Long Distance Hikes Archives - My Big Free Life

Norfolk Coast Path End of Trip Review

Backpacking Tips & Tricks, Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Norfolk / By Karen Branscombe / 12 February 2021 12 May 2022 / 9 minutes of reading

It’s a good idea to review each camping trip after you come back and make notes of what went well, and what, um, didn’t…at all! This is my review of how my three-day backpacking trip on the Norfolk Coast went.

***To read about the trip itself please click on the links at the bottom of this post.***

Disclaimer: Please note that this post may include affiliate links to products which may provide a commission to me at no extra cost to you. For more information, you can read my affiliate disclosure in my privacy policy. All opinions are my own, and I only recommend products I believe in.

In this end of trip review, I am going to go through the different aspects of my Norfolk Coast Path trip. This is something I recommend doing and personally do after all my trips. I find that I easily forget what I was thinking about the gear etc when I get home, so this way I can be clear on what I need to change before the next trip.

I’m going to look at the following: sleep system, clothing, footwear, weather conditions, food and cook system, gear, personal fitness, things I did right, finishing with a conclusion.

Sleep System

Sleeping Bag

I can only speak from my personal experience, but the OEX Fathom Evolution 200 sleeping bag was too cold for me, despite it being summertime in the UK. Or perhaps better said, because it was summer in the UK instead of somewhere warmer. I had between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius nighttime temperature, and both nights I woke up feeling shivery and cooler than I would have liked.

I think this sleeping bag would be perfect for around 15 deg Celcius for me personally. The alternative would be to bring warmer clothes to sleep in (and learn to acclimatise to the cold better).

OEX Fathom Evolution 200 Sleeping Bag Spec

It has to be said though that I am a bit of a wuss when it comes to being cold. I blame spending a good chunk of my life living in Mallorca.

So I leave it to you to decide. Of course, there is the weight to consider, and this sleeping bag weighs in at only 800g, which for the price point is pretty good in my opinion.

Sleep Mat

I can keep dreaming of getting a Thermarest sleep mat. I slept on my budget OEX sleep mat, which is definitely a step up from a roll mat and helps a lot with insulation. However, it is a little on the thin side at 5 cm. This means that I generally have to sleep on my back otherwise my hip ends up on the ground.

It is also quite difficult to inflate as the nozzle lets the air seep out while you’re taking another breath. I’m not sure how to make it better.

Clothing

A warm, lightweight puffy jacket would have been a good option in the evenings and as an extra sleeping possibility. The second night, I literally put on ALL of my available clothes (except waterproof jacket) and was still pretty cold. But there weren’t a lot of options really as I didn’t bring much with me. There was basically a fleece and a couple of long-sleeved t-shirts. In hindsight, some thermal leggings and a merino wool top would have been good options.

My Craghoppers hiking trousers, which I’ve had for many years now and are my first pair of proper hiking trousers, are still holding their own and were perfect. I put my running shorts underneath them in the morning. That way it was easy to whip them off when I warmed up as the day got hotter. (It makes it sound like I run, I don’t, I just have running shorts!).

One observation I did have was that it could be useful to have some water-resistant hiking trousers at some point. The Craghoppers do dry out quickly, but they also get wet quickly. Waterproof overtrousers would be too hot in warmer weather.

Footwear

The Dare2B trail runners I wore were basically fine. They cost me about £25-30 in the sales from Go Outdoors about a month before I did the trip.

However, I did have a couple of issues with the upper of the right shoe rubbing on the top of my right foot. It seemed to upset the nerves there or something. The skin was thankfully unbroken though.

They probably needed to be worn-in more, as they were basically brand new before doing long days of back-to-back hiking. At some point I will perhaps spend a bit more, but for now I’m still on a tight budget.

I really just wanted to test them out on longer hikes to see how they faired. Most of the time I am using my hiking boots, so there’s no need to change them just yet.

Buying something that can handle longer distances is important to consider when buying new shoes. I have discovered that cheap shoes don’t last very long and that in the long run, you tend to end up spending more.

The Weather

Always assume it is going to rain in the UK!! Yes, even when the forecast is for sun and not a single cloud!

It has rained on every single trip I’ve done here so far, and this one was no different. I didn’t bring my waterproof trousers and I should have. Also, as previously mentioned, getting some splashproof water-resistant hiking trousers would be a good idea for the future.

Food and Cook System

Before going I thought I’d planned my meals well enough, but afterwards, I realised that in future trips I would need to be much more detailed than I was this time.

It’s better to create a really detailed meal plan in advance of what you’re going to need to bring and where you will need to stock up from local shops. This involves doing some research before setting out, and in my case, even more so because a) I’m on a tight budget, and b) I’m vegetarian.

Preparing tasty healthy dinner options are essential after a long day’s hiking. Over 3 days the junk food starts to add up and it just made me feel bad.

I ate a lot of chocolate bars, nuts, cake, flapjacks and peanut butter sandwiches. All are fine in moderation, however, there needs to be a balance. At home, I eat a whole foods vegetarian diet and save the biscuits for long day hikes. I don’t eat a lot of sugar, so to suddenly and drastically change my way of eating when on the trail leads to uncomfortable digestion.

Coming soon will be more foody blogs to cover this topic more thoroughly. So keep your eyes peeled 😉

Stove and Utensils

I took a metal mug with me similar to this one AND the Stanley Cook Set pictured. I only needed to bring the insulated cup that came with the Stanley stove set. There was no need for both cups as I was eating dehydrated pre-packaged meals like these ones.

Gear

Navigation & Tech

For navigation, I used the Ordnance Survey maps app on my phone. It would have been good to also have a backup plan with the paper version in case my phone ran out of battery, or if I had dropped it in water. It was fine this time, but I was very aware that I was sucking the juice out of my mobile. Maybe tracking my trip on Strava as well as using it for navigation was too much.

I did bring a battery pack with me, which added to the weight but was worth it. I would prefer to rely less on technology in future.

Rucksack

My very old Jack Wolfskin rucksack caused me a lot of problems and I could notice almost instantly that it was uncomfortable and going to give me lower back pain from where it was pushing into my back. It also hurt my shoulders and upper back – so all in all my whole back!! I definitely need to find a replacement pack before the next trip. (This I did and now have an Osprey Exos 48, which is marvellous.)

Trekking Poles

My trekking poles (or hiking sticks as I often call them) are the cheaper ones from Decathlon and have a comfortable grip. However, they aren’t all that light on the whole.

I only brought one of my poles and really should have brought both with me. It helped me when I started to get tired, but I was unbalanced.

Personal Fitness

Yet again I pushed myself too far for my capabilities and did close to 20 miles on the second day which is just too much for me. I had a limited amount of free time to do this trip, and because of that, it worked out with the planned timing and seemed like a good idea at the time, but on the third day I suffered from it too much and had to go home earlier than I would have wanted.

Pacing yourself is a must on a long trip. You’re also using up more energy by carrying your bag, so what you can achieve on a day hike isn’t necessarily what you’ll be able to do while backpacking with your house on your back.

Things I did right

✅ The way I am packing my bag now keeps things simple and easy to find. It is working really well to have waterproof dry bags to separate my gear and find what I need quickly.

✅ The Stanley Stove system also works well although it may be good to bring a windbreak for it if I want to cook for longer.

✅ My clothing was basically good except needing a warm jacket for the evening.

✅ My one-person tent (Vango Nevis 100) is perfect for trips like these. It is light, easy to put up, and the inner goes up with the outer, so no problems if it’s raining when you stop. (Note: the image above links to the 2 person version of the same tent, but they look the same.)

Conclusion

All in all, this was a great trip and I was happy with my gear.

Really, the breakdown above is based on comparing this trip with a perfect trip, which I’m not sure is ever really achievable. The aim is to get smoother and more practised at what to take for what conditions so that I can get the maximum out of every trip. This one came dammed close.

