New Valley Hills

A tough walk today I’d been apprehensive about as there are some exposed stretches which are dangerous in southerly winds. Storm Babet has been bringing wind and rain. Thankfully at 0800 there is barely a breeze and it’s dry.

I yomp up the hills today, they’re my kind of gradients. I end up doing 7 hours walking in 6.

It gets worse. I summit Great Hangman in dense low cloud. The highest point on the entire path and I get no views!

Out at sea I spot this

Along the path there have been signs saying if you see a marine animal in distress call it in. I do so when I next have a signal. They ask for my photos and video. A little later they email back “I have looked at the photos and video and shared with my colleague XXXX, we both agree that this is most likely to be a dead cetacean in advanced stages of decomposition. It will probably wash ashore at some point but I doubt it will be identifiable. There may still be fish feeding off the carcass which is what you might have seen, or it could just be the tail.” That’s good to know. I’m glad I bothered to report it – my mind is at rest it’s not an animal in distress caused by human activity.

The exposed sections pass with barely a whisper of wind. I breathe a sigh of relief.

The heavens open for the last 2km to Lynton. I get a good soaking before a cafe, then from the cafe up to the campsite until I crawl into my tent. Big fat raindrops. I’m told it’ll rain for the next two days.