This is considered “the most arduous day” of the Path with 10 river valleys to traverse, all of them “steep and deep”. 15 miles and 4200’ ascent; no problem for a day hike but I’ve got a heavy load (especially with the ginormous packed lunch the hotel gave me!) so I’ve taken the advice of others and broken it into 2 days. Morenstow is approximately halfway and is the only accommodation option en route to boot.

The Walk: I took so many photos today! I’m sure I’d have been 30% faster if I wasn’t snapping pics and making notes every few minutes. That’s another advantage of having shorter days….

This whole section of coast experienced significant uplifting and folding millions of years ago creating the Crackington Formation. My Google research proved a bit scientific-y so let’s just say it’s super cool.

The first ~5 miles were deceptively sedate, a thin snaking trail through lush grass atop the cliffs with views like the video above. The Path actually snuck around to the left of the hill at the end of the video so no real ascents yet!

At 5 miles exactly I found a bench for a rest and a nice leisurely lunch. Soon after I encountered the first of the river valleys with a long descent into Welcombe Bay and its corresponding big ascent.

Now I’m into a rhythm: down/up, then a breather across the cliff top, and repeat, 4 more times. At 6 miles on the dot I encountered Valley #2. At the bottom I leave the county of Devon and enter Cornwall. Thankfully the Up is all gentle switchbacks and an easy grade.

Valley #3 came at 6.8 miles. Here the stairs went straight down with just enough lip on the edge to trip the unwary hiker so slowly sidestepping one by one was the best option. Again I felt fortunate to be going south as the far side was also easy switchbacks going up.

Hit #4 @ 7.7 miles and it was kinder on the nerves. Besides my startling some grazing sheep it was a grassy slope all the way down, saving the zillion (147) newly cut stairs for the opposite side. But, bless the builders! They made real stairs with a reasonable rise and enough room to plant your whole shoe!! It wasn’t yet over though as around a little corner there was a longer further ascent.

8.25 miles = #5. A treacherously steep descent on large loose rocks was taken at a snail’s pace and a treat of true zigzaggy switchbacks up the far side

Whew! My last descent at 8.8 miles was only about 14 steps down to Hawker’s Hut :-). The smallest of National Trust’s properties it was built in the 1840’s by eccentric vicar and poet Robert Hawker from timber scavenged from shipwrecks. He’d sit in his shed and smoke opium and compose his poems and songs.

Right after I left the Path to cross country on a public footpath to my accommodation at the 13th century Bush Inn in Morenstow. My total for the day ended up at 9.53 miles and 2548’ of ascent.