JoGLE ep. 29: Starting the Offa‘s Dyke Path | Strenuous climbs, heat exhaustion and a very WET day

[@henry9406]

So pleased to see you safe in a comfy hotel ,you’ve earned it 👍🍻

[@ellihikes]

Aww, thank you so much :) I was so happy to get there ;)

[@matthewfitzpatrick1472]

Lets Gooo!✌

[@COYSMike]

Bless Otto and bless you for being such a wonderful dog mummy to him

[@ellihikes]

He really is the best dog 🥹😊🥰🥰

[@racheledmondson4003]

Good use of the word 'muggy'. A very British word 😊😊👌

[@ellihikes]

Hahaha, thank you 😊

[@100Noddy]

💜

[@petermaddern6653]

Brilliant video Gary and superb images.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much 😊

[@petermaddern6653]

@@ellihikes Not sure how I ended calling you Gary- old age! Sorry Elli and thanks again for the great videos.

[@alienzombie1819]

yet another brilliant video Elli,had a tears in my eyes you telling the story of Otto, felt for you under a tree in that heavy rain, so glad the episode ended with you in a hotel, as always looking forward to your next adventure. 😊

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so so much :) Some very tough days indeed, was so happy in the hotel at the end :)

[@swordfish1414]

Love the videos it looks like yer haveing a great time

[@ellihikes]

Thank you :)

[@chrishiking8818]

Hi Elli, this is one of your best videos ever , real life on the hiking adventures . Hope Otto was ok after the bad weather and not too cold . It's never nice walking in thunderstorms too. Think we all feel what you felt over it. Hope Otto is ok now after the shooting noises etc that's not nice for him but knowing that you both are close it helped him. Take care this week both❤

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, Chris! Your nice words and encouragement mean so much, really appreciate it :)

[@THE-RIVER-RAT]

Hi Elli and Otto. A hell of a lot of climbing this week, and what you call a thunderstorm, ⛈️ hair in Britain we call a Monday lol. It was so heart breaking to hear that story about Otto, so do me a favour and give him a big hug from me. Looking forward to the next video, and as always take care

[@ellihikes]

Hahaha, I just wasn't used to that anymore after literally weeks with no rain whatsoever :) In hindsight I feel like I can't complain too much. Thank you so much for your kind words and support 😍

[@BonkersAboutAlice]

We've been away on vacation but back. Catching up with your recent ones.

[@ellihikes]

Hope you had a great time off :) Thanks for watching :)

[@RyanAndTheHawk]

Just found your channel and I love it! I'm doing the offa's dyke path in a couple of weeks - excited for the challenging weather!

[@ellihikes]

Aww, thank you so much! Hope you have a great time on the ODP, it's a beautiful trail with so much variation 😊

[@wackyswanderings3627]

Hi. I'm absolutely loving your and Ottos adventure. Its truly amazing just how determined and strong you both are, perticyally you Ellie as you record, edit and lug all that gear with you. Well done thus far to the pair of you and I'm truly most enviable. Saddly its a fact I wouldn't complete such a journey which makes it more enjoyable watching you guys. Like most, my heart went out to you and Otto as each faced their fears. Give Otto a big hug, he'll know he's safe, and he'll keep you safe likewise. Thanks for taking us along and putting it all together. Big thumbs up from me and wishing you both all the best. Dave aka wackyswanderings 👍

[@ellihikes]

Aww, thank you so much Dave! Your lovely words of support made my day and I'm really happy that you're enjoying the videos :) That means a lot and I'm very grateful!

[@wackyswanderings3627]

@@ellihikes more than welcome and you guys have a great walk, dry, warm and restful nights and we'll look forward to each episode. 👍 Happy Hiking. Dave aka wackyswanderings

[@peterholmes3011]

I have only just come across your channel so have had a lazy Sunday afternoon bingeing on your videos. The Coast to Coast is a must if you want to do another British hike.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you :) Yes, the C2C is definitely planned for next year :)

[@wandering_not_lost]

I ran out of water on the leg from Prestatyn to Bodfari and all the springs and streams had dried up. I took water from a cattle trough and filtered it, a bit desperate but I was fine. I was so glad to reach the pub and have a pint. 🍺

[@ellihikes]

Same for me, but I just continued thristy 😅🙈.... didn't even remember coming across a cow trough. Was sooo relieved when the pub came in sight 😄🥰

[@wandering_not_lost]

@@ellihikes Elli, please will you let us all know how you’re getting on with the new Durston Kakwa 55 rucksack? I’m thinking of getting one and would value your opinion. Thank you and I hope you and Otto are enjoying some good walking and some Spring weather! Still cold and wet most days here in the south of the UK.😢🌧️🌫️💧💨

[@ellihikes]

Yes, noted! Will definitely do an update video on it once I've completed a few hundred miles with it :)

[@riqueroams]

Oh Elli you are such a natural at these videos. Well done. I’m poo scared of thunder and lightening too and you won’t be the only one out there that feels scared of it. Poor sweet Otto ❤. You’re such a good kind mum to him and he knows he’s safe with you. Some idiots are so irresponsible. The views looked amazing. I learned that you can actually pay to sleep in some of the churches in England but I don’t think I would get any sleep. 😂 There’s a special name for it and you might like to add that to your bucket list lol 😂 Some of the elevations I am walking in northern Spain! I dare not look up and just hope that I get to the top without needing a defibrillator 😂. Keep up the good work. xx

[@ellihikes]

Rique, thank you so much for the lovely words - that means so much!! You're amazing and I hope you have a great time in Spain :) Looks like the steep hills followed you from the coast path ;)

[@nickwinter991]

Another lovely video, thank you. As you say, much of the path makes you think fondly of the hills! However, I was interested in the beached ship "Duke of Lancaster". When I was about six years old, we went on a holiday to Northern Ireland travelling from Heysham, near Lancaster, to Belfast. Our car was lifted onto the ship by a crane (this was before roll-on-roll-off car ferries). On the way out, we went on the Duke of Rothesay but coming home we were on the Duke of Lancaster (they were sister ships). So I've been on that ship you saw! (Just showing my age...)

