My alarm goes off at 3 am and I pass one of my sons on the stairs — ships in the night. I must arrive at Exeter bus station at 8 am to collect my phone from Amanda (“I’ll be wearing a red coat”).
It all goes smoothly and she has even recharged the phone. I’ll send her some flowers when I get home. This does mean that I don’t start hiking from Dawlish until mid-morning.
The climb from the town is not too difficult, and the first section of the walk to Teignmouth is fairly flat.
Teignmouth is very pretty, bustling with activity in the sun, and I take the small ferry to Shaldon. I am now so paranoid about checking for my phone that I leave my hiking poles on the boat and dash back to retrieve them before it departs for the far shore. I blame the ice cream in my hands.
There’s a tough climb up to Bundle Head and this is only the start of what seems like an endless series of ascents and descents. I have seriously underestimated this walk. Several tracks lead off the main path to points of interest, but I have less time today and want to conserve my energy.
On reaching Babbacombe Cliff Railway, the path turns up the hill to follow the tracks. I fear I must climb to the top, but a small tunnel appears.
Although I have a long way to go, I’m hot and tired, so a cold beer at Oddicombe Beach is attractive. Unfortunately, the Cary Arms is entry by appointment only. It looks a bit up-market for the state I’m in. The Three Degrees West bar on the seafront is more welcoming and a cold lager beer will do just fine. They try to entice me into a second pint, but I explain how far I’ve still to walk. They suggest another beer will help. I’m not convinced.
It’s 9 pm when I finally make it back to the car after a long trek round Torquay and Paignton promenades. This was supposed to be the easy day before the hard day tomorrow. I climbed around 2,400 ft which is roughly the height gained on the Pyg Track up Snowdon. I think I will measure future walks in the number of Pygs. A burnt-out car in the corner of the car park makes me uneasy, but I’m too tired to care and fall asleep quickly.
Walk distance: 17 miles.
Total distance: 489 miles.
Hi Tony, you seem to be fairly racing across the South West! I popped into the Cary Arms back in 2014 for a lovely pint of Otter Ale, at £4 a pint it did leave rather a bitter taste (no pun intended). I’ll forget I read about drinking “lager beer”. Done the Snowdon Horseshoe a few times normally along Crib Goch, although done the Pyg track a few times as well.
Hi Alan, that is the joy of retirement! I was not happy about the Cary Arms so a man has to make do with what he can get. It was cold! I have not done Grib Goch yet, but on my list….getting to be a very long list.
Yes, a tougher walk than you realise from looking at the map. I was deceived too. If you follow the path, you may remember you end up walking around 3 edges of a steeply sloping field, instead of just cutting across the top! A path designed by sadists I think. Glad you managed to hang onto your phone this time, although almost at the expense of your walking poles 😄
I will have to tie everything on to me I think!
In my experience, you’ve never really been somewhere until you’ve been there twice – the second time to grab the walking poles that you’ve forgotten (done that so many times…)
Haha. I’m getting better. It’s a reflex now after every stop to pat down my iPhone, my water bottle, and pick up my poles. Unless I am leaving a pub…..
Are you restarting your coastal walk?