Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 April - Cannock Chase

Another retrospective post, catching up on trips taken since my last live blog post in early April. 

Where was Bertie? He spent two nights at Tackeroo Campsite on Cannock Chase at a cost of £18 per night.

Weather:  A few showers, and one night with some rain, but otherwise dry with plenty of sunshine#

After a busy month of house renovations, I wanted to get out with my backpack on three consecutive days to make sure I was in a fit state for the TGO Challenge, a month hence, having only been out for local day walks with it thus far. Options as to where we could go were contemplated, and I plotted a linear (but not overly inspiring) route from Uttoxeter to somewhere north of Ashbourne. Then I decided that, taking the price of diesel into account (I can't remember how much it was at the time, but somewhere over £1.80 a litre, after a recent and rapid rise), Cannock Chase would probably be the most sensible option, with the added appeal that it would allow Mick more freedom to get out for some long training runs whilst I was wandering in a big circle with my backpack.  

I'm not a fan of Tackeroo campsite. Having stayed there before I know that it's not private or secure at all, so there are people walking through the whole time (in fact, last time we were there, a mountain bike coach was giving a lesson on the hardstanding next to where we were pitched). Effectively you are paying purely to avoid doggers and boy racers in the car park opposite (and to use the water and waste points, if you need to, which we didn't; there are no other facilities). They also operate dynamic pricing, but fortunately this week was quiet enough that we got pitches at the cheapest price they offer (there were three units there on both nights of our stay, including us).

The weather forecast wasn't too bad, with a fine Monday, then some rainy spells on Tuesday and Wednesday. Fortunately, as is so often the case, it turned out far better than predicted. Monday was warm and sunny, Tuesday saw a shower hit when I was paces away from Bertie for my lunchbreak, with another hitting shortly before I went back out for the afternoon, and Wednesday was dry until the last 1km, when it rained on me. 

Arguably unexcitingly, I walked fundamentally the same 30km circuit on the three consecutive days. Mick ran an 18k circuit on Monday and Wednesday, and joined me for the final 9km of my route on the Tuesday (I was doing around 21k in the morning, then the rest after lunch).

I don't think there's anything else to report from the trip. It went well and my confidence was boosted that my TGO Challenge route was achievable. (Spoiler: that didn't last. I withdrew from the Challenge a few days before it started, not due to lack of fitness, but lack of health.) 

(Photos are in a Blogger-decided random order)

 

It could be Scotland, couldn't it? 

When I'd driven across Cannock Chase a week or so earlier, the herd of banded coos, with their young, were all in a panic, running along the road. Shortly afterwards a flashing police car came towards me, presumably to control traffic whilst they were returned to where they were supposed to be. I'm not sure this is where they were supposed to be as there are no fences between here and the road (some areas of the Chase were fenced off a good few years ago, specifically for cattle to graze, in a land-conservation sort of way). 

 

25k through the first day, happy to be in such pleasant surroundings.

Mick running away from me after starting out together on Day 1.