On Second Thoughts ...
Well, it's now 6th July and we're down the track a bit (at least metaphorically speaking), so after a few conversations with sage friends who have considerable experience in such matters, two key facts have emerged.
The Timing.
2022 is an unseasonably hot summer in Mediterranean Europe (I know that because I live here!). It has started a month earlier than usual and jumped up into the mid-thirties (Celsius) after just a week. It will now stay that way until October (in Malta). Fortunately southern France is usually a few degrees cooler, but we can still anticipate warm weather well into Autumn.
The trick, it seems, will be to start after the intensity of the summer has eased down somewhat, and yet still finish before the winter chills start to kick in. I'm not afraid of walking in the cold or the wet - but if I'm going to walk in the heat during the early stages of the trek, then I'd rather carry a light pack, and that means avoiding the need to carry winter clothing, if possible.
So the routes have been planned in 1:500 detail, allowing me to work out which trails I'll take to stay close to canals for much of the time. That has allowed me to calculate my daily distances, my nightly stopping locations and, eventually, the number of days I expect to be on the trail. Allowing for a rest day whenever I reach a larger city (for rest, for resupply, for laundry and for cultural pursuits), I'll be away for 25 days, of which 20 or 21 days I will be walking.
The Itinerary
With that information on hand, I've booked my flights and will leave Malta early on 12th September, returning on 6th October. I now also know where I plan to spend each evening, and, at least according to the maps, I should be able to find both meals and accommodation there. I've pre-booked the first two nights' accommodation, and I'll make a start in booking the remainder shortly. The upshot though is simple:
- It will be warm weather, so I will not carry a balaclava (140g), a down jacket (600g), beanie (70g) or sealskin gloves (230g). I will, however add in a recently purchased Rab down gilet (sleeveless jacket weighing 259g), which I may need in the evenings in October. My base layer of thermal top and leggings, mid-layer of a presentable Berghaus fleece and my outer layer of light waterproofs will remain in the kit, to allow for contingencies.
- I will buy my food along the way, so I will not carry crockery (175g), cutlery (40g) stove (83g), hexamine tablets (174g) or butane (240g) nor will I carry supplies of dehydrated food ( g).
- I plan to start early each morning and stop early each afternoon, eating at boulangeries as (if) I pass them or bars and bistros when I stop. I do, however, hope to be allowed into an occasional brasserie, and grimy / crumpled trail apparel may not grant me entrance. I have been fortunate in my life to have travelled though Thailand, where I had made some silk shirts and trousers which look smart, don't crumple and weigh very little, so I'll pack them as an indulgence and hope they earn their presence. Similarly, while in Sicily recently, I bought a pair of 'Hey Dudes'. These are very light but quite smart moccasin-style loafers, worn sockless in the European style. They are (42g) heavier than the Crocks I had planned to take, but they will better suit my silk clothing and certainly make me feel more civilised. It remains to be seen whether these items will make the final cut.
- I will stay in rented accommodation, so I will not carry a tent (1.72kg) or pegs and guys (150g). I will carry only a sleeping bag liner (40g) and not a sleeping bag (1.52kg) and not a sleeping mat (440g) nor its pump (40g).
The nett effect of these changes is that my pack will now be over 6kg lighter - and that will make a significant difference to hiking comfort.
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