My comfort levels are definitely increasing I would say, thinking about the Boudicca Way where I gave myself pesticide poisoning(!).

I am more minimalist with what I bring, so my carried weight is improving. My footwear was ideal for the conditions and my budget, and the cook system was fast and efficient as well as compact.

If you have a funny backpacking gear experience that you’d like to share then I’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

Please follow the links on the highlighted text to read Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3 of my 2019 backpacking trip on the North Norfolk Coast.

Norfolk Coast Path Day 3 – Wells to Burnham Deepdale

4 Comments / Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Norfolk / By Karen Branscombe / 9 February 2021 12 May 2022 / 6 minutes of reading

Day 3 of the Norfolk Coast Path section continues on beginning the day at Wells-next-the-sea.

You can read days one and two by either clicking on the highlighted text or on the links at the bottom of this blog.

Wells to Burnham Deepdale

The morning started off a little slow for me. My body was aching a lot from the previous day’s walking with my reasonably heavy backpack, and I had bruises on my lower back plus a couple of blisters.

Before starting my last day, my Norfolk Coast Path plan was to finish the walk at Hunstanton, which was what I planned when still at home with my book. It would have meant another 20 mile plus day to get there, plus a 3.5 hour bus journey to get back to Norwich before the buses stopped. Hmmm.

Well, what can I say? I’m an optimistic person by nature, and it seemed perfectly possible to me when I was still at home. However, as the day wore on, I eventually realised that I was walking too slowly to make it in time to get the last bus back. It seems that I need a little more training to do 20 mile days consistently…oh well.

Leaving Wells-Next-The-Sea

Setting off at around 7am was very peaceful, which was a relief, as I had to follow the roads to get to the harbour and rejoin the path.

On the way I spotted a Co-Op supermarket, so popped in to pick up a salad and other lunch things. I really crave salad and fresh food when I’m hiking, probably because of all the dehydrated and packet foods that I end up eating.

The tide looked fast as it moved swiftly around the boats, but it was a calm, reasonably warm morning.

Another reason to do less miles in a day in future would be to give myself more time to explore places on the way. Wells-next-the-sea has a lot to offer in the way of entertainment and food choices, and is a highlight on the Norfolk Coast Path. I would have liked to have had a meal out, but didn’t because I was so tired on arrival there – it’s a good reason to go back and do it again!

I followed my way along the seafront, and then turned right along the side of the harbour towards the beach.

Climbing up the slope at the end, I had a quick look at the sea before entering the nature reserve. It really is beautiful here, with many seats available to stop and enjoy the view through the trees.

The Holkham National Nature Reserve

No doubt about it, this was my favourite section of the entire walk. Nature was great, and there weren’t many people around at all.

There seemed to be several routes available through the woodland. The tide was still high, so I was unable to walk very close to the water, however, I could either walk through the sand dunes, or find a firmer path through the trees. I chose the trees.

It was a little disconcerting at times – there wasn’t a single soul around. All I could hear was the swooshing movement of the trees in the wind. I think I only saw two other people all morning.

After a good couple of hours, the pine trees came to an end, giving way to a mound of dunes that acted as a sea defense for the fields behind it. The North Norfolk path signs were more regular now, and encouraged walkers to walk on the higher path. I decided to stay low however, as the wind was bothering my ears again.

Soon the path bent round to the left heading inland towards Burnham Overy Staithe.

Burnham Overy Staithe

Just before reaching the village I stopped to chat to two German (I think!) female walkers going the other direction. It was a real pick-me-up to chat about the route with someone else. They told me about fantastic hiking routes in Germany and Italy that they had done.

There was a perfectly placed bench overlooking the water on the front. So I stopped for a cup of tea and a snack and a little rest. I couldn’t help smile to myself. I was so happy to be there ambling along at my own speed, taking in all the beauties of nature and the coast. It really didn’t matter to me that my feet and back were aching. At some point it just fades into the background if you remember to be present in the moment.

An intriguing windmill captured my attention as I left the quaint village. I later discovered that it was actually a National Trust bunkhouse that you could sleep in and of course is perfectly placed on the Norfolk Coast Path, if that’s what you’re doing. If only I’d known it and had another day free to continue.

Burnham Norton

Just before the windmill, the path cut in off the road swinging back towards the sea across a field just north of Burnham Norton. It was raised and grassy…and long.

Deepdale Marsh

This section I found rather boring, truth be told. Maybe because the tiredness was creeping in and I was running out of steam. There wasn’t all that much to look at except grassy fields and stopping for a wild wee was a little out of the question as you could be seen for miles around. There were, however, some cute cows on the way.

***^{Curious cows near Burnham Norton}***

It was at this point that I decided it would be a good idea to stop my journey at Burnham Deepdale and save the last leg of the path for another day. It was clear that I would miss the last bus if I continued on to Hunstanton, and I wasn’t able to extend my holiday more.

Burnham Deepdale

Reaching Burnham Deepdale was a joy. I felt satisfied with the trip and stopped at the café for some tea while waiting for the Coasthopper bus to Wells, where I changed onto one that took me to Cromer to catch the train home.

As a side note, there is an amazing hostel and campsite which gets great reviews in Burnham Deepdale. I haven’t stayed there yet, but it’s definitely on my list for the future.

On the bus, I couldn´t help but dream of coming back to complete the last section that I couldn´t quite manage on this trip. It took me a couple of months, but I eventually did it, just in the other direction. To read about my Hunstanton to Burnham Deepdale leg click here.

If you’ve enjoyed reading this blog then you might like to read some of my other ones, below.

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Norfolk Coast Path Day 2 – Weybourne to Wells

3 Comments / Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Norfolk / By Karen Branscombe / 2 February 2021 12 May 2022 / 7 minutes of reading

You can read Day 1 here.

I got up early and had a nice breakfast of overnight oats before packing my tent away. However, I wanted to look around Weybourne a little before getting started on some stoney beach walking.

There is a nice church, a pub, and a little corner shop with a café attached which was just opening up as I passed by. It was too good an opportunity to pass up, so I bought some fruit and stayed for a pot of tea.

The centre of Weybourne with the cafe/shop, church and pub

I was underway by 8 am feeling good. It’s amazing what a good cup of tea can do for you. On the beach the sun was shining, and the tide was high, bringing lots of fishermen to try their luck.

Weybourne beach at high tide. — ***^{Weymouth Beach at high tide}***

I found this section quite hard going. The stones made the walking hard work, and there was a chilly wind blowing in my ears which increased as time passed. (I have sensitive ears and easily get earache.) It continued like this all morning until I reached Cley (pronounced cligh to rhyme with high).

Cley

I have fond memories of Cley as I spent a lot of time in this region as a child. The trail cut in round the back of the windmill, and came out in the middle of the village.

There is still a traditional smokehouse here, so if you’re into smoked fish then you’ll love stopping here to pick up a tasty bite.

This could be a great spot to get some lunch, as there is some choice between a cafe (seasonal), a pub and there’s a shop here too.

Personally, I had planned to get some lunch in Blakeney later to encourage myself to push on, but I needed to get something for tomorrow’s breakfast and some snacks. I wasn’t disappointed. To my surprise they even had individual porridge pots!

Blakeney

To reach Blakeney you have to walk on the road for a short way through Cley, and then turn right heading back towards the sea on a raised footpath through the marshes.

Low Tide

Reaching the dingy park at Blakeney and then the National Trust car park on the seafront I could easily see that the high spring tide had gone out a lot – the car park was full of puddles and the water level was extremely low in the channel.

You have to be careful if you park here not to leave your car too long around full and new moons, as you may return to find it submerged!

Lunch

Once in Blakeney, I immediately headed for the White Horse pub, which was up the hill a little. It was quite busy but I managed to find a small table by the bar and ordered some chips, veggies and a pint of orange juice and lemonade. I felt a bit subconscious as most other people seemed to be dressed up for lunch, and I obviously gave off a different kind of perfume after my morning’s hike.

