shady woodland up to the top of Hambledon Common. While it may not be the Andes, the panoramic views across the Weald to the South Downs are breathtaking, and there’s a shared sense of achievement voiced by the twolegged among us. Fidel gets a deserved stroke down his elongated neck for good behaviour, but despite the lure of some tasty leaves, he and the rest of the llamas are ready to get moving again. Heading back towards our chosen picnic spot, Goji’s decision to take a roll in a sandy hollow draws the amused cry of “all that hard work grooming him!” With the llamas safely tethered – amazingly they drink very little water thanks to getting most of what they need from grazing on vegetation, we finish our delicious picnic with fresh strawberries, washed down with a chilled bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. For the dog walkers that stumble across this motley assembly it must be a curious sight. And guaranteed to stop you in your tracks is Julie’s demonstration of feeding the llamas with carrots left over from lunch. With even the youngest trekkers confidently joining in, the surprisingly velvety-soft mouths make light work of these scraps. August 2015
All too soon it’s time to head for home, with the llamas quickening their steps and easily traversing any branches or tree stumps that cross their path. “They are very agile,” observes Julie, before continuing, “vet’s bills are not too bad as they are pretty tough animals.” Beasts of burden they may be, but in a relatively short space of time all of us agree, there’s been a real bond forged. And, according to Julie: “In this country, people sometimes keep llamas to guard sheep or to see-off foxes. As these are domestic animals you don’t need a licence.” Tempting as it may be to rush out and buy one of these beguiling creatures with their long eye-lashes and nosy natures, this is clearly a very contented herd. Perhaps I’ll just have to pay them another visit one day. I wonder if Fidel will remember me. FIND OUT MORE
Usually it’s one llama shared between two people with a maximum of 18 people on each trek. Prices start at £45 per adult (£23 for children aged 8-13 years) on Wednesday evenings until 9th September. Dates and prices for day treks lasting four to five hours are advertised online and take place throughout the year, including Christmas Day; family tickets (2+2), champagne treks for couples and birthday party treks for 9-14 years are also available. To book and for enquiries, email: llamalove@ btconnect.co.uk. For more details, visit: www.surrey-hills-llamas.co.uk.
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