SOUTH WEST COAST PATH
I'm still a little surprised I managed to do this walk in a one-r.... I think it ranks as pretty much the hardest thing in terms of endurance I've ever done, namely 630 miles in 32 days with no days off most of the time carrying my trusty rucksack with tent etc etc.
Starting at Minehead I quickly discovered that the OS maps didn't quite reveal the full extent of the continual ups and downs along the coast. By the time I made the campsite in Lynmouth it was getting dark and I was exhausted. My heart rate monitor advised me that on Day 1 alone I had burned 9130 calories - approximately 3 marathon-worths (not the chocolate bar, the race....). I slept well that night.
I found early on that my old psychological ploy of counting off the days to the finish that worked for me on the other shorter walks was not an option here. I simply resigned myself to getting up at 0630 every morning and walking for roughly 20 miles and then repeat to fade.... I was very fortunate that there were numerous friends, families and kindly locals that took me in on occasion so I was able to wash my stinking clothes and have the odd meal that didn't come in a bag and need to be reconstituted with boiling water! I also took advantage of a couple of YHAs and a couple of "interesting" backpacker hostels in the larger towns.
I'm not going to write a blow by blow account of the walk but will suffice with saying that it was harder than I had anticipated (endless endless steps up steep hills) but much more rewarding than I had expected too. Amazing views and great weather for 80% of the time meant there were occasions when I could look back along miles and miles of coast and struggle to convince myself I had actually walked that far! I know North Cornwall fairly well of old anyway but was surprised by the totally different climate and beaches along the South. Striding up to the finish post at the end of Studland beach on day 32 was a little peculiar and I felt a little like Forrest Gump who, after running for years, one day just stopped. I was tired, with aching shoulders from my rucksack; sick of beaches, steps, cliffs and great views and clad in clothes now too big for me and yet the next morning I felt guilty for not getting up and going walking.
A great walk and a great experience and far too much to try and describe here. I'm slowly uploading my photos so please check out the Gallery pages to get a feel for the walk - don't worry though, I hate holiday snaps as much as the next person so I've pared them down quite considerably!
Well, my Gore-Tex coat is off being reproofed, my GPS away being serviced and a few other bits and bobs in my rucksack being attended to; I've been back almost three weeks and have incredibly itchy feet - I must get some more leave in and get back out walking again.
I must be mad....