After lunch, I treated myself to a quick wash in the pub bathrooms and reapplied my suncream. It’s amazing how much better you can feel just by washing your face, neck and hands well. Do you find as I do that you tend to get a curious salt covering when hiking in hot weather? It reminded me why I’d brought effervescent isotonic tablets with me.

Resupplying

I knew that the shop in Blakeney was bigger than the one back in Cley, so I popped in to pick up some more snacks, including a tube of chocolate peanut butter and some fresh bread to have as a snack later. I also found a lovely friendly cafe selling homemade cakes and flapjacks nearby, it felt like a real treat. The employees couldn’t believe how far I was planning on walking that day!

I packed my treats in my rucksack and made my way down to rejoin the path heading towards Morston.

Morston

The sky started to look quite ominous as I set off again for the second half of the day. But I felt revived and happy to be on the go again.

Suddenly it became extrememly windy, especially when I was more exposed leaving the built up area around Blakeney. And then the rain came.

***^{Ominous sky over Morston sailing club}***

Blue Poncho try out

So one idea that I had when cosy at home was to bring my new blue poncho with me on the trip. I could simply pop it over my head and rucksack to keep myself dry in a sudden downpour.

This seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out. So I quickly pulled it out and chucked it over my head and pack.

However, I realised that in practice it wasn’t quite as practical as it sounded.

The wind took hold of it pretty quickly and flapped it around my head really hard. I think it actually made me wetter… I tried really hard to get the sides of the poncho to fasten, but the velcro just wouldn’t hold in the wind, and I ended up looking like a bright blue out-of-control sail.

Walking towards me seemingly out of nowhere, was another female hiker. I’m pretty sure I saw her smirking at the sight of me being blown around by my blue poncho, so after some wrestling, I took it off and stuffed it in a side pocket. So much quieter. Note to self: don’t use that again over my big rucksack as it doesn’t; fit! (No pictures of that incident are available, thank goodness! But there’s a picture of said poncho to the right if you’re struggling to imagine it.)

Stiffkey Salt Marshes

Leaving Morston there was a pleasant wide footpath taking me to Stiffkey. Well, pleasant until a part of it was deeply flooded and there didn’t seem to be an easy way round. While I stood considering my options, a small group of hikers came from the other side – they walked straight through and ended up knee-deep in the water at the mid-point. Rather them than me.

I was wearing trail runners and wasn’t prepared to walk another 10 miles with saturated feet. So I started to scramble up the spikey bushes at the side of the path and came across a pathlike section that had been flattened enough to get through the prickly plants.

Soon I was on the other side of the flooded section with dry feet 🙂

On the other side, I met a lady hiker coming the other way who said she would be walking West from Wells the following morning on the beach at low tide if I wanted to join her. I wasn’t sure but said I’d be on the beach at 7 am if yes and if not then to go on without me.

Stiffkey

It was more rural at Stiffkey, the path was quite far inland because of all the mud flats.

Games With The Hikers

Amusingly in the afternoon, there seemed to be several hikers also following the same route. I would stop for a rest and they would pass me, then later I would pass them again when they had paused.

So a few of us ended up chatting and laughing about it as well as swapping plans. It was fun and really helped to break up the monotony and for me to forget how achy my body was getting.

Wells

Arriving in Wells was such a relief. I had definitely bitten off more than I could chew on this leg. My body wasn’t strong enough to handle 20 miles of hiking with a heavy rucksack yet.

The campsite was easy to find, and had a different feel to the previous night. There were lots of children in another field, but they put me in a quieter area with another couple of small tents.

I was so shattered, that I decided to pitch my tent, shower, eat and get straight into my sleeping bag, where I was out like a light.

The next morning I awoke early at about 6 am feeling a bit dehydrated. The entire campsite seemed to be still asleep. I got up after having breakfast in my sleeping bag, packed and was ready to go by 7:30, happy to continue my North Norfolk Coast Path adventure.

Click here to read day 3

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Norfolk Coast Path End of Trip Review12 February 2021

National Trail: Norfolk Coast Path Day 1 – Cromer to Weybourne

4 Comments / Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Norfolk / By Karen Branscombe / 26 January 2021 12 May 2022 / 4 minutes of reading

The Norfolk Coast Path officially opened in 1986 as a long-distance footpath from Hunstanton to Cromer. It is 47 miles/77 km and crosses beaches, dunes, seafronts and passes through small villages. The terrain is gentle and easy walking, and many sections of the route can be accessed by wheelchair users.

Since then the route has been lengthened, and now includes the coastline from Cromer to Hopton-on-Sea, past Great Yarmouth.

Two long-distance paths combined make up a National Trail: the Peddars Way, and the Norfolk Coast Path. Together they cover some 130 miles in total.

Walk Statistics

Cromer to Burnham Deepdale = 40 miles/65 km
Terrain: easy
Book: National Trail Guide: Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path by Bruce Robinson
OS Landranger Maps: 132, 133
Access: Buses are available from Kings Lynn and along the coastal road from Wells and Cromer.
Food & Drink: pubs, cafes, restaurants and shops are centred around the many small towns and villages along the route, especially in the summer months. It is a touristic area and therefore is seasonal.
Accommodation: There are numerous campsites and b&bs on the coast depending on your needs. Please check online for more information.
Transport links: First Bus website is a good place to find out which buses are available from Norwich. For information on the prices and timetables of the Coasthopper buses from Sanders Coaches Ltd (CH1 and CH2 lines) please click here.
See trains to Cromer, Sheringham and West Runton at thetrainline.com.

Overview of Trip

Day 1: Distance 8 miles, Time 2h 36m, Cromer to Weybourne
Day 2: Distance 20 miles, Time 6h 47m, Weybourne to Wells
Day 3: Distance 12.5 miles, Time 4h 30m, Wells to Burnham Deepdale

Day 1 – Arriving At Start And Leaving Cromer

Many people do the Norfolk Coast Path starting from Hunstanton. However, I decided to do it the other way around and start at Cromer. It meant that I didn’t have to spend hours travelling before walking on the first day. I was itching to get going, so I booked a train to Cromer in the morning and I was off.

The weather was good, windy, but sunny and quite warm, although the main heat of the summer was definitely leaving. It was the end of August 2019 and seemed like a good time to go.

It’s pretty easy to stay on course on the Norfolk Coast Path, being as you generally need the sea to be on the same side as it last was when you looked. Finding the acorn trail markers through Cromer and West Runton was easy.

Later there is a choice of walking on the beach, which is fine at low tide or to go high and walk on the cliff edge for a better, albeit windier perspective.

It took me a while to find my stride, and I noted almost instantly how uncomfortable my 20-year-old Jack Wolfskin rucksack was. Note to self: buy a new rucksack before the next trip. (Update: I bought myself an Osprey Exos 48 as soon as I got home!)

West Runton

There are many caravan sites on this section of the coast, and the trail passed through one of them directly out of Cromer.

West Runton is a lovely seaside village with a couple of nice cafés, and a pub and is well worth the visit.

From West Runton the path climbs up Beeston Hill, where I had a little rest on one of the several seats and admired the view. The wind was still quite fresh, and it was now a bit cloudy.

Sheringham

Approaching Sheringham there was plenty to watch. The beach was full, despite the brisk wind, and there were people buying icecreams and having fun.

The path follows the seafront, and passes the old Lifeboat Station.

View towards Sheringham from Beeston Bump

Towards Weybourne

Leaving Sheringham I decided to walk along the beach, as the tide was more or less out.

However, I became increasingly aware that the beach was becoming narrower and narrower over time. Up ahead it looked as if the beach would disappear completely, so I looked for a route to take me up onto the cliff edge.

As I arrived at the beginning of Weyboune I came across two Polish girls camping on the cliff edge. I stopped to chat with them for a while and we shared some camping stories. It felt good to connect.

