New Plans

 About a week ago I bought plane tickets to return to England and continue my LEJOG beginning of April. However, I'm not well yet. I was getting better, but then I got worse again. Right now I feel a bit uncertain what will happen, but I hope to be able to return in about two weeks. And I have decided to "ruin" my End-to-End attempt. I will still walk all of it, but instead of continuing from Okehampton I will continue from where I would have been, had I not had to go home. Once I reach John o' Groats I will return south for the final leg.

The main reason for this is that I need to be in Oban beginning of May for participating in the Great Outdoors Challenge. Also, changing my entire itinerary is a bit difficult and I'm still too tired to do that. This way, all I needed to change was going north to south for the final part of the walk.

Now, let's just hope for less rain and mud!

Day -: Lydford to Stockholm

March 13

Horses: 1

To me, thinking about walking /doing something like the Lejog is a bit (very) overwhelming, so I divided it into smaller parts, Land's End obviously, Lizard also fairly obvious, Frenchman's Creek, Jamaica Inn, Bodmin Moor, all places I wanted to see. Next on the list are Dartmoor and Belstone. The plan for today would be walking across Dartmoor, wild camp on one of the Tors and tomorrow revisit Belstone. The wild camp was already off, since there's live firing on the army shooting range for a couple of days, but the rest I could do (making sure to stay out of the danger zone).

When I woke up this morning I had a very sore throat and my head was foggy. Also, the weather was very poor, very windy with sideways rain. It seemed that a decision had been made for me, I'm going home. It's been expensive enough staying at hotels while walking. Just being stuck in one place waiting to get well would be both difficult and expensive.

So I packed up and checked time tables for Heathrow. There was a connection via Okehampton and Exeter at 9.53. The timing was a bit tight so I didn't dare buy the whole trip at once, but only bought the next ticket as I got to that stop. I made it all the way.

When I got to Heathrow I realized I hadn't left my room keys at the Fox and Hounds. So, off I go in search of a post office. There was one at terminal 3, not far to walk and the whole thing was sorted in less than an hour.

The only photo I took today, a cleaning robot at Heathrow airport. I must be ill 😂

After using the wrapping service to protect my pack on the plane I bought a plane ticket for the 19.00 SAS plane to Stockholm. There was just enough time to get a proper meal, I had to bring it and eat it at the gate, though, that's how late I was. I was quite worried about sinus pain or popping an eardrum because of my cold, but it was ok. I've been dizzy all day and also very happy I brought a couple of face masks. I don't want to infect anyone else.

And now I'm back home, trying to figure out how to best continue when I get well, which isn't as easy as it sounds since there is a set date when I need to be in Oban.

Day 12: Launceston to Lydford

March 12

Kilometers: 29?

Ascent: 450?

Horses: 1

Coos: 5

Today has been a strange day. It started out ok, cold and windy with some showers. 

I'm in Devon!

I was strangely tired as I plodded along, but thought the reason was that I didn't eat well yesterday. Today turned out to be just as bad, the pub where I intended to have lunch was closed. 

Just a pretty cottage I passed 

People here seem to be excellent drivers. They drive fast on narrow roads, but still manage to steer clear of other cars and walkers. Their brakes must be very good. I did see two car crashes yesterday, though, both within Launceston.

As I was walking along the road I came across two Highway Maintenance cars. One of the men started talking to me and said that I'd walked a long way, he had seen me earlier outside Tesco. We had a chat and I told him what I was doing. Only later a started wondering which Tesco? The only one I could remember passing was two days ago.

As the day wore on I got very tired and I realized I might be coming down with a cold, so I decided to change the route and walk to Okehampton. When I was 15 a friend and I went to Belstone, a tiny village outside of Okehampton, for Summer English school/horse riding camp. I remember we walked down to Okehampton a couple of times to go to the pub, but I didn't recognize anything. Anyway, walking to Okehampton would be longer, but with less hills, and I can't do hills this afternoon. Also  I could have something to eat!

