Return to the South West Coastal Path

Back sooner than I ever could have dreamed of

When I finished the Great Glen Way, despite part of me feeling that I wasn’t sure I had another walk in me, I started plotting my next move.

I actually can’t believe this is going to happen. I’m writing this with 3 days to go before I catch the train down to Cornwall and I’m not really mentally prepared at all, and although I’ve got my train ticket booked and know what I’m doing, it doesn’t feel real. This may be partly because it’s really not been long since my last hike in Scotland and it does feel a bit greedy to be going on another one so soon, but I think it’s also because I’m not on a very strict time scale so it all feels a bit fluid. I need to stop worrying though, as it doesn’t help, and because there aren’t too many things that can go wrong so badly that the trip won’t take place.

When I finished my last hike I didn’t know if I was going to leave my role at Rolls Royce or carry on working there. I knew I could try to fit this sort of activity in around time off, effectively putting up with the job to earn the money to do things I enjoyed, but the balance was a bit off. I knew what I wanted to do but was very scared about how it may work out and it did feel very selfish putting my family in that jeopardy just because I wasn’t entirely happy. Fortunately, something happened at work just before I was due to go back after my break and my mind was made up. So I handed in my 4 weeks notice as soon as I could and then 5 weeks later (I stayed on for a little longer) I was a free man.

Just after I handed in my notice I talked to Jenny about finishing the coastal path. I decided it would do me good and put me in a good position to think about my next life move. I knew I needed to earn some money but wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to do, and also what I could do, so it made sense to take this time, without the pressure of full time employment, to enjoy finishing the coastal path and hope that it inspired me for my next endeavour. So, with that permission, I booked my train ticket for the 27th of June and a hotel for the first night. There was no backing out now.

Another rucksack

So my kit list for this trip is very similar to my last. Someone joked when they read my planning post for the Highland walks that I’d pretty much changed out all the essential items, and I suppose they had a point.

The good news is that I think I must be honing in now on the perfect set up for me. There are seasonal variations that do need to be taken into account. For example my quilt is a lot thinner for this trip compared to the one I used in Scotland but the nighttime temperatures there were sometimes below zero and I expect June weather in the south west to be a bit warmer. But other than that, I think we’re good. Same tent, same boots, same cook system, and so on. The rucksack though, that had to go.

So I’ve got a new rucksack, again. I went to an actual shop this time and got properly measured for it so it should be comfortable. I really hope it is because I feel a bit stupid now as I don’t seem to be able to get this bit of kit right. Another option would be to try and lighted my load by carrying less but I’m not sure there is much I could remove from my kit and not sacrifice a lot of comfort. So I’m hoping this new rucksack does the trick. It’s actually quite a bit heavier than the previous ones I’ve used but that is because it has a thicker waist belt and more padding in the shoulders. So a bit counter intuitive, because I’m actually adding weight, but this might just work.

I’m going to be looking very daft if my first post from the trail is complaining about my shoulders.

Where to sleep

I was wondering to myself about why I don’t feel prepared for this latest walk. Because I pretty much know what I’m doing with these hikes. I still get caught out of course and I’m always learning, but I sort of know how it’ll all pan out. And then I remembered that I didn’t have a plan in terms of accommodation.

In my write up for my trip to Scotland I talked about wild camping being legal and how part of doing that trip when I did was to get used to wild camping. The thing is, I don’t think I did get used to it. I definitely got better at it but I still got really nervous on many of the nights. I was nervous about finding a spot and often about what other people might think if they found me. It never became an issue, and all my worries were wasted energy, but those nerves never really went away. So, even though I have got better at it and I actually very worried about wild camping on this trip. So much so, that I’m not sure I will wild camp.

But again, it’s a dilemma. I love the feeling after a wild camp. It certainly gives me a high. And it’s really flexible as you can just stop near the path and be walking nice and early the next day. When I look back on last year during the coastal path walk some of my high points were wild camps. I’ve a particularly nice memory from one where I’d pitched up in some woodland, just before a storm came through. So I do like it. Finding campsite can also be quite tricky, especially if you don’t want to stray too far from the path. Wild camping is also free.

