7/19/00

Additional information on the COT2 tour from Footpath Holidays in 2000. Not intended to duplicate information found on their web site, which is accurate, but mostly to provide personal impressions and opinions of the particular tour we took. This is not intended as a critique of the tour, just a way to answer questions about what went on, as people are curious about this type of "vacation".

Travel arrangements are up to each person. Trains in England are not as crowded as airlines, but sometimes there is no room for large baggage. People just leave it in the aisle if there is no other place, or in the entranceways next to the doors. Schedules can be tight for switching trains. It is useful to go to the internet (www.rail.co.uk) in advance to get the train schedules for the particular trip you want to make, because the information in the stations may be complete, but is intimidating. One can apparently pay for a ticket in one place, even though the multiple segments of the trip are run by many different train companies.

The hotel we stayed at for the tour (The Bear of Rodborough) was very good. The brochure talks about award winning food, but it was not really clear to me what it meant until I was there. Breakfast ranged from help yourself cold cereal and fruit to a full hot breakfast (fried bread, potatoes, sausage, ham, eggs, black pudding, toast). Alternatives were kippers, haddock, and a Gloucester sausage ring (sausage, onions and hash browns). Lunch was a sandwich, potato chips, granola bar, and fruit (apple, pear, bannana). Evening meals were 3 courses. Appetizer, main course and dessert. The menu was limited to about 4 items in each course, but changed sufficiently that one was not forced to repeat an item. Lots of fresh bread and really good steamed vegetables (carrots, peas, broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes) as side dishes. Service was excellent. I can't claim to be a gourmet, but the food served there certainly exceeded any standards I have. It also trashed my preconception of all English food being boiled and tasteless.

The hotel was an old coaching inn, converted to a hotel. In the old part where we were, the room was very comfortable. Creaky floors were the main indication that we were staying in a older building. My only complaint was its location over the pub in the building, because one night a very noisy group of guests took over the pub until 4 am, making it hard to sleep even for a couple of very tired hikers. Staff went out of their way to make things comfortable for the tour. For example, they extended their coffee service from the dining room to a lounge so that the hikers could meet immediately after dessert to discuss the next days hike in a more comfortable venue.

The tour itself was 3 days of hiking, a day off (Wednesday) and 2 more days of hiking. Hikes ranged from 7 to 9 miles each, and were paced to allow time for the slowest hiker. Photographers were encouraged, within reason, but there was no time to wait for the sun to come out for a particular shot. Paths were generally good, but sometimes wet and occasionally slippery. Hiking staffs or canes were useful in some of the more treacherous spots. As the paths traverse working fields with horses, cattle and sheep, hikers should expect to deal with the byproducts. Pants that could be rinsed out each evening of mud etc. collected below the knee were a good idea. Long legs helped, as the footpaths often required negotiation of styles over the fences.

The tour was led by an experienced hiker who planned each days route and provided hand drawn maps of the next days hike after dinner each evening. He carried his own topographic map and compass to navigate during the day, so there was never any occasion for the tour members to need to do their own pathfinding. Although not advertised, he also carried some limited first aid supplies and a cellular phone, just in case. He was very personable, with lots of interesting stories of previous hikes to entertain when things got quiet.

Having your own copy of the topographic maps was useful because it allowed you to see the elevations crossed during the hike to see how many of the miles were vertical and how many merely horizontal. It also put things in context for those not really familiar with the region. It is also useful to note that transportation was provided to the start point of the walk and from the end point back to the hotel. Only one of the walks actually started at "The Bear". The general schedule was bus pickup at 9:30 at the hotel and at 5 or 5:30 at the end of the walk. Most of the time the pickup spot was selected for access to refreshments (pub, arboretum with cafe, village with a tea shop), a consideration much appreciated by weary hikers.

Weather was good for us, but days of rain would make this type of vacation more of an endurance challenge than fun. We had overcast, cool days - great for hiking in July without heat exhaustion, but not particularly good for taking pictures of the gardens in bloom everywhere. Waterproof shoes are recommended, as we often pushed through high, wet grass in an unmowed field. Some hikers wore shorts, but long pants seemed more comfortable to me due to weeds and nettles. I had a waterproof rain jacket that I took out twice, but wished it was breathable as well, since one of the times I was sure that perspiration was beating precipitation.

I would recommend this trip to others interested in a hiking vacation with all the amenities included. One should be warned however, that this tour was marked E for easy, and was sufficiently energetic for us. Some care should be used by someone trying this type of tour out for the first time in not picking a tour beyond ones capabilities. Its far more enjoyable to not be at the limits of ones endurance during a hike. That said, those who take their walking seriously should have no problem, as a high percentage of our group were past retirement.

rdp