Tuesday 29 August 2017
Milngavie to Drymen: "Introduction and Rondo"
Distance: 12 miles
Start: 9:15am
Finish: 3:45pm
Weather: Cloudy and cool, with a stray shower or two
I had low expectations for this day. When people talk about the West Highland Way, the first stage is usually talked about as the one to be gotten through before the *real* scenery starts. So I was pleasantly surprised when what I would describe as *real* scenery began only a couple of miles out of Milngavie!
After the initial forest/river walk out of Milngavie, there were the Trossachs, in particular Dumgoyne, which would be my companion for most of the day. I took copious pictures. Even the downhill bits over rock couldn't get me down. After the endless pastures and roller-coaster hills of Offa's Dyke and Hadrian's Wall, here was straightforward walking on a proper path with gentle gradients at last. I was in heaven, and I made good time. I'm using a baggage transfer service for this walk, so I'm only carrying a small daypack rather than my entire rucksack, and it's helping IMMENSELY. While eating lunch by the trailside near Glengoyne Distillery, I had the novel experience of consulting my map and realizing that I had actually traveled FURTHER than I initially thought. Wahey!
After passing the Beech Tree Cafe, the WHW mainly shadows the road most of the way to Drymen. The scenery was slightly less diverting than at the beginning of the day and footsoreness was setting in, but I still managed to motor along. A little short of the village of Gartness, I sat under a tree to eat a Snickers bar and drink some water, and was promptly accosted by a robin. It got so close to me that I thought it was going to hop up onto my foot! I probably shouldn't have, but I broke off a tiny bit of Snickers and gave it to the bird. Tribute exacted, it flew back up into the tree. I wonder how many times a day, and with how many walkers, this happens.
This first day ends on tarmac, which is a trial. Luckily the last little stretch is through a cow pasture with nice, springy grass. It seems I couldn't completely avoid pasture today after all, but on balance I'll take it over tarmac.
Song of the day: "What You Want" by the John Butler Trio
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Wednesday 30 August 2017
Drymen to Rowardennan: "I am one with the Force and the Force is with me."
Distance: 15 miles
Start: 9:15am
Finish: 6:00pm
Weather: Mostly sunny with occasional drizzle. Cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon.
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
This morning was brilliant. A gentle climb out of Drymen led up to Garadhban Forest and the intersection with my old friend, the Rob Roy Way. There's a signpost there now! I had great views of Conic Hill and Loch Lomond almost at once - a great way to start the day.
Instead of taking the high route via Conic Hill, I decided to save my legs and energy and take the low route into Balmaha. All told, I made it from Drymen to Balmaha in an amazing (for me) two and a half hours, so I was feeling pretty pleased with myself and the world at large. I stopped in Balmaha for an hour to eat lunch and rest the legs, and then I set out again.
The second half of the day, from Balmaha to Rowardennan, was much harder. The ground got slightly rockier underfoot, and the route got much hillier. The hills were fine at first, but then I got to the climb out of Sallochy Campsite. Jeeesussss. This was probably the most severe climb of the day, but it was by no means the last. A memorable moment: a group of three walkers from Paisley caught up to me at the precise moment we came into view of a big climb. Cue four f-bombs muttered in rapid succession, at varying volumes but with identical sincerity.
After a while my vision tunnelled and I just put one foot in front of the other the rest of the way to Rowardennan. I did try to admire the early evening sun on the loch and Ben Lomond, though. I lost some time wandering around the Ben Lomond carpark, thinking I'd missed the SYHA hostel where I was staying for the night. It turned out to be a little bit further on.
I'm in pain. I've got a cramp developing in my left calf that is going to be ~*dazzling*~ when it blooms. But I've walked 27 miles in the last two days and I'm feeling pretty pleased and accomplished.
I saw another robin when I sat down to eat my Snickers today. Like yesterday, I made an offering. Unlike yesterday, it continued to hang around afterward.
Song of the day: "Eh Hee" by Dave Matthews
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Thursday 31 August 2017
Rowardennan to Inversnaid: "The Obstacle Course, Part 1"
Distance: 7 miles
Start: 9:40am
Finish: 3:00pm
Weather: Sunny and warm, humid near the lochside
They said the Loch Lomond section of the WHW was the hardest part, and they were right. I'm dubbing this section "The Obstacle Course." Rocky ascents, rocky descents, massive tree roots, steep gradients, boulder scrambles, burn crossings...you name it, this section has it. There was one section in the middle where the terrain smoothed out, thank goodness. But after re-entering the forest we were back to the obstacle course.
Toward the end of the day I began to suspect that I had died and gone to hell, and my punishment was to continue walking up the eastern shore of Loch Lomond for all eternity. But then the Inversnaid Hotel finally came into sight. I had a celebratory pint and fish and chips with the group of three from Paisley who I met yesterday, and then called the Inversnaid Bunkhouse for a lift.
I'm in awe of anyone who does Rowardennan to Inverarnan in a single day. Most of the people taking a break at the hotel were planning to go a few more miles and then camp. I'm not sure I met anyone today going the whole 14 miles to Inverarnan. For my part, I'm really glad I decide to split the Loch Lomond section in half.
While eating my fish and chips, I was remarking to someone that I hadn't had my daily visit from the robin, when one promptly hopped up on the table. I swear it was posing for photos.
Song of the day: "The Two Trees" by Loreena McKennitt
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Friday 1 September 2017
Inversnaid to Inverarnan: "The Obstacle Course, Part 2"
Distance: 7 miles
Start: 9:55am
Finish: 4:45pm
Weather: Sunny and warm
F*** boulders.
The first half of the day repeated all of yesterday's challenges and upped the intensity. Yesterday I think I had to do maybe one butt-scooch down a steep rock; today I had to do several, including one particularly memorable one down a huge boulder that put me in mind of the "in the way of a big effing rock" scene from Wild. F*** that boulder in particular.
But it was a gorgeous day today! I found one very pretty lochside beach on which to eat lunch, and another very pretty lochside beach on which to take a snack break later on, both with spectacular views of Island I Vow. I had my daily robin visit during my snack break. I fed it a tiny bit of orange, and it hung out with me until I left.
After that second pit stop, the WHW swung inland for a bit and conditions underfoot got easier. This was fortunate, because at the north end of the loch the path starts to ascend. I was getting tired at this point, but the new scenery kept me putting one foot in front of the other, and soon the path descended to Beinglas Farm. I had to backtrack along the highway for a short bit to get to the Drovers Inn, but now I'm here.
Song of the day: "Superstars and Cannonballs" by Savage Garden
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Saturday 2 September 2017
Inverarnan to Tyndrum: "I think this might be the top!"
Distance: 12 miles
Start: 8:55am
Finish: 4:10pm
Weather: Mostly cloudy, with increasing sun in the afternoon
Kath came down on the Citylink bus this morning and joined me for the day! It was really nice to have company for once!
We crossed the road from the Drovers Inn back over to Beinglas Farm and began walking. The first half of the day was mainly lovely open walking through Glen Falloch, with mountain views all around. The trail was mainly packed gravel - mercifully easy going after the purgatory of Loch Lomond.
After some pleasant riverside walking, we crossed to the other side of the glen and began the climb up to the turnoff for Crianlarich. More great views, and an extremely well-timed honesty box full of water and snacks! I had my robin sighting for the day at the Crianlarich turnoff - the halfway point of the day, and of the whole West Highland Way! We stopped for lunch at a picnic table just up the hill from the turnoff and admired the view. Several people passed us, huffing and puffing up the hill. I reckon they had gone down into Crianlarich and were now having to come back up.
There was a lengthy section of climbing into the forest, and then we began the drop down into Strathfillan. There were fairy toadstool mushrooms absolutely everywhere. After a couple miles we emerged from the woods, crossed another river, and made our way across the valley floor to Kirkton and the remains of St Fillan's Church. We admired these for a bit, then continued to a campsite called Strathfillan Wigwams. A final toilet break and water top-up, and then it was time for the final push to Tyndrum!
The final three miles to Tyndrum may have been the most pleasant of the day. The path was easy, the heather was in bloom, and there was interesting Robert the Bruce-related stuff to see, including a lochan where he may or may not have dumped his sword while fleeing from the English after a lost battle. We made it to By the Way Hostel a little after 4pm. I retrieved my rucksack, Kath retrieved her car, and we drove to the Real Food Cafe for celebratory cheeseburgers before driving up to Stromeferry.
This was a very enjoyable day - varied scenery, mostly reasonable walking conditions, good weather, good company, and now I'm more than halfway through the West Highland Way!
Song of the day: "I'm On My Way" by The Proclaimers
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Tuesday 5 September 2017
Tyndrum to Bridge of Orchy: "Little bitty stinging rain"
Distance: 7 miles
Start: 10:25am
Finish: 1:35pm
Weather: Cool and rainy, clearing later on
My first day back on the WHW after a two-day break up in Stromeferry with Kath, Ewan, and Gordon. The day dawned rainy, so I got a purposely late start to let some of it pass through. I got a final meal at the Real Food Cafe, and then it was time to start. (NB: If you're passing through Tyndrum, eat at the Real Food Cafe and NOT the Green Welly. The Green Welly does a decent cullen skink, but the rest of their food is CRAP.)
I walked through the fields on the edge of Tyndrum, then crossed the highway and climbed up onto the Telford road. The walking was straightforward and unchallenging today, except for one slightly rocky bit down to a sheep creep. But passing out of the shadow of Beinn Odhar and into that of Beinn Dorain, my luck with the weather finally ran out and it began to rain. Forrest Gump would have called it "little bitty stinging rain." It wasn't all that heavy, but it had enough wind behind it to pack a punch and gradually soak through anything not waterproofed. And so it was head down and keep going all the way around the foot of Beinn Dorain. Thankfully the weather eventually cleared, and the sun even came out during the last mile into Bridge of Orchy.
The WHW stays within sight of the A82 and the railway tracks for almost all of this stage, which I think is kind of poetic: three modes of transportation from differing eras of recent human history, all running parallel.
Song of the day: "Hush" by Deep Purple
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Wednesday 6 September 2017
Bridge of Orchy to Glencoe: "A spiritual experience"
Distance: 12 miles
Start: 9:25am
Finish: 3:25pm
Weather: Clouds and sun with occasional misty rain
This was a grand day.
