Extra Walk 237 – Ash Circular
Length: 22 km (13.7 miles), with possible short cuts. Toughness: 6/10
09:15 Haslemere train from Waterloo (Clapham Jct 09:22), changing at Guildford (arr 09:50, dep 10:00) for the Ascot train, arriving Ash at 10:10. [If you just miss the connection at Guildford, the 10:09 Reading train gets to Ash at 10:18.] Buy a day return to Ash.
Trains back from Ash to Guildford are at 15, 38 & 45 minutes past the hour.
This longish walk on the Ash Ranges has been waiting over a year for its début. These desolate parts of Surrey are in regular use by the Army and usually only open to the public on Bank Holiday weekends, so there won't be many opportunities to try this walk with the SWC.
The nature of the terrain means that navigation is tricky and as far as I can see there are no maps or GPS tracks to guide you, just the (unchecked) written directions – not a bad exercise for anyone going on the Scottish holiday, perhaps. On this occasion though I'm advised that the walk author will be keeping an eye on things, so in practice I'm sure you'll all get round without undue alarm.
The relatively early train is necessary because it's 15.2 km to the canalside lunch pub and it will be close to 2pm by the time you arrive, although food is served all day so timing isn't critical. However, if you haven't brought any provisions to sustain you and it looks like you're running late, you can take a short cut at point [5] in the text. The final refreshment stop is a pub 10 minutes before Ash station.
You'll need to print the directions from the Walk 237 page. Be sure to read the Warning notice at the top about danger areas and red flags. T=swc.237
Ash Circular via the MOD Ranges Walk
Explore the remote Ash Ranges - what Surrey should really look like! (Usually open Bank Holidays only - Check!)
History
This is a list of previous times this walk has been done by the club (since Jan 2010). For more recent events (since April 2015), full details are shown.
| Date | Option | Post | # | Weather |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon, 02-May-16 | Bank Holiday Walk – the Ash Ranges | 5 | sunny with a breeze |
Monday 02-May-16
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AnonymousMon, 25-Apr-16
Could not ONE of the bank holiday walks been under 13 miles, for those who want a more relaxing day out?
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(Anon, as noted above there are possible short cuts - it's always best to check your facts before sounding off).
If anyone is bringing a GPS device and can produce a map file for future use, that would be hugely helpful!
One small tip - if you sit at the back of the train from Guildford (i.e. furthest from the subway) you stand a chance of getting across the level crossing at Ash before the gates come down for the next train!
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There are lots of people who want the security of walkng within a group and are not confident about tackling a short cut on their own. Last week one of the attendees for the Ullapool trip had just bought a compass but needed to be shown how to use it! This army range walk is a complete nightmare if you don't have a compass and map to back up the walk directions as there is no signage to guide you. And yes lots of people prefer shorter organised walks at a relaxed pace that they can tackle with friends or with physical stamina issues!
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Only 5 on this walk, but 4 more than I expected in view of all the pre-walk negativity! We got going at 10.15, reached the decision point at 11.35 and voted by 4-1 to do the full walk. Got to the pub for 1.25, wide choice but pricey and slow service. Got away for 2.35 and safely on board the 4.15 train - it was just starting to spit with rain, but otherwise it was sunny with a light breeze. Not a 'nightmare' walk at all!