Hartland Quay to Bude – This Was Tough Going

I’m a twit. I packed too much stuff. Sorry, STUFF!! I could do with 5kgs less. There’s one piece of camping equipment I could send home, underpants, socks, shirts, a knife……..Hello! Are you falling asleep when I’m talking about me!!!

It peed it down all night and it was windy too. I’m used to the cold in the night now and I cope with less sleep. But today was going to be a long, brutal day and I set my alarm for 6am. Then ignored it when the rain was relentless and the forecast on my phone was for this to continue all morning. I turned over in my sleeping bag and got a bit more sleep.

At 8.20 am I started packing, the rain had lightened, but I had to wipe the tarp and ground sheet with paper towels from the bogs to dry them a bit and get everything properly packed in my rucksack. I usually have an additional walking bag for my iPad, phone and STUFF!! But with the rain this had to go in my rucksack.

I had a pasty from two days ago in my rucksack. Perfect breakfast, again.

It was a mile walk to the coast path and then I turned left. The rain had almost stopped.

The distance today from the campsite was over 16 miles, climbing up and down ten steep valleys, equivalent to more than Ben Nevis. What a lovely comparator Ben Nevis is. It’s huge unall.

The sandstone of some of the coast gives off a nice pink cloud into the sea when it’s slightly rough.

It was still cold but dry, and I felt reasonably ok with the distance, but I knew the climbing would be tough. The view from the path is so stunning. Cop this!

Down the coast was a hut which belonged to Ronald Duncan, a playwright and poet in the last century. He worked here, and it’s open to folk walking along the path. What an inspirational view.

The hut is at a fair height above the sea, and the climb up the other side was harsh, but a great view looking back, with the hut, just below the skyline.

I’d covered a couple of downs and ups by now, but then they started to get serious. I was struggling and the day was moving on. I was tired, accumulating over the last few days, and cold nights. And I began to wonder if camping was good for tonight. I’d done 7 nights consecutive under the tarp, so I asked Maggie to look for a hotel in Bude! Northern softie!!

The views were amazing, even in the cloudy conditions, and the valleys usually ended up in waterfalls to the sea.

Then I crossed the Devon/ Cornwall border. No passport required.

I have to admit I was really struggling physically with these uphill climbs. This photo looks nice but the path drops 400 feet and climbs up the other side. Ten times.

The sun came out late afternoon and looking back was fab.

Rounding a corner I could see as far as Tintagel, at the end of the dark cliff just to the left of centre. I’m travelling now, decent distances given the ups and downs.

By the sixth valley drop I came across an early warning radar station. Whilst I did climb up and walk past it I didn’t do the dirty Commie stunt of taking photos. The filthy animals!

The gorse was now at its most superlative scent and I can smell for the first time in ages. Adorable! And I could just see Bude in the distance. After another horrifically steep drop and climb.

It took me 10 hours of continuous hiking up and down to get here. Maggie came up trumps. I present you, the Falcon Hotel, Bude.

I’m loving it being here in a warm room with decent scran I bought at the Coop. I’m ready for bed. Sleep well my darlings. Particularly Maggie, Georgie, Juliet, Antonia and Katherine. You are all, in my thoughts when one foot is stepping in front of the other. Adam and George, I’ll think about you next week.

Night night.