South West Coast Path: Parts 8/9/10

SWCP Part 8,9 and 10

Part 8 Zennor - Pendeen 18km 08/08

Part 9 Hayle - Zennor 22km 10/08

Part 10 Porthcurno - Lamorna 12km 11/08

Total 177km 17 % complete (837 to go)

This was the most walks I’ve done in a few almost consecutive days and I’m even more in awe of people who do it non-stop.

One of the most deceiving things about the “South West Coast Path” is that it isn’t always a path. Those ideas of a nice little track that winds its away gently around coves and rolling hills can be true but not always.

These three walks have included boulder fields and when I mean boulders I mean large boulders that you have to scramble over. Rocky lumpy “paths” where you can’t walk them in the traditional sense of walking. You just get over them and with zero elegance or style with a lot of swearing.

I’m just glad I got my walking sticks when I did. You need them around the Zennor stretch.

But you also get flat , even paths, heat absorbing and reflecting concrete and tarmac and a chance to up your pace. From Hayle to St Ives is flat and your pace can be 12 minutes per km compared to the bouldery boulder bits which drops to 30 minutes per km.

The fact is that the smooth bits are the peoply bits. The busy tourist laden towns of St Ives which you pick up speed on the flat paths because you can but also just because you want to get out there quick and back to the uneven, slow, peaceful but occasionally torturous paths.

I was aiming to do Porthcurno to Penzance but by the time I got to Lamorna, I was done. The thought of another “path” in direct sunlight and heat with my toes hurting was beyond me. It was time to stop.

It hadn’t helped that the coast path had led me with signs to a lower path by Tater  Du lighthouse. This was cliffy, overgrown with spiky gorse and whippy bracken and added extra time in the baking sun and km but I do love a lighthouse and was nice to see.

Lessons from the coast path:

• take the rough with the smooth

• it’s ok to stop when you’ve had enough

Fave things:

• the lovely chatty people I’ve met on the bus journeys and the tales they’ve shared

• watching tuna chase mackerel near Porthcurno leaping through the skies AND having my bins   with me  

• craft fair to get fresh scones and home made jam for when…

• the boys met me at the end of the Zennor to Pendeen walk

  
  

As ever if you can please do support others on much harder journeys. Thinking especially this week of the lovely Karen whose birthday it was.

https://www.justgiving.com/page/maya-plass-swcp-pccf?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL

The "path" not being very path like!