In summary, I don’t know what I will do, and as my first night on the trail will be on Friday night I probably need to make some kind of decision. It doesn’t help that it gets dark very late this time of year and sunrise is so early, so it’s quite hard to hide yourself away. My first day of hiking will get me to St Ives so maybe I’ll get a campsite there and then see how I feel.

To drone or not to drone

I took my drone with me when I was backpacking in Scotland and I had a really good time using it and it was nice to see things was a different perspective. I don’t normally get videos of myself walking and some of the clips I managed to record of my wild camps amongst the highland scenery have given me something really special to look back on. So I would really like to take the drone again.

However, the drawbacks. First of all, I have to carry it. With the controller and batteries it adds about 1kg to my pack weight. Secondly, I’m a right pain with it. I’ll be walking along and see sometime I’d like to record. I’ll ponder for ages whether to use it. Then I’ll stop and start to set up and sometimes I’ll see other people and that will stop me because I don’t want to disrupt anyone’s enjoyment of the outdoors. If not disturbed I’ll fly it and then I have to pack everything away. This all takes time. Also I have to consider how to charge the batteries – which isn’t as easy as when you’re at home. In Scotland I knew the campsite at Fort William had charging facilities but I’m not sure on this hike so battery power might have to be saved for more essential items.

Another consideration is that my friend Martin has lent me a DSLR camera and I’m keen to try this out. In all my past hikes I’ve used my phone for all my photography and I’ve always wondered if a better camera will improve the pictures I take. It may also improve the images on my blog and I think I’d like that. So, do I take the DSLR camera and leave the drone. Or do I take both.

I think I’m going to leave the drone at home and take the camera but I keep on changing my mine. I think my shoulders will thank me later if I leave it at home. Dilemma! 

The weather

I went out for a walk yesterday and it was very humid. When I walked the path back in September there was some very hot weather for the first week and that did take me by surprise, but this time I should be prepared for it as I know we’re heading into summer. My walk yesterday reminded my of how hot it could potentially get while I’m on my walk.

It’s not like I’m going to be walking through a desert or anything close to that, but I do need to be mindful of the heat and exposure to the sun. Because I’ll be outside a lot and won’t really be able to get away from it I’ll just have to make sure I cover up properly and use sun lotion. I also need to make sure I carry enough water. I did wonder this time if I should leave my water bladder at home and just use bottles but I’ve decided to stick with the bladder as it can carry more and is easier to access on the move. I know what I’m like, and if I have to stop to drink water then I may not bother. The only thing I need to watch is carrying too much water. At some points in Scotland I’d been carrying about 2 litres, despite water sources being plentiful, which was another 2kg that I had on my shoulders. I do make some very basic mistakes.

In Scotland I prepared for rain every day and generally had amazing weather. For this trip I’m preparing for hot weather so it’ll probably snow.

I think I need this

As with every walk I’m really nervous as the date of departure grows near but I’m so very excited.

Jenny and I are heading to London tomorrow to watch a show and will come back on Wednesday. I’m then getting the train down to Cornwall on Thursday morning so there is a lot going on so time will run away with me. As always, I don’t exactly feel prepared but time does slow down on the trail and anything that’s not quite right can be fixed as I go along. I’m sure once I hit Cape Cornwall most of my fears will dissipate.

I’m very worried about work as well. Like I said, I don’t exactly know what I’m going to do, and I go from feeling elated and excited to feeling stupid and full of dread. I’m optimistic that this walk will encourage more of the positive thoughts and silence the negative. In the past it has. If I hadn’t started this walking thing I don’t think anything in my life would have changed. The walking should be congratulated and blamed. If I’m honest, it’s not really the walking, it’s the doing something different. It makes you realise there are more options than just doing the same thing, week in, week out.