Reaching The Campsite

I arrived at Foxhills Campsite in Weybourne at just after 5 pm feeling nicely tired and happy to get my tent pitched. The lady that met me was very welcoming, there were hot showers, a veggie curry pack for dinner plus of course plenty of tea on the stove.

Foxhills Campsite, Weybourne — ***_{Foxhills Campsite}***

Click here to read day 2

The Boudicca Way

2 Comments / Boudicca Way, Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Norfolk / By Karen Branscombe / 13 January 2021 12 May 2022 / 10 minutes of reading

The Boudicca Way is a waymarked long distance national trail that runs between Norwich and Diss in Norfolk. It covers 36 miles/58 km through the Norfolk countryside following close to Roman roads.

It is named after the Queen of the Iceni, a legendary Warrior whose battlefields were in this area. The official route includes a detour to the village of Caister-St-Edmund where the remains of the largest Roman town in East Anglia also known as Venta Icenorum can be found.

The terrain is relatively easy, as you would expect, Norfolk not having mountains.

I followed this trail in July 2019 with a colleague, completing it in two days and wild camping at around the halfway point just past Tasburgh. It fitted nicely into my days off in my work schedule.

It is perfectly possible to day hike this walk and base yourself in Norwich. Buses from Norwich to and from the villages are quite easy to find at most villages en route, and timetables are online and pinned to the bus stops in many places.

Walk Statistics

Norwich to Diss = 36 miles/58 km
Terrain: easy
Ascent: 484 metres
Descent: 458 metres
OS Landranger Maps: 134, 144, 156
Check for Path Closures and Diversions here
Access: Starts and finishes at Norwich and Diss railway stations which are both on the Norwich to London Liverpool Street line.
Food & Drink: There are many pubs dotted on the route as well as small shops and supermarkets. However, please check online before you leave to find out which ones are currently open for business.
Accommodation: A search online revealed that The Old Bakery in Pulham Market has good reviews and is directly on the route.
Transport: If you want to day hike and break up the walk into manageable sections the First Bus website is a good place to find out which buses are available to take you back to Norwich or other places in the surrounding area. You can easily check and book trains at thetrainline.com.

Getting Out Of Norwich

After getting the bus to Norwich Railway Station we followed alongside the River Wensum. We walked past the Riverside Entertainment Complex and joined the A147 at Carrow Bridge. A gentle uphill slope took us to Bracondale where we turned left and went down to the Trowse roundabout.

At the roundabout we headed straight towards Trowse walking past the old Colman’s Mustard site. It was bought out by Unilever in 1995 and sadly closed it’s doors in 2019 after 160 years of production.

I was relieved to be away from this busy road to be honest. It’s a shame that there wasn’t a way to follow a footpath by the river to avoid the car fumes.

To greet us to the countryside a field of cows gazed at us upon entering Trowse.

Trowse

If you’re in need of refreshments there is a small shop, two pubs and a cafe in Trowse to sort you out 😉

The Boudicca Way path now separates itself from the Wherryman’s Way. It heads across the children’s playfield to join the road on the other corner. I think we missed a path around the back of the church which made it more obvious where to go. We realised this as we got tangled up with a large elderly walking group in the field that seemed to come from there. We couldn’t seem to get by easily because of traffic on the quiet (but not at that time) country road.

After a short stint on the road we found a footpath veering right near the electricity pylons. From here on the signage was better.

Crossing over the Southern Bypass wasn’t very pleasant. There wasn’t any path for pedestrians on the busy Stoke Road and I felt quite vulnerable. At last, we went left onto Arminghall Lane and a sign through the hedge took us into the fields.

Chalk Mines

The next section made us wish we’d brought a sythe with us. The brambles were so big they covered the path entirely for a lot of sections and ended up scratching our legs and arms as we fought our way through. We were having a real adventure in the Norfolk jungle!

I’m hoping that the path will be better maintained in the future.

Passing by the chalk mines we were afforded better views and it was obvious where we had to go even though the path was rather overgrown. A bit of imaginative walking on the edge of fields was in order.

At around mid-morning we left the bramble section and found ourselves in a pretty woodland where we stopped for a quick drink and snack.

Heart shaped tree near Arminghall — *Heart shaped tree close to Arminghall*

Venta Icenorum Roman Town

After lots of umming and erring, we finally decided to add the extra mileage and take the detour to check out the Roman Town. Neither of us were expecting it to be quite so flat and fieldlike I think. We still walked around the footpath loop admiring the old Roman wall and some sheep that were grazing there. Then settled close to the church for lunch.

Caister-St-Edmund Roman town — *Part of the Roman Wall at Venta Icenorum*

Vegan lunch on Boudicca Way — *A vegan lunch of mini veggie sausages, cut carrots and peppers, and crackers*

Abbot’s Farm and Shotesham

This section mainly followed small roads leading us through Stoke and to the west of West Poringland. You can clearly see the radio towers from here with the red lights on top. These towers always make me feel at home. I went to Framingham Earl High School which is close by and have friends who lived at the foot of the towers.

At Abbot’s Farm there was a clear sign leading us along a lane and then a path, through to the back of Shotesham. The path came out right next to The Globe Pub, so it seemed fit to stop and get a drink and talk to the locals. They kindly topped us up with water too. It was hot weather and we had already used up more than half of our 2 litres each.

Leading us out of Shotesham the path was very picturesque, going through woodland areas with dappled sunshine.

We started to think about where we wanted to stop for the night. I originally thought that near Tasburgh would be good, being as it was about halfway. But this side or the other side? We knew that Tasburgh itself would be too built up and therefore a challenge for wild camping.

After some consideration, we both thought that we should aim for the other side of the town. We had plenty of daylight left as it was July and preferred to have a slightly shorter second day if possible.

Saxlingham Nethergate and Tasburgh

Saxlingham Nethergate Boudicca Way in a box! — *Boudicca Information Point in Saxlingham Nethergate*

Saxlingham Nethergate was a treat to walk through. First we saw this telephone box which had no phone, but was an ode to the Boudicca Way. Later we came across this gorgeous ruin of a church which we both thought would have made an amazing wild camping spot.

Church ruin near Saxlingham Nethergate, Boudicca Way — *Remains of church at Saxlingham Nethergate*

We pushed on though, making a mental note of where to find it again.

The area before Tasburgh was horse country. It was a lot more open than the previous trails and lanes.

Horse on Boudicca Way near Tasburgh — One of the beautiful horses we came across

My feet and hips were beginning to suffer by now. I had my first blister and was starting to get quite slow, feeling that I was unable to maintain my pace. It wasn’t helped by the fact that my rucksack didn’t seem to be sitting correctly on my back and was rather uncomfortable.

We stopped for a rest and an electolyte tablet by a huge oak tree just before reaching Tasburgh.

Tea under the old oak tree, Boudicca Way — *Resting under the protective branches of the oak tree*

Having crossed the busy A140 we made our way through Tasburgh keeping our eyes peeled for places to camp. We finally found an empty field after crossing the A140 for the second time.

I settled into my Vango Nevis 100 tent after a rehydrated veggie curry meal and listened to the local owl and rabbits munching grass around me.

First Time Wild Camping

It was the very first experience of wild camping for both myself and my fellow walker. It was one of the reasons that we went together instead of trying it out solo.

I realised later that there are certain things that you need to do differently when wild camping. One of those things is water.

We were both surprised just how much water we had used making dinner, breakfast and having a couple of cups of tea. So in the morning after eating neither of us had any water left to drink on the way.

Unfortunately, we hadn’t checked where we could fill up with water before coming out. Personally, I thought it would be easy to fill up at petrol stations, pubs and cafes on the way. And besides, I had brought my new gadget with me: the Sawyer Mini Water Filtration System.

