Day 17

August 25^th Depart St. Ives

Arrive Pendeen Watch Accommodation: The Old Manse B&B

Distance 22 KM | Cumulative Distance: 374.7 KM | Grade – Severe

Ascent 3,186 FT | Cumulative Ascent: 50,219 FT

Google Map Pendeen

First of all let me apologize for the delay in posting the St. Ives to Pendeen leg of the walk. Unfortunately it was the day from hell, and I think, by the time you have read this, you will have a better understanding of what we endured!

As breakfast was not served until 8-30 it was an opportunity to stay in the warmth of my bed. The weather is definitely on the turn here, and the last couple of mornings have been on the cooler side. Finally climbed out of bed at 7 and jumped in the shower, and then it was time to pack our bags. At 10 after 8 I suggested to Liz that we go out to find somewhere to pick up lunch, but unfortunately the sandwiched either had not arrived yet, or the ones we saw did not look appealing at all. Instead we picked up some chocolate and power bars and returned for breakfast. The hotel served the weakest breakfast to date, and I opted for beans on toast, and decided to forego the eggs. The meal arrived and it was one thin slice of brown bread and a couple of spoons of beans, there wasn't enough to feed a gnat!

Bill was staying at the same hotel, unbeknown to me, and so I introduced him to everyone, and he came to Liz's rescue, as she was complaining her feet were hurting, especially on the outside of her ankle's. Bill gave Liz a chiropody pad which is about a 1/4 inch thick, and you can either cut strips, and place them around the affected area (in an effort to keep the pressure of the boot from impacting on the bone), or in my case cut out a hole and apply the pad. This seemed to work a treat and Liz was a lot happier. The weather outside was miserable to say the least, and Bill said that he was going to wait a while to see if the weather was going to "pick up". In my opinion the weather looked like it could be in for a good period of the day and so, after saying our good-byes, it was time for the off. Before I go any further it would be inappropriate if I did not acknowledge the amazingly generous financial and emotional contribution that my sister and nephew provided. In my sisters case she is retired, and my nephew works as a carer, looking after handicapped people, and so neither of them have a lot of disposable income, and yet they dug so very deep to contribute to the spirit of the walk, and I will never be able to thank them enough. Thank you Shirley and David, I'm so proud that you are my family.

At 9-30 we stepped out into the streets of St . Ives and were greeted by a steady rain. We found our way around the harbour and quickly found our path and so we were on our way. The path led us along the rear of Porthmeor Beach and out to Clodgy Point and then on to Hor Point. Unfortunately this is where our troubles started as the path led us into the heather and after 30 minutes or so the trail pointed us uphill and a few minutes later the path wound back on itself and so we were forced to go through a campground and picked up the road. By now the rain was pretty heavy and coming down sideways and I was concerned for Liz, a) because she didn't sign up for these conditions, and b) the state of her feet with the problems she was having. Remarkably she was putting on a very brave face, which didn't surprise me as she is incredibly resolute. Finally we saw a fellow coming out of a cul-de-sac with his dog and I explained we were looking for the South West Coast Path and a couple of minutes later we were on our way after being given great directions. Finally after about 45 minutes we were back on track and this is where the fun really began. This section of the path is described in the book as a magnificent length. It is also tough going with rocky scrambles and boggy sections. Factor in the rain coming down sideways and you will get the picture. It is virtually impossible to go fast, or even get a stride on, as you are constantly picking your way through and over rocks or through the bog. Every once in a while you would get a 2 or 300 yard section, where you could get into a rhythm but they were few and far between. We did have some good luck however, because around 11 am the rain finally abated and the sun came out to greet us.

At noon we stopped for a well deserved lunch break at the stop of a steady climb up. As I was usually ahead of Liz it gave me the opportunity to get my jacket spread on the ground, so we would have somewhere to sit, and get her chocolate and power bar sorted out, we had the best view in the house, as you will see from the picture below. After 25 minutes it was time to go and so it was back to the slog. 12 -30 became 1-30, which in turn became 2-30 and finally 3 pm rolled round. We had successfully come through the "minefield" but at a cost. Liz's sore ankle had returned, which was not surprising, as the terrain we had travelled through would uncover anyone's injuries and so I made the decision that I would deposit Liz at the Tinners Arms at Zinner. At 3-20 we finally reached this particular destination, and by my calculation it had taken us 10 minutes shy of 6 hours to travel 6 miles. Liz went into the Tinners Arms to sort out her cab, and I started to load some of the heavier items from my pack into Liz's bag as I was trying to lighten my load for the 7 miles plus that I still had to go in order to get to Pendeen.

Liz came out and I said a quick good bye and I was on my way back to pick up the trail, which was about a quarter mile away. At 3-30 pm I found the steep down hill section that is the start of the 7 mile walk to Pendeen Watch, and I hastened down as quickly as my legs would carry me. By all accounts this section is not as tough as the first, although you could have fooled me on this first up hill section, as it appeared very similar to what we had encountered earlier in the day.

The walking was up and down and I was managing to go at a fair clip, especially on the downhill and flatter sections, as I wasn't sure how long this section was going to take, especially after the first 6 miles. There was a diversion to an Iron Age fort but I decided against it due to the late hour. Around 5 pm the weather decided to take a turn for the worst and it looked like the day was going to end like it had started. Suddenly the rain started to pour and come at me sideways, it was crazy, yet exhilarating and thankfully I had many kind messages of support to draw on, something that had carried me through the tough times earlier in this journey. Within 5 minutes my shorts were completely soaked, and the rain was showing no sign of abating. The weather here is very difficult to gauge, as the rain hits, sometimes really hard, and 10, maybe 15 minutes later it has gone again and then the sun comes out. And that's exactly what happened here, as 30 minutes after it came the rain went away to be replaced by the warm sunshine and a good drying breeze. Finally I could see Pendeen Watch, which is the lighthouse, at the end of the road, at which point I would then have to walk a mile inland to Pendeen. The final climb down was pretty steep as was the climb back up, but now my goal was in sight and I soon arrived at the lighthouse. Would you know it, the walk up to Pendeen was all uphill! This gave me time to reflect on the fortunes of Bill who I knew was somewhere behind me. The path was not one that he would have enjoyed, but he's a stubborn cuss who will not take no for an answer, but still it was a very tough grind. I eventually reached my B&B in Pendeen at 7 pm, which meant I had managed the last 7 miles, plus the 1 miles to Pendeen in 3 1/2 hours, and yet this morning had struggled to cover 6 miles in about 5 hours!

My landlady told me that Liz had gone up to the pub to ensure we had a table for dinner, and so I went up to my room to get a well deserved shower and to give my feet some well deserved r'n'r. After showering and changing I took the short 10 minute walk up to where Liz was waiting and was met by the jovial Landlord, Martin, who told me that she had run up a sizeable tab already, (Liz's drink of choice is Vodka and sparkling water, on ice with a wedge of lemon).

Now for some pictures. Based on the weather that greeted us at the start of the day,I'm shocked that we were able to get even one picture, but here you go.