I had lunch and then took the bus to my hotel for the night, hoping I'll feel better tomorrow.

Fox and Hounds Hotel in Lydford

The room was freezing, no heat on and near outside temperature 🥶. I went down to the pub, where it was nice and warm, to wait for my room to heat up a bit, which it did eventually.

I had problems measuring distance/ascent today, so the numbers given are an estimate. Maybe I can figure it out later.

 

Day 11: Jamaica Inn to Launceston

March 11

Kilometers: 18

Ascent: 270

Horses: 6

Coos: 11

A day without rain. Just a few drops as I was leaving this morning. It was cold and windy, though. I left the inn and headed straight out to the moors. The path is a Public Bridleway, made for horses and may not be suited for humans, but at least there would be no stone walls to cross (horses don't climbe stone walls well). There would be at least one ford, though.

The first ford

This is a part of Bodmin Moor and it is so beautiful! I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

The Moor can be difficult to navigate. I use my phone a lot, but I also carry paper maps. I haven't needed them yet, but I wouldn't want to be without.

When I turned around I saw some really dark clouds. I didn't want to still be on the moors when it started raining, so I hurried along.

Where's the path? There's actually a rock called Black Rock to my right, that would have been used for navigating back in the day.

 Once off the Moor I headed for the pub where I planned to have lunch, but it was closed on Mondays 😕

So I went to the village shop and got some bread and a couple of Snickers bars. According to American research Snickers bars contain most of the things we need when hiking, so I got a 3-pack 😁 The village church was open, and once again I had lunch in a church

The rest of the day was road walking, most of it quite boring, but at least it gets me where I'm going a lot faster.

Day 10: Bodmin to Jamaica Inn

March 10

Kilometers: 27

Ascent: 548

Horses: 22

Real Coos: 17

Raindrops keep falling on my head, they keep falling...

A lot of rain mixed up with sunshine in the right places! I knew the day would be long, but I wanted to pass a pub and a special lake. I passed a couple of cattle grids and walked on moorland with free ranging sheep and horses. The horses were so beautiful, a little curious about who I was, but only one came up to say hello. 

Eventually I got to St Neot and the pub. As I had suspected all tables were reserved. Today is Mother's Day in England and everybody seemed to be in St Neot for lunch. So, no food for me, but I could have a sit down with a bag of crisps and a pint of Coca-Cola.

I was later than I had hoped and was soon on my way again heading north. And now I saw some real coos, but not free ranging, they were on the other side of barbed wire.

We're real coos, we don't want our picture taken.

Walking a bit faster I finally arrived at my reason for taking this road today, Dozmary Pool.

Dozmary Pool

According to legend this is where King Arthur received the sword Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake. I looked, and in the fading light I thought I saw a glimpse of an arm holding something shining. But no, it was just a trick of the eye. Or was it?

By now it was getting late and I hurried to get to my home for the night, Jamaica Inn. There's a hotel, a smugglers' museum, a bar and a restaurant all in one building and I liked it more than I thought I would. It's a bit exaggerated, but fact remains, it was a smuggler's nest a long time ago.

Jamaica inn 

Day 9: Indian Queens to Bodmin

March 9

Kilometers: 22

Ascent: 290

Horses: 3

Coos: 1

Rain, rain go away, 

come again some other day, 

we don't want you to stay.

In the late 70's there was a band called Scaffel Pike that onca played in my hometown. That chorus is the only thing I remember of their song, maybe because I think of it every time I'm walking and it's raining. Today it's been raining most of the day. I keep dry, but it's a little boring.

The old A30 had been turned into a nice walking trail, many people were out with their dogs.

At least I found a place to have lunch today, the pub in Victoria. Ten minutes before I got there it started pouring down, so fairly good timing. I had the Hunter's Chicken, good but a bit chewy. And a pint of Coca-Cola. 

Because of the rain I stayed longer than I should have, but finally I had to get going again. 

I was a bit tired and tried to walk the shortest route to Bodmin, but that was a mistake, there were so many cars and no verge to walk on. So first chance I got I turned onto a smaller road.