Shortly after setting off at around 7 in the morning, we both started worrying about the lack of water. Unless we turned back to Tasburgh we were roughly 6 miles from the nearest possible water source.

We decided to press on, as it wasn’t burning hot, and before long found a clear running stream. I got out my filter and topped up our water bottles for us, drinking around a litre straight off. Thank goodness!

Note to Readers – BE WARNED!
Never ever drink water from streams or rivers near to agricultural land.
Small handheld filters rarely filter out pesticides and we both suffered greatly for our ignorance. The following day we were both nauseous and vomiting. We were very lucky to overcome our symptoms in a couple of days. Next time I will carry 4 litres of water when wild camping in this area.

Tasburgh to Pulham Market

This is debatably the most beautiful section of the walk. The route passes through Tyrrels Wood at TM 20459 90419 in between OS Landranger Map Numbers 134 and 156.

Leaving the wood, the trails settled into some field walking, even passing through a field of fresh parsley which smelt great. There were many fields of some strange dried plant, which I later found out was Rapeseed left to mature for the seeds.

We were both exhausted when we finally arrived at Pulham Market.

I had several blisters, and my companion had endured walking with wet feet as his boots had finally given up being waterproof.

Walking into The Crown Pub felt amazing. We both ordered veggie burgers and coffee and took time to replenish our energy before setting off again feeling renewed.

The Crown Pub, Pulham Market, Boudicca Way — Heading straight for the pub!

Pulham Market to Diss

Again we crossed the A140, and continued through farmland. Several of the fields had Beware of the Bull signs, which made me slightly nervous as I had a red rucksack. However, there wasn’t a bull in sight in any of them.

The next village to walk through was Shimpling. It was a very calm and peaceful village with not a lot going on.

I was starting to realise now that it may have been a little ambitious to do two days of nearly 20 miles a day. My fitness level wasn’t really ready for such big mileage. (Or was it the effects of the poisoned water that we’d drunk earlier in the day?…hmmm)

The way to get through it, I thought, was to stop and rest regularly, having a small snack and some sips of fluid.

It seemed to work, and the miles gradually ticked off until finally we made it into Diss. The last part followed a stretch of the River Waveney which was pretty. Diss railway station was easy to find and in no time at all we were back in Norwich and heading home to shower and rest.

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Mallorca GR221 Gear Mistakes

Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Mallorca GR221 / By Karen Branscombe / 13 December 2020 12 May 2022 / 6 minutes of reading

What to take and what to leave behind

I would like to encourage you to learn from my gear mistakes from this trip. It pays to be minimalist when trekking up mountains, you soon regret it if you bring too much.

So here is my Mallorca GR221 gear list and take on what to bring and what to leave at home when you hike the Mallorca GR221.

I’m going to talk you through what I took initially, and then what got sent home as it became obvious that I wasn’t going to use it.

Planning The GR221

I started by asking myself some questions and making an itinerary of the days with info on how long I would be walking, where I would stay, food possibilities etc

Although I no longer have the original plan, here is one that shows the week. I find it really helps me to have an overview of what my week is going to look like as an easy reference.

The original also contained telephone numbers of the hostels so that I could let them know if I was going to be late checking in.

Planning the GR221 — ***^{My GR221 overview}***

Checking what’s included

I thoroughly researched the refuges and made sure I knew what would be included and available in terms of bed sheets, washing facilities and food. Using the above plan, I proceeded to reserve the hostels as well as the breakfast and dinners if available using this webpage. Some of them even offered packed lunches too.

Snacks and food

From studying the map I knew that once I got into the mountain section proper – that is from Soller onwards, there wouldn’t be many places to get food. I wanted to avoid carrying food as much as possible and hadn’t yet discovered dehydrated meals at that point, so I decided to bring a reasonable amount of dried fruit and nuts for snacks, and little else.

In hindsight, I brought way too much food, and it seems that I don’t need as much as I thought to keep going for hours on foot. This is a common problem I believe.

Visualising the route

Now that the information was all at my fingertips, I tried to imagine what it would be like to walk the route. In my mind I went through what I thought a day would be like including the moment I woke up, navigating the route, photos, being hot, and cold, eating, drinking, and everything I would need for my evening wash routine.

From this I came up with my master list, which looked like this:

Mallorca GR221 Gear List

Clothes	Leggings and t-shirt for sleeping in Hiking trousers x 1 Shorts Underwear x 3 (wash as you go) Socks x 3 (ditto) Sports Bra x 1 Breathable t-shirt x 2 Long-sleeved breathable t-shirt (mid layer) Fleece jumper Snood (neck tube) Warm hat Gloves Waterproof jacket Windproof heavy fleece jacket
Food	Multi-vitamins Magnesium/calcium supplements Nuts/dried fruit (nuts 60g per day = 360g)
Navigation	Map and compass (this compass was too heavy!) GR221 Guidebook (I had this one) Notes on where I was staying when and where to eat (see above)
Random	Paracetamol/ibuprofen Notebook and pen (to keep diary) Phone charger Microfibre towel Washbag: (toothbrush and paste, mini shampoo and conditioner, soap, wet wipes, hand sanitiser, comb, hairband, vaseline) Headtorch Emergency foil blanket Leatherman Kindle Extra t-shirts Sit mat (I cut up an insulating mat) Flask and plastic cup Herbal teabags Matcha tea and mini whisk (!) Flip flops Jack Wolfskin rucksack (it was old and weighed 2.8 kg!)

What To Leave Behind

When you spend most of your day climbing up hills, you soon realise that a heavy pack will make it extra hard to get yourself and your gear up the mountain.

Believe me, it didn’t take me long to start thinking about what I wanted to chuck out and send home at the earliest opportunity.

Here’s What I Sent Home

Leatherman – yeah, not sure what I was thinking I would do with this…cut off my arm if I got stuck in a rock maybe?? It’s ridiculously heavy and not necessary.

Kindle – I was just too tired to read, and preferred to look and listen to nature, call my family or read the guidebook if I had time free. In future I would just use my phone to read if needed.

Extra t-shirts and fleece – two t-shirts are really enough, one for hiking during the day and washing at night, and the other as a fresh one for having dinner in the evening at the refuges. Having a quick-dry one for hiking makes it easy to wash and leave to dry overnight.

Notebook and pen – they were way too big and heavy, and most days I found that I was too tired to actually write anything. I would bring a small one in future, or just some sheets of paper instead of an entire book.

Matcha tea and mini whisk – these were a luxury which I loved at the time, but I wouldn’t take them again. The whisk was a bit unnecessary and I really just needed a strong green tea to keep me going (I’m not a coffee drinker). A teabag would have saved me a lot of faffing around timewise, as well as taking up less space and weight.

Shorts – I went in January and was very sure that I wasn’t going to use these when I let them go, so they got expelled. However, it was definitely hotter than I had expected most of the time, especially when climbing upwards.

Summary

In general I brought far too many clothes and nick nacks with me. When I was walking I was on the whole quite warm, except for one day when I was higher up and it was very windy.

If I were to do it again I would wear a breathable t-shirt, lightweight fleece, hiking trousers and a waterproof. Then I would have a lightweight puffy jacket in case I was cold in the evening (or at any time) and that would be enough. The clothes were so bulky and heavy to carry when I had to take them off, they became a bit of a pain.

It’s important to be careful about bringing too many “just in case” items. They really aren’t all that necessary really and can add up and weigh you down a lot. All those grams add up to slowing you down when going up steep hills.

For sure I learned a lot from this trip, which was my first taste of multi-day hiking and now realise that there is freedom in doing without some things for a few days.

To read my blogs on hiking the Mallorca GR221 route click here to read day 1 of the trail.

Day 6 Mallorca GR221 – Son Amer (Lluc) to Pollensa

2 Comments / Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Mallorca GR221 / By Karen Branscombe / 6 December 2020 12 May 2022 / 5 minutes of reading

Join me as I recount and remember my first ever long distance solo hiking adventure crossing the Tramuntana Mountain Range Mallorca GR221 route in January 2018.