I started out from the Bridge of Orchy Hotel under a lowering sky. The climb up the ridge to Inveroran wasn't too terribly strenuous, but it seemed to go on for quite a long time, twisting and turning with views of Loch Tulla eventually coming into view. The heaviest rain and wind of the day began just as I reached the top of the ridge, and I got a little nervous. But it gradually let up as I descended into Inveroran, and by the time I got all the way down it had stopped and I could see blue sky to the north. Rather than stopping at the hotel in Inveroran for a break, I took advantage of the break in the weather and kept going.
A tarmac road led through the village, eventually dead-ending into the beginning of the famous drove road over Rannoch Moor. After a quick swig of water, it was off the tarmac and onto the packed gravel road over the moor for the rest of the day.
Rannoch Moor sneaks up on you gradually. For the first little bit, you're climbing gently uphill with a stand of trees to your right. Then the trees fall away and the path levels out, and in every direction there are mountains. Threatening clouds brooded to the south and east, but apart from a couple short bursts of mist (just enough to make rainbows), it stayed dry. The finale to Bernstein's Mass came on my iPod at one point, and I was reminded of why I do this sort of thing: walking in nature, through brilliant landscapes, under a neverending sky, is where I feel closest to the divine.
The path ascended very gently after Ba Bridge, and after turning a corner, Buachaille Etive Mor came hulking into view and I knew I was close. I walked almost directly at that mountain until coming to the turnoff for the Glencoe Ski Center, my destination for the day.
Song of the day: "Games Without Frontiers" by Peter Gabriel
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Thursday 7 September 2017
Glencoe to Kinlochleven: "I'm sure the views are breathtaking when you can actually see them." Or, "At some point you have to give up any and all pretense of keeping your feet dry."
Distance: 9 miles
Start: 9:45am
Finish: 4:30pm
Weather: Rainy
Today was the first day on the WHW where I really didn't enjoy myself all that much. Maybe I would have if I could SEE anything at any point.
To begin the day I walked from the Glencoe Ski Center down to the A82, crossing over and passing the Kingshouse Hotel. After that, the trail shadowed the eastern side of the highway as far as Altnafeadh, where it turned right and began to climb the Devil's Staircase up the Aonach Eagach ridge: the highest point on the trail.
The Devil's Staircase isn't especially steep, but it is stony underfoot, and on a day like today it can seem to go on for a long time with little to show for it. I'm sure the views of Buachaille Etive Mor are spectacular in fine weather.
Hazy sunshine appeared as I reached the top of the Devil's Staircase, and then disappeared, not to be seen again. At or around this time my left boot sprang a leak. It started raining more heavily, and I learned firsthand just how prone this section of the WHW is to flooding. Before long, I was walking in a creek bed. At some point I had to abandon all pretense of keeping my feet dry, because the stepping stones over the larger burns were practically underwater themselves.
The descent into Kinlochleven is the longest, windiest, most tortuous, and most aggravating thing ever. Again, I'm sure the views are great when the weather is good. But today I couldn't see anything and I just wanted the day to be over. Finally, the sign for Blackwater Hostel and its affiliates appeared. Finding the West Highland Lodge was another small headache due to confusing signage, but here I am.
Song of the day: "Concertina" by Tori Amos
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Friday 8 September 2017
Kinlochleven to Fort William: "The Big Finish"
Distance: 15 miles
Start: 9:00am
Finish: 7:15pm
Weather: Rain to start, then mostly cloudy with intermittent drizzle and hazy sunshine
I perseverated about this day A LOT. I knew from the very beginning that if I chickened out, it would most likely be on this day. When people asked me if I was doing the the whole thing, the answer was always "Hope so!" rather than "Yes."
Then at some point in Stromeferry last weekend, Kath abruptly said to me, "You know you've got to finish it, right?" I did indeed. There was an inevitability to it. The Way demands it, even. Plus, my track record for finishing long-distance trails is very poor, and it was time for that to change.
So I left the hostel at 8:50am, was back where I left off yesterday by 9:00am, and ten epic hours of trudging ensued.
And the last day is indeed epic. It starts with the infamous climb out of Kinlochleven. Honestly I didn't think it was any worse than the Devil's Staircase. My one moment of despair came when it started raining, and I thought I'd be in for a day like yesterday - unrelentingly wet and cold. But the rain had stopped by the time I got to the top, and I could even see blue sky!
Then came the epic trek through Larig Mor. This was my favorite part of the day - walking on the hillside with some of the highest mountains in Scotland all around me, the path ribboning on ahead and the river ribboning down on the valley floor below. It was magical.
Then came the epic trek through the forestry lands. By the time I came to the end of the Larig Mor section and the signpost saying I was halfway between Kinlochleven and Fort William, it felt like I had walked much more than seven and a half miles and I had my first misgivings since Kinlochleven. Not least because I was out of food and getting quite hungry. Most of the forestry land here has recently been harvested, so I was trudging through an undulating, apocalyptic landscape of tree stumps and mist. At some point I became cognizant of how slowly I was walking. Fortunately, not long after that some people overtook me and gave me their spare food - a chocolate energy bar and some bread rolls. Carbs! Energy! I kept going. By that point all I had left was the final climb out of the valley, and then it was onto the long descent into Glen Nevis on the wide, smooth forestry road with Ben Nevis brooding alongside.
By now I was eight hours in and every body part was beginning to mutiny. I spent the descent on the forestry road fantasizing about hailing a cab at the earliest opportunity and finishing the walk in the morning.
Then I hit the bottom of the glen and the tarmac road into Fort William.
Ipod on, head down, trudge for all you're worth, let's get these last three miles DONE.
A German girl named Leonie joined me for a mile or so, and I gave her advice about getting to the Hebrides. Buoyed by human contact, I continued to trudge. I passed Fort William's train station. Belford Hospital. There's the High Street! The Bench is at the far end, go go go! A breathless "I'm nearly there!" to passersby looking at me curiously. A few "Well done"s received in exchange.
And then, at 7:15pm, I collapsed onto The Bench, alongside a couple of kids playing with the statue of the tired walker. Their mom was kind enough to take my picture.
My day wasn't over quite over yet. I went to a chippie to get dinner, to a nearby hostel to retrieve my rucksack, and then FINALLY to my Airbnb. My room had its own bathroom with a tub. I had an amazing bath. Then I ate my (by now lukewarm) scampi and chips, watched the BBC Proms on TV, and slept the sleep of my life. I finished it, y'all.
Song of the day: "How Many More Times" by Led Zeppelin
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Monday, September 25, 2017
LEJOG Walk Diaries: Hadrian's Wall
Sunday 13 August 2017
Today was a beautiful day in Carlisle. I explored the high street area and bought a guidebook for Hadrian's Wall. I visited Carlisle Cathedral, and then explored Bitts Park and walked along the River Eden for a bit.
I didn't really know what to expect from Carlisle, never having been here before. But I really, really like this city. It's attractive. It's open. The air is fresh and clean. I can tell I'm getting close to Scotland.
Leg One of Hadrian's Wall tomorrow!
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Monday 14 August 2017
Bowness-on-Solway to Carlisle
Distance: 14.5 miles
Start: 9:00am
Finish: 5:00pm
Weather: Cloudy with occasional rain showers
There is a bus between Carlisle and Bowness, but its timing isn't really useful to Hadrian's Wall walkers. So I took a cab to Bowness instead.
The Solway Firth, with its views across to Scotland, was my companion for the first few miles. This section of the trail is tarmac-heavy, with the most memorable section (to me) being the three or so miles of dead-straight road paralleling the firth between Drumburgh and Burgh-by-Sands. I made pretty good time to Burgh-by-Sands, where Edward Longshanks died and where I stopped for lunch, and then it was time to push on to Carlisle.
After some more tarmac-pounding, the trail got into pastureland - much easier on the feet. But it was around this time that I discovered that Hadrian's Wall occasionally suffers the same ailment as Offa's Dyke: waymarkers too overgrown with vegetation to be seen. NB: If the path suddenly gets unreasonably overgrown, you've probably gone wrong somewhere. Turn around. Also, the day's off-and-on rain meant that conditions were very muddy underfoot in places.
About three miles from Carlisle, I got stuck in the mud. Legitimately stuck. I thought I was going to have to wriggle my feet free and leave the boots, that kind of stuck. Determined that I was absolutely NOT going to call Mountain Rescue over something this stupid, I managed to free one foot by rocking it back and forth (which broke the suction pretty rapidly), and the other by using a trekking pole to essentially dig it out. Using poles on this trip continues to be an excellent decision.
I knew I was getting close when I hit a series of highway underpasses. Soon after that, the River Eden drew alongside. After a day of mostly dead-flat walking, the undulating trail along the river was not exactly welcome. At least there were steps to facilitate the climbs and descents. Ordinarily the riverside path would continue all the way to Bitts Park, but a detour had been put in place due to flood damage. I followed the detour into town for a while, and then called it a day. I was simply too tired and footsore to keep going. I ducked into a pub and had them call me a cab to my hotel. This was quite possibly my longest walking day ever in terms of mileage, and I'm worn out.
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Wednesday 16 August 2017
Lanercost to Greenhead
Distance: 8 miles
Start: 9:35am
Finish: 3:45pm
Weather: Sunny in the morning, increasing clouds and wind in the afternoon
Yesterday I woke up feeling sluggish and feverish, so I had a slow morning in Carlisle, took a bus to Brampton, and then walked two miles into Lanercost (of priory fame). I had a passable scampi at the priory's tearoom and slept like the dead at my B&B, where the landlady was Very Concerned that I arrived without accommodation booked for the following night. I mean, I get that she must see a lot of underprepared Hadrian's Wall walkers, but seriously. (I was able to find a room in Greenhead with ease, by the way.)
This morning I walked out of Lanercost, past Lanercost Priory for a final time, and up the road to rejoin the path at Haytongate and its famous honesty hut. I didn't partake of any of the refreshments since I was just starting the day, but I did read a few of the notes people had left. Then it was up a hill through a pasture with fantastic sunny views of the Cumbria countryside, and down the road through Banks. It was around this time that I had my first sighting of the actual wall! It's in fragments here, but unmistakably the original Roman wall. The weather was great and lots of day-trippers were out in their cars and RVs, visiting wall sites.
