After 2 years of walking and blogging, the start is in sight

Are these boots worn-in enough?
Is my rucksack going to squeak again?
Why did I stay for that last pint at the party?
Did I pack the sunscreen? …well, we can hope!

Just a few of the questions that will be running through my mind as I stand at the start of the opening walk of The Games Way next Saturday morning. Of course the big question that I have been asked dozens of times and has been niggling away at me for the last couple of years while I’ve been planning the route is:

How many people will turn up?

It is going to be interesting to see – lots of people have signed up for the walk or registered an interest or downloaded the guide. But I have no idea how the number of names on my list will translate to feet on the floor come next weekend. I confess to being a little nervous.

I have no concerns about the route, I think people will love the way it changes from day to day. From rugged dramatic coastline to woodlan paths, to open heath, farmland, river meadows, ridges, and the dramatic shift from the rural to urban as we approach London.

The weather is another matter altogether! Thankfully it seems as if the jetstream that has been mocking the hosepipe ban and causing a plague of slugs to munch on our garden veg is finally playing ball and giving us back our summer. Fingers crossed we’ll be enjoying dryer weather during the walk and the Games, so heed Baz Luhrmann’s advice and wear sunscreen!

Practical matters for the weekend

The launch party is on Friday 27th July at 7pm in The Ship Inn, on Weymouth harbour. Hall & Woodhouse is kindly providing a buffet. It should be a lovely evening as it is also the launch of the Olympic Games so the harbourside will be buzzing. Please let me know if you are able to join us.

The Games Way walk will start at 09:30 on Saturday morning opposite The Ferry Bridge pub on Portland Road, underneath the Rodwell Trail sign. You can look across Portland Harbour to the national sailing academy and see the amazing boats that will be competing in the Games.

View Starting point for Stage 1 of The Games Way in a larger map

If you are delayed and likely to miss the 09:30 start then a very good fallback is to meet at the Jubilee Clock on Weymouth sea front – I think we’ll get there about 10:15-10:30. We walk right past the clock and it is literally just up the road from from the train station.

I will be posting up the start times and meeting points for the other stages of the walk in the next few days.

I can’t wait to get started – hope you are excited too!