BP - SUSSEX - HANTS LOOP - DAY 1, 2 & 3 - From 24th July 2023

DAY 1 - Guildford to Amberley 

Let loose on a proper multi dayer, albeit only two nights under canvas - after NZ not the first time, but the first time with “half a house” i.e. camping kit and kitchen!

Nicked a route off Komoot, which included the Sussex South Downs Way, and returning further north, partly on the North Downs Way, amongst other trails primarily in Hampshire.

Starting in Guildford, dumping the car down a “safe” suburban street…it took a while to load the bike up, now with fork cages for extra storage! The bike was surely at its max as far as loading went, but whether staying one night or a month, the same kit, as a start point, is still required? Probably?

Combining Komoot navigation on my phone (the little lady in my pocket) and the uploaded GPX on my Garmin computer…interestingly the Garmin proved more accurate….I think, again as previous experiences, smart phones with GPS, aren’t super accurate…the Garmin may use more satellites?

So, off I went with “half a house” on what became evident as a legacy of Beeching….along the Guildford to Shoreham ex railway….a good two hours plus, quite fast…but uninteresting, as these rail trails often are….hardly out of the trees too, so not much to stop and photo for…and it was a very grey, albeit dry day…not helping the enthusiasm for el excursión.

Arriving in Shoreham, the most exciting thing was the pork pie I had packed…a few miles West hugging the pebbly desperate excuse for a beach , eventually I veered inland and climbed onto the South Downs Way.

It hardly improved, expanses of tedium and that grey sky….ultimately it improved, it had to….I descended into the village of Amberley, which was quite quaint, with a pub! A pint helps….together with a steak pie etc (realising no need to cycle with prep for an evening meal!)

I climbed out of Amberley, over the River Arun (which flows down to Arundel) and after a breathless climb, picked a spot to WILD camp….and for the first time today, it started to rain….

DAY 2 - Amberley to Bordon (Hants)

Not the best of sleeps…the mattress is ridged, very narrow and uncomfortable….but at least a sunny morning, and with the height I’d reached a lovely view across the valley below.

Made my coffee and porridge, but nowhere to properly sit…and when it came to packing my kit away, there was nowhere to lean my bike against, which makes it very difficult to attach the bags….lessons clocked!

Heading west over the South Downs Way, re tracing known steps from romantic days bygone….Cocking and Harting to name two….the good news was the scenery greatly improved, but the effort on the bike at times became very challenging…with some gradients of near 20%…and thank goodness it was dry. The flint and smooth chalk would have been very slippy and practically impossible to maintain friction, and possibly balance!

Two cafe stops, and both a chain….called Cadence, apparently five of them along the SDW with a few more planned….mine were at Upwaltham and Cocking (where I gorged on a full English!).

A rest above Harting, with lovely views, was welcome but with mixed emotion, as after a while it suddenly clicked I’d been here before in the aforementioned romance on a walk…Not many miles further, I realised how early it was (think 2pm) but when wild camp, no point it stopping until early evening. So I rested (and snoozed) on the edge of a wheat field on the way to Petersfield…and decided as I had so much time, I’d head for Winchester.

And I did, for about an hour, when stopping at a cafe on the A3 - I’d lost the enthusiasm to cycle for another 2 hours….so soon I was in Petersfield and beyond. Now tracing mainly off road trails through woods and over farmland….stopping in the unremarkable Liss for a pint, and another with a Thai meal, I think in Bordón.

Riding out of Bordón, but still in suburbia I rode through a forest, and spotted an ideal area for the night….around a camp fire in a clearing with logs to sit on…was ok, with occasional dog walkers mainly ignoring me, except a panicky woman who had her fvckin pitbull off a lead, the woman saw me, but the dog fortunately didn’t…

DAY 3 - Bordon to Guildford

Another poor night: the mattress really is not comfortable; it was cold, I finished with my fleece on, but worse the condensation was too much, added to inner roof being too low…I cannot see how I can pull it closer to the fly height? I’ll have a play back at home….but I awoke with damp hair, and the sleeping bag was damp, especially at the bottom end where the bag was in contact with the roof.

A nice morning though, coffee and porridge, although I soon stopped at a lovely cafe in Tilford. Ensuring I had a support for the bike to load up (a tree!) and did a little rejigging of the load…

Only a relatively shortish ride to Guildford, I estimate 2.5 hours riding time which was about bang on…

More nice woodland trails and some farmland, and commons nearer Guildford, quiet lanes and roads too, in order to link up those trails…

This was mainly Hampshire, with some rather salubrious villages and isolated impressive properties.

One trail, then another and another (part annoyingly heavily sanded for horse riders, which was impossible to ride on)…a left on a main road, an immediate right, and there was my car (which I initially rode past, before recognising the street!).

A pork pie awaited for me, which was consumed with glee…

So, my first full multi dayer with wild camping, a mix of pros and cons, but after returning to Tooting the impression was, one looking forward to another attempt. Maybe with less emphasis on taking a “full kitchen” depending on the route next taken….?

And at last I could shower - 3 days without a proper wash! As Gaston, indicated on my arrival!!