Geoff’s Cambridge to Oxford walk
Posted by Ellee on Jun 22, 2008 in updates | 15 commentsMy dear friend Geoff who started me blogging is on his second 
day of walking from Cambridge to Oxford, about 80 miles.
That’s a mere stroll in the park for Geoff, who is used to much longer and challenging routes across Europe, and often alone.
I don’t need to text him every day any more to check he is ok as he is in regular contact via Twitter and keeps his girlfriend Sally fully informed, who now joins him on some of his mammoth trips.
According to Geoff’s update on Twitter, last night was stormy and he slept in a tent after walking 49km, that’s 57463 steps. Let’s hope the weather is kinder tonight, but I know Geoff is used to roughing it in hostile conditions, he is not a wimp.
Wouldn’t it have been fun if someone had started the same walk from Oxford to Cambridge to see who would have reached their rival university city first? My money would have been on Geoff.
Meanwhile, Anne from Oxfordshire is visiting Sally in Cambridge, but their paths did not cross as she arrived the easy way on four wheels.
Take care Geoff…
In response to:
You may be interested to hear of a group of walkers who fulfilled your exact challenge with uncanny precision.
The Cambridge University Rambling Club organise a virtually non-stop walk between Oxford and Cambridge every June. According to an email from the organiser at the time, the 2008 Varsity March was completed in just under 39 hours by 8 people, starting at St Mary’s Church, Oxford at 10.30 on 21st June (which your message implies was also Geoff’s starting day) and arriving at Great St Mary’s, Cambridge at 01.15 on Monday 23rd June. Other walkers also joined them for sections of varying lengths.
Clearly as the group were not having any overnight stop, they didn’t have to carry any camping equipment as Geoff had to. That said, last year one of the walkers carried with him two bottles of champagne and a carton of orange juice all the way from Oxford, just so that when the group arrived in Cambridge he could share it to celebrate his tenth successful completion of the walk. Also last year, the organiser completed the entire walk in a ball gown, as he had pledged to do if £1000 was raised for homelessness charities.
Although I can’t speak for the organiser, I think it’s a fair guess that if you or your rambling friends are interested in joining and/or sponsoring any future Varsity March events then the organiser would be happy to hear from you.
Regards,
Alan
Well done Geoff.
Welcome home Geoff. I bet it won’t be long before your toes are twitching again and you’ve put your walking boots on ……
Oh wow, good for Geoff.
I thought exactly what you said when I started to read your piece. These things are always more exciting if there is a competitive element – although I think someone would def have had an advantage this time given the strenght of the wind although I’m not sure in which direction it has been blowing.
We were at a ski race in Ipswich on Sunday and the wooden race hut took off from the ground with the commentator still in it!!!
Sally, I would certainly like to do the walk too, but I know I wouldn’t be able to keep up with you and Geoff. I might stretch it out to a week and, in such glorious countryside, that would be no hardship.
I think it is an excellent idea for Geoff to document the walk and publish it. Lots of other intrepid walkers would surely like to follow in his footsteps…
Good for Geoff. He certainly must be fit. I hope the weather improves for him too.
Wow, I’m so impressed! I sure wish I were able to walk like that! Good for Geoff.
oopps just seen you gave me two links one to blog and one to flickr think i need to get my eyes tested again
BTW Ellee Thanks for the link but did you know the link you gave me goes to my Flickr and not my blog
Geoff will be in oxford tomorrow so thats 80 miles in 4 days so good going, the walk has turned out to be really scenic and far more interesting than expected. sure many people will want to walk it once they know about it
Is it still possible to make the journey without stepping off land owned by Oxbridge colleges?
Hi Cherry Pie, yes, it’s been windy here too all day, maybe that is why Geoff hopes to spend the night in a hotel tonight! And he must be longing for a shower too!
I was glad to read on twitter that he arrived at Woburn safely where he enjoyed tea and scones.
I hope it isn’t as windy there as it is here… It is awful walking weather!
now 16m into second day. Having a pint the Indian gasto pub in Steppinglley, the drivers arms.
Hope to get to Woburn today and maybe find a hotel
Thanks for the post Ellee
good luck Geoff – go for it!