A beautiful third day

Waking up in my camp alongside the trail I ate some oats and a Clif Bar while listening to the sounds of buzzing insects and birds in the trees as the sun rose. After packing up I ascended the hill which I was unable to gather energy for the previous day and continued along the trail. Upon exiting the wooded area the trail opened up to glorious fields and wide-open spaces with epic views of the downs to come further in the east.

Water tap at mile 35

Had I carried on the extra 4 miles I would’ve come across a water tap near the turnoff to Cocking and Hilltop cottages. This also would be a great spot to come off-trail to bed down for the night in a BnB.

Beware of cyclists

During my hike I’d already seen countless cyclists on the trail, but on this day there were more so. Preparing for a charity event to cycle the entire South Downs Way in 24 hours, all the cyclists were training. One cyclist even rode past me really fast without warning and clipped my arm. Make sure you don’t wear your headphones on single track byways where cyclists are allowed to ride.

Sweet smell of summer

As the temperatures continued to rise, the flora and crops of the agricultural land would cool off in the evening and as they warmed up in the morning would let off such a bittersweet smell. Whenever I smell it now it takes me back to these days.

Made to Amberly!r

Amberly sits Just under halfway on the South Downs, with a welcome pub treat and running trains, it marked the end of the first weekend and a good day and a half on trail. Now it’s time to get the train back to Winchester to pick up the car and return here in a week’s time.

Elevation

This section of the hike started out with a steep hill from camp, then lots of ups and downs along the trail meeting with the roads between the hills.

Gallery