Day 34 Wembury to Bigbury on Sea ….(Bantham ) (14.25 miles / 23km)

 Day 34     Wembury to Bigbury on Sea  ….(Bantham )  (14.25 miles / 23km)

I will remember this day on the South West Coast Path as the 3 river crossing Amazing Race day.  

I woke early before my alarm today…because of tides.   Thats never happened to me before.   I had a quick breakfast of toast.      It was an Air B and B in a very limited food option stop.    The owner of this one hadn’t left any supplies like previous ones so I was left with the bread I’d grabbed just in case the day before.    It  wasn’t the breakfast this day needed unfortunately.    Things didn’t improve in the food and fueling department.

 It is known to be one of the quietest stretches of the entire walk with nowhere to get anything except one cafe near the river crossing – nothing before or after that until Bigbury On Sea.  This one cafe option is off track so can only be fitted in if you are not racing to beat the tide.    I thought I would be able to bomb up to it, this wasn’t the case.   This would of been ok if Wembury had an option to buy something before I had to leave – it didn’t.     I had no time to wait  as I would of missed the first ferry to get me across the River Yealm.   It was 3km to reach the Ferry for this crossing.   Missing the first ferry would of had a domino effect and not given my enough time to do the 16km to reach the second low tide crossing.   

I can totally understand how this is said  to be hardest day in terms of logistics of the whole walk.  Mainly due to the  second challenge of the day – crossing the River Erme.  With no ferry, the only way to tackle it is to wade across.  This is possible only an hour either side of low tide.   This changes so you have to go on the Tide website to get your time for the day you are crossing.   If you miss the window the only other option is to walk around it which is a 14.5km diversion.    I was making it!!  It had to be a quick 16km.  

Then it was the final third of the day that was from the River Erme to get to the last ferry at 4pm to get across the River Avon.     The terrain leading up to this is said to be a series of rolling cliffs  of which most are  challenging climbs .    I think I went to sleep half dreaming of tides and how much trail mix I had shoved at the bottom of my pack.   

I headed off and dropped back down to the path from Upper Wembury and moved my little legs faster than I normally would in the first warm up hour of the day.   I got to the beautiful Yealm – and on this summers morning it was like glass , dotted with boats anchored and in the stillness of the day it was a peaceful , calming scene to steady a hurried walker.    Ferry number one and off I went .   

It was warming up as fast as my legs were.   The walk in this section is beautiful – it is just remote country side that winds up and down narrow trails cutting through woods with ancient tree roots as steps then emerging to turn a corner into narrow trails across fields of flowers, climbs with rocky steps and hills that have cows standing on angles to keep a grip and seeming quite oblivious to their field with a view .  To be honest this was the first day I was like a cow  – my focus this day wasn’t on the scenery.   I might have to rewalk this section!   I didn’t stop – I did a few photos  – on the move.  I checked my map – on the move.  I ate my apple- on the move.     The speed is dictated by the terrain but I was pushing to do the hills and the downs way faster than I normally would .     I finally hit the turn for the river and did so with about 20 minutes to spare before the wading cut off time.     The  cafe off the trail was not an option  but I was elated to have got there and the crossing was water free until about half way over where it had started to fill.  Boots off and water filling fast with a strong current that was now up to knee height.     It felt lovely to have my hot feet out of socks and boots and in the wild!   I waded happily across – smiling across my whole face with the delight from an adventure filled morning.  

I grabbed myself a rock seat  , desanded my feet and socks and boots back on while throwing trail mix at my face.   Off I went – 2 down , 1 to go.   I had till 4pm – it would normally take my 3 hours to cover this distance with the gradients that it had – the downs were really down and the ups were really up – I had to do it in 2.5 hours.  So it was a head down push – my poles being again the star of the day.    I made it.  

It was like coming over a finish line and the final crossing across Avon was thankfully short enough not to stiffen up so I could leap off and have the legs to get me to the  14 th century delight of The Sloop Inn beautiful Bantham pub where I was to spend the night.  

I threw everything off and  made a cup of tea that didn’t even touch the sides – ate the complimentary biscuits before a hot shower .  I was even doing this at speed because I was wanting to get down to the The Sloop Inn bar and start ordering things  – I was the hungriest I had been at any other point so far.    

At my spot by the window the lovely waitress gave me a menu and said “I’ll give you 10 minutes to have a look and come and take your order ”  as she turned to leave I said ” please don’t go ! please no !! I’m ready!!!”   She could hear desperation in my slightly high pitched voice.   I think she rushed the order through , maybe because  she was thought I was slightly unhinged or maybe she knew a hungry woman when she saw one –   it was not long before she walked towards me with the The Sloop Inns famous fish pie.    I can’t remember any single thing ever tasting as good as that Sloop Inn famous fish pie on this day.  

I sat there just smiling away.    Skin feeling glowy from fresh air and a hot shower , aching muscles that had earnt the ache ,  grateful for a memorable day , for the thrill of it and challenge of it.  And special thank you to  my legs for finding the extra they needed when I asked that of them today.   

Night night from The Sloop Inn  .   xxx 

River Yealm

Happines to see ferries today!

always time for pic of a beautiful dry stone wall

The trail stretching out before me

pretending it was sandwitch

Low tide River Erme – first half

Made it!!! Joyfull wading – second half!

the rolling trail to finish the day

It was a all about the climb today

The Sloop Inn in beautiful Bantham

And there it is .    What a pie.