After some pleasant walking through gently rolling pastureland, I reached Birdoswald Fort and ate my packed lunch. Then it was a steep but short descent to cross a river, and a re-ascent back up for a bit more pasture on the way to Gilsland. Passing through Gilsland, I crossed the county border into Northumberland! Woo!
I encountered my first (and second, and third...) ladder stile on the way out of Gilsland, and reading the guidebook, it looks like they're here to stay. I was getting tired by this time, but Greenhead was mercifully close. Although I might have missed the turnoff had it not been for the sharp eyes of the German couple walking with me, searching for their lost camera.
A very long eight miles, but a pleasant day today.
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Thursday 17 August 2017
Greenhead to Walltown
Distance: 2-3 miles, maybe
Start: 9:30am
Finish: 11:00am
Weather: Sunny and warm
I took a wrong turn at Thirlwall Castle and climbed a big hill I didn't need to climb. This pretty much set the tone for the day.
I came back down and found the right path again, around a house and over a bridge across an attractive stream. Then there was a precipitous climb up another hill to a ladder stile. When I got to the ladder stile I nearly bailed. The wrong turn and mistaken climb had damaged my morale and sapped my energy, and I had a good sulk as I sat in the shadow of the stile, ate a bag of potato chips, and watched the scenery.
Eventually an Australian couple came along and prodded me back into motion, and I continued on to Walltown Crags. I topped up my water in their visitor center, and then it was time to have a go at The Craggy Bit. This is the most famous section of the wall, as well as the most intact and picturesque bit. And with the weather so nice, there were lots of people out visiting it for the day. I made my leisurely way up and along the wall, all the while looking ahead at the crags with not a little trepidation.
At one point I came to a spot where the path dipped down to road level, before ascending up the next crag. It was here that I bailed out for real. I was overwarm, running out of energy, and not feeling confident to continue. So I made my way back to the visitor center and got the AD122 bus to the YHA at Once Brewed. Plan for tomorrow is to walk from Once Brewed back to Walltown and return by bus, weather permitting, because this is a really pretty section of the trail and I'm not quite ready to give up altogether yet.
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Sunday 20 August 2017
The weather did not permit.
It had been raining off and on all morning, but I did make an honest try at going out for the day on the 18th, intending to walk from Steel Rigg - just above Once Brewed - to Housesteads Fort, a little less than three miles away. But as soon as I made it to the top of the ridge, the sky opened and it started raining and sleeting sideways.
I went back to the hostel, soaking wet.
Yesterday I got the AD122 bus to Hexham and then the train to Newcastle. Today I took the train to Durham for the day. One of the gentlemen I met in Gladestry on Offa's Dyke, on learning I was from a different Durham, said "Oh, you really should visit our Durham while you're here." And I replied, "You know, you're absolutely right!"
Durham is a cathedral city in every sense, and it is beautiful. I loved it. I wandered around the city center, visited the cathedral (including the shrine of St Cuthbert), and had an early dinner at an Italian restaurant on the riverfront. I tarried coming back to Newcastle, because I was so taken with Durham and didn't want to leave.
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Monday 21 August 2017
Today I successfully navigated Newcastle's metro system and made my way to Wallsend. Wallsend doesn't have much going for it besides Segedunum, the eastern terminus of Hadrian's Wall and my reason for coming to Wallsend at all. I gave the fort a brief visit and then headed back to Newcastle.
On a whim, I took the train up to Berwick-upon-Tweed for the afternoon. I took a pleasant walk along the mighty River Tweed and another walk down the high street. I'm glad I went, and now I'm itching more than ever to get to Scotland. Edinburgh-bound tomorrow!
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A brief aside by the author: I want to try Hadrian's Wall again at some point in the future, with better planning and preparation. It really is a very picturesque long-distance trail, and I enjoyed the bits of it that I did on this trip. Now that I know what the terrain is like, what distances are feasible, where the good bases are, and how the AD122 bus can best be used, it's on the list to attempt again. I'm not done with it yet, and neither is it done with me, I feel. Cheers, y'all!
Today was a beautiful day in Carlisle. I explored the high street area and bought a guidebook for Hadrian's Wall. I visited Carlisle Cathedral, and then explored Bitts Park and walked along the River Eden for a bit.
I didn't really know what to expect from Carlisle, never having been here before. But I really, really like this city. It's attractive. It's open. The air is fresh and clean. I can tell I'm getting close to Scotland.
Leg One of Hadrian's Wall tomorrow!
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Monday 14 August 2017
Bowness-on-Solway to Carlisle
Distance: 14.5 miles
Start: 9:00am
Finish: 5:00pm
Weather: Cloudy with occasional rain showers
There is a bus between Carlisle and Bowness, but its timing isn't really useful to Hadrian's Wall walkers. So I took a cab to Bowness instead.
The Solway Firth, with its views across to Scotland, was my companion for the first few miles. This section of the trail is tarmac-heavy, with the most memorable section (to me) being the three or so miles of dead-straight road paralleling the firth between Drumburgh and Burgh-by-Sands. I made pretty good time to Burgh-by-Sands, where Edward Longshanks died and where I stopped for lunch, and then it was time to push on to Carlisle.
After some more tarmac-pounding, the trail got into pastureland - much easier on the feet. But it was around this time that I discovered that Hadrian's Wall occasionally suffers the same ailment as Offa's Dyke: waymarkers too overgrown with vegetation to be seen. NB: If the path suddenly gets unreasonably overgrown, you've probably gone wrong somewhere. Turn around. Also, the day's off-and-on rain meant that conditions were very muddy underfoot in places.
About three miles from Carlisle, I got stuck in the mud. Legitimately stuck. I thought I was going to have to wriggle my feet free and leave the boots, that kind of stuck. Determined that I was absolutely NOT going to call Mountain Rescue over something this stupid, I managed to free one foot by rocking it back and forth (which broke the suction pretty rapidly), and the other by using a trekking pole to essentially dig it out. Using poles on this trip continues to be an excellent decision.
I knew I was getting close when I hit a series of highway underpasses. Soon after that, the River Eden drew alongside. After a day of mostly dead-flat walking, the undulating trail along the river was not exactly welcome. At least there were steps to facilitate the climbs and descents. Ordinarily the riverside path would continue all the way to Bitts Park, but a detour had been put in place due to flood damage. I followed the detour into town for a while, and then called it a day. I was simply too tired and footsore to keep going. I ducked into a pub and had them call me a cab to my hotel. This was quite possibly my longest walking day ever in terms of mileage, and I'm worn out.
**********
Wednesday 16 August 2017
Lanercost to Greenhead
Distance: 8 miles
Start: 9:35am
Finish: 3:45pm
Weather: Sunny in the morning, increasing clouds and wind in the afternoon
Yesterday I woke up feeling sluggish and feverish, so I had a slow morning in Carlisle, took a bus to Brampton, and then walked two miles into Lanercost (of priory fame). I had a passable scampi at the priory's tearoom and slept like the dead at my B&B, where the landlady was Very Concerned that I arrived without accommodation booked for the following night. I mean, I get that she must see a lot of underprepared Hadrian's Wall walkers, but seriously. (I was able to find a room in Greenhead with ease, by the way.)
This morning I walked out of Lanercost, past Lanercost Priory for a final time, and up the road to rejoin the path at Haytongate and its famous honesty hut. I didn't partake of any of the refreshments since I was just starting the day, but I did read a few of the notes people had left. Then it was up a hill through a pasture with fantastic sunny views of the Cumbria countryside, and down the road through Banks. It was around this time that I had my first sighting of the actual wall! It's in fragments here, but unmistakably the original Roman wall. The weather was great and lots of day-trippers were out in their cars and RVs, visiting wall sites.
After some pleasant walking through gently rolling pastureland, I reached Birdoswald Fort and ate my packed lunch. Then it was a steep but short descent to cross a river, and a re-ascent back up for a bit more pasture on the way to Gilsland. Passing through Gilsland, I crossed the county border into Northumberland! Woo!
I encountered my first (and second, and third...) ladder stile on the way out of Gilsland, and reading the guidebook, it looks like they're here to stay. I was getting tired by this time, but Greenhead was mercifully close. Although I might have missed the turnoff had it not been for the sharp eyes of the German couple walking with me, searching for their lost camera.
A very long eight miles, but a pleasant day today.
**********
Thursday 17 August 2017
Greenhead to Walltown
Distance: 2-3 miles, maybe
Start: 9:30am
Finish: 11:00am
Weather: Sunny and warm
I took a wrong turn at Thirlwall Castle and climbed a big hill I didn't need to climb. This pretty much set the tone for the day.
I came back down and found the right path again, around a house and over a bridge across an attractive stream. Then there was a precipitous climb up another hill to a ladder stile. When I got to the ladder stile I nearly bailed. The wrong turn and mistaken climb had damaged my morale and sapped my energy, and I had a good sulk as I sat in the shadow of the stile, ate a bag of potato chips, and watched the scenery.
Eventually an Australian couple came along and prodded me back into motion, and I continued on to Walltown Crags. I topped up my water in their visitor center, and then it was time to have a go at The Craggy Bit. This is the most famous section of the wall, as well as the most intact and picturesque bit. And with the weather so nice, there were lots of people out visiting it for the day. I made my leisurely way up and along the wall, all the while looking ahead at the crags with not a little trepidation.
At one point I came to a spot where the path dipped down to road level, before ascending up the next crag. It was here that I bailed out for real. I was overwarm, running out of energy, and not feeling confident to continue. So I made my way back to the visitor center and got the AD122 bus to the YHA at Once Brewed. Plan for tomorrow is to walk from Once Brewed back to Walltown and return by bus, weather permitting, because this is a really pretty section of the trail and I'm not quite ready to give up altogether yet.
**********
Sunday 20 August 2017
The weather did not permit.
It had been raining off and on all morning, but I did make an honest try at going out for the day on the 18th, intending to walk from Steel Rigg - just above Once Brewed - to Housesteads Fort, a little less than three miles away. But as soon as I made it to the top of the ridge, the sky opened and it started raining and sleeting sideways.
