The sea below the cliffs had been roaring all night and hadn't let up even by the morning. It had rained hard throughout the night while I had slept but had thankfully stopped by the time i woke. The wind was still blowing hard though. Packing the tent away was going to prove to be a challenge in its self. As i removed the penultimate peg from one end a sudden gust filled the flysheet like a parachute. With lightening reflexes even superman would have been proud of i grabbed the tent and stopped it from blowing off the cliff and off to god only knows where.
Somehow I did manage to pack the tent away although how it fitted in to its bag I'll never know. The important thing was that it did. Being triumphant under tough conditions always brings a smile to my face no matter what the circumstances are. Also not loosing my tent over the cliff was something to celebrate.
Leaving my home for the night i trudged along the cliffs to Newquay to meet up with the ladies that ran the local save the children shop. On my travels I'd wanted to visit more but simply hadn't come across them. As i entered the shop i was immediately ushered into the back. Not because i was of any kind of embarrassment but because they'd made me a chocolate cake and it had been taunting them all morning.
By the time I'd left the shop I'd had three slices and was treated to two coffees. A local columnist had also interviewed me for the paper asking me all sorts of questions and shoving a dicta phone under my nose for the answers. It was the first time that had happened.
Time was getting on and i still had one more place to visit before leaving Newquay, the local lifeboat station. The station wasn't far away but getting to it was a challenge in itself. I did find it though and as per usual immediately offered a coffee. My caffeine and sugar levels were sky high. After a chat and a joke i was handed two parcels that had been delivered to the station. Both had coffee sachets, sweets and chocolate. As i lay the contents of the parcels out on the crew room table i counter how many sachets i had. It was over 60. Normally I'd carry enough for a week. Thats about 14. There was enough coffee here to last almost till i got back to Southampton. Problem was where would i put them all and how much heavier would my bag be. It didn't matter they were coming with me no matter what. Somehow I managed to rearrange my kit and fitted everything in. This little 60ltr bag was beginning to astound me. Its side pockets seemed bottomless.
From the station I headed out to the point by going round the harbour where i came upon the old lifeboat station with what used to be britains steepest launch slipway. It must have been quite a ride launching the boat as it slid down the slipway between rocks close by and into the water. I would have loved to have had a go.
From the old boat house i continued following the coast round and crossed the beach. On the far side I had to head up to the road in order to hike round the next headland where i met Gary. Gary had had an accident and recieved a severe spinal injury. He loved the outdoors but due to his injury was now reduced to a little bit if fishing. While he was recovering he'd bought himself a four wheel drive camper from Japan and had decided to visit some of the places in Cornwall he'd never been to but had always wanted to. It was a strong reminder how lucky I was to be able to do what i was doing. In life you don't get second chances.
Time was now getting on and i had to get around the point and down on to the next beach before the tide started to come back in. There was a narrow estuary waiting for me. Large boulders had been placed across the river which were only accessible at low tide. Now when i say large boulders i actually mean enormous. It was like they'd been placed there by a giant. Although why a giant would need stepping stones i had no idea surely a giant could have simply stepped over the river. It didn't matter. I had to literally climb up onto the first then jump from one to the other without slipping on the seaweed and kelp. It was like something from a game show.
I managed it without getting wet which was quite simply a bonus and marched off across the beach to rejoin the coastal path again. It was much of a clifftop hike before i found myself climbing back down to another long beach.
Nearing the far end of the beach there was a stretch of cliffs. I could see the tide was now in fact coming in but thought I'd have enough time to pass in front of the cliffs before I got cut off. I'd managed to get about half way, the water line still a fair way to my right when within seconds a one large swell i found myself knee deep in water. The tide had swept in extremely quickly. Making haste and forgetting how tired i was or in fact how heavy my pack was i began running as fast as i could.
Having escaped what could have potentially been a bit of an embarrassing situation i sat on the steps to what ever town it was I'd reached and caught my breath back. I then continued on up onto the cliffs away from the town and into an area where mining had once provided employment for the locals. It was dusty, rocky and barron. It was very different terrain to what I'd spent days hiking. After several miles and finding beauty in the different colours of the cliffs and the unusual shapes of the desert like rock features i found a lovely spot to pitch up, settled in and watched the sun go down. It was stunning.
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