Author Topic: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?  (Read 2224 times)

Booga

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Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« on: 09:36:59, 18/07/20 »
I know people are free to complete long distance paths however they choose but as someone who's thinking of tackling some in the near future I'm curious to know your attitudes towards completing sections in a logical order or not.
If completing a path as a series of day walks do you plan to do them in order (East to West, South to North etc) or are you happy to tick off any sections when you get the chance?
If you have previously covered certain parts of the trail (for example I have already walked several middle sections of the Thames Path) would you choose to do these again when deciding to complete the whole trail or are you happy to consider these parts already done?
I look forward to hearing people's thoughts.

Ridge

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #1 on: 09:55:45, 18/07/20 »
As you say entirely up to you.
The only path I have section walked is the London LOOP and I started with section 1 at Erith and walked all the sections in order even though I have walked the Barnet and Enfield sections near my home loads of times.
I liked going back and picking it up where I left off, even if that was weeks later, but I can see that with some walks that is much more difficult to organise.


E2A How many times can one sentence include the word section!
« Last Edit: 10:41:02, 18/07/20 by Ridge »

Islandplodder

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #2 on: 10:29:20, 18/07/20 »
I tend to do them in the right order where possible, like Ridge I like to pick up where I left off.  I don't always do the sections in the same direction though.  In an ideal world I would, but am influenced by ease of parking and buses/trains if I need to use them to get back to the car.  I generally prefer to do the public transport bit first so I'm not clock watching.

Bigfoot_Mike

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #3 on: 10:45:26, 18/07/20 »
I don’t tend to do multi-day long distance paths, although I have walked parts of many in several countries. I walked the Wayfarers Walk in 4 separate sections with a friend. It actually took 4 months (1 day each month). We did this in order, stating each section where the last one had ended.  

ninthace

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #4 on: 11:53:52, 18/07/20 »
I have walked long parts lot of the Pennine Way, the Ridgeway, the SWCP, the Two Moors Way and lesser known long distance paths in sections, usually by circular routes ticking off a section of the path on the way.  I do the sections in the order and direction that is convenient to me at the time and with any amount of overlap.  It is not unusual for me to start in the middle of a section, walk it for a while then circle back to rejoin the path "behind" the start point to complete the section.  In fact I did a part of the Two Moors Way like that yesterday, setting of going S then circling back to rejoin the path going S again.  Part of the second leg down the Way repeated part of a section that I had previously walked for a circular route going N. 

As far as I am concerned, whatever floats your boat, it is just an excuse for a walk.
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harland

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #5 on: 12:25:15, 18/07/20 »
I met a guy walking the Pennine Way who was walking it in stages. He would set off and walk half the distance to the next "normal" stop and then walk back to his car. The next time he would park at the next "normal" stop and walk back to where he finished last time and then walk back to his car - in effect he walked the Pennine Way twice both North and South!

Dodgylegs

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #6 on: 12:46:00, 18/07/20 »
Can only do walks by day walks, all my long distant walks attempted are not in any order.


Have only completed one, 76 miles of Weardale Way .... took me 166 miles by circular walks and up and down sections.


Attempting Pennine Way, and also attempting Hadrians Way, Teesdale Way and River Tyne Trails... these use the same route, as Pennine Way, at times or are very close, so a combination can be undertaken at the same time, just needs a bit of planning.


Looking at my walks...


133.5 miles walked on Pennine Way which involved walking 337.5 miles, includes sections combine with Hadrians Way, River Tyne Trail and Teesdale Way.


If I walked in some kind of logical order, this would require repeating sections, where at this stage doing my walks, I feel I can be walking on new sections or routes.

« Last Edit: 15:22:50, 18/07/20 by Dodgylegs »

watershed

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #7 on: 13:34:36, 18/07/20 »


I walked the Coastline of Shetlands inhabited islands and a few extra, over 2016-2017 and did it in sections.
 I didn't walk it in any order. sometimes the sea was on my right, sometimes my left. There are no paths so on reflection that was probably very sensible, as the same leg wasn't always "Stretched/extended" for @ 1000 miles. Ninthace covers it for me with

 "As far as I am concerned, whatever floats your boat, it is just an excuse for a walk"

Theo Frum

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #8 on: 16:02:23, 18/07/20 »
A mixture of both.


