Day 15

August 25, 2015

Depart Exmouth | Arrive Sidmouth, Accommodation: Royal Glen Hotel, Sidmouth

Distance: 20.1KM | Cumulative Distance: 354.7KM | Grade - Moderate/Strenuous

Ascent: 1,759 ft | Cumulative Ascent: 36,821 ft.

Cumulative Distance (both walks): 818.7 KM | Cumulative Ascent (both walks): 98,526 ft.

DEJA VU!

Awoke several times during the night but felt I'd slept well and finally got out of bed at around 7-40 and jumped into the shower, dressed and finished off my packing. This gave me a few minutes to check some emails before heading down for breakfast at 8-30. Today's walk was 12 1/2 miles or so and I felt in control of my day. For breakfast I decided on a change purely based on the fact that the B&B are supposedly famous for their omelettes. So it was a cheese omelette on brown bread and smothered in baked beans. It was excellent!

I finally got away at about 9-10am and walking towards the sea front it felt warm but blustery. I turned the corner and started my trek out to Orcombe Point along the sea front and there were one or two people out and about but not many. After a while I turned and could see that trouble was heading n my drecton and the Deja Vu kicked in. I'm thinking, I've seen this movie before!

On the way out to Orcombe Point I got a shot of the local lifeboat, and what's interesting, and something I never knew, the aerial, the highest point on the boat (after the aerial), and one or two other bits and pieces, all fold down when the boat is not in use I guess that makes sense really as I'm sure it helps when the boat is back in the boat house. It was at this point that I turned around and snapped a quick shot before storing my I-Pad as I didn't think I'd be needing it again, which is a shame really as I'd arrived at a very interesting section of the coast path and which is a World Heritage Sight, the Jurassic Coast. For more information you will need to research it on your search engine.

I reached the end of the sea front, climbed the stairs and was soon on top where shortly after I was joined by the rain. At The Point there was a "geoneedle" of Portland Stone which was inlaid with a representative series of stone panels placed in order in which they were deposited over the last 250 million years. Unfortunately, due to the rain, I was unable to get a photo. The path drove forward and by now the rain was a steady companion as I made my way around a large caravan site before dropping, albeit briefly, through a tiny wooded valley before rising to the heights of "The Floors". From this point there was a fairly gentle descent alongside the East Devon Golf Course but no one was a dense as I was to be out in this weather. Apart from two "enthusiastic" runners, climbing up from the campground, and two fellows coming up from the beach looking for their caravan, I had seen no one.

I had been moving at a pretty fair clip, helped in part by the very flat and straight first mile and a half or so, and was soon walking into Budleigh Salterton. I had contemplated stopping here for coffee, but thought better of it. In spite of the conditions I thought it better to keep motoring, and so I eschewed the coffee shops and headed along the sea front. I now had another pretty straight forward walk along another beach front but then had to turn left to head inland at the Otter Estuary where I had a walk of about 3/4 of a mile to find a footbridge to take me across the river. The path was very pleasant and it felt like the rain was easing now when I came across another crazy walker! Talk about Mad a Dogs and Englishmen! The fellow had recently retired and his girlfriend had a great job that included travel, and so all accommodations and expenses were covered. So while his girlfriend was working the fellow was indulging his passion. I gathered his lady friend wasn't a walker and so he's getting as much done as he can before she retires, as he feels that will be the end of his walking days, which in my opinion is pretty sad. I must say I've been blessed in my relationship with Liz as she's more than happy to let me do "my thing" and cheer me on from afar. We bid each other farewell and then it was off to find the bridge, and by now the rain was at the heaviest it had been all day, and there was a strong wind to go with it, which, after crossing the bridge I would be facing head on.

On the far side of the bridge not only did I have to contend with the weather, but also the path which now was a muddy track as opposed to the nicely paved gravel path on the opposite side of the river. It was now time to lower my head and keep marching and a short while later I noticed the path to my right was like a river, with water running past me. I then glanced up and not only was I still going up a reasonable grade the field was angling down to the path and water was being fed onto the path. It was wild. Finally I reached where the path turned left and I started the climb to the cliff tops and the path leading me to Ladram Bay. For a while I enjoyed a little shelter but the wind was I climbedhowling again and was quite strong. I pushed on as really there was no alternative. Last week I had no choice but to abandon the walk due to not being able to cross the Erme River, but today there was no "Get out of Jail" card to be played as too many people were relying on me getting the job done! What's weird is that I will absolutely miss every second that I've endured once the walk is behind me.

Once on top I fully understood the woman's warning in the shop about "not getting blown off the cliffs", as by now the wind was gusting pretty good. Being safety conscious I was walking a good 10 yards inside the line of the path. There was an amazingly strong wind now and you could see it pushing the grass like waves ahead of me when all of a sudden it let up. Thank you I said.

Once the wind had stopped so did the rain and then I came across another hiker who seemed to be in the same frame of mind as myself and there was the cursory hello as we passed and we were both on our way.

I arrived in Ladram Bay and stopped dead in my tracks as I was greeted by what would have been spectacular scenery on a clear day, but something I could appreciate on a day like today. As mentioned earlier this part of the coast is famous for the amazing views it provides and I had a glimpse of what all the fuss is about. The colours remind me so much of PEI, with the red dirt and cliffs, and although the sand isn't quite up to PEI standards it was still pretty red. Where I was headed was shrouded in mist but that did no deter me as I was now only a couple of miles from "home".

The path took me past a visitor centre and walkers are welcome, but with my goal in site it was no time to be thinking about stopping. The path gave me two choices, take the one on the right, which was the muddier option and just inside the treeline, or the straight on option, which seemed grassier and was between the bracken, and this latter option was the one I selected. So onwards and upwards I went and once at the top the path veered right and I met up with the first path where it led into the trees, dipped down, and brought me out into a clearing which was eerie! There was no noise, not even the birds, it was misty all around and oh so peaceful compared to what had gone on before. Once through the clearing the path led me down to a road, which in turn led me to another sign pointing me through the trees and from there led me into a long green field that led me all the way down to Sidmouth. I had departed Exmouth at 9-10 am this morning and arrived in at around 1-40 pm. After checking in I made a cup of tea, wolfed down the two biscuits that accompanied them and jumped in the shower. I then emptied my back-pack, as I had made the decision to mail some items I no longer required up to my sister in my home town of Derby. Off went the shoes I never got to use for wading the Erme, my book which officially ended at Exmouth and a couple of other bits and pieces. On Friday I will also be rid of Steve's hat, which I have carried all the way from Coverack, when I meet up with him and Helen at Portland. Now, as soon as I've posted this I'm off out for dinner.

The Lifeboat at Exmouth. As mentioned in the Blog even the mast area folds up!

Something wicked this way comes!

It stopped raining just long enough to get this shot. Serious erosion heading this way.

This would be well worth Googling.

Another shot I was able to get, which is looking back from where I had come.

Watching the waves crashing in at Sidmouth.

The first picture is the direction I came from, and the second is where I'm headed tomorrow. Notice on the 2nd picture the Chalk Cliffs compared to the Red Cliffs on the earlier shots. I believe the white cliffs belong to one period in time whereas the red belongs to another.

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