33% King Alfred's Way; 100% fun

I'd been thinking about doing the King Alfred's Way for a while now. 350km of mostly off-road riding that loops around the heart of Wessex, starting and finishing at Winchester. A route steeped in history, both ancient and modern.

Luckily the official website https://www.cyclinguk.org/king-alfreds-way is jam-packed with useful information, including GPX files for each of the 9 stages that make it up.

Because my summer sabbatical has been so full that I seem to be far more busy than when I was working; I couldn't squeeze in the 3 or 4 days needed for the full route. So in true reiver-fashion I thought I'd see what I can do in a day.

So, 10.30 Monday morning saw me on the train from Clapham Junction to

Farnham.

It's just 55 minutes and £13 to get there (with a Network Railcard) which seemed pretty good value to me. At Farnham the route heads broadly South West through greensand heath which is tough going - it seems to absorb energy like a sponge.

The scenery though is great - past great views and plenty of open spaces. The final climb of stage 7 is up to the Devil's Punchbowl and Hindhead - where the National Trust cafe is a very bike-friendly place to take a break.

Stage 8 heads west from Hindhead to South Harting. The landscape changes as you go through Sussex; less heathland and more farmland with plenty of very sunken and rocky lanes to negotiate. At this point I was pleased to have my mountain bike. I met a couple of much younger guys powering past me on gravel bikes and even they said it had been pretty tough going. I stopped for a pint at a very friendly pub called The White Hart which is just a mile or so off the actual route. Reluctantly I decided not to book a room for the night but got back in the saddle and push on for a few kilometres more. That took me to my chosen bivvy place - Queen Elizabeth County Park. As a general rule, I think it's better to try and find places that are generally open to the public as opposed to private ownership when choosing an overnight spot. They are nearly always away from habitation and tend to have cafes, toilets and easily accessible clean water.

I rigged up a hammock and tarp combo before night fell and had my Family Rana Aubergine Parmigiana tortellini. I think these are great because: they don't really require refrigeration; you get a big ol'calorie hit and you can put them back in the bag they came in when cooked, add a slug of olive oil and eat them straight away - thus saving time an

d the space for any kind of bowl or plate. By 3 in the morning the rain and wind had really picked up. Add those sounds to the dawn chorus and you have a pretty amazing aural experience. I'm not sure my recording does it justice but have a listen and tell me what you think.

Stage 9 starts with an ascent of the highest point of the South Downs - Butser Hill. At 271m above sea level it's hardly up there with Mount Ventoux or Puy de Dome - but I found it quite. The rest of the journey is up and along the South Downs Way - beautiful views and for me, in July, surrounded by clouds of butterflies gently flying around me as I disturbed them sunbathing on the flinty, clayey, trails that lead to Winchester. It was sobering to me at least to pass an ancient hill top fort at Old Winchester Hill and then just a little while later, a memorial to a WW2 plane crash.

Conclusion

I thought this trip had everything that I like about what Alastair Humphreys calls a mini-adventure - quick to get to, a total break from the mundanity of life and enough hardship to make you feel you've achieved something. I will do the trail in its entirety, but even one third of it is pretty special. And if an oldie like me can do it......