We plan to organise car shares in advance, so will not meet at West Town Car Park.
Park at the National Trust car park at the Devil’s Punchbowl, Hindhead, postcode GU26 6AB, grid reference SU890357. This car park is free for National Trust members but otherwise I hear reports of £9 for 4 hours!
Toilets are available behind the café.
We start at 10 a.m.by admiring the view of the Punchbowl, with the Hogs Back in the distance. We walk along the edge of the bowl then take a steep path down into it. We climb up the far side in the second mile – these are the biggest descent and ascent of the day. We join the Greensand Way going south, part of which uses the old A3. We then take a quieter undulating route around the eastern and southern edges of the open access area, with 2 more steep descents and climbs.
Options for light lunch are the National Trust café or Café Twenty5 in the parade of shops leading up to the car park. If we prefer a pub lunch, we would have to drive to e.g.Grayshott or Liphook.
It should be generally dry underfoot as all the route is either on greensand or tarmac, but there may be a few muddy and puddly stretches after heavy rain.
The total distance is 6.3 miles but with 1600 feet of total height gain, more like a day out in the Lake District than our usual routes!. If you sometimes use walking poles, be sure to have them with you. It is not chalk, underfoot, but it can still be slippery.