Can I come with you?

Passing a field with sheep they all came running, probably in hope of food of some kind.

I finally arrived back in Bodmin. All streets in Bodmin seem to go either steeply uphill or downhill. One street had a handrail to hold on to, in another place there was a sign saying to take care going down. 

Home for the night!

Day 8: Truro to Indian Queens

March 8

Kilometers: 25

Ascent: 415

Horses: 3

Coos: 1

I didn't sleep well last night. I woke up around 3 am and immediately started thinking about not having a place to stay tonight. At 8 am I called the guest house I'm staying at tomorrow and asked if they could pick me up at Indian Queens and take me back tomorrow morning. They said ok, so problem solved! Also, I don't have to carry a full pack tomorrow, so that's wonderful 😊

Low tide

The day was windy and chilly, but not much rain. I'm still keeping to the roads to avoid moody footpaths and crawling over stone walls 😂 As always it was difficult to find a place to sit down. I'm carrying a chair but it is hard to find a place for it along the roads.

I had a quick snack in a church. A bit cold, but at least I could sit down and rest my legs for a bit.

I arrived in Indian Queens without having found a place to eat all day. Here all restaurants sum to open at 5pm so I had to wait for over 30 minutes, but suddenly I could see people going in to the fish and chips place, they must have opened early. A couple of minutes after I finished Colin from Roscrea B&B came to pick me up and took me to Bodmin.

Day 7: Fig Tree House to Truro

March 7

Kilometers: 21

Ascent: 395

Horses: 5

Coos: 12

What a morning I woke up to today! The view from my room was breathtaking and this place is so out of the way I didn't even feel the need to close the blinds last night. It's been windy all night and all day today as well. But no rain, not even a drop ☀️

Today was almost exclusively on roads, but at times it was possible to walk next to the road. This is one of those places, it almost felt like a magic forest.

Lunch at the Royal Oak in Perranwell, a very nice pub.

 Only path off-road today, doesn't this look inviting? Don't be deceived, I had to cross a stream, which I managed without getting wet. Then the trail was all mud for a long time. I almost made it across , when my feet suddenly sank into the mud 🥺 so tomorrow morning, when the mud has dried, I need to clean my shoes.

Truro cathedral. I wasn't in time for a touristy visit, but I could go to Evensong. The singing was very beautiful, angelic almost.

Messy room.

I am so happy; I received a large donation today. Thank you from all my heart, you know who you are ❤️

Day 6: Helford to FigTree House, Penryn

March 6

Kilometers: 20.5

Ascent: 480

Horses: 6

Geese: 2

Due to the cold and wet weather I have stayed in B&B's so far and will continue to do so for the time being. It gets a lot more expensive, but also a lot easier. Besides, to wild camp you need the land owner's permission. Along the National Trails it is often accepted as long as you pitch late and leave early, but I've now left the South West Coast Path and won't be on a National Trail until Offa's Dyke in about 2 weeks. 

The morning looked promising, but it soon got cloudy, with light showers throughout the day (hey, I'm in England, I have to talk about the weather).

Leaving Helford I had another companion for a while.

Today has been a lot of ups and downs, more than I anticipated. If anyone thinks England is flat, think again! I walked along small and smaller country lanes, and spent the time doing math. I've met or been overtaken by ~320 cars, let's say 300 to make it easier. Every time you have to stop and get as far to the side as you can, which takes 5-15 seconds. Let's say 10. I like easy math. So, 3000 seconds, that's 50 minutes I've had to stop. No wonder it takes a long time to get where you're going!

This is where my GPS wanted me to go. A road even more narrow? I've been on roads where it was difficult for cars to pass me today (they're always very careful, though). Also, I saw a car drive through that water and it was quite deep. So I took the slightly longer road, probably much safer.

