Welcome
Thanks for taking the time to check this blog out. As you
can see from the title bar, I am going to attempt to walk the entire Southwest
Coast Path, in one continuous hike, starting 5th May 2022.
For those of you that don’t know, the Southwest Coast Path
runs from Minehead in Somerset, to Poole Harbour in Dorset, via Land’s End.
The path is England’s longest continual National Trail and
is 630 miles from start to finish. You may be wondering why anyone would want
to walk that far? Well, I was looking for a fresh challenge (both mental and physical) and needed
to lose weight and get fitter. As some of you will know, I have managed to lose
a bit of weight recently and wanted to make this permanent by being more
active. I don't like running but I’ve always enjoyed walking and the SWCP offers some of the most
spectacular scenery in the U.K. So, it ticks many boxes!
Most people tend to imagine a coast path as being a nice
stroll along a wide sandy beach. There’s no denying that there are some
spectacular beaches along the way, but they only take up a fraction of path.
Who’s watched Poldark or Doc Martin? Both shows have the spectacular Cornish
Coastal scenery in abundance, but did you notice how hilly it is? Have you
heard of Clovelly in Devon, where the road is so steep, goods can only be
delivered on a sledge? Or maybe you’ve been to Durdle Door in Dorset and needed
oxygen to get back to the car park! My point being, the coast path is very
rarely level. In fact, by the time I complete it, I will have climbed 115,000 feet
(35,000 metres), which is four times the height of Mt Everest!
As if that wasn’t hard enough, in order to keep the budget
within a reasonable amount, I will be sleeping in a tent most of the time. Yes, I
could use luggage transfer companies to take my kit from one place to the
other, but this also becomes quite expensive and means I would have to
stick to a strict itinerary, which I’m not keen on doing. Therefore, I
will be carrying everything I need in a backpack! The challenge is to try and
keep the weight of that backpack to a minimum, whilst not completely
compromising on comfort. I have no exact plan of how long it will take to
complete. I want to be able to take my time and enjoy the views, but 8-10 weeks is a rough estimate.
I am under no illusion that this is going to be a very tough
challenge. However, it has got to be enjoyable as well, otherwise I will never
complete it. With that in mind, I have spent the last 6 months, slowly getting
a bit fitter! I’m no racing snake, but I am aerobically fitter than I have been
for the last 20 years! I will be finalising my training, by completing some
short hikes with a full backpack, just to get used to carrying the weight. So,
if you see me out walking with a large pack on my back, you’ll know why!
As an extra incentive to make sure I complete the walk, I have decided to raise money for charity. I have chosen to support
Statistically, most of us will suffer some form of mental health crisis during
our lifetime. I had a serious crisis a few years ago, where I became suicidal.
Thankfully, I came through the crisis and have learnt coping strategies, but it
could easily have gone the other way. I fear the mental health services are
going to come under increasing strain, due to the ongoing effects of Covid, the
cost of living crisis and fears about the Ukrainian conflict. MIND are able to
take some of the burden away from NHS services. If you would like to support my
efforts, you can do so on my just giving page.
Thankyou for reading this far. I hope that you will continue
to follow my progress as I perambulate the southwest periphery!
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