Walking this route had been a dream of mine for a few years when I was living in Mallorca.

So finally I am at the end of my Mallorca GR221 adventure. There are mixed feelings for me finishing this walk. One part of me never wanted to go back to normal life, and the other was craving rest.

To catch up on all the previous days you can click on the buttons below:

Day 1 – Banyalbufar to Esporles

Day 2 – Esporles to Valdemossa to Deia

Day 3 – Deia to Port de Soller

Day 4 – Port de Soller to Tossals Verds

Day 5 – Tossals Verds to Son Amer

Monday 22 January 2018

A Beautiful Morning

I woke up early. It was so very very quiet in the hostel that I felt really refreshed. We had gone to bed early after dinner too which made all the difference.

The morning looked beautiful and clear outside. I organised myself in a relaxed way and went down to eat a nice but simple breakfast of bread and jam.

06:40 Day 6 Mallorca Adventure (last day 😕)
Lluc to Pollensa 15km, estimated walking time 5 hrs. Weather 16°c with moderate wind. I have mixed feelings about today. On one hand my body needs a break from all the walking, but on the other hand I am reluctant (never want) to go back to the city, although of course am happy to see F again, and eat my own food.

Happily today I end on a high note as Steffi will join me to keep me company and help me to finish my large quantity of remaining snacks (over-prepared as usual!). I’m happy to have the company before going home to mend my semi suffering body.
I have learnt so much about myself – what I really need and what I definitely don’t need and had a lot of time to reflect on what I want to do in my life (and what I don’t want to do), it’s been an incredible experience, and has definitely given me the bug to do other long distance hikes in the future.
I will post some pictures of the day later when home.

A Nice Surprise

My German friend Steffi had contacted me telling me that she would join me for today’s walk.

She arranged for her partner to drop her off at Son Amer nice and early to begin the walk with me. This meant that we should arrive in Pollensa at around lunchtime, and could therefore easily arrange transport back home.

We both had some snacks – my endless bag of mixed nuts were still going – and I brought a flask of hot water (as always).

It was a real pleasure to walk with Steffi. She even offered to carry my rucksack for some of the way! So we did a swap and I carried her much smaller day pack for a bit which my feet and hips absolutely loved.

Easy to Follow

This section of the route was very easy to follow, with clear signposts to guide us. Here’s the profile:

Profile

Time: 6 h Height: ↑ 250 m, ↓ 700 m

As you can see it is a much easier stage as we come back down to sea level. The majority of the climbing is close to the start, just after leaving the refugio.

Son Amer refugio is located in a wood, and so the beginning part was following the short woodland path downhill and back to the road.

Crossing over the road, we picked up a track which meandered across the landscape towards Binifaldó. The views opened out giving us some breathtaking sights to enjoy.

Downhill From Now On

The route soon started to steadily descend, and there was a noticeable difference in the temperature of the air. I finally started to heat up and had to take my hat off.

A Low Tolerance to the Cold

It does seem sometimes that I’m overdressed compared to other people while I’m walking. The truth, however, is that I often feel very chilly and don’t tolerate the cold well.

Since moving back to England I have been trying to aclimatise to the fresher temperatures, but it is still a work in progress I’m afraid.

Peaceful Scenery

The scenery going down was very tranquil, and there weren’t so many people around either, being as it was now Monday.

We ambled down the tracks and paths whilst chatting and catching up with each other.

I could feel that I was walking an awful lot slower than I usually do on fresh legs. It seemed to take us a long time to get to Pollensa. My body was really tired, and I frequently had to keep stopping to rest.

The Last Section

Once we came out of the wooded area, we had to follow the footpath beside the main road for the last few kilometres. I guess it was gradually preparing me for civilisation again, after spending all day in the mountains, which felt so remote from people.

14:20 Arrived 😁😃 in Pollensa at a restaurant to get lunch and celebrate arrival and success.

We Made It!

The last bit near the road seemed to take ages, but we eventually came into Pollensa town and reached the hostel where I could have stayed for the final night.

The end of my trip at the Pont Roma Refugio

16:53 It helped that Steffi carried my bag on the last bit. Just walked in the door, home again. Need to wash everything!!!

Thanks for reading my Mallorca adventure and for visiting my blog. If you would like to hear more from me then dont forget to subscribe to my blog by clicking here.

Day 5 Mallorca GR221 – Tossals Verds to Lluc

4 Comments / Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Mallorca GR221 / By Karen Branscombe / 29 November 2020 12 May 2022 / 8 minutes of reading

Join me as I recount and remember my first ever long distance solo hiking adventure crossing the Tramuntana Mountain Range Mallorca GR221 route in January 2018.

Walking this route had been a dream of mine for a few years when I was living in Mallorca.

Today I share with you Day 5 of my adventure across Mallorca, which will take me through the mountains from Tossals Verds Refugio to Son Amer Refugio, This is the last mountain hostel of the route located just past the famous Lluc Monastery.

To read Days 1 to 4 please click on the buttons below.

Day 1 – Banyalbufar to Esporles

Day 2 – Esporles to Valdemossa to Deia

Day 3 – Deia to Port de Soller

Day 4 – Port de Soller to Tossals Verds

Profile

The profile takes me up and over the mountain and back down the other side into Lluc valley.

It has 830 metres of climbing and 800 metres of descent.

Yes, it was another challenging day for my already tired legs. But with height there are views…and I really got the feeling that I was on top of the world on this section. To this day it remains my happy place to go to when I want to empower myself and create a visualisation of strength.

^{Profile of Day 5}

Tossals Verds was definitely my favourite hostel on the route. I loved the food, they brought fresh vegetables and everything they needed to make it each day on the premises. When you consider that it is located up the side of a remote mountain without daily deliveries, it is pretty astounding.

Waking up

I started my day early with my usual body check and seemed all right albeit a bit stiff of course.

However, when I tried to get down from my bunk without waking up my three roommates I failed miserably. It seemed that I had no control over my legs they were so stiff.

I threw my disobedient, awkward body onto the floor and then scrabbled around looking for my clothes in the dark. Finally, I admitted defeat and got my headtorch out. It lit up the previously peaceful room like a beacon, bringing everyone groaning out of their slumber.

The Family WhatsApp

I sent my daily log from the breakfast room while eating my toast and jam and getting my thermos topped up. The staff were so friendly and willing to help you, not to mention full of smiles. It was a great start to the day.

07:21 Day 5 – Tossals Verds refuge to Son Amer refuge (Lluc), distance 16km, estimated walking time 6 hrs. Had a good night’s sleep in the hostel despite it being really busy with kids and people generally. Met a couple of other hiker guys – a Canadian and a Spanish guy. We are all going in different directions today though, but it was great to share stories and thoughts about the route. Am keen to get going now as the dining room is filling up with noisy excited children again. The weather forecast today is warm but very windy.

As I set off, going slowly at first to warm my legs up, it felt good to be out in the fresh air and moving again. I found myself reflecting a lot on my journey.

The Reflection of Others

There’s nothing like seeing and connecting with other people to give you a better reflection of where you are in your head. I really felt at peace. All my worries and fears seemed to have faded away to give room to live entirely in the present moment. I just had to focus on putting one foot in front of the other, and I knew I would be fine.

A Wild Weather Forecast

My goodness! The weather forecast wasn’t joking about the wind! It was wild up there and the higher I got, the stronger it got.

At times I resorted to using my hands in an attempt to stay upright.

Fell Runners

There was more than one spectacular sight though as I progressed. A dispersed group of fell runners came hurtling past me as though they were in a race (which they probably were). There were men and women of all ages literally running past me at top speed with slim hiking sticks.

I felt quite nervous for them at times, they looked so unprotected and vulnerable. A lot of them wore shorts and most seemed sure-footed, even on the precarious rocky terrain in all that wind.

