The Ridgeway
100 km along England’s oldest road
LIMITED PLACES - REGISTER BY FEB 29th
FOR YOUR CHANCE TO TAKE PART
June 8th & 9th, 2024
Are you yearning to experience the kind of mental, physical and earthly alignment that happens in big landscapes over long, meditative miles? Get reunited with your nature on England’s wild and ancient Ridgeway.
Meeting each other at the start point in Swindon on Friday evening, we’ll stay overnight to eat, rest and rise early on Saturday morning. We’ll be up and out to get the best possible start on the first day, making our way to the beginning of our trail in the quaint little village of Ogbourne St George. We’ll then follow The Ridgeway — a 5000-year-old road peppered with ancient relics and boasting sweeping views — until we reach the Thames-side towns of Goring & Streatley. There, we’ll spend the night camping under the stars and replenish our energy for the new day.
Day two will see us rise with the birds and hit the road again, welcoming a shift in scenery from the previous day’s vast, bucolic countryside to a good stretch of river and long, shady swathes of woodland. We’ll wind our way through the green, passing a handful of towns set back and downhill from the trail, before eventually making our way into Tring and onwards home.
This hike is back-to-basics, rural and very tough in terms of distance. Bags could feel heavy and the days will be long. But everybody will be supported in their training during the three-month run-up to the journey. We’ll be in it together, encouraging each other to the finish.
limited spaces
Sign up by Feb 29th to take part
What will I need?
Because much of The Ridgeway is remote, we’ll need to be quite self-sufficient during the days out there. This means we’ll have to carry enough food and water to keep us going when we set out on the first day, plus any minimal toiletries and change of clothes we’ll need for the next day.
On Saturday evening, we’ll have plenty of meal options in Goring & Streatley — perhaps even a campsite takeaway! And we’ll be able to grab provisions for breakfast and lunch the next day there, too.
Head to the link for a full suggested kit list.
How much will it cost?
The price to join the hike is £110, payable on registration. This covers two nights of accommodation; a hotel in Swindon on the Friday evening and a bell-tent camping experience at Goring & Streatley on Saturday night.
Travel to and from the trail is not included, and food is also not covered. But we can eat as cheaply as we like and, if booked in plenty of time, trains shouldn’t be too expensive.
Will I need to train?
Yes, you most definitely will! But the good news is that I’ll be on hand to help. This is why, aside from the limited capacity on this first Moved Big One, the cut-off for registrations is February 29th. In my experience, you need to kick-off training at least three months before taking on a hike of this distance.
You’ll need to start incorporating walking into your daily routine, plus building in longer weekend hikes and at least two back-to-back long-distance hikes before the 100 km. So I’ll be offering two full weekends of walking in the run-up, which anyone can join. And I’ll be sharing my training tips with those of you who sign up to take on The Ridgeway with me.
