Coastal Walk - The final tally
- Paul Juckett
- Aug 6, 2020
- 4 min read
Welcome back dear reader.
Since finishing my walk on Friday 31st July 2020, I have been resting for the last six days.
Physically I have come out of it pretty well. There's some tiredness in the legs, but other than that no problems to report.
Many people have asked me "Why?" and it's a valid question.
First and foremost, lock down has meant that many charitable organisations have been unable to hold fund-raisers since March, but in many cases the call for the services and support they provide has increased as people struggled financially and mentally to cope with being furloughed or being cut off from family and friends.
The Royal British Legion provides support to ex-service personnel and their families across a wide range of issues and, being the Standard Bearer for the Dartmoor Branch, I was aware of the number of fund raising events that we could not hold this year and the hole that would be left in our finances as a result, so I decided to try and do something that would be allowed under the lock down rules and would also motivate others to give a little to the cause.
On June 01st, the lock down rules were relaxed to allow people to take as much outdoor exercise as they wanted, provided they returned to their own house each night, so I saw the opportunity to undertake this walk.
I have wanted to walk the length of the Cornish coast path since I was ten or eleven, which was when I first visited the Cornish coast. Until now, I had been frustrated in any attempt at achieving this ambition by work or the other day to day stuff that stops us all doing what we would really like to do. Back at the start of June 2020 though, circumstances afforded me that opportunity, the choice was simple - spend another couple of months sitting at home and occasionally walking around the village, or get to the coast each day and walk around it.
I chose option 2!
However, the rules of lock down (coupled with the reduced / non existent public transport services in Cornwall) meant that I couldn't just walk the coast path once, I'd have to come back each day to where I started in order to collect my car and drive home. So, that was the challenge I set myself, walk the entire Cornish coast path twice between June 01st 2020 and July 31st 2020. I set myself a fund raising target of £574.00 based on the fact that I believed that was twice the length of the Cornish coast path.
The initial plan was for me to walk from Welcombe Mouth (actually in Devon, but the nearest vehicular access to the start of the Cornish coast path) and walk along the North coast, down to Land's End and then along the South coast to Cremyll, with 50 days walking and 11 days rest (an average mileage of just under 11.5 miles each day).
Most importantly in the planning process was that each day's walking had to start at a car park, and cover the distance (whatever that might be) to another car park, before turning round and walking back. It was no surprise to me, to find that car parks are not evenly spaced out along the coast path at approximately six mile intervals!
June 01st 2020 - Following the plan, I drove to Welcombe Mouth and walked to Duckpool Bay and back (5.9 miles each way), nearly killing myself in the process! Physically, this is one of the toughest sections of the coast path, with five steep ascents and descents and I was not fit enough to do that! Add to this my failure to carry enough water on what turned out to be the hottest day of my entire walk and the result was that the plan had to change!
The North coast is the toughest walking and I simply could not manage to cover the first eight sections of that coast (which total around 19,500 feet of ascending and 19,500 feet of descending, over 106 miles) with my level of fitness as it was at the start of the walk.
So, one day in, the plan was changed (and this was not to be the last change of plan!)
Fatigue played it's part in ringing about further changes to the plan during the first two weeks, as did the weather throughout the walk, but eventually, bang on target I walked from Penzance station to Lamorna Cove and back on July 31st 2020.
During those 50 days walking, I covered 584.5 miles with ascents of 73,378 feet and descents of 73,351 feet (all measurements taken from Google maps. so I accept no responsibility for the accuracy thereof). 73,930 feet is 14 miles, and Mount Everest, K2 and Mount Kilamanjaro piled on top of each other total 73,380 feet to help you visualise what those ascents and descents are.
I raised a total of £1,272.70 for the Royal British Legion Dartmoor Branch and the monies have now been sent to them (receipts available!) and, upon receipt will go into the branch's Welfare fund, which is used to support ex-service personnel who request assistance. The branch has recently donate £2000.00 to the amenities fund of the Dunkirk Memorial Home, thanks in part to the money from your donations.
I hope that my Blogs have been entertaining and, if nothing else, you are now better equipped to select a section of the Cornish coast path to walk / visit. I'd recommend the stretch from Padstow down to Porthcothan for being relatively easy walking, with some of the best scenery.
For those that are keen to explore history, the Coast path between Cape Cornwall and Pendeen watch lighthouse is a must. If you want to test yourself and get a proper workout, the stretches from Welcombe Mouth to Rock along the North coast offer plenty!
If you would like to read the entire series of Blogs for this walk (and for my previous fund raising walk around France and Belgium) the home pages can be found here:
My plans for the future? I'll just rest up for a while and then (when boredom gets the better of me) start planning something, perhaps across Europe following the course of the allied armies after D-day? Perhaps the Italian campaign from Sicily to the North via Cassino, Anzio and Rome?
Watch this space.
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