Quarter of the way there!

First of all, I’m really sorry about the lack of updates so far.I’ve been having some issues with my WordPress app, which I use for posting to the blog, which I needed time, a good WiFi connection and a degree of motivation to sort out. Because I’ve been walking slowly with my bad ankle, it’s been taking most of the day to get the miles done, and by the time I’ve finished I’ve just not felt like getting to grips with technology. But now I’m taking a day or two off in Padstow, so it’s time to sort it out!

I can’t believe that I am already a quarter of the way through my hike! 166 miles done out of 630 total from Minehead to Poole. The long distance hiker in me says “what, already?” in a disappointed tone of voice (so short!) while the wimp in me says “uurgh, 474 miles to go with this sore right foot!” The jabbing pain I got at first is less frequent now, as long as I place my foot carefully it’s just a constant ache in my heel, now complemented by a blistered little toe. Small niggles really.

But the scenery has been amazing. I hadn’t done any of the section around Exmoor before (Minehead to Barnstaple) so that was all new and exciting. The section since Barnstaple I did three years ago with Neil when we walked from John O’Groats to Land’s End, so this was our “grand finale”. We were doing huge daily mileages then, so it has been lovely to take it slower this time around, and also to see it at a different time of year. I’ve also enjoyed meeting a couple of hikers setting off from Land’s End to John O’Groats – I hope they enjoy it as much as Neil and I did!

I’ve been camping all the way so far, a mixture of campsites and wild camping. So I’ve had some very cold, windy nights on clifftops, some very dew-soaked mornings in valleys, and just the occasional night where I’ve slept well and woken to a dry tent. Another hiker who I’ve met on the path, Rhino, complained that wild camping was less romantic than he expected – don’t know about that, but at least the ground is generally softer than on campsites!

Anyway, enough words, here are some photos.