Segment 1: Thames Barrier to Tower Bridge

http://photos3.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/a/3/8/0/event_22541856.jpegMeeting-point

Meet at 10:00am for a 10:30 am start.

The meeting point is at the Thames Barrier Point, Visitor Centre. (1 Unity Way, London SE18 5NJ), Meet on the Thames path along the riverbank , next to the sign marked Thames Barrier Path Stop 2. There is big display sign at the entrance of tunnel which says “Start of the 180 mile walk”.

The cafe at the Thames-Barrier park does not open to until 10:30 so suggest you stock up with coffee and nourishment before you get to the meeting point.

Finding the group should not be a problem, just come towards any large group of 30-50 excited people, waiting in anticipation.

Getting to the Meeting-point

The nearest train station is Charlton (mainline train), the meeting point is walking distance from the Woolwich stations (DLR, mainline) as well. It is 3/4 mile from Charlton and 1.25 miles from Woolwich. This will be a good warm-up walk to get you into the mood.

From Charlton Station, look for the signs to the Green Chain Walk and it will lead you to the Thames Barrier Park Visitor Centre. Specific directions are; go left out of the station to a cross-road and turn right along Woolwich road, just beyond the second round about go left into Eastmoor street, bear right into the parkland to join the Green chain walk.

From Woolwich look for the Thames path it is well sign posted (although there a small detours that takes you away from the river) .

To get to Charlton/Woolwich there is a train service from Charing Cross/London Bridge/Cannon Street. The trains will be crowded because of the Marathon, however the race starts at 9:45 so if you aim to get to Charlton at 10:00 am the it should be a little better.

A better route to come is using the DLR from Bank to Woolwich Arsenal , there are extra DLR trains that day and it is expect to be less crowded at that time of the morning, Although you should still expect a “rush hour” type of journey.

Driving is not an option, as large parts of the area will be closed off.

The Groups

The group will be split into teams of around 10-15 people each, to avoid a mass procession. Each group will walk independently, perhaps meeting up again at Lunch time and then again for a beer at the end of the walk.

The three groups will be

The Deer - Fit and healthy people who want a fast paced walk, they are goal oriented whose primary motivation is to get to the end, the may stop to admire the views but don't like to linger.

The Hare - People who want to hop around at a quick pace but happy to stop and admire the view, take a few pictures and then race on, they are social people who have the capacity to walk and talk at the same time.

The Tortoise - Slow and steady, people who want a leisurely paced walk, admiring everything that is beautiful on the way and discuss the meaning of life.

You can decide on the day which team you want to walk with,but if you already know what group you prefer, please update your RSVP with a comment.

There will be a very small lapel badge with a picture of a deer, hare or tortoise that will distributed on the day, so other members can easily see that you are one of us and not one of the marathon groupies.

If there are more than 10 people who put themselves in any one category we may need to create another animal class to represent something in between e.g the Deare or Hortoise.

The walk

This is not intended to be a guided walk, so every person is free to do it at their own pace and make it their own experience. The expectation is that the group will loosely hang around together; there will be a nominated group leader who will act as the focal point and will be the person who pays a little extra attention to the signs and keeps the group on track. The route is well sign-posted so there is only a small chance of losing your way.

The Team Leader

I am looking for Volunteers, willing to act as group leaders, being a group leader just means looking important and being a focal point. . You will be given a little some more information about the route and so can direct the group in case there is some confusion about where to go. Please send me a note if you are willing to be a group leader.

The route

From the Thames Barrier, the route goes along the river, around the Greenwich peninsula, which has the O2 Centre, then to Greenwich town centre. We plan to carry on the Thames path in the South Side (The Greenwich foot tunnel is closed so can’t do the North side) of the river to Surrey Quays and ending at Butlers Wharf near Tower Bridge. There are only a few places where the route veers off the riverside, those are the only places where you may need to use a little bit of extra orienteering skills. The only place there may be a slight problem may be in crossing Greenwich due to road closures etc because of the marathon, so people may need to more careful and pay attention in that area.

Route map and other details are on the website

http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/thamespath/downloads.asp?PageId=79

If you want to see video’s and get audio guides about the route they can be downloaded from

http://www.walklondon.org.uk/walk_finder.asp

How far is it and when will I get there.

The total distance is 10 Miles. Approx 5 Miles to Greenwich and another 5 miles to Tower Bridge.

Assuming a start-time of 10:30 the estimated time for the walk is -

The Deer - Greenwich at 11:45. Butler’s Wharf by 2:00pm

The Hare - Greenwich at 12:30, Butler’s wharf by 3:00pm

The Tortoise - Greenwich at 1:00pm , Butlers wharf by 4:00pm

All these times have a generous allowance for Lunch, note the timings are approximate and they may go up or down and I give no guarantee on these being accurate.

The Walk and the London Marathon

We are now NOT criss-cross the London Marathon route. The only place we will meet the runners will be at Greenwich. The slowest paced mass runners are expected to pass Greenwich by 11:30 and the earliest our group will get there is 11:45, so we will see the tail end of the race. However expect there to be more than the usual number of people in the early part of the walk. Once we cross Greenwich we move away from the route and the crowds. There are many pubs on the way so if you can pop in and see parts of the race.

Lunch and Apres Walk Drinks

The Group leaders will have some recommended places for Lunch , since each group will be walking at their own pace, we will not try and coordinate the lunch venue. A picnic lunch will be much easier because of the crowds at Greenwich, so bring a picnic and if the weather is good you can sit at one of the parks and have lunch.

The walk will end at Butler’s wharf and the meeting point is All Bar One at 38 Shad Thames. So at the end of the walk we hope to meet all the people of who want to sit and have a few drinks at the bar.

What to get

It is a 4-5 hour walk, so make sure you get plenty of water , route maps and other information about the route will be distributed before the walk.

The link below has some tips on what to get before for the walk

http://www.walkingandhiking.co.uk/WhatToTakeOnWalk.html

FAQ

What if I am late?

The last group will be leaving the meeting point at 10:45. If you are delayed beyond that, you will be on your own, but you can try and catch up with us along the route. You can try sending me a text and if I can, I will respond telling you approx where we are, but don’t count on it. Alternately you can wait at any point along the route. Look out for the lapel badges with a small picture of a deer, hare or tortoise.

Can I do only part of the walk?

Yes. You can quit the walk anytime, just tell the group leader that you are a quitter :)

Can I join the walk at half way say at mid-day ?

This will be logistically quite difficult, but you can always try. Wait along the route looking for deer, hare or a tortoise.

What if I get lost?

You can text your group leader, and if finding the group proves to be too disruptive and painful, head for the nearest tube station and go home.

What if it rains or the weather is bad?

The walk will be on rain or shine, make sure you get enough waterproof clothing.

What do I do next?

Re-confirm your RSVP, with a comment indicating what group you want to walk with, post any comments you have about the day on the meet-up site. If you have any specific questions send me a message or post on the message board and wait for the day.

What if I change my mind about coming?

Change your RSVP immediately.