Day 1: Minehead to Porlock

Weather: Grey and cool to start, brightening later

Distance covered today:  15.9km ( 9.9mi)

Last night's B&B: Gascony Hotel

% Complete: Cumulative distance:  1.6%:  15.9km

Total Ascent/Total Descent:  572m/568m

GPS satellite track of today's route: Day 1 (click!)

After a delightful evening with Veronica, which itself is such a big change from previous walks, I was so keen to get going that I even did a night cruise along the water-front, in search of the official start of the walk! Mind you, some of that enthusiasm was due to my being able for the very first time to persuade her to sample a Wetherspoons dinner, a branch of which I was sharp-eyed enough to spot in the centre of Minehead. Those readers long-suffering enough to have travelled these pages with me before will know that Wetherspoons do indeed provide most cost-effective culinary excellence, even if the spoons aren't always as clean as one would like! Still, with the threat of Butlins hanging over her head like a noose (do they do supper at Butlins?), she relented and quite enjoyed her dinner as I did the bill!

This morning we parted and I was off down the waterfront like a Labrador puppy, ignoring the glowering North Hill, which was just sitting there waiting to cool my ardour!

But as always, and just like that puppy, I'm getting ahead of myself! First, just a few facts about the South West Coast Path itself, gleaned from Wikipedia and the web. It is in fact that longest long-distance path in the UK (630 miles, or 1014km), taking in the coasts of Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and Dorset.  Wikipedia opines that it is also one of the more challenging trails especially as the terrain of rivers and cliffs entails a total climb of 35,031m (114,931 ft) or almost four times the height of Mount Everest.

The path was originally a track for the Coastguard to walk from lighthouse to lighthouse looking for smugglers. They had to be able to see into every bay and cove and so the path hugs the coastline as closely as possible. As I travel the paths of the UK, I become more and more fascinated by the struggles between the forces of law-and-order and the smugglers. Many of the sunken roads in the Surrey Hills are old smugglers’ trails and I have read an account that our own village once earned a substantial proportion of its income by secretly telling the smugglers where the rozzers were waiting, so the smugglers could choose alternative routes through the hills, paying for the advice in great barrels of smuggled hooch.  No wonder I chose to live there!

The whole path was completed as a long-distance trail as late as 1978, making it very much the rambunctious junior to that old stalwart, the Pennine Way.  The value of the path to the South Western economy is substantial with various estimates beyond £400 million per annum being suggested. In this context, it is reminiscent of the Lake District which also depends heavily on walkers for its economic resilience.  It has also been voted as one of the best long-distance trails in the world, though to be honest, and as Phyllis commented in relation to similar claims for the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, these claims are not infrequent, nor necessarily based on the most reliable of data. My solution is to suck it and see!

In a state of devil-may-care excitement and Labridorian enthusiasm, I hoofed it up North Hill, panting away happily, and temporarily lost my cool when I managed to get lost on a National Trail, which really does take some doing! I had inadvertently taken an alternative path, only to find the way blocked by a huge fallen tree on a difficult slope. I retraced my steps with my tail between my legs and decided to be more responsible, but when the option finally arrived of choosing the "Alternative Rugged Coast Path", I was off the leash like a shot!

In fact the rugged path wasn't all that rugged at all, and it was very spectacular despite the heavy mist concealing the sea to my right. It was also completely deserted! In my entire traverse of the rugged route, I didn't meet a single long-distance walker! I know that the Brits are kind to foreigners (why otherwise do so many of us choose to live here?), but really, to produce a network of the most magnificent national trails, impeccably designed and carefully maintained, all for my exclusive enjoyment, simply beggars belief!

An old chuffer on the West Somerset Railway greets our arrival in Minehead

I'm off to find the start of the trail in the gloom! That's North Hill ahead

Here is the official start this morning. Two hands holding a map. (Where is the satnav?)

And a faded acorn on the tarmac signifying the off!

Quaint cottages along the waterfront, one with bay windows, imaginatively called Bay Windows!

A convention of Westies! Six of them! Veronica should be here!

Suddenly the serious climb begins

What on earth is the Welsh Dragon doing here? And I couldn't even see Wales through the mist!

Once I had made my embarrassing route mistake, this obstacle made me review my options!

Decision time!  It had to be the "Rugged Alternative Coast Path"! Rugged or foolish?

The grass has turned blue! Did I have mushrooms last night?

What a perfect path is this.....

A view towards the sea through the combe. No evidence of Wales in the mist

Back down from outer space, approaching Bossington through a cloud of wild garlic

OK, so it doesn't look so bad, but that descent into Bossington was a real thigh burner, and the journey uphill was almost as bad. Every time the terrain relented, it suddenly turned vengeful again. Tomorrow will be even worse!