New Valley Hills

Even colder than last night, down to 5C which is below the comfort rating for my goose down quilt. I deployed same tricks as last night and then kept them on all night. It was tolerable. This is the first time I missed the CCF ‘eggcup’ pad under my inflatable sleep mat. I could sometimes feel the cold of the ground beneath me. I must remember to pack it if it’ll be this cold again on a hike.

I bring my day clothes inside my quilt to warm them. Who thought shorts was a good idea? Hahahaha!

Forecasts show a solid decrease in weather for the final week.

This may mean yet another challenge to walk through. Ah well, at least I’m getting a good range of problems for me to deal with. At least it’ll be a tad warmer.

As I turn east after many days of northwards travel I can see Cornwall for the last time – bye, you have been great!

Somewhere before I reach Clovelly I’ll get inside 161km (100 miles) of the end.

I meet Sandra from Germany thruhiking the other way. She says it’s hillier than I expected. I laugh and tell her tomorrow is a tough day. She’s aiming for 6 weeks, to my nearly 7. Good luck Sandra!

Arriving at Clovelly in very good time I have a decision to make – walk down to the village for a cafe, pasties from the PO shop and a pub, or the visitors cafe in the car park. Deciding the 100m descent is too much I plump for the top cafe. I’d been daydreaming about tuna so pounced on a tuna sandwich and a bowl of tomato soup. There’s been too much malt loaf, Snickers, crisps and pasties recently.

I could not turn down the offer of a lift to the campsite from the owner. It’s a hard 2km trudge up 100m on road. Campsite is underwhelming- right by the A39 which has huge tractors with slurry trailers thrumming past every few minutes. The promised onsite shop was meagre this late in the season. I’m glad I’d bought crisps and pasty from the cafe. Yes I know, I’d just said I’d had enough of them but needs must. I need fuel for legs and warmth generation- I’m sitting in shorts in the shop shed charging my phone!

I’ve been doing this long enough now I’m pretty good at knowing what sections I can do every day. By my reckoning I’ll be home next Monday. For example here’s Tuesday’s, tomorrow’s sections –

I get from the tent my breakfast pasty and chuck it in the microwave, at least that can be hot. With not much to do, yet it’s only 1730, I go back to my tent to get into my quilt. It’s too cold outside.

My food supplies until tomorrow lunchtime are calorific but uninspiring.

I’m needing on average ~2000 extra calories a day just from the walking. Now the temperature has dropped I need more fuel for warmth.

This graph shows the elevations along the route. I’m close to Bucks Mill heading towards Exmoor (graph from guidebook for the opposite direction).

I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I pass Peppercombe, site of two memorable childhood summer holidays. I aim to find “The Hut” we stayed in. Here are some photos of the 1970s brochure.