Writing on the move pt 2: hiking not biking

My previous blog here was about writing on the move: cycling only carrying a laptop for the overnight stays. http://wulfwaru.wordpress.com/2008/05/26/writing-on-the-move/

But while not actually writing it is mainly on lonesome rides and pedestrian hikes that ideas sneak up on me. I’ve learnt the hard way and so I am never without a notebook and pencil these days. (pens often leak or do the opposite – refuse to write when wet. Pencils can be sharpened and work when wet.) This account is to show I don’t always have to cycle to get some distance covered.

Yesterday the weather looked promising, and my absence from hiking instead of biking the hills needed replenishing. I caught a train from Chester to Llanfairfechan and hiked up and over the peaks of three mountains that surround Lake Anafon, the setting for my Left Luggage sci fi book that is still with an agent looking for a wise publisher in the US. I knew a crashed WW2 airplane is on one of the mountains and I spent ages and more miles criss-crossing it being determined to find it this time .Eventually I decided it had either being completely scavenged, the vegetation had buried it or the sheep and wild ponies that live up there have now a liking for rust and aluminium. About to give up and deciding which down route to take I spotted a fridge-sized lump of metal. Then for the next mile I found much more! I had a marvelous day though it took so long. I walked from 10:30 to 7pm solid mostly on steep inclines (and declines). My feet ached when I reached the bus stop a village away from my train. I had scratches, bites, a blister on my big toe and my left knee throbbed - marvelous.

That reminded me that in my Xaghra’s Revenge fantasy based in the Mediterranean I have slaves walking in semi-desert. So my scratches and bites were not in vain; I stopped to make a note of them to add to the novel.

Without such minor injuries, the walk would lack the exuberance from completing it! Then a notice on the bus stop informed me that it was temporarily closed for buses. So off I set for the last 3 miles back to Llanfairechan to catch the train home. Funny how the last few miles are the longest. I missed my return train by 3 minutes and the next left 2 hours later! So I hiked back up the steep road to the town to the cafe in Llanfairfechan - closed. Then the newsagent for an icelolly - by this time I was responsible for 55% of global warming - but the shop was closed - the time was about 7:30pm. Luckily a Co-op shop forget to close so I bought an orange icelolly that tasted better than anything for weeks. Yum. I wanted to buy a cup of tea on the train but sadly there were too few passengers to justify opening the buffet car. Never mind, I extracted the pages of my book to be edited and settled down with a red pen. Then I spotted the notes I’d made on blisters and insect bites to go into my Xaghra’s Revenge novel. Interesting because when I hike in the hotter countries around the Mediterranean, besides the aromas of more herbs and other plants, the main non-weather difference between there and on the Anafon ridge on a hot day are the lack of lizards here. So I made another note…

A few more pictures including info about the crashed bomber is at

http://www.geoffnelder.com/junehike/index.html

 Apart from the sore feet it will give you a feeling for my walk!