I went back to the hostel, soaking wet.
Yesterday I got the AD122 bus to Hexham and then the train to Newcastle. Today I took the train to Durham for the day. One of the gentlemen I met in Gladestry on Offa's Dyke, on learning I was from a different Durham, said "Oh, you really should visit our Durham while you're here." And I replied, "You know, you're absolutely right!"
Durham is a cathedral city in every sense, and it is beautiful. I loved it. I wandered around the city center, visited the cathedral (including the shrine of St Cuthbert), and had an early dinner at an Italian restaurant on the riverfront. I tarried coming back to Newcastle, because I was so taken with Durham and didn't want to leave.
**********
Monday 21 August 2017
Today I successfully navigated Newcastle's metro system and made my way to Wallsend. Wallsend doesn't have much going for it besides Segedunum, the eastern terminus of Hadrian's Wall and my reason for coming to Wallsend at all. I gave the fort a brief visit and then headed back to Newcastle.
On a whim, I took the train up to Berwick-upon-Tweed for the afternoon. I took a pleasant walk along the mighty River Tweed and another walk down the high street. I'm glad I went, and now I'm itching more than ever to get to Scotland. Edinburgh-bound tomorrow!
**********
A brief aside by the author: I want to try Hadrian's Wall again at some point in the future, with better planning and preparation. It really is a very picturesque long-distance trail, and I enjoyed the bits of it that I did on this trip. Now that I know what the terrain is like, what distances are feasible, where the good bases are, and how the AD122 bus can best be used, it's on the list to attempt again. I'm not done with it yet, and neither is it done with me, I feel. Cheers, y'all!
Sunday, September 24, 2017
LEJOG Walk Diaires: Offa's Dyke Path
Thursday 3 August 2017
Sedbury to Tintern
Distance: 9 miles
Start: 8:30am
Finish: 3:30pm
Weather: Windy, with periods of rain and sun
It transpires that the Offa's Dyke Path passes directly opposite the house where I Airbnb'd last night. (I had a great stay, by the way. My hosts took me with them to this old-timey cinema in Cinderford to see Valerian.) I made a college try to get to the proper start of the path at Sedbury Cliffs, but the path was so muddy in places that I quickly gave that up and just started heading north.
I made my way through Sedbury and walked through and around several pastures and fields. After skirting around the settlement of Woodcroft, the path got onto Forestry Commission land, and it was a lot of walking through the woods for the rest of the day. Inevitably, whenever I got to a place with views, the misty rain closed in and I couldn't see anything! But I did manage to get a couple of decent pics of the abbey from the Devil's Pulpit, a funky rock formation which commands some pretty epic views on a clear day.
Shortly after the Pulpit, I took a side trail down to Tintern. This turned out to be the most arduous part of the whole day. Rocky and incredibly muddy underfoot, it was slow going, not to mention very hard on my feet. I met a lot of people coming up from Tintern to see the Devil's Pulpit and the views from there, and I did not envy them the climb. But at long last I got to Tintern, crossed over to the Welsh side of the Wye, and promptly bolted down two pints of water and a mac and cheese with leeks ( I MUST be in Wales) at the Abbey Mill Cafe before shambling up the road to my B&B.
Some thoughts:
1) While better than the South West Coast Path, this path is not as well-waymarked as one could wish for. I took a wrong turn or otherwise lost the path on no fewer than three occasions, due to signposts that were badly placed, overgrown with vegetation, or otherwise hard to see.
2) It's easy to tell when I'm on the Welsh side of the border: all the signs are bilingual!
3) I really should pay more attention to the state of my water canteens. One of them smelled really bad when I opened it up this morning. Turns out it had some lemon bits in it that were on the turn. Blech!
Went and looked at Tintern Abbey this evening. Shame I didn't get here early enough to go in, but it was very pretty in the setting sun.
**********
Friday 4 August 2017
Tintern to Monmouth
Distance: 10 miles
Start: 9:20am
Finish: 5:00pm
Weather: Warm, humid, and mostly sunny with occasional drizzle
I mostly followed the Wye River today, availing myself of the Wye Valley Walk and the ODP's low route. It was straightforward walking up the valley for the most part. I was even able to turn my iPod on today, for the first time on this walk. I made my way through Brockweir, Bigsweir (where I acquired my own personal halo of gnats which followed me for much of the day), Whitebrook, Penallt, and Redbrook before reaching Monmouth. I very nearly gave up at Redbrook because of some very painful chafing on my thighs, but I pressed on. And I'm glad I did, because a little way out of Redbrook I was able to to see Penallt Old Church high on the hill on the opposite bank of the river.
Penallt Old Church is the primary reason why I'm doing this part of the walk. My paternal grandmother's father, Albert Hopkins, and his forebears were from this area. I have a pair of great-great-great-grandparents buried in Penallt's churchyard. My family ties to this area are deep. And walking through this landscape today, I can only imagine how wrenching the move to industrial Warrington must have been. If I lived here, I don't think I'd want to leave.
**********
Monday 7 August 2017
I spent Saturday morning hanging around Monmouth. There's a minibus service that runs up to Penallt, so I took advantage of it and went up to the church. The church turned out to be a mile and a half from the bus stop, which my chafed legs did not appreciate, but I made it. I found the Charleses' grave, lay down in the grass beside it, and watched the clouds for a while. The last time I was there was in April 2012 with my parents, uncle, and grandmother. The day was drizzly and gray, and the spring leaves were just starting to appear on the trees. This day was incredibly different - warm and sunny, with fluffy white clouds floating overhead and nature bursting with greenery, so much so that I could barely see the river on the valley floor below.
Eventually I called a taxi back to Monmouth (having missed the minibus I'd intended to take back down), and then got a bus to Abergavenny, and another bus toward Llangattock Lingoed, my destination for the night. It was at about this time that Trail Magic struck again. My initial plan had been to get off the bus in Pandy and walk two miles along the ODP to get to Llangattock Lingoed. What I did instead was get off the bus as soon as I saw a road for Llangattock Lingoed...4 miles away...because I'm stupid. But. A very kind woman offered me a lift partway there in her car. We also picked up another woman whose horse-trailer had broken down.
Where my ride let me off was still a bit of a walk from the village proper, but it was all downhill. And the people at the pub where I was staying welcomed me like a long-lost friend. So much so, that I ended up staying for most of the day on Sunday to attend Llangattock Lingoed's annual village fair.
I'm now in Hay-on-Wye, after a lengthy and expensive taxi ride from Llangattock Lingoed because the buses don't run on Sundays around here. Hay-on-Wye is supposed to have the highest concentration of second-hand bookstores in...Britain? Europe? The world? I forget. Exploring the town this morning, I certainly saw a lot of bookstores. I also saw a lot of empty storefronts. And last night when I ventured out to find an ATM, the streets were EMPTY. It was like a ghost town. Granted it was Sunday, but it was still a reasonably fine summer's evening, and not seeing anyone out enjoying it was eerie.
This morning I explored the town some more and made my way down to the river. The Wye has been more or less my constant companion for the last five days, but I'd yet to stick my feet in it. I rectified that on a pretty gravel beach, as various kayakers and canoeists paddled by.
**********
Tuesday 8 August 2017
Hay-on-Wye to Gladestry
Distance: 10 miles
Start: 9:30am
Finish: 5:30pm
Weather: Cloudy and humid to start, then rainy, then clearing and cooler
This was a fine and varied day of walking. I walked out of Hay-on-Wye along the river before parting company with it for good and traversing a series of livestock pastures. I'm really beginning to dislike walking through pastureland. There's often no discernible path on the ground, and the waymarker at the far end of the field is almost never visible from the near end, so you just have to cross the field in the general direction indicated by the arrow on the waymarker and hope for the best. I managed to stay on the path through sheer dumb luck today.
After the initial series of pastures, I walked a quarter-mile along the highway and then crossed it, and the path started to climb. I was on farm tracks (so along fields rather than across them), and the going was never too steep but always insistently and sweatily uphill. During my first snack break, a couple named Mark and Michelle overtook me. They ended up being my shadows for the next day or so.
When I got going again the farm tracks continued, and the clouds that had been gathering all morning finally unleashed their rain. I walked without a raincoat at first. After the morning's sweat, the rain felt SO GOOD on my skin. But then the rain got harder and harder, so I had to don the rain gear at last.
It was in this downpour that I arrived in the village of Newchurch. Newchurch's main church stocks tea, juice, water, and snacks for passing walkers, which is incredibly kind and was very well-timed today. Mark and Michelle were already in the church, along with a Scot who was walking the other direction. I was contemplating bailing and taking a taxi the rest of the way to Gladestry, and Mark gave me some phone numbers for cabs before he and Michelle set off again.
I lingered in the church a bit longer, and after about 15 more minutes the rain let up. So I decided to push on with the last three and three-quarter miles to Gladestry. And I'm SO GLAD I did. The main challenge of these last few miles is the hill just to the north of Newchurch. It took a while to toil up it, but the going underfoot was, nice, springy grass sward. And the views from the top were awesome. For the first time today I was on open moorland with unobscured views of the Brecon Beacons, and it felt amazing.
The gradual descent into Gladestry was via more pastureland and one short but steep hill that I ended up butt-scooching down, plunging my left hand into a nettle patch in the process. Oww. I caught up with Mark and Michelle at the pub where we're all staying. There are also two gentlemen walking the other direction staying here tonight. Post-walk drinks and dinner were fun!
**********
Wednesday 9 August 2017
Gladestry to Kington
Distance: 4.5 miles
Start: 9:45am
Finish: 12:10pm
Weather: Cloudy and cool, but dry
Today's walk was over the Hergest Ridge. The climb out of Gladestry was sweaty, but once I got up on the ridge, the walking was a real treat. The views were great, the grass was springy underfoot, the wind was bracing, and I saw wild ponies. I tried to make friends with a curious foal, but its parents quickly made their displeasure known and I hurried along my way.
Mark and Michelle overtook me about halfway to Kington, as we were starting to descend. The descent was gradual and gentle, but became rough on the toes when the track became gravel and then tarmac. I reached the sign for Kington in just under two hours after leaving Gladestry, and Kington proper about 20 minutes after that. I was too early to check in to my B&B, so I went to the pub for a pint, joined a final time by Mark and Michelle, who were continuing on another 8 or 9 miles to Whitton.
