Wed 23rd May - Reading to Goring

Today was a hot day .. very hot .. uncomfortably hot. However, the walk goes on and despite it being so hot, we have a schedule to keep to. So instead of doing the sensible thing and staying in the shade with a long cold drink by our side, an 11ml walk from Reading to Goring it was. The walk into Reading the day before had been along a 'green corridor' which is completely different to what you might expect. The route out of Reading was more of the same, at least for the first few miles. But at Purley (which despite being the 'wrong' Purley still made me think of the Monty Python "nudge nudge wink wink" sketch) the Thames Path, railway and road all came together. From peaceful riverside walking the route changed. First a steep footbridge over the railway, then a walk along a busy road, followed by a nasty up and down route through a hilly housing estate. It was a relief to leave to railway and roads behind and make our way back to the river.  The first stopping off point was MapleDurham Lock where the African Queen is berthed. A cold drink here then we carried on towards Pangbourne. At Whitchurch (across the river from Pangbourne) we stopped for more cold drinks. Then found a bench in a peaceful churchyard for lunch. We could have done without the steep climb out of Whitchurch and once the route headed into some nearby woods, the even steeper path. It was described in the guide as a 'stepped path'. We are convinced this is a misprint and should be a steep path. Think of a roller coaster and you're not far off. One consolation was the dry weather. The path is chalk at that point and would have been very difficult in rain. The other consolation was the views of the river far below. The guide book also mentioned a cliff edge .. we saw steep slopes but the were no cliffs to be seen. After slowly descending to river level again it was a straightforward walk into Goring and our bed for the night. It was relief to finish and my legs and feet were sore by the end.  The walk is gradually making me more and more tired. The recent hot spell has meant that it has become an effort just to keep going. But keep going we do to raise money for the charities we are doing this for. One bright spot was after we had settled into our room. I noticed the Garmin was reading 99 miles. Breaking the 100mile barrier tomorrow will feel like a real achievement and as each day passes, the mileage left decreases and finishing this challenge seems more and more of a possibility! :)