The Lecale Way 2013

[LandyLiam]

What's the terrain like for cycling?

[Spud]

Road sections obviously would be grand, would be hard going on some of the off road bits, the mud was very deep, in the summer it would be doable I'd say

[Ed]

Only seeing the thread now as I've spent most of the day hobbling around the house like a geriatric.

Great writeup John and you're not kidding about the fish supper. It brought us back to life.

It took me 35 minutes to wash my boots today. You could drink from them now tho.

Knackered!

Feet are generally sore but the blister situation is very minor. A case to be made for silk liner socks perhaps

[LandyLiam]

I'd be interested in what shoe/sock combination each of you wore, obviously some big differences in the blister department.

[Spud]

I'd be interested in what shoe/sock combination each of you wore, obviously some big differences in the blister department.

I just wore normal thin cotton socks under thick woollen ones.

[Oisín]

Just what I was thinking Liam

I'd be interested in what shoe/sock combination each of you wore, obviously some big differences in the blister department.

I'm not saying your shoe combinations were wrong, but I'm amazed you lost toenails and everything, I just want to make sure if I go and try something like this I'm not going to come back in a wheelchair.

I imagine the road sections were probably a nightmare so do you think the boots were maybe overkill?

[Spud]

Just what I was thinking Liam

I'd be interested in what shoe/sock combination each of you wore, obviously some big differences in the blister department.

I'm not saying your shoe combinations were wrong, but I'm amazed you lost toenails and everything, I just want to make sure if I go and try something like this I'm not going to come back in a wheelchair.

I imagine the road sections were probably a nightmare so do you think the boots were maybe overkill?

I didn't lose any toenails, I didn't even have a blister!  The boots were necessary for the off road parts, trainers just wouldn't have stuck it I don't think, for the longer road sections I think a change into trainers would have helped.

[Mourneman]

Just what I was thinking Liam

I'd be interested in what shoe/sock combination each of you wore, obviously some big differences in the blister department.

I'm not saying your shoe combinations were wrong, but I'm amazed you lost toenails and everything, I just want to make sure if I go and try something like this I'm not going to come back in a wheelchair.

I imagine the road sections were probably a nightmare so do you think the boots were maybe overkill?

Well the toenails issue was sorta self-inflicted,ie the nails that came off were to long,so I should have trimmed them before such a long walk,large sections of the Lecale way are on roads but there's also beaches,rocks,fields,floods to trek through, I in my case the water proofing on my boots just had enough.

[LandyLiam]

when will people ever listen to my most important bit of advice "cut yer toenails"   

my favourite sock for long hikes are a pair of 1000mile ones that have a sewn in inner sock which acts as a wicking layers and also guarantees no blisters, so far so good, although i haven't really done an exceptionally long walk like that yet.

[Kayakgirl]

Too much feet talk.. 

[Rumblebum]

when will people ever listen to my most important bit of advice "cut yer toenails"   

my favourite sock for long hikes are a pair of 1000mile ones that have a sewn in inner sock which acts as a wicking layers and also guarantees no blisters, so far so good, although i haven't really done an exceptionally long walk like that yet.

Hi Liam, there's a walk called the Mourne 7 7's, you should have a go at that, oh hang on, wait a minute!

Sorry mate, I just couldn't help myself lol.

[Ed]

I'd be inclined to think that bashed toes would mean too much room in the boot, meaning the foot is sliding forward.

I had my boots fitted in blacks while they were still about, and they fit me like a glove.

The superfeet insoles keep my knees from getting shredded by my overpronated feet too.

The one mistake I do make footwear wise is not wearing a liner sock, so the wool compacts eventually and becomes quite abrasive. The two minor blisters I have at the moment though dont hurt at all, and have been left alone until they run their course.

[whoRya]

I think with the amount of innovation that goes into good quality hiking socks these days I'd not trust putting a cotton sock underneath.  Surely the hiking socks are designed entirely with the foot alone as the only consideration. 

I stick with Bridgedales, apart from suppporting a local company, they perform well for me.  They seem to have the elasticated sections in all the right places to hold the socks in place and they never feel very damp at the end of a walk.

Heavy weight in winter and medium weight the rest of the year.  I now have my first pair of goretex lined boots so perhaps I'll need to go lighter again for summer.

Nice trip lads by the way, enjoyed reading that   

[RedLeader]

Great stuff guys, it's a hell of a distance to do in 2 days. Sounds brilliant to get a 2 day walk but without the hassle of having to carry a full 2 days gear plus a proper bed in the middle!

I did the Down Way - the coastal walk from Holywood to Donaghadee a couple of times which is about 18 miles and it was a real killer on the feet. Great fun and brilliant views though, we should do that one of these days.

[Typo-On]

Great stuff guys, it's a hell of a distance to do in 2 days. Sounds brilliant to get a 2 day walk but without the hassle of having to carry a full 2 days gear plus a proper bed in the middle!

I did the Down Way - the coastal walk from Holywood to Donaghadee a couple of times which is about 18 miles and it was a real killer on the feet. Great fun and brilliant views though, we should do that one of these days.

I jumped off the train on the way home from work a few times at Holywood pre-TGO and walked home that way it was just over ten miles to the house its a nice walk.

I think with the amount of innovation that goes into good quality hiking socks these days I'd not trust putting a cotton sock underneath.  Surely the hiking socks are designed entirely with the foot alone as the only consideration. 

I stick with Bridgedales, apart from suppporting a local company, they perform well for me.  They seem to have the elasticated sections in all the right places to hold the socks in place and they never feel very damp at the end of a walk.

Heavy weight in winter and medium weight the rest of the year.  I now have my first pair of goretex lined boots so perhaps I'll need to go lighter again for summer.

Nice trip lads by the way, enjoyed reading that   

I wear bridgedales for the very same reasons. Ive only had blisters once and it was defo due to boots that filled with water two minutes after being poured and dried out.