Date: 1st January 2018
Time: 5:37'55.8
Ascent: 5125 feet
Total SWCP so far: 159.56 miles
Route
Progress
Profile
Martin and Marina's Bit
Day 3 of our new year SWCP expedition and of course the first SWCP walk of 2018!
This was the day which redefined "windy". The wind on days 1 and 2 is best described as a light breeze compared with the conditions on day 3. We were frequently, physically forced off course by the wind, staggering to the side (fortunately always away from cliff edges!) and I personally was pushed back a couple of steps and forced to my knees at one point and Marina had to drop into what Derek called 4-wheel drive, on her hands and knees to battle uphill once as well. A very, very tough day with about 5,000 feet total ascent.
The other distinguishing aspect of this day was a rather dramatic sheep rescue. Not too far from the end of our walk, probably less than 2 miles from Port Isaac, Martin and Marina who at that point were a little ahead of Derek and Lesley, came across a sheep apparently stuck on its back with its little legs flailing in the air. We can only assume it had been blown over by the wind and was unable to get back up.
Carefully avoiding the sheep's rather hard looking hooves, I managed to squeeze in between the stricken and somewhat frantic sheep and the fence it was by, talking to it all the time (sheep whisperer!) and then grabbed a hold of its fleece and after a practice run to assess its weight, rolled the sheep over away from me and back onto its feet! It looked like the sheep must have been in that state for quite a while because initially it struggled to walk. Happily though, it soon regained the use of its legs and scampered off to find its sheepy so-called "friends" who had abandoned it!
"I saved a sheep's life today". Not a sentence I ever expected to utter! On the way home, I found myself checking every field we passed to ensure all the sheep were the right way up, so perhaps I've found my calling!
This was the day which redefined "windy". The wind on days 1 and 2 is best described as a light breeze compared with the conditions on day 3. We were frequently, physically forced off course by the wind, staggering to the side (fortunately always away from cliff edges!) and I personally was pushed back a couple of steps and forced to my knees at one point and Marina had to drop into what Derek called 4-wheel drive, on her hands and knees to battle uphill once as well. A very, very tough day with about 5,000 feet total ascent.
The other distinguishing aspect of this day was a rather dramatic sheep rescue. Not too far from the end of our walk, probably less than 2 miles from Port Isaac, Martin and Marina who at that point were a little ahead of Derek and Lesley, came across a sheep apparently stuck on its back with its little legs flailing in the air. We can only assume it had been blown over by the wind and was unable to get back up.
Carefully avoiding the sheep's rather hard looking hooves, I managed to squeeze in between the stricken and somewhat frantic sheep and the fence it was by, talking to it all the time (sheep whisperer!) and then grabbed a hold of its fleece and after a practice run to assess its weight, rolled the sheep over away from me and back onto its feet! It looked like the sheep must have been in that state for quite a while because initially it struggled to walk. Happily though, it soon regained the use of its legs and scampered off to find its sheepy so-called "friends" who had abandoned it!
"I saved a sheep's life today". Not a sentence I ever expected to utter! On the way home, I found myself checking every field we passed to ensure all the sheep were the right way up, so perhaps I've found my calling!
Derek and Lesley's Bit
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Tintagel to Port Isaac the now familiar routine up early again starting the walk at Tintagel we walk through the National trust entrance to Tintagel castle. A very gentle walk reasonably flat land but the wind is rising & the path is narrow fortunately the wind is blowing in from the sea we pass an unfortunate sheep on the path (Dead) Still muddy under foot but the strong wind building to gale force has helped dry out some of the laying water, we are now having trouble standing against the stronger gusts of wind, going down hill with the wind in our faces we are getting pushed back to the top so have to sit/crouch down when the strong gusts come through.
A narrow wooden bridge appears no hand rails so we wait for the wind to drop then crawl across on hand & knees. Nearing the end of our days walking we find ourselves walking next to the shear drop of the cliff to our right & a fence to our left we inch along holding the fence with my right arm wrapped around Lesley’s waist slowly making our way along the path.
Reaching Port Isaac we have finished another epic day walking the swcp Another café feed ourselves then the long drive back home.
Oh yes I should think you have guessed the answer to our swim no we didn’t as the seas were too ferocious to do it safely & time did’nt allow.
Tintagel to Port Isaac the now familiar routine up early again starting the walk at Tintagel we walk through the National trust entrance to Tintagel castle. A very gentle walk reasonably flat land but the wind is rising & the path is narrow fortunately the wind is blowing in from the sea we pass an unfortunate sheep on the path (Dead) Still muddy under foot but the strong wind building to gale force has helped dry out some of the laying water, we are now having trouble standing against the stronger gusts of wind, going down hill with the wind in our faces we are getting pushed back to the top so have to sit/crouch down when the strong gusts come through.
A narrow wooden bridge appears no hand rails so we wait for the wind to drop then crawl across on hand & knees. Nearing the end of our days walking we find ourselves walking next to the shear drop of the cliff to our right & a fence to our left we inch along holding the fence with my right arm wrapped around Lesley’s waist slowly making our way along the path.
Reaching Port Isaac we have finished another epic day walking the swcp Another café feed ourselves then the long drive back home.
Oh yes I should think you have guessed the answer to our swim no we didn’t as the seas were too ferocious to do it safely & time did’nt allow.
Photographs
Taken with compact camera rather than SLR, it being waterproof!
