Day 10

August 20, 2015

Depart Bigbury on Sea | Arrive Salcombe, Accommodation: Victoria Inn, Salcombe

Distance: 21KM | Cumulative Distance: 243.5KM | Grade - Moderate/Strenuous

Ascent: 2,382 ft | Cumulative Ascent: 23,776 ft.

Cumulative Distance (both walks): 707.5 KM | Cumulative Ascent (both walks): 85,481 ft.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES!!

I had no reason to rush this morning as breakfast was not going to be served until 9am. I can just hear my sister/brother in laws now, tut tutting about how my breakfasts seem to be getting later and later. When we walked England's Coast to Coast, back in 1998 and again in 2003, with Maggie and Wally, we liked to be out early, and if memory serves me well the latest we ever left was 8-30!

Anyway by the time I'd eaten, and then found someone to settle my bill, I didn't set off until about 9-45 which is absurdly late. The good thing is it wasn't raining, but the mist was low on the hills which was not a good sign, especially once I started climbing up to the cliff tops. The path led down past a row of thatched homes to the car park from where the path cut left and I started my first climb of the day. I was extremely relieved that it wasn't raining, and although I knew my views would be limited I much preferred walking in low cloud than the rubbish that I endured yesterday. The legacy from all the rain was the extremely wet and muddy conditions underfoot. For the first little while the walking was quite enjoyable and then I came across the golf course and there were quite a few golfers enjoying their day. Golfing in the SW of England will be a vastly different game to that in Canada, as you have to be able to control the ball in windy conditions, and as well cope with way the courses tend to tilt towards the sea. According to my book there were a string of sandy bays below me but in the conditions I couldn't tell if there were or not. There is also the wreck of a ship lying offshore but due to the conditions that never materialized either.

I soon dropped down behind the golf course and walked past South Milton Sands and I was shocked by the number of people I was seeing today, which was complete contrast to yesterday. My next destination was Soar Mill Cove and I came across a family with 2 young children and they were heading to the Cove for a day on the beach. The visibility at sea level was fine but as soon as you start climbing the view drops to about 100 feet or so. Climbing away from Soar Mill Cove I noticed a lady I front of me working her way up to the summit, and I passed her right at the top of the climb and disappeared into the mist. The walking was fine, although a little challenging as it's difficult finding landmarks in such poor visibility, and this resulted in me following a path that led me down and around the cliffs where I met a group of people with young kids who had come down the path I was now climbing. The further I got up the trail the less visible the path was, and I was thinking to myself "this doesn't feel right" and the further I ventured the more I was searching for an escape root up and away from any potential danger. I then determined going straight on was not a good plan and so turned left and went straight up where I connected with the path. On a clearer day this would never have happened. Shortly after the signage became clearer and clearer and much easier to follow, and the track was extremely good to walk on. My biggest regret was not having any views, as on the odd occasion I could see just enough to determine I was on high cliffs that were at least 400 feet high. Just my luck, as I'm sure I would have bagged some great photos.

It was really interesting now, as the mist was getting thicker and yet people kept appearing out of nowhere, some on day hikes and others going for a short jaunt from one village to the next, and there were even the odd runners thrown in for good measure.

I had made great time and before I knew it I was only 2 1/2 miles from Salcombe which was destination for the day. Unfortunately the mist was now at its worst and I ended up back at the sign that said Salcombe 2 1/2 miles. It was also the same time as the lady arrived who I had passed coming out of Soar Mill Cove. It turns out she had done the walk a number of times before but even she was flummoxed as we started walking together for safety reasons. We ended up at the same sign that we had left 15 minutes prior, and it was then that we saw some walkers who were locals who pointed us in the right direction, which it turns out wasn't the right route. The path we had been on was quite well groomed, and which didn't feel right to me so I ended up going down a path that was quite rocky, and which the lady wasn't too keen on but my instincts proved right and there was the SW Coast Path sign with the obligatory acorn and before we knew it we were at Overbecks and Salcombe was now only 2 miles away all of it along a road. The lady was so happy to be down that she insisted on buying me coffee and learning more about Opportunity International,which I was only too happy to do as I feel the more people I can tell about the charity the better.

My accommodation for the evening is probably the only place during the entire walk that doesn't do breakfast, but I've already scoped out two places. One that opens at 7, which will have Maggie and Wally nodding approvingly, and the other at 8 am. The bigger question is what time the ferry leaves and I'm hoping it's not 10 am like at Wembury.

All in all it has been a great day and I'm in a much better frame of mind than I was 24 hours ago.