham for the free round of refreshing drinks, they were much needed and highly appreciated.

 

And also deserving a mention are the people from the old school in Medstead, As we were passing by, Steve twisted his ankle making quite a commotion in the process. The people in the old school noticed and not only came out to check up on us, they then filled up our water bottles and provided us with cake and fresh plums! 

 

All in all, the hike was a fantastic, if painful experience. We are undecided as to whether or not to put ourselves through it again but who knows... one day perhaps.