Not What I Expected

As you will of read in my previous blogs I do love going off pest but only when I decided to do it and that is after weighing all my options before I take on a new route.

So when it happens when I'm not expecting it, it can be a bit on the stressful side!!

I do like to consider myself a well seasoned hiker and I am not the type to get myself in to situations where I could get in to trouble so on those rare occasions that it does happen I keep a cool head and think out overstep before I go on.

So when I had a few hours to waste I decided to take a route I had done a lot before, admittedly it had been over a year since I was last here but still the route was well known to me.

Because I wanted a harder route I decided to look for the track up to heavens gate which was a steep incline to the back of the Wrekin which would take me to the trig point at the top.

I thought I had found the track up but when I got over half way up I realised I was on the wrong path!!! Now the issue was do I carry on up or turn round?

But the incline I had already gone up was really steep so turning round now would in my view be more dangerous.

So on I went with the last bit getting really gnarly! keeping a level head and putting one foot in front of the other I pushed to the top thinking it would bring me out just short of the summit even when I looked at my OS Map it concurred with my thinking, how wrong I was!

Now from the ground the Wrekin looks pretty simple with bottom a middle and a top! No secret paths or valleys just a simple hill surrounded by woods, so imagine my surprise when I find I am exactly that!!

I have to say it was beautiful at the top with rugged rocks and not a soul to be seen, of course this was also a negative because no people meant no one to help. Luckily before I set out I had told the family where I was going so at least if the worst did happen they knew where roughly I would be!

Looking around I could see well trodden paths so knew that this wasn't an area no-one ever visited which made things feel a lot better. I took the path and set out to get down, seeing a land mark in the distance I recognised it fuelled me on knowing all I had to do was to start going down and I would be on the normal path or so I thought!!

I had thought that my journey up was going to be the hardest part of my hike little did I realise it was going to be the easiest. As I ventured on the path split in to two so weighing up my options and checking my bearings I opted for the right hand path which was not as well used as the left but was going in the direction I thought I needed!

Down I went back in to the woods the path started out great well trodden and dry but the further on I went the worse the path got and the more dangerous. It was awful and it was at that moment I was so thankful for my new gri-sport boots as without them I would not of been as stable on my feet and they protected my weak ankle which at that point I was extremely grateful for!

At one point I ended up on my bum slipping down the side of the hill! I knew this wasn't right but I was still on the path so all I had to do was keep pushing on.

I could actually see the bottom now goddess knows where I was but down was down the rest I could worry about later.

At the bottom I checked my position and knew I was heading in the right direction I was down and heading towards the car although I was another 20mins out!

Now this is where my head got a little fried as at the top before my decent in to the nether world of the path of doom I was on the East side of the hill not far from the summit but when I reached the bottom which to me was straight down I was on the Westside !!! Mind blown I let myself relax then promptly had a cry!!!

I know big girls don't cry well this one does when they realise how close to catastrophe she was!!!

After I had let all that pent up stress out I felt a whole lot better and although it could of ended very differently I felt safe in the knowledge that I had done all I could to keep myself safe.

Hear are some tips that I live by:

1. Always tell someone where you are going

2. Make sure you have the right path before pressing on don't be afraid to turn back!

3. Always make sure you have fully charged mobile with you

4. Take a first aid kit with a whistle and a emergency blanket

5. Make sure you have good footwear out on the hills

6. Always take water and a high protein snack with you, you never know how long you will be out especially if you get caught out!

7. If you find yourself in a sticky situation don't panic there is always a way out of it, if you panic it will cloud your thinking and mistakes are more likely

8. Once you out of the situation have a good cry you'll feel better!! plus once you've finished the high you'll get is amazing!!!

Will I'm off to get myself in to more strife!!

Until next time

L x

aka of pest looney!!!!