just a heads down kind of day

From first thing the rain was on the go, till last really! Very misty and humid so it wasn't cold (I'm struggling for positive!) we're in the industrial china clay mining area so footpaths are limited the ground water is making those pretty unappealing so it's a needs must kind of day just push through the rather grim weather on mostly equally appealing roads! 

Our path eventually led us to a village called Roche where a pub meal lightened the day and helped with taking our minds off the pain in our feet, we're both battling through that at the moment nothing to serious but it's slowing us down a bit so the schedule is slightly off now, once we're in flatter land we'll easily make that up, I've always said Cornwall either makes or breaks lejogers!, and we're nearing it's border! 

Once again after lunch we put our heads down just walked still to misty to see much but nearing our days end we found an ancient stone cross possibly Celtic/Saxon? It's called the Reppary cross , beyond that a brief search hasn't bought anything up! 

Still nice find! 

Onto our campsite for the night nice and early we met out latest trail angel the owner of the campsite! Thanks so much for what you did! 

Hunkered down and fed we're ready to sleep the night away!

sunshine with a cost

I would like to say that I woke up this morning! It's more I didn't sleep much the previous night, the wind was incredible! I spent most of the night getting slapped around by my tent as it took a beating from the storm! Exhausted as we were in the morning/day the weather helped so much, sunshine albeit with a chilly wind still was such a welcome change!

One thing that didn't change was the generosity of strangers! We raised another £147 pounds from people I'd previously not met! 

Their trust in us and our mission (?) is extremely heat warming!! Particularly when one doner  explained that both he and his mother owed their lives to the fast response of the air ambulance!!!! That gets me emotional!!! We picked the right cause.

Back to the walk.......

Out of St Day's we once again climbed on the Cornwall roller coaster! Down into the remains of GoonGumpass tin(?) mines..... (Where do they come up with these names!!!) where nature was reclaiming and restoring the land.... Stopping with the help of workers who had blocked off our path. A quick diversion took us along and into a very welcome and unexpected cafe! Bon appetit indeed!!

A good chinwag with a group of cyclists about our past and present adventures we headed uphill (shock) our thigh muscles are getting one

hell of a workout! Which explains the pain as I write this! 

A combination of roads and tiny soggy lanes with trees reaching over us and ransom's (wild garlic) regaling our senses from where we trod with ponies and horses as our companions the route took us into Truro where it would have been rude to pass up on lunch at the local Wether spoons! And a stop at mountain warehouse for a small kit change for me .... At both of these unexpected generosity came our way! 

Onwards yes up hill very uphill out of town and down towards the Tresillian tidal river at a muddy low ebb, walking along the main road twice road workers vans beeped us! We'd met them both earlier 🙂.

Onto slower roads the village of Probus and it's garage shop restocked my breakfast supplies and the best generosity received today as I sat on the forecourt drinking coke.... Thank you! 

Small roads out of the village led to smaller roads led to lanes, our route dodged under a railway twice before heading up hill to where space was just enough to squeeze in a wild camp! 

Sleep will be heavy tonight!

Angels, mortars and motors!

Today really shouldn't have been too interesting, a day of road walking is always painful and you keep your head down and just go, but you never know what the trail will surprise you with!!!

We headed out from our damp wild camp and wandered in to Hayle passing a huge old Crimean siege Morter! Presumably locally made impressively placed in front of old stone walls that looked like a fortress but after looking at Google maps didn't seem to be much of anything! 

Heading into town we had a traditional breakfast stop where myself and Tracey and Jon had eaten back in 2015 when I was completing my second end to end walk! 

Onto the road network and we started today's slog up and down hills

and valleys which did get some interesting descriptions from us as we struggle up the inclines! from Hayle to Connors down and into Camborne we walked where we stopped for coffee and cake at the Cornish pastie oven, where we met the first trail angel's of the day! 

Trail angel's I should point out are people who show you unexpected generosity and kindness! 

The ladies at the pastie oven upon hearing our aims gave us free cake! I mentioned that this made them trail angels! Whereupon they then gave us pasties and sausage rolls to go!!! 

Obviously I recommend this establishment! 😁

On through Camborne we saw old mine workings and surprisingly what looked like modern mine workings! I guess still digging tin?

Continuing on to Redruth and walking below the hill carn brae which with better weather would have been the route of choice today, but the cycle track below was pleasant walking with wild garlic and Alexander's (brought in by the Romans!) just two herbs I recognised as we passed through, plenty of dog walkers.... Always have to fuss the pooches!!

Into Redruth the days road walking was telling with my first blister of the walk, the pace slowed accordingly with only a few miles left to go up and into St Day's where we planned to camp at a site, here we found the second trail angel of the day! 

Nathan at the campsite gave us free camping for the night! We told our story then headed off to set up for the night, tent half pitched Nathan wandered over and gave a £60 pound donation for the charity!!!!

The kindness of strangers never fails to impress!! 😊

day 1, Rain, wind, mud, cow sh@t and friendly pigs!!

What to say about today!?!? 

Let's start with distance ... The planned distance was 15.1 miles, actual walked distance was 18.4 miles on very hilly ground tramping away from lands end in good company with Tracey, my dear friend Ruth and Sarah Tracey's mate, weather was overcast with occasional sun breaking through with a strong south Westerly wind at our backs, the sea was breaking impressively on the cliffs and rocks of the coast making the powerful wind very welcome! 

The path took as along to Sennen where most sane people were staying snug and warm in front of the TV, yeah we'll come back to sanity.....

Heading inland we diverted from the plan and wandered past the lands end airport with it's flags and signs saying cafe open!!!! Disappointingly it wasn't! 

Crossing potato fields and tiny single track roads we gained height as we reached the highest backbone of Cornwall picking up our first A road passing old almost megalithic ruins of industry past!

We car dodged for a few miles into Newbridge finding a pub not on the map serving Sunday dinner normally reservation only they kindly squeezed us in! 

Bloated from a great feed and plodding slowly we got to the bridge where a quirky resident had set up a Cornish elf(?) on the bridge wall....odd!

Uphill out of Newbridge and walking a succession of hills and valleys we pass a village called Madron fun with the sign was inevitable! 😄

The undulating country continued for the rest of the afternoon with strong wind and rain and regular views of the distant St Michael's mount through the misty air.... It seemed no matter how far we walked signs to Penzance all said 4 miles! 

Coming into one valley we pass a pig field where the old black pigs got a good scratch behind the ears 😊

Pushing on to get to the end of the days planned walk the rain started to gain strength and we found ourselves hunting for a wild camp for the night luckily by early evening we'd found some sheltered woodland and we set up for the night.

the journey south

The trip south to Cornwall went well, coffee stops and a cracking find of a roadside diner near Honiton called Brightside which provided excellent midday meals, a burger called a dirty brisket burger omg it was wonderful!

The weather sadly became less than wonderful with the expected strong wind along with heavy rain, this meant we diverted from our planned campsite for the night to a nearby studio apartment which was perfectly named! See pic! 

Settling in for the night the weather turned again and it was sunny! Before turning back to cloud..... We made the right choice!

Fingers crossed for decent weather for the start tomorrow! 

George Yung

With the weather looking rather windy this quote from George Yung is apt in so many ways!!

May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face. And may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars.

meeting the Air ambulance rep!

Lovely to meet up with Karen today! Achieved one good photo out of a comedy of errors with technology!

All ready for the off tomorrow now! 

I've never looked so yellow in my life!! 😁