**********
Saturday 12 August 2017
I tried to do the Kington to Knighton leg, I swear I did. August 10 dawned sunny and beautiful. My legs felt good. My B&B in Kington offered to drive my rucksack to Knighton for me, so all I had to carry was a daypack. In short, the day started off promising.
I made an error leaving Kington, overshooting the trail by a wide margin. Fortunately I was able to walk along Mortimer's Way to back to Offa's Dyke. Problem sorted. And then the trail started climbing...and climbing...and climbing. And it was hot. And the flies wouldn't leave me alone. Have I mentioned the flies? Welsh flies love me. They land on me and I have to physically brush them off again - shaking the affected body part doesn't dislodge them.
Eventually I made it up to Kington Golf Course (the highest-elevation golf course in England!) and sat down on a bench to decide whether to continue. A golfer in a cart offered me a lift to the far side of the course, which I accepted. The trail led through a couple more sheep fields and within sight of the actual earthwork dyke itself, which was cool. Then I crested a small rise and saw what the rest of the day had in store: miles and miles of hills, all the way to Knighton.
I turned around, walked back down into Kington, and caught a bus.
Yesterday was low-key. I did laundry, wandered around Knighton, and used the hotel's modest spa to relax some muscles.
Today I'm taking the train up to Carlisle. Hadrian's Wall next!
Sedbury to Tintern
Distance: 9 miles
Start: 8:30am
Finish: 3:30pm
Weather: Windy, with periods of rain and sun
It transpires that the Offa's Dyke Path passes directly opposite the house where I Airbnb'd last night. (I had a great stay, by the way. My hosts took me with them to this old-timey cinema in Cinderford to see Valerian.) I made a college try to get to the proper start of the path at Sedbury Cliffs, but the path was so muddy in places that I quickly gave that up and just started heading north.
I made my way through Sedbury and walked through and around several pastures and fields. After skirting around the settlement of Woodcroft, the path got onto Forestry Commission land, and it was a lot of walking through the woods for the rest of the day. Inevitably, whenever I got to a place with views, the misty rain closed in and I couldn't see anything! But I did manage to get a couple of decent pics of the abbey from the Devil's Pulpit, a funky rock formation which commands some pretty epic views on a clear day.
Shortly after the Pulpit, I took a side trail down to Tintern. This turned out to be the most arduous part of the whole day. Rocky and incredibly muddy underfoot, it was slow going, not to mention very hard on my feet. I met a lot of people coming up from Tintern to see the Devil's Pulpit and the views from there, and I did not envy them the climb. But at long last I got to Tintern, crossed over to the Welsh side of the Wye, and promptly bolted down two pints of water and a mac and cheese with leeks ( I MUST be in Wales) at the Abbey Mill Cafe before shambling up the road to my B&B.
Some thoughts:
1) While better than the South West Coast Path, this path is not as well-waymarked as one could wish for. I took a wrong turn or otherwise lost the path on no fewer than three occasions, due to signposts that were badly placed, overgrown with vegetation, or otherwise hard to see.
2) It's easy to tell when I'm on the Welsh side of the border: all the signs are bilingual!
3) I really should pay more attention to the state of my water canteens. One of them smelled really bad when I opened it up this morning. Turns out it had some lemon bits in it that were on the turn. Blech!
Went and looked at Tintern Abbey this evening. Shame I didn't get here early enough to go in, but it was very pretty in the setting sun.
**********
Friday 4 August 2017
Tintern to Monmouth
Distance: 10 miles
Start: 9:20am
Finish: 5:00pm
Weather: Warm, humid, and mostly sunny with occasional drizzle
I mostly followed the Wye River today, availing myself of the Wye Valley Walk and the ODP's low route. It was straightforward walking up the valley for the most part. I was even able to turn my iPod on today, for the first time on this walk. I made my way through Brockweir, Bigsweir (where I acquired my own personal halo of gnats which followed me for much of the day), Whitebrook, Penallt, and Redbrook before reaching Monmouth. I very nearly gave up at Redbrook because of some very painful chafing on my thighs, but I pressed on. And I'm glad I did, because a little way out of Redbrook I was able to to see Penallt Old Church high on the hill on the opposite bank of the river.
Penallt Old Church is the primary reason why I'm doing this part of the walk. My paternal grandmother's father, Albert Hopkins, and his forebears were from this area. I have a pair of great-great-great-grandparents buried in Penallt's churchyard. My family ties to this area are deep. And walking through this landscape today, I can only imagine how wrenching the move to industrial Warrington must have been. If I lived here, I don't think I'd want to leave.
**********
Monday 7 August 2017
I spent Saturday morning hanging around Monmouth. There's a minibus service that runs up to Penallt, so I took advantage of it and went up to the church. The church turned out to be a mile and a half from the bus stop, which my chafed legs did not appreciate, but I made it. I found the Charleses' grave, lay down in the grass beside it, and watched the clouds for a while. The last time I was there was in April 2012 with my parents, uncle, and grandmother. The day was drizzly and gray, and the spring leaves were just starting to appear on the trees. This day was incredibly different - warm and sunny, with fluffy white clouds floating overhead and nature bursting with greenery, so much so that I could barely see the river on the valley floor below.
Eventually I called a taxi back to Monmouth (having missed the minibus I'd intended to take back down), and then got a bus to Abergavenny, and another bus toward Llangattock Lingoed, my destination for the night. It was at about this time that Trail Magic struck again. My initial plan had been to get off the bus in Pandy and walk two miles along the ODP to get to Llangattock Lingoed. What I did instead was get off the bus as soon as I saw a road for Llangattock Lingoed...4 miles away...because I'm stupid. But. A very kind woman offered me a lift partway there in her car. We also picked up another woman whose horse-trailer had broken down.
Where my ride let me off was still a bit of a walk from the village proper, but it was all downhill. And the people at the pub where I was staying welcomed me like a long-lost friend. So much so, that I ended up staying for most of the day on Sunday to attend Llangattock Lingoed's annual village fair.
I'm now in Hay-on-Wye, after a lengthy and expensive taxi ride from Llangattock Lingoed because the buses don't run on Sundays around here. Hay-on-Wye is supposed to have the highest concentration of second-hand bookstores in...Britain? Europe? The world? I forget. Exploring the town this morning, I certainly saw a lot of bookstores. I also saw a lot of empty storefronts. And last night when I ventured out to find an ATM, the streets were EMPTY. It was like a ghost town. Granted it was Sunday, but it was still a reasonably fine summer's evening, and not seeing anyone out enjoying it was eerie.
This morning I explored the town some more and made my way down to the river. The Wye has been more or less my constant companion for the last five days, but I'd yet to stick my feet in it. I rectified that on a pretty gravel beach, as various kayakers and canoeists paddled by.
**********
Tuesday 8 August 2017
Hay-on-Wye to Gladestry
Distance: 10 miles
Start: 9:30am
Finish: 5:30pm
Weather: Cloudy and humid to start, then rainy, then clearing and cooler
This was a fine and varied day of walking. I walked out of Hay-on-Wye along the river before parting company with it for good and traversing a series of livestock pastures. I'm really beginning to dislike walking through pastureland. There's often no discernible path on the ground, and the waymarker at the far end of the field is almost never visible from the near end, so you just have to cross the field in the general direction indicated by the arrow on the waymarker and hope for the best. I managed to stay on the path through sheer dumb luck today.
After the initial series of pastures, I walked a quarter-mile along the highway and then crossed it, and the path started to climb. I was on farm tracks (so along fields rather than across them), and the going was never too steep but always insistently and sweatily uphill. During my first snack break, a couple named Mark and Michelle overtook me. They ended up being my shadows for the next day or so.
When I got going again the farm tracks continued, and the clouds that had been gathering all morning finally unleashed their rain. I walked without a raincoat at first. After the morning's sweat, the rain felt SO GOOD on my skin. But then the rain got harder and harder, so I had to don the rain gear at last.
It was in this downpour that I arrived in the village of Newchurch. Newchurch's main church stocks tea, juice, water, and snacks for passing walkers, which is incredibly kind and was very well-timed today. Mark and Michelle were already in the church, along with a Scot who was walking the other direction. I was contemplating bailing and taking a taxi the rest of the way to Gladestry, and Mark gave me some phone numbers for cabs before he and Michelle set off again.
I lingered in the church a bit longer, and after about 15 more minutes the rain let up. So I decided to push on with the last three and three-quarter miles to Gladestry. And I'm SO GLAD I did. The main challenge of these last few miles is the hill just to the north of Newchurch. It took a while to toil up it, but the going underfoot was, nice, springy grass sward. And the views from the top were awesome. For the first time today I was on open moorland with unobscured views of the Brecon Beacons, and it felt amazing.
The gradual descent into Gladestry was via more pastureland and one short but steep hill that I ended up butt-scooching down, plunging my left hand into a nettle patch in the process. Oww. I caught up with Mark and Michelle at the pub where we're all staying. There are also two gentlemen walking the other direction staying here tonight. Post-walk drinks and dinner were fun!
**********
Wednesday 9 August 2017
Gladestry to Kington
Distance: 4.5 miles
Start: 9:45am
Finish: 12:10pm
Weather: Cloudy and cool, but dry
Today's walk was over the Hergest Ridge. The climb out of Gladestry was sweaty, but once I got up on the ridge, the walking was a real treat. The views were great, the grass was springy underfoot, the wind was bracing, and I saw wild ponies. I tried to make friends with a curious foal, but its parents quickly made their displeasure known and I hurried along my way.
Mark and Michelle overtook me about halfway to Kington, as we were starting to descend. The descent was gradual and gentle, but became rough on the toes when the track became gravel and then tarmac. I reached the sign for Kington in just under two hours after leaving Gladestry, and Kington proper about 20 minutes after that. I was too early to check in to my B&B, so I went to the pub for a pint, joined a final time by Mark and Michelle, who were continuing on another 8 or 9 miles to Whitton.
