Deb Travels the World

Steps / Distance: 28,890 19.8 km
Rating: moderate

It was foggy and misty in the morning but brightened up in the afternoon. The YHA hostel in St Just was the only accommodation I could find between Pendeen and Penzance. So a short day, arriving and dropping off my pack before 2pm and not able to check in until 5. The hostel is between the path and the town of St Just, but it was a bit difficult to find as the footpaths linking to the town are not in Google maps and are not well marked. After some wandering and false starts (paths that went no where or blocked by fences), I finally found myself at the pub in town.

The path views today were all about the tin and asbestos mining, with ruins and remnants littering the landscape

I found a nice bench for a break.

Steps / Distance: 26,139 17.9 km
Rating: Severe

Well, the severe rating is for the walking the whole way, with the first 1/4 being the most difficult. The description of the route includes: lonely and remote, tough going, rocky scrambles, boggy lengths and no facilities near the path for the 14-mile/22km distance. The weather forecast called for early and late rain and high winds. I opted to avoid the worst of the weather and the path (which I judged would be more slippery and severe in bad weather) and so, took the bus to Gurnard's Head, approximately halfway.

Views from the bus.

It sprinkled rain on and off for the four hours and the wind was strong and constant. The path in this section is not overly steep, but is very rocky. The rocks were actually easier to manage than many of the steps and scree-covered paths of prior days. And they created stepping stones through the bogs. But the rocks were sometimes slippery from the rain.

The coastline views were, as ever, spectacular, even without the sun to which I'd become accustomed.

The forecast looks better for the next 10 days, so looking forward to the sunshine again.

Steps / Distance : 21,397 14.65 km
Rating: easy

As I was going to St Ives...I met an easy path, but very strong winds. I had to wear my puffer (down jacket). For the first time it was mostly overcast, although it's cleared up and is sunny now.

Looks like they've "borrowed" the shell logo from the Camino in Spain to put alongside the usual acorn, which designates the English coastal path. Hmmm. Not sure how I feel about that.

Had a yummy pub meal in the Bier Huis which has a 12-page beer menu. My kind of place!

This was the first reference I've seen to the king

Steps/Distance: 38,060 25.98 km
Rating : easy - moderate

I started out following this truck, which was scraping the bricks and stone on both sides as it crawled along the narrow and windy road. They need a narrower truck

The route was relatively flat,with only a couple of semi-steep spots. I stopped at Hell's Mouth Cafe for a scone and some warming hot water -windy cold today.

With help of borrowed binoculars, I saw some seals. There's a white dot on the rock. Yes, that's a seal.

And then came the undulating sand dunes above the beach. I should have just walked on the beach from the start since the tide was out, but I eventually figured it out and walked on the beach for the last hour or so.

Apparently, we owe Hayle for all modern conveniences.

There was a great Adsa grocery store in Hayle, so I was able to buy food for dinner and breakfast, as well as some yummy cherries and oranges.

Steps / Distance: 39,842 27.22 km
Rating: moderate then strenuous

The rating was certainly true that the last bit was strenuous. Here are pics of the down (can you see that it's the top of a step that looks like a drop off the cliff? That was the down; the second pic is the equally steep steps up the other side. Not sure if you can make out the steps, but trust me, steep and a lot of them.

The most interesting thing about today's walk was the remnants of the mining operations. I think mostly tin, but there may have been coal or other mines.

Of course, there were also beautiful views, including of Chapel Porth (can you see it written on the hill?)

Tonight, I'm staying in a lovely apartment with a sunny deck (view from deck), perfect for drying laundry while I'm in the pub having a Dartmouth Jail Ale.