I was actually rather inspired, but it made me chuckle to myself – I looked a picture of everything opposite to them.

I was moving rather tentatively and carefully stepping the same route as them, but at a snail’s pace in comparison.

A Sunny Lunch Spot

The reward for reaching the top of the climb was lunch! However, there were very few places to shelter from the wind on the highest part. Finally, I managed to find a big rock that I could hide behind while still being in the sun to warm up.

***^{The view from my lunch spot close to the top}***

The sun in January in Mallorca is still noticeably hot and will burn you if you’re out in it for a while. I have been known to sunbathe on sheltered rocks in the winter months when it’s calm weather and even swim in the sea.

The Descent

After lunch I started down the faster side of the mountain. The path was clear and I could easily see where I needed to go.

The lower I got, the warmer it got and it seemed like a completely different kind of day.

Continuing on, I found the famous snow pits. They used to be used to store ice which was then brought down to the villages and towns when the weather began to get hotter later in the year.

After this part I could tell that I was getting a lot closer to LLuc, as there were a lot of people hiking on the route, still enjoying their holiday weekend.

The way down was uneventful, except for me stopping a few times to rest and drink something.

Lluc Monastery

Eventually I walked down through a zigzag stone path through a wood that came out at the back of the Lluc Monastery carpark.

Close to Lluc Monastery there are several areas which are open to the public to come and use to have picnics. It’s a very Mallorquian thing to do. They bring all the food, drink, meat, charcoal and firelighters and then hang out cooking their lunch while the children play nearby.

When I arrived there were lots of families around having picnics and barbeques in the area provided. Again, I felt overwhelmed to suddenly be hit with civilisation. The contrast from the sound of the trees and rocks was a shock.

Son Amer Refugio

I passed the Monastery and then continued down the road a little to the sign that directed me to the Son Amer hostel. I could see the woods to the right where there was no sign of the hostel yet. It was discreetly tucked away in the woods to the right.

The hostel was surprisingly modern and well maintained, and looked very clean.

When I arrived, there were a few day hikers having drinks outside in the courtyard, but they soon continued on their way. When the noise of excited local families had died down the hostel was extremely quiet and peaceful.

14:41 I’ve arrived in Son Amer refuge in Lluc 😁 glad to be here in good time. I realise that I am actually really tired all over. It’s good to have one last day tomorrow which is a bit shorter (4.5 hrs) and go back home to recover a bit.

15:44 Thankfully it’s not as busy as the last place here. We are 2 ladies 😊 it’s nice to see another female hiker to be honest, we’re a rare breed 🤔

Female Company

There was an older Mallorquian lady hiker there who was a pleasure to talk to, and obviously a regular visitor of the hostel.

We spent the evening together swapping stories and eating dinner and drinking wine, together with the only staff member, a kind and chatty local lady. Both ladies hiked regularly and it was fascinating to hear their stories.

I climbed into bed feeling warm inside and content with the day. I felt glad to be close to the end of my trip, even though I was still enjoying every second of it.

Day 6 – The Last Day

I had mixed feelings about the last day and mentally didn’t really want to finish. My body, however, was giving me other signals.

Tomorrow’s walk will be great though, as I have a special surprise waiting for me in the morning!

Read Day 6 of the trail here.

Day 4 Mallorca GR221 – Port de Soller to Tossals Verds

3 Comments / Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Mallorca GR221 / By Karen Branscombe / 23 November 2020 12 May 2022 / 8 minutes of reading

Join me as I recount and remember my first ever long distance solo hiking adventure crossing the Tramuntana Mountain Range Mallorca GR221 route in January 2018.

Walking this route had been a dream of mine for a few years when I was living in Mallorca.

Today I share with you Day 4 of my adventure across Mallorca. To read Days 1 to 3 please click on the buttons below.

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3

Saturday 20 January 2018

Today was a long walking day for me. There was a lot of mountain walking too, which made the day doubly challenging. However, the scenery took my breath away on this section.

The day was broken up into three sections for me. First, was the relatively flat walk from Muleta to Soller town with Fernando. Second the big, steep climb to Cuber reservoir. The third was a shorter climb to reach Tossals Verds Refugio, which is tucked on the side of the mountain and a little bit off the beaten path.

Family whatsapp message:

07:23 Day 4 muleta refugio – Tossals Verds refugio
Expected walking time 8-9 hrs. Weather conditions partly cloudy no rain. I’ve decided to stop at the chemist for some ibuprofen to help with the muscle ache. But all in all that’s the only issue I have (which is saying something!). Fernando is joining me for the first part and kindly taking home unnecessary weighty items. 😊

Many days rolled into one

Today felt like lots of separate days rolled into one. On the first section (about an hour and a half), my partner Fernando joined me leaving Muleta Refugio and walking to the town of Soller. From there he took the bus back to Palma and I looked for a chemist to pick up some much needed ibuprofen and magnesium tablets.

I was about to learn just what a difference taking magnesium salts can have on your body when you are walking for many hours over the course of several days. It really helped eliminate some of the cramps I was having at night in my legs.

Soller Town

You really get the feeling that you’re stepping back in time. Some houses date back to the early 12th Century from emigrants who returned wealthy to the town. In the centre is Placa Constitució, which is the focal point of the town. It’s a beautiful square containing cafés and plane trees with a fountain in its centre.

Placa Constitució, Soller, Mallorca GR221 — **^{Sant Bartomeu Church, Soller}**

A tram also runs between Soller and Port de Soller and is a popular tourist attraction as well as practical transportation.

I resupplied with some snacks here too, before saying goodbye to Fernando and continuing on alone with my slightly lighter pack.

This is a challenging stage. The elevation is 970m and descent 550m, and the route begins to climb when you leave Soller.

***^{Elevation of day 4 Mallorca GR221}***

Starting the climb

So I psyched myself up and began to climb steadily out of the town, slightly reluctant to leave as it was a happy, bustling Saturday morning and felt very welcoming.

The morning was quite chilly and damp, and I was on the shady side of the mountain. However, I soon had to peel off some layers as I heated up from walking uphill.

Due to the bank holiday weekend taking place a lot of people decided to go out for family hikes. I found it a little frustrating later in the day. It was hard going and slow, and there were a lot of large families with children and dogs that were hard to pass.

Mental tricks

To help myself stay focused, I would walk solidly for an hour and then award myself with a quick break to drink some water or eat a snack.

Steadily I managed to overtake most of the groups and found myself at the top of L’Ofre. There is no better feeling than finally reaching the top of the climb and being presented with a magnificent view such as the one below.

That’s Cuber Reservoir at the back that I would later walk beside. The mountain just left of the centre with the white ball on top is Puig Major, the highest mountain in Mallorca.

It also meant that the worst of the climbing of the day was over…hurrah!!. I was exhausted and struggled mentally and physically to keep myself going. I was so sweaty now from all the uphill climbing that I felt quite cold when I stopped.

Really, I just wanted to lay down at the side of the path and sleep for a while.

But I didn’t.

Using the View to Motivate Me

So I dug in deep and used the elation of the view to help carry me down to the water’s edge, making a promise to myself that I would be able to stop for some food and chocolate when I got there.

I loved being able to see where I had to go. The entire morning I had only been able to see a few metres in front of me. Now I was in a different territory. It was a big contrast.

The end of part two rocked!

13:25 Making excellent progress today. I’m already at Cúber (the lake section) and my book says it’s about 2 hours to the hostel when I thought I had 4 more to go 😅😃

Finally, after what seemed like forever I made it to the resevoir and carefully chose a sheltered spot to eat some lunch and relax for a while.

It was very windy, even though the sun was shining it felt quite cold, especially with my sweaty clothes.

After enjoying the view, food and a hot cup of tea I continued on.

16:42 It seems I took a wrong turn. Back on track now and on a clear path, but still an hour or so away from refugio.

