SWCP Day 1: Up and Away

A note on distances/ascent: I didn’t GPS track, I just used my Garmin to record steps, so all distances/ascents are estimated from the guidebook and distance calculator on the SWCP Association website. However, there seems to be discrepancies all over the place, so distances/ascents are only an estimate! And yes I use miles and metres, it doesn’t make much sense but I can’t help it 😜

Other SWCP posts:

Introduction
Day 2: Porlock to Lynton
Day 3: Lynton to Combe Martin
Day 4: Combe Martin to Mortehoe
Day 5: Rest day, Morte Point loop
Day 6: Mortehoe to Braunton
Day 7: Braunton to Westward Ho!
Day 8: Westward Ho! to Clovelly
Day 9: Clovelly to Hartland Quay
Day 10: Hartland Quay to Morwenstow
Day 11: Morwenstow to Bude
Days 12-14: Bude to Crackington Haven
Day 15: Crackington Haven to Tintagel
Day 16: Tintagel to Port Isaac
Day 17: Port Isaac to Padstow
Day 18: Padstow to Porthcothan
Day 19: Porthcothan to Crantock
Day 20: Rest day, Holywell bay loop
Day 21: Crantock to St Agnes
Day 22: St Agnes to Godrevy
Day 23: Godrevy point to St Ives
Day 24: St Ives to Pendeen Watch
Day 25: Pendeen Watch to Sennen Cove
Day 26: Sennen Cove to Lamorna
Day 27: Lamorna to Marazion
Day 28: Marazion to Porthleven
Day 29: Porthleven to Lizard Point
Day 30: Lizard Point to Coverack
Day 31: Rest day in Coverack
Day 32: Coverack to Maenporth

Day 33: Maenporth to Portscatho

Day 34: Portscatho to Boswinger

Day 35: Boswinger to Pentewan

Day 36: Pentewan to Polkerris

Days 37-39: Polkerris to Fowey

Day 40: Polruan to Polperro

Day 41: Polperro to Seaton

Day 42: Seaton to Kingsand

Day 43: Kingsand to Plymouth

Day 1

Minehead to Porlock village

Approx. 7.5 miles, 556m ascent

22,830 steps

My Mum offered to drop me in Minehead, so we set off on the morning of Tuesday 28th May, with the aim of getting walking by late morning. The sun was shining, but the rain was also trying to give it a go, with smatterings of showers. It was a strange feeling on the drive; I’d been in a bit of a whirlwind preparing and simultaneously finishing up at my job, so sitting still for a couple of hours and actually considering what I was about to do was exciting, and the nerves were fluttering around. After a pitstop in Lidl for lunch supplies, we parked up on Minehead front and found the big sculpture that marks the start of the coast path trail. It is an impressively sized monument, and the obligatory pictures were taken. A bit more fussing and checking the backpack and supplies, then there were no more excuses; time to get going. 

The sculpture at Minehead marking the start of the Coast Path

Looking all shiny and clean, that t-shirt didn't stay white for long...

Mum joined me for the first couple of miles. All started nice and easy for half a mile, but at the end of the seafront the path rises ominously into the trees. It isn’t a gentle introduction to the path, although probably an accurate foreboding of what the next few weeks would hold! The path climbed steeply up through the wooded hillside to gain a few hundred metres of elevation in a couple of miles or so. The weight of the backpack started to feel ridiculous, I couldn’t imagine how I was going to carry on for 628 more miles. What an absolutely stupid idea this was, too unfit, too unprepared, too scared.

Hard to capture the steepness!

Then we broke through the trees out on to the top of the rolling Exmoor plateau, with Wales glinting in the distance across the blue and turquoise sea. Clouds rolled across the sky, changing the sea colours below. A hint of why it would all be worth it. We decided on a lunch break, and immediately the heavens opened in a sudden downpour. Quick, get the (too neon green) backpack cover out! A task I would become very proficient at over the next several days. As quickly as it arrived the rain disappeared, and we continued up the next rise to join some Exmoor ponies enjoying the view. Mum and I parted ways, and after a last photo and wave I was on my own in the wilds of Exmoor.

Looking across to Wales

Made it to the top!

The clouds cleared and the walk across the tops of the grassy cliffs was easy going and meditative; I found my mind emptying and calming. I barely saw a soul, which was fortunate when it came to needing the first al fresco toilet break, as there wasn’t much cover up there on the plateau! After a few miles easy walking the path plunged alarmingly down a steep rocky slope, and after double-checking the maps and signs, it did indeed appear to be the actual route. Hilarious. A terrifying 5 minutes making full use of the walking poles, and I was relieved to take the weight off my wildly shaking legs on a welcome bench, with views over Bossington beach. Now within a couple of miles of Porlock, I was obviously in dog-walking territory as I suddenly met lots of people (and hounds) enjoying the afternoon sunshine.

Green hills, sunny skies

The first inkling of the descent ahead...

View from the bench, legs shaking!

The difficult walking done, all that remained was to get a little lost coming through the pretty village of Bossington, then head to the campsite in Porlock, up a lane that felt much longer than it really was. Sparkhayes campsite doesn’t have the newest or shiniest facilities, but the owner had thought of everything for the hiker, with a kettle, charging points and a covered seating area, and importantly a reasonable nightly rate. A couple of large flat grassy fields with stone walls meant there was plenty of space despite it being half-term holidays. I successfully pitched my tent for the first time, in the lee of a wall out of the wind. Only minimal swearing, and pauses to chat to the friendly family on the other side of the wall. The first of many conversations about whether I really was carrying that giant backpack, and travelling all alone. A hot shower and then I walked (slowly!) into the village to find delicious beef and Bath Blue pie and plenty of chips at The Piggy In The Middle. 

Marshes behind Bossington beach

Tent successfully pitched! Very good design from Alpkit, so easy really.

Good pie

Successfully avoiding falling asleep into my dinner, I meandered back to the tent, noting the fellow hiker that had arrived whilst I was stuffing myself with pie. Key signs: A tiny tent, clothing strewn drying along all available guy ropes, fences and walls, clearly fast asleep at 8pm. Laid down in my sleeping bag to rest my eyes and aching hips and shoulders, jolted awake a little while later for pre-bed ablutions in the glow of a lovely sunset.