Coast to coast and Pembrokeshire coast: all in one, start to finish by YHA.
SWCP: from start toward finish, one week a year by B&B, then the last week in reverse for transport reasons.
Pennine way: Edale to A66 in bits by car, one bank holiday at a time, then A66 to KY all in one go by YHA.
St Peters way/ Essex way: in bits by car from home.
Thames Path: In bits, by public transport from YHAs in Oxford, Cirencester, and Streatley, and by commuting to London from home.
Oxfordshire Way and Ebor way: In whatever order was convenient using public transport from Oxford YHA and York YHA.
« Last Edit: 16:16:26, 18/07/20 by Theo Frum »

WhitstableDave

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #9 on: 17:36:16, 18/07/20 »
...
As far as I am concerned, whatever floats your boat, it is just an excuse for a walk.

Same here.  O0

For me (us), it's a lifestyle thing. For holidays, we base ourselves in an area for a week and do day walks. At home, we do one or two walks at weekends. My wife works and I'm retired, so during the week I do solo walks while she's at work and I've walked most named trails in Kent by sections, almost always by circular routes, and in no particular order.
Walk, Jog, Run : our YouTube video channel.

rural roamer

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #10 on: 13:49:54, 19/07/20 »

As others have said it’s up to you, there’s really no right or wrong way to do a walk. I would always prefer to complete in one go but that may not always be possible. The Pennine Way had to wait until hubby had retired and I was able to take a week unpaid leave on top of 2 weeks annual leave.

I met a guy walking the Pennine Way who was walking it in stages. He would set off and walk half the distance to the next "normal" stop and then walk back to his car. The next time he would park at the next "normal" stop and walk back to where he finished last time and then walk back to his car - in effect he walked the Pennine Way twice both North and South!
While we were walking the Pennine Way we met a man and his son who had been doing this exact same thing nearly every weekend for about a year. They were nearly finished it. We also met a couple who had spent their last 3 holidays walking it, so that they completed it in 3 stages.

barewirewalker

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #11 on: 14:13:25, 21/07/20 »
As a day walker, my interest in LDP's is primarily theoretical, the creation of virtual routes has fascinated me. I suppose this is the reason that I stumbled over the enormous blockage that the counties of Shropshire and Hereford provide to the ultimate in X England walking. We day walkers are always, potentially walking bit of actual or virtual LDPs backwards, sideways or in a right old jumble but with time, a walker with eye for terrain accrues enough knowledge to piece it all together.

I remember a few years ago sitting on the crest of a hill near Oswestry, late Autumn, and the low sunlight was picking out a an almost endless succession of skylines towards the west across Wales, I said to Mrs BWW, "Do you realise we know what is on the other side of everyone of those".


When I stumbled on a Macmillan route in Mid Wales, I looked to see how it crossed Shropshire, the route might as well been the flight path of the OOOMEEarhhh bird as the way tried to stumble from one prescribed way to another.


With due respect to the OP, I find it a rather sad question, shouldn't we be walking sideways off some of these prescribed routes, but I have been reassured that there does not seem to be a protagonist of the purity of the route for the routes sake.  :buck2:
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richardh1905

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #12 on: 14:32:11, 21/07/20 »
I can see the satisfaction of completing a continuous journey, but to me that satisfaction would be enhanced if it were NOT along a recognised long distance path.


...but as others have said - whatever takes your fancy. The important thing is to get out there and enjoy it.
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watershed

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #13 on: 17:28:23, 21/07/20 »

I walked the Coastline of Shetlands inhabited islands and a few extra, over 2016-2017 and did it in sections.
 I didn't walk it in any order. sometimes the sea was on my right, sometimes my left. There are no paths so on reflection that was probably very sensible, as the same leg wasn't always "Stretched/extended" for @ 1000 miles. Ninthace covers it for me with

 "As far as I am concerned, whatever floats your boat, it is just an excuse for a walk"




On Reflection having said this, I should also say, that for me,
If I decided to walk the coast of Shetland in a Continuous walk, rather than in bits, I would make sure that each day continued from where I left Off.
I would consider this as two separate things.

1 is the achievement of completing a target doing it in bits. Like walking the coast of Shetland over a few years.

 the other is the achievement of carrying out a continuous journey along a route.
 
I did both versions when I plotted and walked the 98mile Watershed of the Shetland Mainland. I did it in bits to plot it properly over the winter.
Then did it in one continuous walk in the Summer.

In conclusion I felt that they were two different journeys. 

Doesn't make either better or worse, just a bit different.



« Last Edit: 17:31:58, 21/07/20 by watershed »

sussamb

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Re: Walking Sections in the Correct Order?
« Reply #14 on: 19:03:50, 21/07/20 »
I had a similar discussion with my wife when I started doing LDWs.  She couldn't understand why I couldn't do a bit here and a bit there, but to me the challenge is doing the walk in one continuous period, otherwise they are simply day walks.  But that's me, as others have said do it in whichever way you want  O0
Where there's a will ...

 

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