[@ellihikes]

Wow, that's crazy that you've been on this exact ship 😳 It would have been great if they had made something of it instead of just leaving it there to slowly get rusty.... Thank you for following along :)

[@mrjiggs3761]

Typical British weather! warm and muggy then chucking it down with rain! :o ;D

[@ellihikes]

hahahaha, true :) Although I have to admit that I've been very lucky with the weather on our JoGLE :)

[@RichardMathews-gv7lb]

I live in this area of the Clwydian hills and the range is an area where grouse and pheasant shoots are prevalent at certain times of year. My dog responded like Otto and would go into flight mode or I would have to carry him too, not easy as he was a Welsh Sheepdog!

[@ellihikes]

Ahh, that makes sense!! That's always my biggest concern when hiking that we might hear shooting noises. So sad to see Otto shaking and being totally frightened 😢 I can't imagine carrying out a bigger dog 😳 That must be really tough.....

[@RichardMathews-gv7lb]

@@ellihikes I guess it is another factor to take into account when planning trips, but it can really ruin the plans for the day and it’s tough for the dog too

[@lifesahike1679]

Another brilliant effort Elli . What did you use for navigation on the walk.

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much, that means a lot :) I plotted my route on my laptop with OS Maps before setting off, exported it as a gpx file and loaded it onto my phone in the Outdooractive app. Really like it and on the Pro version (which I already had) you can download the maps (there are different ones, also the OS maps) for offline use which I did. Worked perfectly. I prefer Outdooractive over the OS maps app as I found Outdooractive runs smoother on my phone :)

[@Daytona2]

Welcome to Wales, Elli! 🤔 Beautiful scenery 🌄 Long distance, hills, thunder and shooting - exactly what you and Otto didn't need. It's entirely reasonable and sensible for you to be scared of thunder given your experience. How was Otto in the thunder ? Probs irrelevant as he will mirror your emotions anyway - it's what dogs do. If it helps in future, I use Blitzortung to check for thunderstorms. Poor Otto being shot. The abuse that animals receive really highlights the number of psychopaths out there (scientific testing indicates 1% of the population 😱)

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much for the kind words and support:) Yes, there was a lot going on on that first part of the ODP 😅 Interestingly, Otto is not afraid of the sound of thunder, probably because it's a very "natural" sound. He can differenciate perfectly and is really only afraid of shooting noises. I discovered Blitzortung shortly after that stretch and used it a lot - needed it quite a few times on the ODP to say the least ;)🙈

[@stuartchester6899]

I was wondering if you tried the Enertor shock absorbing insoles Elli..They seem to have really good reviews for Planter Fasciitus. I have been using mine just to lesson energy loss with too soft Trail shoes. They work with that .Like you I have never had planter fasciitus but it came out of nowhere with you and you have been doing thousands of miles .They are a little heavy at 54 grams though and add appox 35 gr replacing you old spongy insoles

[@ellihikes]

Thank you so much for sharing! I didn't know about those, will check them out :) I use the PF insoles from Scholl and really like them too 😊

[@stuartchester6899]

I am the same with lighting after seeing a strike on a tree but most people who get struck by lighting get the shock through the feet as a lighting hits the ground and travels along wet ground . BBC TV QI TV show broadcast that this week and they usually get their facts correct.. Trouble is its dry in a tent but the carbon poles on our Xmids are conductive but the base are are dry inside a tent so thats prob as safe as anywhere , and dry . .Getting away from ground moisture is a good idea if possible.Walking by rivers is supposed to be dangerous but that idea has been debunked as the strike quickly dissipates close to the strike point

[@ellihikes]

Oh, that's interesting - thank you so much for sharing 😊 Luckily, I managed to avoid them ok so far - I always make sure to check the forecast and try to have an 'escape' plan whenever possible 😊

[@user-man-now80]

I worry about your and Otto's welfare, as I see the rain and hear thunder. Dont be scared. Learn to enjoy the spectacle, but reassure Otto. Also warmth with humidity plus exercise; keep well hydrated, or reduce your target for the day. And you need the calories to sustain the effort - I know that you know that, but a bowl of chips is not enough, even as a snack. You shouldn't be losing weight. I'm really learning from your videos. Thanks

[@ellihikes]

Thank you for following along andsharing your thoughts :) I'm always trying not to loose too much weight, but on longer hikes, it's almost inevitable. There's just so much food you can carry and consume. On more remote stretches there are not a lot of pubs, so it's quite hard to get all the calories. But I'm always trying :)

[@user-man-now80]

@@ellihikes Hi Elli, since that post I've seen much more of your journey, and I now realise that you are totally in command of your dietary requirements and so well prepared for any eventuality. My thoughts were just fleeting impressions as I watched the story unfold, and were given freely, before the story ended. I have been captivated by your narrative. Thanks again.