**********
Saturday 12 August 2017
I tried to do the Kington to Knighton leg, I swear I did. August 10 dawned sunny and beautiful. My legs felt good. My B&B in Kington offered to drive my rucksack to Knighton for me, so all I had to carry was a daypack. In short, the day started off promising.
I made an error leaving Kington, overshooting the trail by a wide margin. Fortunately I was able to walk along Mortimer's Way to back to Offa's Dyke. Problem sorted. And then the trail started climbing...and climbing...and climbing. And it was hot. And the flies wouldn't leave me alone. Have I mentioned the flies? Welsh flies love me. They land on me and I have to physically brush them off again - shaking the affected body part doesn't dislodge them.
Eventually I made it up to Kington Golf Course (the highest-elevation golf course in England!) and sat down on a bench to decide whether to continue. A golfer in a cart offered me a lift to the far side of the course, which I accepted. The trail led through a couple more sheep fields and within sight of the actual earthwork dyke itself, which was cool. Then I crested a small rise and saw what the rest of the day had in store: miles and miles of hills, all the way to Knighton.
I turned around, walked back down into Kington, and caught a bus.
Yesterday was low-key. I did laundry, wandered around Knighton, and used the hotel's modest spa to relax some muscles.
Today I'm taking the train up to Carlisle. Hadrian's Wall next!
Saturday, September 23, 2017
LEJOG Walk Diaries: Cornwall part 2
Tuesday 25 July 2017
I spent the 23rd and 24th in Newquay, mainly hanging out on Towan Beach and exploring the town. The tides continue to be very extreme: at high tide, the waves crash violently against the harbor wall, while at low tide, they recede by about half a mile.
I drank wine and ate crab with my hostess last night, and have been feeling somewhat under the weather for most of the day today. Catching the bus to Padstow was straightforward. But then there were waaaaay more people hanging around Padstow harbor than I expected. I'm honestly not sure what the draw was, other than being another seaside town in Cornwall in high summer.
The next stage of today's journey was to get the ferry across the Camel estuary to Rock. It was low tide, the crossing took less than five minutes, and honestly I probably could have just waded across. As it was, after being put ashore, I had to walk a considerable distance to the nearest inhabited beach, Daymer Bay. Then I had to walk up the hill to Trebetherick, the nearest place on the bus route. I've had a fantastic run of warm, sunny days, but I was praying for a cloud and/or breeze today. Eventually I made it up the hill, shambled into the Mowhay Cafe, and promptly downed two pitchers of water.
Somewhat restored after the water and a brief lie-down in the stone bus shelter, I caught the bus to Port Isaac. After a couple of further adventures, including being given incorrect directions to my accommodation and then being unable to get in because I didn't realize the ring on the courtyard gate turned, I'm now safely ensconced in my Airbnb.
**********
Wednesday 26 July 2017
A low-key day in Port Isaac today. I got up, had breakfast with my host Martin before he headed out to work, watched an episode of Frasier, and promptly went back to bed. It was a rainy morning, what can I say?
When I woke back up, the rain had stopped and I was famished, so I headed out and had lunch at one of the numerous little teahouses in town. Then I walked the quarter-mile into Port Gaverne and out onto the bluff immediately opposite the house where I'm staying. Yesterday evening at high tide, I watched some daredevils jump off it into the water below. This afternoon the tide was out (though rising), but the views from the bluff were still very pretty.
I had pizza from the Angry Anchovy for dinner, and now I'm winding down for the evening. Tomorrow, Tintagel!
**********
Thursday 27 July 2017
I'm writing this sitting on a bench outside the Tintagel churchyard. A brisk wind has been blowing all day and it's been raining at regular intervals, but for now it's dry and the sunset promises to be picturesque.
Tintagel is supposed to be the birthplace of King Arthur, and it is a very airy-fairy New Agey sort of town. But after more than a week of alternating between sleepy coastal hamlets and heaving beachside resorts, this is actually a welcome change. Tintagel has good vibes, and I'm feeling a sense of wellbeing that's been absent for a while. Not that I've been feeling bad, exactly - just kind of directionless.
I decided to spend this extra week in Cornwall, rather than hopping a train for Bristol from Newquay, mainly because I need to establish credibility with Airbnb and cancelling ALL of my bookings would look very bad. I'm not exactly sorry for this decision, but it has meant kicking my heels for an extra week, feeling restless. I've tried to be outdoors as much as possible, but I still feel like I've seen more of the inside of guesthouse rooms than I would like.
But that's about to change! I'm headed for Bude tomorrow, and from Bude I will be making my way to Bristol and thence to Sedbury to begin Offa's Dyke. I'm leaving things open-ended from there at the moment, but I do know that I'm going to begin with shorter days and see how they go.
**********
Friday 28 July 2017
Four pounds and fifty pence (around $5.75) for a single load of laundry - highway robbery. But I have clean clothes and a clean towel again, courtesy of the launderette in Tintagel.
Laundry sorted, I caught the midday bus to Bude. On the way, we passed through such towns as Boscastle, located at the bottoms of the narrowest and steepest valleys I've encountered yet on this trip; so narrow and steep they're practically ravines. I'm grateful I'm not hiking them.
Bude so far is a rather unsightly town, its appearance helped not at all by the unrelenting drizzle and high winds that have been today's weather. Maybe it'll improve when the sun comes out? At least my Airbnb is cozy.
I have lost my raincoat. I realized in Port Isaac that I hadn't seen it in a while, but I figured it was just stuffed somewhere in the depths of my rucksack. But I searched it thoroughly just a few minutes ago, and it's definitely gone. Oh well. There was no money or anything in the pockets, just my SWCP map (LOL), and it was getting close to needing replacing anyway.
**********
Saturday 29 July 2017
I explored Bude this morning, while it was overcast but not yet raining. The beach is small and not as picturesque as the other beaches I've seen in Cornwall, but there were still plenty of people out there today, determined to have fun. After the beach, I took a walk down the high street. I found a Mountain Warehouse and bought a new raincoat, plus a small pair of gaiters. On Monday I need to visit the post office and send some stuff home.
**********
Monday 31 July 2017
After a quiet final day in Bude yesterday, today was a day of travel. I got the midday bus from Bude to Exeter, then the train from Exeter to Bristol. My hotel room is pretty grim - the lighting is pretty poor. But the bed is comfy. Time to start planning Offa's Dyke in earnest!
I spent the 23rd and 24th in Newquay, mainly hanging out on Towan Beach and exploring the town. The tides continue to be very extreme: at high tide, the waves crash violently against the harbor wall, while at low tide, they recede by about half a mile.
I drank wine and ate crab with my hostess last night, and have been feeling somewhat under the weather for most of the day today. Catching the bus to Padstow was straightforward. But then there were waaaaay more people hanging around Padstow harbor than I expected. I'm honestly not sure what the draw was, other than being another seaside town in Cornwall in high summer.
The next stage of today's journey was to get the ferry across the Camel estuary to Rock. It was low tide, the crossing took less than five minutes, and honestly I probably could have just waded across. As it was, after being put ashore, I had to walk a considerable distance to the nearest inhabited beach, Daymer Bay. Then I had to walk up the hill to Trebetherick, the nearest place on the bus route. I've had a fantastic run of warm, sunny days, but I was praying for a cloud and/or breeze today. Eventually I made it up the hill, shambled into the Mowhay Cafe, and promptly downed two pitchers of water.
Somewhat restored after the water and a brief lie-down in the stone bus shelter, I caught the bus to Port Isaac. After a couple of further adventures, including being given incorrect directions to my accommodation and then being unable to get in because I didn't realize the ring on the courtyard gate turned, I'm now safely ensconced in my Airbnb.
**********
Wednesday 26 July 2017
A low-key day in Port Isaac today. I got up, had breakfast with my host Martin before he headed out to work, watched an episode of Frasier, and promptly went back to bed. It was a rainy morning, what can I say?
When I woke back up, the rain had stopped and I was famished, so I headed out and had lunch at one of the numerous little teahouses in town. Then I walked the quarter-mile into Port Gaverne and out onto the bluff immediately opposite the house where I'm staying. Yesterday evening at high tide, I watched some daredevils jump off it into the water below. This afternoon the tide was out (though rising), but the views from the bluff were still very pretty.
I had pizza from the Angry Anchovy for dinner, and now I'm winding down for the evening. Tomorrow, Tintagel!
**********
Thursday 27 July 2017
I'm writing this sitting on a bench outside the Tintagel churchyard. A brisk wind has been blowing all day and it's been raining at regular intervals, but for now it's dry and the sunset promises to be picturesque.
Tintagel is supposed to be the birthplace of King Arthur, and it is a very airy-fairy New Agey sort of town. But after more than a week of alternating between sleepy coastal hamlets and heaving beachside resorts, this is actually a welcome change. Tintagel has good vibes, and I'm feeling a sense of wellbeing that's been absent for a while. Not that I've been feeling bad, exactly - just kind of directionless.
I decided to spend this extra week in Cornwall, rather than hopping a train for Bristol from Newquay, mainly because I need to establish credibility with Airbnb and cancelling ALL of my bookings would look very bad. I'm not exactly sorry for this decision, but it has meant kicking my heels for an extra week, feeling restless. I've tried to be outdoors as much as possible, but I still feel like I've seen more of the inside of guesthouse rooms than I would like.
But that's about to change! I'm headed for Bude tomorrow, and from Bude I will be making my way to Bristol and thence to Sedbury to begin Offa's Dyke. I'm leaving things open-ended from there at the moment, but I do know that I'm going to begin with shorter days and see how they go.
**********
Friday 28 July 2017
Four pounds and fifty pence (around $5.75) for a single load of laundry - highway robbery. But I have clean clothes and a clean towel again, courtesy of the launderette in Tintagel.
Laundry sorted, I caught the midday bus to Bude. On the way, we passed through such towns as Boscastle, located at the bottoms of the narrowest and steepest valleys I've encountered yet on this trip; so narrow and steep they're practically ravines. I'm grateful I'm not hiking them.
Bude so far is a rather unsightly town, its appearance helped not at all by the unrelenting drizzle and high winds that have been today's weather. Maybe it'll improve when the sun comes out? At least my Airbnb is cozy.
