This is the first of a series of point to point walks on the Chiltern Way. The full trail is approximately 177 miles (285 km) long, depending on which extensions you take, and takes a large circle around the Chiltern Hills National Landscape. My friend Brian and I have been doing a section a year on or around the Winter Solstice since 2019. At the current rate we plan to be finished in December 2027. The Chiltern Way is well sign-posted however you should take a map or GPX route to keep on track and be prepared for all weathers. This post isn’t intended as a fully accurate turn-by-turn guide.
A dawn-to-dusk Winter Solstice walk has become a permanent feature of my Christmas plans. It started out a few years ago as a solo trip to escape shopping and people in general. Brian joined me for last year’s Icknield Way trip and, not only did it not kill him, he was back for more this time.
The Solstice Walk has also become a means for me to unwind my brain after the busiest 6 weeks in my job. By mid December my brain is mashed. I’m waking up at 04:00 every morning and my mind is racing at a thousand miles an hour. A full day's walking in the countryside has proven to be the perfect antidote.
I chose the Chiltern Way for this year's trip. Although I’d crossed and followed it on many smaller walks, I’d never attempted any of its 134 miles as a specific trip. On the early morning drive there I explained to Brian why I chose Stokenchurch as the start. The transmitter tower, just off the M40, is a big landmark and always reminds me of my first ultra-distance walk. In my late teens I completed Endurance 80, a 50 mile / 80k circular walk from Great Missenden. The Stokenchurch Tower marked the final corner, normally passed in the middle of the night, and a sign that we were on the home straight. Brian was particularly amused by my story of being part of the "Fastest All-Girls' Team" one year. I'll save that for another blog post though.
I knew this was going to be muddy. It got confirmation of this when I slipped over onto my arse 200 metres into the walk. What followed was the wettest, muddiest adventure since the Gower Ultra. Two weeks of rain had made most of the South of England a muddy mess.
The morning was fairly easy. It was an overcast misty day but warm enough. The trail is well sign-posted so navigation was easy. The morning hours slipped away with conversations about work, home automation, future adventures and general geekery.
We made it to The Whip Inn at Lacey Green just as it was opening for lunch. At 10 miles in it was just under half way and perfect for a refuel before the longer, tougher afternoon stretch. Tougher was an apt description as it felt significantly colder as we left. It also started raining within 30 mins and didn't stop for the rest of the trip.
By 16:00 it was fairly dark and we started relying more on my phone for navigation. There were many wooded sections which were pitch black. Wandering through cold rain in the dark is not everyone's cup of tea but it was exactly what I needed. Being completely focused on navigating to the end was the fully-present experience I needed to combat the abstract concerns of corporate working life.
Our main learning was that the trip was just a bit too far. 23 miles, of which the last 5 were in the dark, was too much in those conditions. Twenty would have been plenty. The weather made sure that we would remember that by turning up the rain intensity in the last hours. To top it off we had a nearby lightning strike in the final 100 metres.
Our plans for a celebratory drink at the end didn't happen. By the time we reached my car at Cow Roast Lock we were soaked and exhausted. All we could think about was getting home, getting dry and getting to bed.
Long. Soaking. Challenging. Hilly. Muddy. Cold.
Loved it.
