Day 10 Bude to Boscastle ( 16.75 miles / 27km)

 Day 10   Bude to Boscastle  ( 16.75 miles  /  27km)

A day as beautiful as Kylie for her birthday.  She was all around me today and made the sun shine, then made it rain, then made it shine again.  Then she made a rainbow.  

This day in June was always going to be something extra special beause of the date and it was.  

I woke hoping my legs would wake as if they had forgotten all about the day before .   It all seemed ok until I was at breakfast and I walked toward the toaster and caught a glimpse of myself in the large mirror.  I was walking like someone from a Western movie who had just been peppered with bullets.    I made my way back to my table as quickly  as my legs would go – no one needed to witness that.  

When I planned the schedule and daily distances for the walk last year I put the next two stages together in one day.   I did this because…. I can’t actually remember why I did this.      I think it was because the first stage of the day Bude to Crackington Haven was classed Hard and the second stage of Crackington Haven to Boscastle was classed Moderate – so I thought I should combine them.    What this meant was I had to get cracking to get to Crackington at a decent time to give myself time for stage 2.   I was hoping circulaton to lower extremities would kick in once moving.   

First I had to delay my hoped for start time while I found a replacement water proof pack cover in Bude.  Luckily the loss of this crucial item happened in a town big enough to have an outdoor shop.  It had 3.  

Happily sorted off  I went on the stunning walk across the cliffs high over Bude – Wow ,  if you are a local and this is your morning walk you are a lucky Budeist .   It was beautiful heading off and the sun came out – (no surprise today. )      It is amazing to me the human body,   what a wonder it is – the combination of movement, circulation pumping blood and probably the warmth of well being that comes over me the first hour of a hike.  All these thing conspire and suddenly I feel my own legs  come back to me.  

The path passes the stunning surf beaches that Cornwall is famed for before heading steeply and quickly up .   As I am making my way up a steep climb a lady that looks exactly like my Great Aunitie Elsie is sat outside her little cottage drinking her tea.  She watches me as I make my way up and when I get level , in a Cornish accent,   says “you’ve got a good hike on ya” .   With a smile that stayed around her eyes she could not have given this girl a better compliment and I waited till I got round the corner to do a little fist pump and a binky.    I was glad she didn’t see me getting my toast a couple of hours earlier.  

This section of the walk along Cornwall’s towering sea cliffs is staggeringly beautiful .   There are many a down and then the ups of the coastline are steep and dramatic.  It takes your breath away.  One more big climb at the high and exposed Castle Point and I was nearing Crackington.   No one around for miles today and it felt incredible to walk over this vast cliff top.  My plan was to make it there for lunch but the degree of difficulty had other plans.    When the path wound its way down into the  V sahped valley of Crackington Haven it was 3 o’clock.   This next stage was said to take 4 hours but I really didn’t want to get in after 7 .    I needed to crack on out of Crackington but Haven Point stone fronted tea room suggested that a pot of tea was going to aid both speed and agiity.    

I half ran into Haven Point Tea Room it was empty and it looked like they were on the close down.    The ladies behind the counter said they  were so sorry but they were only serving hot drinks and cake.   I said “Joy!   But I’ve got to wang and run as I’m heading to Boscastle” With that said they moved as a well oiled machine- one on tea pot sorting , one on cake (freshly made carrot cake that was award worthy). – it was like a mash up of Great British Bake Off and a Formula One pit crew.    It was a 7 minute 45 second turn around and I was shouting “Thank you Thank you ladies !! as I set off up a cliff to lift me out of Crackington Haven with the post pot and a cake combination surge.     

This section was a series of  breath taking views of the blustery Atlantic, beautiful coves of still aqua water and continuing rolling cliffs  making this a day of 4386ft elevation gain with 4337 ft of descent .   It is a memorably truly stunning England at every turn.  By the final climb up steep exposed steps out of a valley and pointing now towards Boscastle it was nearing 7pm my little legs were telling me it was time to call it a day.    

The sign into the village asked cars to slow down , my legs did the exact same thing.  I took a moment to let my eyes take it in – the most Cornishly stunning village you could imagine .  Getting to my accomodation at Riverside Hotel I was shown up the winding stair case to my room on the top floor .    These stairs were the hardest of the day and after a hot shower I was tempted to slide down the bannister instead of walking back dow them and into the restaurant for dinner.   It was cosy heaven in there .   

Good night from Boscastle!  Please google it so you can oooohhh and aaahhhh with me and know where to come visit me when I am in  a rocking chair in my cottage by the fire .  xxx

Good Morning Kylie xxx

The Mighty Ups

Thank you ladies!