Noggers in the Woods ………or……….Five and the elusive diamond trail

 My map reading for the walk on Saturday had gone well, and I picked out a route for the Sunday confidently. Across the river to Symonds Yat West, along the river for a mile or two, across the suspension bridge, up a hill and find the Wysis trail in the woods and so back to the car park (and café). It looked straight forward enough – the Wysis trail (denoted by diamond shaped green blobs) would surely have markers and there would probably be signs taking us back to Symonds Yat as it’s such a tourist spot.

I should have known better. I’d had some unplanned forest wanderings before, there were lots of additional tracks in the forest and the green shading disguised the contours.

Elke Angela Marion Chris and I set off down the hill from Symonds Yat car park. The first part of the walk was very pleasant with an entertaining ride on the overhead wire ferry and a riverside walk with sights of rapids and canoes. As we got to the suspension bridge there were families with buggies and it was feeling a bit like a Sunday morning stroll.

I’d chosen a route up the opposite steep side of the valley with slightly wider contours, but even so we were all puffing by the time we got to the top. Snack time – but Elke and Angela started tucking in to early lunch and Marion and Chris only had a brief stop and went on. After a brief discussion with Elke about going on ahead, which we agreed on as she had the map and had looked at the route with me, I went on, looking for Marion and Chris. When I found them we carried on, seeing one predicted woodland sign and thinking it wasn’t far back.

Some time later we heard a road to our right – where it should be. But then the tracks didn’t do what we expected, and we realised we were lost. Chris produced his compass and turned us north – a caravan site appeared where it should do, and we thought we were sorted out. By now we were worrying that Elke and Angela would be sitting at the café wondering where we were, so Marion tried to phone Elke. Five minutes later Elke phoned Marion and said that they had gone the wrong way, could we come and give them a lift to the café.

We had been utterly convinced that Elke would have read the map correctly, so this news cheered us for some time – until we realised that we were lost again. We decided to head downwards to the river, and luckily met someone to ask the way. The last part of our walk was along the river (the east side) and up the hill to the café. Marion kept us going at a good speed, and thoughts of pasty cake and tea/coffee kept tired legs moving.

Elke and Angela arrived back at the café pretty much at the same time, and it was open, so we sat and ate and exchanged stories.

I hope I will never choose a route through forest again, or indeed get so lost – but if it should happen Elke Angela Marion and Chris are absolutely the best people to get lost with – none of them complained at me.

The Wysis Trail ? At one point Marion and Chris and I saw a little sign pointing along a small muddy track.

Dinah

Bank Holiday Monday 2nd January 2012 - New Year Walk

8 people turned up on this cold, crisp sunny morning eager to walk off the calories put on over the festive season. Chris and I decided to do the walk in reverse in order to have a nice place to sit for lunch. Unfortunately we had to cut the walk short because one member was taken ill. As requested by some we shall do this walk again in the near future. Thank goodness the weather was not as on Tuesday. (Elke)