I have lost my raincoat. I realized in Port Isaac that I hadn't seen it in a while, but I figured it was just stuffed somewhere in the depths of my rucksack. But I searched it thoroughly just a few minutes ago, and it's definitely gone. Oh well. There was no money or anything in the pockets, just my SWCP map (LOL), and it was getting close to needing replacing anyway.
**********
Saturday 29 July 2017
I explored Bude this morning, while it was overcast but not yet raining. The beach is small and not as picturesque as the other beaches I've seen in Cornwall, but there were still plenty of people out there today, determined to have fun. After the beach, I took a walk down the high street. I found a Mountain Warehouse and bought a new raincoat, plus a small pair of gaiters. On Monday I need to visit the post office and send some stuff home.
**********
Monday 31 July 2017
After a quiet final day in Bude yesterday, today was a day of travel. I got the midday bus from Bude to Exeter, then the train from Exeter to Bristol. My hotel room is pretty grim - the lighting is pretty poor. But the bed is comfy. Time to start planning Offa's Dyke in earnest!
Friday, September 22, 2017
LEJOG Walk Diaries: Cornwall part 1
Monday 17 July 2017
Land's End to St Just
Distance: 6 miles
Start: 10:20am
Finish: 5:00ishpm
Weather: Sunny and warm
Today was not an auspicious start.
I got a local bus from Penzance to Land's End this morning. I had heard horror stories about Land's End being this unbearably gaudy fairground, but it really wasn't that bad as far as tourist attractions go. I saw of bunch of people walking down to this one headland in particular, so I hiked down there too. I'm not sure whether it was the actual Land's End headland or not, but it was pretty. After that, I found the official Land's End signpost, got someone to take my picture, and headed off.
The South West Coast Path is a continuous series of steep climbs and drops. It is vague in places and badly waymarked. I actually lost the path somewhere in the vicinity of Sennen Cove, barely a mile past Land's End. I followed country lanes and farm tracks for a while, figuring "This is okay. It's more direct and I can't go far wrong as long as I keep the ocean on my left side." But after encountering my first dead-end farm track (after doing about three laps around the same potato field), I began to get nervous.
Eventually, with the help of some fellow walkers, I found the SWCP again. What followed was the most abjectly miserable mile and a half I have ever walked.
The name of the game with the SWCP is VIEWS. It wants you to experience the VIEWS, which are admittedly gorgeous. However, this means that it follows every headland and meandering beach slavishly, and makes a journey that should span one mile span three. It switchbacks down cliff faces seemingly for the hell of it. It couldn't care less about where you *actually* want to go. By about 4pm, I was exhausted, sunburned, and very afraid that I would be physically unable to climb the next cliff, and I was still not quite at Cape Cornwall, barely halfway to my goal for the day of Pendeen.
If you ever need proof that guardian angels or Trail Magic exist, go on a trip like this. When I finally rounded a headland just south of Cape Cornwall, I saw the most beautiful sigh I've ever seen: a parking lot with cars in it. This particular parking lot was for a very lovely and remote beach. I wanted to climb down the rocks and go for a dip, but the very real fear that I wouldn't be able to get back *up* the rocks prevented me. Anyway, a parking lot meant people, and people meant salvation. I was able to hitchhike into St Just with a very nice lady and her two children, and from there I caught a bus to Pendeen, where I am now ensconced in the North Inn.
So, decisions. I've already decided to take a B-road to St Ives tomorrow, rather than the SWCP. It's much more direct, with about three miles less to walk. My experience today, plus the horror stories I've heard about this section of the path in particular, decided me. After that, I'll decide things day by day.
Now I need to figure out how not to feel like a fraud right out of the gate. I didn't write down any hard and fast rules for myself, but maybe now's the time to do so.
1) This is a walking holiday. Walk, but remember you're on holiday.
2) Any form of transport that makes sense for the situation you find yourself in is appropriate.
3) Don't sacrifice safety for hubris.
So today was humbling. But I'm trying to absorb the lessons and move on.
**********
Tuesday 18 July 2017
St Just to Zennor
Distance: 8 miles
Start: 10:30am
Finish: 4:00pm
Weather: Windy and overcast in the morning, clearing in the afternoon
To make up for yesterday's shortfall, I began the day by taking a bus from Pendeen back to St Just and starting my day there. After one false start (in which I began walking toward Cape Cornwall rather than St Ives), I got on the B-road connecting these towns and commenced road-walking.
This went well at first, and I made it back to Pendeen within an hour. But then the miles of pavement-pounding began to tell on my feet. It was quite windy today, and unfortunately I was walking into it for most of the day. And then the sun came out. Ordinarily this would be welcome, but all it did today was aggravate my sunburn.
I hobbled into Zennor and caught a bus the final five (uphill) miles to St Ives. I'm sunburned, chafed, blistered, and in pain. Unless something drastic happens overnight, I'm not sure I can walk to Gwithian tomorrow. I certainly can't backtrack to Zennor and do all those uphill miles back to St Ives. So what do I do instead? Plans are formulating. Stay tuned...
**********
Wednesday 19 July 2017
I spent the first part of the day exploring St Ives. It's a very attractive seaside town on a hill sloping down to the water. It might almost be in the Cinque Terre, in Italy. I had my first-ever Cornish pasty (lamb and mint) and sat by the harbor, people-watching. I also found a Boots pharmacy and bought some sunscreen and aloe.
At around 2:30pm I caught a local bus to Gwithian, my next planned stop. The B&B where I'm staying is extremely nice, but Gwithian is a rednecky little place, with at least two caravan parks to its name. I had a dinner of softshell crab burger at a little local dive.
I've been thinking all day long. There's a bit in Bill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods where he realizes he is never going to finish the whole Appalachian Trail, and with that realization comes freedom. Freedom to do the sections he wants to do, and not any of the sections he doesn't.
The SWCP is not what I expected. It's tough going and vague. It's a poor choice to start a long journey with, especially in the height of summer. I didn't enjoy the bit of it I attempted. Neither am I enjoying road-walking, as it's very hard on the feet.
I'm doing this trip for my own enjoyment. Not for a charity, and not to please anyone else. So why shouldn't I make alterations? So here's the tentative plan: I'm going to stay in Cornwall a bit longer, then head on up to Chepstow to begin Offa's Dyke. I'll do the Wye Valley section, or maybe the whole southern half, we'll see. And then I'll take things from there! More plans to follow.
**********
Thursday 20 July 2017
I had a leisurely beach day today. After leaving my B&B (and gifting them my tent), I climbed up into the towans, or dunes, directly behind it. I was trying to make my way to the shore and appeared to be doing so. But while the ocean appeared to get closer, the people on the beach weren't appearing to get any bigger. I found out why when I got to the far end of the dunes and found myself at the edge of a small-to-moderately sized CLIFF. Deciding to make lemonade, I stretched out a safe distance from the edge and read for a while.
I was nervous about finding my way back out of the dunes, as the paths through them are quite a maze, but I did find my way out quickly, and proceeded on foot through Gwithian proper and to Godrevy Point. I had a light lunch at the seafood restaurant there, then climbed up to the carpark (the long way round, as it happened), to ask where to catch the bus. Turns out Google Maps lied to me and there was no bus stop at Godrevy. Deciding to make lemonade again, I went and hung out on the beach for a bit. It was a pleasant day and lots of families were there. I saw lots of surfers and boogie boarders in wetsuits, and one brave soul in nothing but swim trunks. I stuck my feet in - it was COLD.
After a while the tide began to rise and the weather began to turn, so I went back to the carpark and took a cab to Porthtowan.
Tomorrow I will walk. It's only 8 and a half miles to Perranporth. I don't regret taking these two days to take it easy and recharge, but it's time to find my focus again. Onward!
**********
Friday 21 July 2017
Porthtowan to St Agnes
Distance: 5 or 6 miles
Weather: Rainy
I've decided not to keep track of my start and end times anymore for the time being. It just creates an artificial sense of pressure that isn't helpful at the moment.
When I woke up this morning it was sheeting down rain. I had an argument with myself over breakfast. Take a bus to Perranporth and call it a day? Walk? Walk partway? Initially I thought I'd take the easy way out and bus it to Perranporth. Then I got to the bus shelter and realized that the only bus of the day wasn't coming until 5:15pm.
Forward march!
The climb out of Porthtowan was rocky and laborious, made more so by the rain. I was practically walking in a creek bed in places. But I made it to the top and then the mile and a half to Chapel Porth, where I was fortified with hot chocolate and encouragement by the cafe and lifeguard staff hanging out there.
The weather began to clear, so I pushed onward. After the climb out of Chapel Porth, the path evened out and was actually quite pleasant for the next few miles. This is the kind of walking I signed up for! Eventually the path descended into Trevaunance Cove, on the north fringe of St Agnes, where I bought a sausage roll and watched the surfers for a few minutes.
As I climbed out of Trevaunance Cove, the dark clouds rolled back in, and by the time I got back to the clifftops, it was bucketing down rain again. This time with wind! The path immediately started descending again into yet another cove...and I stopped. By my reckoning I was more than halfway to Perranporth, but according to the map I had three or four more headlands to get around in this wind and rain. And once I got any significant distance down this hill, I'd be committed.
I turned around.
I had intended to double back to Trevaunance and take the steep road up to St Agnes, but I actually found a branch trail that led from the clifftop right into the St Agnes town center. In true capricious fashion, the weather cleared again by the time I got there. My timing was excellent, because the bus to Perranporth pulled up within about ten minutes.
Perranporth is a funky beach town. It kind of reminds me of Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. My hotel (a pub with rooms, really) is a bit divey, but it's only for one night.
**********
Saturday 22 July 2017
After checking out of my accommodation in Perranporth, I spent the morning hanging out on the beach. The tides in this part of the world are very extreme, I've noticed. When I first got into Perranporth yesterday, the high tide came all the way up the beach wall and right under the windows of my hotel. This morning, the tide was far, far out - a quarter mile away or more.
At about noon, I caught a bus to Newquay (and slept through most of it, to my embarrassment). By the time I got there, I still had nearly three hours to kill before I could check in to my Airbnb, so I spent the time mooching around. The central part of Newquay reminds me of all the worst parts of Myrtle Beach - tacky, loud, and touristy. Luckily my Airbnb is on a residential street, but still near the high street and the water. After getting dinner in town, I ventured over to Towan Beach. It was a spectacular sight. A lone house sits on a high rock, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The way the evening sun hit the water was gorgeous.