I had lunch at the Black Swan in Gweek, a very good chicken burger. Afterwards I was so full I wanted to stay for a while, but no rest for the wicked. So, on I went and finally arrived at Fig Tree House, a beautiful B&B with wonderful views of the Cornish countryside. This is the first place I've stayed that actually feels warm and dry. I guess the British are hardier than I am. And tonight my hosts washed all my clothes for me!

Day -: Rest day in Helford

March 5

Kilometers: 5

Ascent: 138

The Shiprights Arms in Helford can only be booked for a minimum of two nights. Before I arrived I hadn't decided how long to stay, but the previous two days have been difficult and the problem with my room yesterday meant that I didn't have time for my little extra walk in Helford I had planned. Besides, today is a beautiful day for a rest day!

I woke early from some strange noises outside my window. There's a ramp that the local fishermen use to get to their boats. It was really nice to stay in bed and not have to get up! Besides, it was raining and I was waiting for sunshine. After a big bowl of granola I set out on my walk. I was going to Frenchman's Creek (if you know, you know). The walk is lovely with views of Helford estuary, Penarvon Cove and finally Frenchman's Creek.

   Frenchman's Creek 

A fisherman bringing in his catch.

Day 5: Chyheira B&B to Helford

March 4

Kilometers: 17

Ascent: 220

I have decided to walk for a charity. I'm still choosing between two cancer research organizations, and before I left this morning the hosts of Chyheira B&B kindly offered a donation. So nice!

Today was going to be bad. Very windy and gusts up to 50 mph. And lots of rain. I had planned my route on roads and country lanes all the way, I was just worried about one stretch, 2.5 m/4km very exposed. As it turned out the day wasn't too bad, maybe because I was prepared. Because of the rain I couldn't take too many photos, though.

I passed Goonhilly Earth Station halfway across the exposed section.

At times I had to walk very slowly because the wind was so strong, but the biggest problem was my poncho. When it's raining hard I wear it as extra protection, since goretex wets out sooner or later. So far I've stayed dry, except for my feet. But the wind was difficult. I use an elastic clothes line as a belt of sorts, to keep the poncho in place, but the wind was so strong that it pulled up the poncho and it got in my face. Today is actually the first time I've appreciated the high walls and hedges along the road, they block the wind very well.

Thanks to walking on roads there was no mud, but I wasn't expecting this! The water was deep, halfway to my knees, so my waterproof socks were no good. I walk in trainers and this is a good thing, since boots would have filled up and taken forever to dry. There were three or four more "lakes" to cross before I got to Helford and I came to the conclusion that my waterproof socks work like a wetsuit, they keep my feet warm. So far, in spite of rain and mud, my feet haven't been cold.

The last 1.5 miles I had a walking companion. A sheep dog of some kind joined me and walked ahead of me all the way to Helford. 

Home for the night!

I was the only guest, so I got the largest room with the best views. But the room was very cold and there was only cold water, so I moved to another room. A bit smaller and no armchair but still a nice view.

Day 4: Mullion to Chyheira B&B

March 3

Kilometers: 17

Ascent: 245

Horses: 12

Coos: 3

I'm going to think twice about staying at a pub again. The room was large and very nice, but as it turned out my room was next to the pub. People were having a good time and the music was loud. I dozed off eventually, but didn't get much sleep.

With all the rain lately I'm going to try to follow country lanes as much as possible. That was not possible today, however. 

Maybe I should have taken the Coast Path? 

And it got worse. Soon I was in an endless field hopping between small rocks, roots and what I hoped would be solid grass, and more often than not wasn't. 

The last kilometer to Lizard Head I joined the Coast Path again. Phew! And then it got muddy. And then there was a muddy slope. And then I fell. But thanks to the slope and falling towards the hill I didn't get hurt, just very muddy. 

I continued to Lizard Point, the most southerly point in mainland Britain and turned north. No more Coast Path! By the time I reached Lizard village I was very hungry, but everything was closed, just one pub, The Top House, was open. So, I went in and said that I was very hungry, but also very muddy, could I have something to eat? Yes of course, they had easy wipe-clean seats where dogs could sit 😂 

Maybe because I was so hungry, but this was sooo good!

