One of the best things about long distance hiking is that you can basically eat whatever you want. Assuming of course you can get hold of it.

Now, I am partial to a luxury hot chocolate. Some cafes doing better ones than others. Some just put on some cream and a few marshmallows and call it a day. Others increase the cup size to allow for even more, loading it up with chocolate pieces or even a full flake and adding even more cream and marshmallows. I must say I definitely prefer the later.

My doctors recently said my cholesterol level was a bit high and I needed to do something about it. I did try and adjust my diet but on a retest they said it was still high. However, the jury is still out on this because when I asked if it’d reduced at all, I like to know the numbers, they then said that the results were inconsistent so we’d have to test again. I’ve not yet done that test so I figured, as I’m walking everyday, I’d just put it to the back of my mind and eat whatever I want.

But, it turns out, even I have my limits. I was about 5 miles into the walk, just heading towards Barnstaple on the Tarka trail, and there is an old railway platform that’s been converted into a cafe and visitor centre. It was getting on to lunch time and the breakfast Steve had made me was wearing off (no beans – thanks for paying attention) so I decided a hot chocolate and cake was the order of the day.

And it was a really good hot chocolate, definitely of the fully loaded variety, and the cake was massive and tasty. I did briefly wonder how many calories this all contained but didn’t worry about it. I think I left one mouthful of cake, a bit like leaving a drop of wine in the bottom of a bottle so you can claim you didn’t have the whole bottle, and then went back to my walk.

I was only a few hundred yards down the road when I felt a bit sick. I wasn’t actually sick, that’d be a waste, but I did feel a little queasy. It was a couple of miles before I started to feel better, in which time I had to force myself to go into the Asda at Barnstaple to get food for later even though the thought of eating made me feel worse, but those few miles were not fun.

So, if anyone is reading this, I can now advise that walking a long distance does not allow you to eat whatever and whenever you like. Your body will not thank you. I even started to wonder if I’d come home heavier than when I left. I’ll definitely be putting that next blood test off for a while.

Further than I thought

It was great to have a night off from the trail. Although Steve’s house is actually on the coastal path so I was probably as close to it as I’d been on any other night. The big difference here was that it had a solid roof, a bathroom, a proper bed, and supplied breakfast. It also meant I didn’t have to pack away a wet tent.

Steve had a meeting first thing but after that he drove me round to Instow so I could continue my walk from where I left off.

I felt a bit lonely at first but soon got into the swing of things. This isn’t the most interesting part of the walk as it’s virtually a straight and flat path to and away from Barnstaple. The good news is that it does mean that you can achieve a fairly good pace. A few miles after Barnstaple I got confirmation that I could use the campsite I wanted to. It was at Croyde and on the coastal path so this made me happy although when I checked the distance it was slightly further than I thought but I decided it was good that I was taking advantage of the flat path. 20 miles on this terrain felt easier than 10 miles on other sections of the path.

Am I envious or relieved

I met a couple of backpackers today walking the other way to me. They’d left Minehead a few days ago, maybe a week, and were heading to Poole. It’s funny because some days I see a few backpackers but other days only the odd one, and because I’m going backwards you’d think I’d see a lot more.

They were asking me about my journey and asking if I’d had any troubles wild camping. I said it’d been pretty easy. They were a bit worried about making it all the way around and I think they felt tired and didn’t know if they’d make it. I tried to reassure them that they’d be ok, and how I’d struggled at the start but then your body gets used to it. Not just the walking either, it gets used to the style of living, living out of a bag. It’s amazing how quickly you adapt.

I imagined, while I was talking to them, how I’d feel if I was going the other way now. A month ahead of me before the end. And I didn’t come up with a clear answer. Part of me is so glad to be near the end – the thought of reliving all those days filling me with terror, it feels so long ago that I started and there would be so much path that would need to be walked. But another part of me wishes I could turn around and do it over again – let the adventure continue – see all those places again.

No good way

At Saunton there are two options. One is to walk along the road for a few hundred yards, dodging the traffic, and then getting back on a path. The second is to follow the alternative route that avoids the road but goes a bit inland.

Last time I went the road route and I felt it was dangerous. So this time I took the alternative route. This is much longer and involves a pretty decent climb. I suppose it’s safer but it’s a lot harder. Next time, I’m not sure what I’ll pick.

The path then leaves Saunton and goes past a house that was featured on Grand Designs. It was a total disaster of a build and ended up breaking a marriage apart and bankrupting the owner. But it’s even worse than that. The house now stands empty and discoloured by the elements. It’s not nice and I did wonder what would happen eventually. Nothing happens quickly though because it was built years ago. Stunning location so it’s a shame no one is getting any benefit. A bit out of my price range though.

Inspiration

I, as I often do, got to the campsite a little later than I planned. It was ok though because Josh ran over when he saw me and checked me in. He offered to charge any batteries I had as well, which I didn’t need but I appreciated that it was an option.

Josh asked me about my walk and seemed interested. But for me, when I asked him about surfing, and he said I wasn’t too old to give it a go, it made me think.

To be clear, I don’t think I’ll ever become good at surfing, and that doesn’t worry me. However, it did occur to me that I’ve not taken the kids on a holiday all together for a few years now. Kian is the only one now that wants to go camping and that’s pretty much what I always did for our holidays so Jake and Toby haven’t been for a few years. It’s been hard to spend money or effort on any more than a camping trip in recent years because I’ve been so focused on the day to day, like making sure they go to school or college, or making sure they’ve got accommodation for University, or not get into any trouble, the basics really. Not that I’m very good at that.

So Josh, indirectly, made me think, after the school holidays when things get cheaper, maybe we could rent a house near the sea and all learn to surf. I think that might be good fun.

It’s funny how a throw away comment can make you think.