I found myself itching to walk today. Sitting on the beach in Perranporth this morning, I could see where the coast path wended its way up the cliff and disappeared around the headland, on its way to Newquay. It was a surprisingly beguiling sight. And as I sat around Perranporth and Newquay killing time today, I found myself wishing more than once that I'd responded to that siren song.
Land's End to St Just
Distance: 6 miles
Start: 10:20am
Finish: 5:00ishpm
Weather: Sunny and warm
Today was not an auspicious start.
I got a local bus from Penzance to Land's End this morning. I had heard horror stories about Land's End being this unbearably gaudy fairground, but it really wasn't that bad as far as tourist attractions go. I saw of bunch of people walking down to this one headland in particular, so I hiked down there too. I'm not sure whether it was the actual Land's End headland or not, but it was pretty. After that, I found the official Land's End signpost, got someone to take my picture, and headed off.
The South West Coast Path is a continuous series of steep climbs and drops. It is vague in places and badly waymarked. I actually lost the path somewhere in the vicinity of Sennen Cove, barely a mile past Land's End. I followed country lanes and farm tracks for a while, figuring "This is okay. It's more direct and I can't go far wrong as long as I keep the ocean on my left side." But after encountering my first dead-end farm track (after doing about three laps around the same potato field), I began to get nervous.
Eventually, with the help of some fellow walkers, I found the SWCP again. What followed was the most abjectly miserable mile and a half I have ever walked.
The name of the game with the SWCP is VIEWS. It wants you to experience the VIEWS, which are admittedly gorgeous. However, this means that it follows every headland and meandering beach slavishly, and makes a journey that should span one mile span three. It switchbacks down cliff faces seemingly for the hell of it. It couldn't care less about where you *actually* want to go. By about 4pm, I was exhausted, sunburned, and very afraid that I would be physically unable to climb the next cliff, and I was still not quite at Cape Cornwall, barely halfway to my goal for the day of Pendeen.
If you ever need proof that guardian angels or Trail Magic exist, go on a trip like this. When I finally rounded a headland just south of Cape Cornwall, I saw the most beautiful sigh I've ever seen: a parking lot with cars in it. This particular parking lot was for a very lovely and remote beach. I wanted to climb down the rocks and go for a dip, but the very real fear that I wouldn't be able to get back *up* the rocks prevented me. Anyway, a parking lot meant people, and people meant salvation. I was able to hitchhike into St Just with a very nice lady and her two children, and from there I caught a bus to Pendeen, where I am now ensconced in the North Inn.
So, decisions. I've already decided to take a B-road to St Ives tomorrow, rather than the SWCP. It's much more direct, with about three miles less to walk. My experience today, plus the horror stories I've heard about this section of the path in particular, decided me. After that, I'll decide things day by day.
Now I need to figure out how not to feel like a fraud right out of the gate. I didn't write down any hard and fast rules for myself, but maybe now's the time to do so.
1) This is a walking holiday. Walk, but remember you're on holiday.
2) Any form of transport that makes sense for the situation you find yourself in is appropriate.
3) Don't sacrifice safety for hubris.
So today was humbling. But I'm trying to absorb the lessons and move on.
**********
Tuesday 18 July 2017
St Just to Zennor
Distance: 8 miles
Start: 10:30am
Finish: 4:00pm
Weather: Windy and overcast in the morning, clearing in the afternoon
To make up for yesterday's shortfall, I began the day by taking a bus from Pendeen back to St Just and starting my day there. After one false start (in which I began walking toward Cape Cornwall rather than St Ives), I got on the B-road connecting these towns and commenced road-walking.
This went well at first, and I made it back to Pendeen within an hour. But then the miles of pavement-pounding began to tell on my feet. It was quite windy today, and unfortunately I was walking into it for most of the day. And then the sun came out. Ordinarily this would be welcome, but all it did today was aggravate my sunburn.
I hobbled into Zennor and caught a bus the final five (uphill) miles to St Ives. I'm sunburned, chafed, blistered, and in pain. Unless something drastic happens overnight, I'm not sure I can walk to Gwithian tomorrow. I certainly can't backtrack to Zennor and do all those uphill miles back to St Ives. So what do I do instead? Plans are formulating. Stay tuned...
**********
Wednesday 19 July 2017
I spent the first part of the day exploring St Ives. It's a very attractive seaside town on a hill sloping down to the water. It might almost be in the Cinque Terre, in Italy. I had my first-ever Cornish pasty (lamb and mint) and sat by the harbor, people-watching. I also found a Boots pharmacy and bought some sunscreen and aloe.
At around 2:30pm I caught a local bus to Gwithian, my next planned stop. The B&B where I'm staying is extremely nice, but Gwithian is a rednecky little place, with at least two caravan parks to its name. I had a dinner of softshell crab burger at a little local dive.
I've been thinking all day long. There's a bit in Bill Bryson's book A Walk in the Woods where he realizes he is never going to finish the whole Appalachian Trail, and with that realization comes freedom. Freedom to do the sections he wants to do, and not any of the sections he doesn't.
The SWCP is not what I expected. It's tough going and vague. It's a poor choice to start a long journey with, especially in the height of summer. I didn't enjoy the bit of it I attempted. Neither am I enjoying road-walking, as it's very hard on the feet.
I'm doing this trip for my own enjoyment. Not for a charity, and not to please anyone else. So why shouldn't I make alterations? So here's the tentative plan: I'm going to stay in Cornwall a bit longer, then head on up to Chepstow to begin Offa's Dyke. I'll do the Wye Valley section, or maybe the whole southern half, we'll see. And then I'll take things from there! More plans to follow.
**********
Thursday 20 July 2017
I had a leisurely beach day today. After leaving my B&B (and gifting them my tent), I climbed up into the towans, or dunes, directly behind it. I was trying to make my way to the shore and appeared to be doing so. But while the ocean appeared to get closer, the people on the beach weren't appearing to get any bigger. I found out why when I got to the far end of the dunes and found myself at the edge of a small-to-moderately sized CLIFF. Deciding to make lemonade, I stretched out a safe distance from the edge and read for a while.
I was nervous about finding my way back out of the dunes, as the paths through them are quite a maze, but I did find my way out quickly, and proceeded on foot through Gwithian proper and to Godrevy Point. I had a light lunch at the seafood restaurant there, then climbed up to the carpark (the long way round, as it happened), to ask where to catch the bus. Turns out Google Maps lied to me and there was no bus stop at Godrevy. Deciding to make lemonade again, I went and hung out on the beach for a bit. It was a pleasant day and lots of families were there. I saw lots of surfers and boogie boarders in wetsuits, and one brave soul in nothing but swim trunks. I stuck my feet in - it was COLD.
After a while the tide began to rise and the weather began to turn, so I went back to the carpark and took a cab to Porthtowan.
Tomorrow I will walk. It's only 8 and a half miles to Perranporth. I don't regret taking these two days to take it easy and recharge, but it's time to find my focus again. Onward!
**********
Friday 21 July 2017
Porthtowan to St Agnes
Distance: 5 or 6 miles
Weather: Rainy
I've decided not to keep track of my start and end times anymore for the time being. It just creates an artificial sense of pressure that isn't helpful at the moment.
When I woke up this morning it was sheeting down rain. I had an argument with myself over breakfast. Take a bus to Perranporth and call it a day? Walk? Walk partway? Initially I thought I'd take the easy way out and bus it to Perranporth. Then I got to the bus shelter and realized that the only bus of the day wasn't coming until 5:15pm.
Forward march!
The climb out of Porthtowan was rocky and laborious, made more so by the rain. I was practically walking in a creek bed in places. But I made it to the top and then the mile and a half to Chapel Porth, where I was fortified with hot chocolate and encouragement by the cafe and lifeguard staff hanging out there.
The weather began to clear, so I pushed onward. After the climb out of Chapel Porth, the path evened out and was actually quite pleasant for the next few miles. This is the kind of walking I signed up for! Eventually the path descended into Trevaunance Cove, on the north fringe of St Agnes, where I bought a sausage roll and watched the surfers for a few minutes.
As I climbed out of Trevaunance Cove, the dark clouds rolled back in, and by the time I got back to the clifftops, it was bucketing down rain again. This time with wind! The path immediately started descending again into yet another cove...and I stopped. By my reckoning I was more than halfway to Perranporth, but according to the map I had three or four more headlands to get around in this wind and rain. And once I got any significant distance down this hill, I'd be committed.
I turned around.
I had intended to double back to Trevaunance and take the steep road up to St Agnes, but I actually found a branch trail that led from the clifftop right into the St Agnes town center. In true capricious fashion, the weather cleared again by the time I got there. My timing was excellent, because the bus to Perranporth pulled up within about ten minutes.
Perranporth is a funky beach town. It kind of reminds me of Wrightsville Beach in North Carolina. My hotel (a pub with rooms, really) is a bit divey, but it's only for one night.
**********
Saturday 22 July 2017
After checking out of my accommodation in Perranporth, I spent the morning hanging out on the beach. The tides in this part of the world are very extreme, I've noticed. When I first got into Perranporth yesterday, the high tide came all the way up the beach wall and right under the windows of my hotel. This morning, the tide was far, far out - a quarter mile away or more.
At about noon, I caught a bus to Newquay (and slept through most of it, to my embarrassment). By the time I got there, I still had nearly three hours to kill before I could check in to my Airbnb, so I spent the time mooching around. The central part of Newquay reminds me of all the worst parts of Myrtle Beach - tacky, loud, and touristy. Luckily my Airbnb is on a residential street, but still near the high street and the water. After getting dinner in town, I ventured over to Towan Beach. It was a spectacular sight. A lone house sits on a high rock, connected to the mainland by a bridge. The way the evening sun hit the water was gorgeous.
I found myself itching to walk today. Sitting on the beach in Perranporth this morning, I could see where the coast path wended its way up the cliff and disappeared around the headland, on its way to Newquay. It was a surprisingly beguiling sight. And as I sat around Perranporth and Newquay killing time today, I found myself wishing more than once that I'd responded to that siren song.
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