I was soon on my way again, on public footpaths to Chyheira B&B, this time on top of a wall. It was so nice to arrive, after cleaning off my shoes properly in a stream. And when I arrived I asked to use the garden hose to clean all the mud off 😂

Day 3: Praa Sands to Mullion

March 2

Kilometers: 18

Ascent: 365

Horses: 3

The forecast for today was rain, and lots of it, so rain gear on, gaiters and all. At first I followed public footpaths,trying to avoid the scary Coast path, since I don't like heights, but all the rain lately had made them very muddy. Also, you often walk through pastures, and at each end there's some sort of gate to keep cattle on one side. On my first day I got a sore on my right shin trying to climb a stone wall.

See the steps? This one was fairly easy, but with a full pack they're still difficult. I soon resorted to crawling on all fours across 😂

Eventually I had to get back to the Coast Path. It was muddy but not any cliffs on this stretch. I had lunch in Porthleven, what a lovely town! I was luck to get a window seat and had a wonderful view of the harbour.

As I left the town I asked a man if that was Lizard Head I could see in the distance. He said no, first I had to go up and down and up and down again, across the Loe Sandbar and some more ups and downs... GOOD LUCK! 

   Loe Sandbar and Not Lizard Head 

After the rain of the morning the afternoon was lovely. The sun was shining and my feet were already wet and muddy, so I just walked straight through anything and soon got to The Old Inn in Mullion, my stop for the night.

Day 2: Penzance to Praa Sands

March 1

Kilometers: 19

Ascent: 323

Horses: Coos: 

The morning was slow, since I only had 6 kilometers to walk before noon. It was nice but windy, with a couple of light showers and I was already wearing rain jacket and pants, so no problem. 

I got to Marazion an hour early. I was walking to St Michael's Mount and had to wait for the tide to go out so that the causeway to the island was dry. Finally people started crossing and I started too, I didn't want to cross too soon. 

The causeway is almost 1 kilometer and halfway across the wind picked up. Wawes came rolling in and at first I could avoid them but after a while my feet got soaked. Once across the wind picked up even more and it got very difficult to walk. For a while I was just standing, doing my best not to be swept away. And then it started to rain. It was a near biblical downpour, so I ran to the café, where my feet could dry while I had some hot chocolate and a scone.

By now the sun was out and I was soon on my way again. The downpour had made the paths very muddy and after a while I just walked right through the mud. I now had my waterproof socks on, so it was ok and walking in the middle of the mud was somewhat less slippery.

It was quite windy with very strong gusts and walking along the cliff was scary, so when I found a public footpath to the side I took it. It was so much nicer! The problem arose when I tried to rejoin the path. There was 30-ish meters of thigh-high brambles to cross, and every step my feet got caught. Thank goodness for my walking poles, I nearly fell a number of times.

The mud and the brambles made the walk take an hour longer than planned and I just made the bus back to Penzance with 2 minutes to spare.

Day 1: Land's End to Penzance

February 29

Kilometers: 22

Ascent: 380

Horses: Dartmoor ponies 4, Shetland ponies 4, horses 2

Coos: 43

I was on the bus to Land's End and met Francesca from the hotel. We walked together to Sennen Cove where we stopped at the pub and then went our separate ways. When I reread Alan's blog I saw that his first day was almost exactly the same as mine, so I decided to follow his route, since it looked better. 

The morning was cloudy with a few drizzles. Also, I found many "Private Road"-signs and I had to make a couple of detours from the route to find public footpaths. The gates were very varied!

The "gate" to one footpath

The afternoon was lovely, with occasional showers. I was walking across some heathland when I came across a couple of Dartmoor ponies. They were intrigued by my poncho, it was both scary and exciting, flapping in the wind.

As the day wore on the paths got muddier and the last public footpath was very overgrown and muddy, with downed trees and thorny things (brambles?). It was very time-consuming to get through, but I finally made it to my hotel in Penzance.