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On my way

I alighted from the overnight train at 8am and made a beeline for the Quirky Bird cafe in Penzance for fried breakfast number 1 of my trip. Fortified, I grabbed a cab to take me to Land’s End. The cab driver was the first Cornish person I had met and he appeared to be something of a Jonah. In the 20 minutes of so to Land’s End he told me about his experiences as a ship wreck victim (his boat was hit by an oil tanker) and (at great length) about various health issues and surgeries. We arrived at Land’s End, he showed me a photo of his surgical scar, charged me 30 quid and bid me good day.

Land’s End was deserted so I took a photo of the famous sign and strode off, pretending that my pack wasn’t as heavy as a grand piano and that I’d get used to it before long. I walked through Sennen Cove, assuming there would be other places to stop and along the beach heading northwards. The sun was shining and all was good in the world, excepting the lack of a mobile signal and a very slow rate of progress indeed.

I stopped for 20 minutes cooling my feet in this stream. I would happily have stayed here all day except that I’d only managed 5 miles in about 3 hours. Walking was an effort, lots of ups and downs with little flat ground. However, the views were extraordinary, if hard won.

At Cape Cornwall there was a cafe where I ordered a drink and lay down on the grass, attracting strange looks from children and day trippers. I also chatted to a couple who told me that this stage of the south west coastal path was one of the very hardest, so not to be discouraged. Feeling better, I headed onwards.

For the next hour or so I passed various extraordinary examples of tin mining and other industry from the region, all of which now appear to be curated by the National Trust. They also leave helpful notices along the path advising people not to fall down mine shafts.

There were people swimming on this beautiful remote beach. I was so very tempted to join them but it was about 4pm by now and I still hoped to get to the pub in Zennor before the end of the day.

Beyond Pendeen lighthouse I met nobody for at least 2 hours. I soon realised that reaching Zennor was a pipe dream. More stunning scenery and even more ups and downs. The path climbed, plunged down narrow rocky paths around coves then rose again. By about 7pm I reached this beautiful spot and was very tempted to stop and camp. However, recent evidence of cows grazing made me see sense.

About 8pm, completely done in I found some flatish ground just beyond Gurnard’s Head. This section of the route was extraordinarily beautiful but was very remote. Any villages (and hostelries) were at least a mile inland and given my lack of mobile signal I didn’t want to risk a detour of that magnitude just to be disappointed. I ate a Firepot chicken curry and pitched my tent. On lying down I realised there was a large rock underneath my tent, but I didn’t care enough to repitch it. I watched the sun set and fell gratefully into a very deep sleep.

Day summary

15 miles completed, 250 floors, 4,250 calories burned. Extraordinary sights, one hell of an effort to get even that far. Hoping for an easier day tomorrow.