It started raining at about 6.30 but was dry for the first hour of our walk over the Hills and dunes to Widemouth Bay. We met Kevin's family at 11am by which time we were soaked to the skin.
We made very good time for the first 5 miles, despite rain and strong winds.
The paths were a little less muddy than in recent days but the wind was plucking at Julia and myself and threatening to whisk us off the high headlands. We took a detour round one particularly exposed and windy headland and got bogged down in a thorny wood, though we did see a deer at close quarters. Having extricated ourselves from that we found ourselves back on the path and going up a narrow path on a ridge with beautiful red heather, yellow ground-hugging gorse, purple thyme and wild honeysuckle on both slopes. Beautiful but terrifying at The same time. I was leading and heading to what looked like a sheer drop. Kevin was convinced we were on the wrong track. It was very exposed and windy so we turned round and went back and took a path to a village and the road to Crackington Haven. We ended up doing 11.5 miles, not the 10 miles suggested by the guide book. We arrived, soaking, cold and despirited but after a hot chocolate and a hot bath the experience seemed less daunting.
Julia is not yet convinced that she will walk tomorrow. She says she will only do so if the rain and wind subside. Not sure if Kevin will walk tomorrow if Julia decides not to... Does that mean I cannot walk either? I have done this stretch on my own before... But not in these conditions..
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