I’ve seen God.
At least, I think it was Him: with piercing
gaze, trademark long hair and big, bushy beard, He looked just like He does in
all those Renaissance paintings. So it
must be true, right?
Cleverly, though, in order to pass
unnoticed through His people, he had swapped the traditional flowing robes for
a faded sweatshirt and jeans, and instead of descending triumphantly to Earth by
the traditional conveyance of a cloud, heralded by Cherubim and Seraphim and
backlit by celestial light, He opted instead for a Y Reg red Fiesta.
Perception. The way we see and
understand things can be affected by so many factors: quality of information, assumption,
learning, stereotyping, or – sometimes – just a simple misunderstanding of the
facts.
Before last weekend, if anyone had asked me how we were doing on the mileage
front compared to late March any other year, I would have said we were well
down. Lack of time and poor weather for the first few weeks must have impacted
on our total. With evidence like that, it must be true - right?
 |
| Climbing out of Carding Mill Valley |
But today's walk of 10.75 miles has nudged us over the hundred-mile-cumulative mark, and this puts us pretty much slap bang in the middle of the spread of totals from previous years.
Last Sunday we took on a circuit we have done several times before - from Church Stretton, on to the Long Mynd via Carding Mill Valley, over Pole Bank, down Minton Batch and back on a lower route of field paths and lanes through Little Stretton.
Last Sunday we took on a circuit we have done several times before - from Church Stretton, on to the Long Mynd via Carding Mill Valley, over Pole Bank, down Minton Batch and back on a lower route of field paths and lanes through Little Stretton.
As we began our climb out of Carding Mill Valley, the schizophrenic nature of
the day's weather showed itself: one moment we were bathed in spring sunshine,
the next we were assaulted by winter sleet and hail.
 |
| Looking to Corndon Hill, with snow capped Cadair Idris just visible on the horizon |
But by the time we had reached the
top, conditions had settled and a gradual improvement to the day commenced. The
walk along the top of the Mynd is easy enough, with good, clear paths all the
way, and sections of metaled road in places. However, despite the ease of
progress, the views remain excellent, and we could see not only the summits of
the nearby Stretton Hills but further afield as well: enough to see that some
of the other tops were getting a squally shower – and a light dusting of snow
capping distant Cadair Idris.
 |
| Descending into Minton Batch |
By the time we began our descent,
spring had returned, and layers required to keep rain and wind at bay were
hastily shed. Minton Batch is an attractive clough, and one of the quieter ways
off the hill: still subject to the odd strafing by MTB riders, but
comparatively peaceful for the most part. The only downside is the farm at the
bottom: as we have commented before, the owner must have lost all sense of
shame and self-respect, and – if anything – it was a worse mess than last
time we passed: this being a matter of fact, not perception.
 |
| What a mess: since our last visit, a selection of three clapped out old tractors has been added to the collection |
 |
| More mess: black plastic wrapping hanging from skeletal tree branches like huge dead bats |
The final stretch passes along lanes
and via fields through Minton and Little Stretton before meeting the road back
into Church Stretton. Despite a relative lack of “match fitness” we were
pleased to see our moving speed and walking time stats compared quite well to
our norm, so perhaps we are not as far behind other years in that respect,
either.
Perception: it just depends on how you look at things. In this case, wrong about our achievements so far this year, but right about that farm!
