(Acu)puncture therapy

I thought I should try out my various bruised limbs and joints with a walk today. I have a walk to lead on Wednesday. I've already adjusted the route a couple of times to avoid the worst of the nettles, but I wanted to be sure it was OK.

Early in the walk there are two fields like the one above. There is a great diversity of flowers and grasses. The yellow rattle is doing very well and there are many indicators that these are good hay meadows.

Later I came to a field where the footpath would have gone diagonally over the crop and no alternative. It's a large field and walking around the edges is no fun. Hmm.

There were dodgy stiles. 

The midges and other biting flies were out to puncture my skin. There were many nettles and thistles, but they were not too bad. Then I found myself on the path I'd used about three weeks ago and the nettles were  shoulder high today. I could not get through.

I felt punctured in more than one way today. II nearly forgot about the stile with the barbed wire!) I need a route that works or a band of volunteers to go out with machetes!

The wildflowers were wonderful, including a lot of common spotted orchids. The sun shone and the birds sang. I survived.

Back to the map......... and when will I find time to go out and check a new route??