A Wrong Turn

It was probably because I was mentally tired, but later on the route I saw a sign to “Coll de Tossals Verds” which took me off on a path to the right up to the top of the Tossals Verds Hill.

The right direction was for Refugi de Tossals Verds, not Coll de Tossals Verds, but I completely missed the clear sign pointing the other way…oh well.

Unfortunately, my mistake wasn’t obvious until I reached the absolute top of the peak, and then noticed that there was no way down on the other side. The hostel was almost spitting distance away, but there was no way to get to it without turning back.

On top of the Coll it was also dangerously windy, and a bit scarey walking on my weakened, aching legs.

This section of the Mallorca GR221 made me feel really small. The scenery is big in the mountains, and it doesn’t take much imagining to realise that if a storm came in, it would be seriously challenging out here.

Walking in the Dark

The last part of the walk made my eyes stand out on stalks. I was on the side of a mountain, walking across rocky ground in the pitch black.

Of course, importantly, I had my head torch, which was invaluable, but it was very easy to trip over unseen rocks and roots. Some parts were right on the edge of a steep drop off too, So I had to be careful where I walked.

I came across a herd of sheep, with all their eyes lighting up facing me in the dark, which was quite a sight, then, later on, I saw the biggest ram I think I’ve ever seen. It was enormous and looked annoyed that I was there.

Your mind plays tricks on you in the dark, and when you’re tired and alone. This was a test for me and I was so relieved to finally arrive at the hostel to the bustle of a Saturday evening bar and restaurant, although it was just a bit overwhelming for me right then.

Wild Animals

It’s always good to realise that on the Mallorca GR221 there are no real threats from wild animals. Believe it or not, there are actually more poisonous snakes in the UK than in Mallorca! You do, however, come across a lot of sheep and goats, but other than that the weather is a much more challenging aspect. In the winter these mountains can be snowy, and strong winds can stop you in your tracks.

In summer the extreme heat can dehydrate you very quickly and I’ve seen people suffer from heatstroke even though they thought they could easily cope with the heat. They just came unprepared.

Always be prepared when hiking in mountains and bring extra clothes, food and water with you. Come equipped appropriately for the season and be honest with yourself about your own fitness.

Emergency kit

I chose to bring one of these foil blankets, just in case I had an accident and I had to wait for help to arrive.

A Warm Welcome

17:58 Arrived 😅

The people in Tossals Verds were friendly and kind, the showers were hot, the food was fantastic, and the bed was comfortable. My Mallorquian roommates were also very respectful and quiet.

The only downside was that I had been allocated a top bunk, which with my damaged legs was a real challenge to get into, even with a ladder 🙂

19:03 I am sooo red! Think I caught the sun a bit even though I put factor 50 on this morning

20:55 I arrived in the dark in the end, but I had my head torch and the route was actually quite clear and easy to follow so it was ok. 😘😘😘

I think it’s fair to say that I wasn’t going to let much disturb my sleep that night. I completely passed out, not even worrying about sharing a room with three complete strangers.

Read day 5 of my Mallorca GR221 adventure here.

Day 3 Mallorca GR221 – Deía to Port de Soller

5 Comments / Hikes, Long Distance Hikes, Mallorca GR221 / By Karen Branscombe / 16 November 2020 12 May 2022 / 5 minutes of reading

Join me as I recount and remember my first ever long distance solo hiking adventure crossing the Tramuntana Mountain Range in Mallorca in January 2018.

Walking this route had been a dream of mine for a few years when I was living in Mallorca.

Today I share with you Day 3 of my adventure across Mallorca. To read Days 1 and 2 please click on the buttons below.

Day 1

Day 2

Friday 19 January 2018

Today was a much shorter day than some of the other days. It was a well needed rest day before several longer days with steep climbing that are to come later on.

As you can see from the messages to my family, my legs are starting to suffer now. I hadn’t trained for mountain walking before the trip, especially with a weighty backpack to carry, and I could notice it now.

The scenery seems to get more and more beautiful on this stretch of the walk.

The donkeys were an extra special treat too. There were sooo many donkeys as I got closer to Port de Soller. I think they are a sight for sore eyes, I could look at them all day.

Whatsapp Message to Family

07:23 Deía to Port de Soller (12.5 km) expected walking time 3hrs.
Weather forecast is much the same as yesterday starting off cloudier and with a bit of sun later on too. Body check: feet are good, no blisters which is a relief after the 10 hours I did yesterday. However, thighs are very ooey ouchy this morning after all the climbing. I think it will pass when I warm up but I’m crabbing across the walls to get to the bathroom at mo and sitting down is more of an ‘aim for the chair and fall’.

Hostel in Deia is great- warm and cosy with only 4 bunks in a room, in fact, I’m the only one here so another great night of sleep.
Planning on getting to Muleta hostel in Port de Soller early afternoon so that I can wash my hair and some clothes and have lunch in the village.

Sadly the photos taken on my old mobile don’t really do the amazing views justice, but they do give you an idea of what the paths were like, as well as the feeling of height that you get on some sections of this walk.

The hostel had a different style to the others I had stayed in up to now. Muleta Refugi has one massive dorm, as you can see in the photo. I chose to sleep in the top bunk so that I could get a good view out of the window. The refugi is close to the Faro des Cap Gros lighthouse on the west side of the bay. It looked over the bay and Port de Soller from high up on the cliff and felt surprisingly isolated from the town.

A Sociable Evening

Today was a special day for me, as my then partner was coming out to have dinner with me and join me for half of the next day’s walk. This also meant that I could give him some of my unnecessary gear to take back with him which lightened my load considerably. I think my pack weighed around 5 kilos less afterwards!

I found it amazing how just having a few days of all day hiking to myself could have such a profound effect on my mental wellbeing. Yes, my body was tired, but my mind was calm and rested and I felt like I was drinking up all the beauty from nature’s scenery.

12:26 Arrived at next hostel and I’m pretty sore still to be honest, but at least it’s a short day and the walk today was easy. So a restful afternoon coming up I think.

Lunch in Port de Soller

I checked into the refugi and then made my way down to the town to look for some lunch. I ended up eating patatas bravas (fried potato chunks) with a very spicy sauce to go with them, and a salad. There weren’t many options open at this time of year, especially for vegans and understandably given the lack of tourists, but I was glad to have some freshly made food.

I mainly ate nuts and dried fruit when I was walking, which I love. But after several days of them I was starting to crave juicy fresh foods. The nuts were quite hard to digest actually.

At the time I did this hike I was eating a mainly vegan diet with lots of salads and wholegrains. These turned out to be the things I missed most while walking. I did pick up a few pieces of fruit from the local shops as I was passing through. However, you are limited to how much you can carry if you want to keep your weight down.

Food in the hostels

The hostels generally offered white bread and jam for breakfast and an omelette (tortilla) if you wanted it. Sadly the bread was often quite dry and a little stale. I am guessing that during busier seasons they would receive fresh daily deliveries. Understandably, when I was the only guest it probably wasn’t worth it for them.

Dinner was fresh and delicious in Refugi Muleta. I couldn’t ask for more – it was hot and freshly cooked and there was plenty of it. It was a pasta dish with a vegetable and tomato sauce accompanied with a nicely made salad. So so good, and just what I needed to power me up for the next day.

Booking your meal online

I had easily booked my meal online (here) when I booked our places there. Embarrassingly, although I had clicked on the vegan option the information hadn’t been passed on to the Refugi though. They had already gone out and bought some fish for our dinner. It sounded like it would have been delicious, but I wasn’t ready to veer that much off my vegetarian diet. I hope the staff enjoyed it instead :).

Recommendation: if you are booking a bed and have special dietary requirements it’s a good idea to also send an email directly to the hostel making it clear to them what you need.

Next week I’ll be sharing with you day 4 of the Mallorca adventure. From day 4 things really started ramping up a notch, from all perspectives!