It was definitely a good move to stay at Penzance YHA last night. This morning the roads were littered with bits of tree and other detritus. Aktos are very good but last night's storms would certainly have tested it's mettle.
At 10am the winds were still far too strong to cycle, forget about cycling safely. So strong were the gusts that it was difficult to stand at times.
I went with Plan B: bus to Lands End and walk back to Penzance. To avoid camera shake from the wind (did I mention the strong wind?) I took photographs with my camera set to 'Sports Mode' ie: a fast shutter speed.
At Lands End the sea was quite spectacular, waves were crashing like nobody's business. A light aircraft flew over, it seemed to be almost travelling sideways - I'm rather pleased that I wasn't on board.
There were a few people tottering around Lands End itself but nobody was following the SWCP, opting instead for the safer inland footpaths and roads.
I was keen to visit the Telegraph Museum at Porthcurno, I quite fancied a play with their radio station - although I hadn't thought to bring my Amateur Radio Licence with me.....doh.
Unfortunately the museum was closed, shut, and not open either. That was the end of that then.
Never mind, a pint in the pub opposite would be reasonable consolation... well it would have been had it been open. Ho hum.
The beach at Porthcurno was quite beautiful, bathed in sunshine but whipped by an icy gale....there's that wind again.
The rest of the walk back was unremarkable, mainly because I was following minor roads. I've walked the coastal path before and that would have been a far more attractive proposition - had it not been for the wind.
I arrived back in Penzance around mid afternoon (I'd forgotten how lumpy Cornwall was) and still blowing an ice-cold hoolie.
Plan B rev1.0: head to Wetherspoon's, drink coffee and eat cake (twurly for a beer, even for me) and review my position.
The review resulted in Plan B rev1.1: stay another night in Penzance and head off early in the morning. I'm behind schedule but it matters not - as long as I'm home in good time to play a ceilidh on 19th March.
So that's it, 10 miles covered and around 40 miles behind schedule - but plenty of opportunity to catch up.
There are some rather poor photographs included - apart from a close-up of Longships Lighthouse, a mile or so off Lands End. That photograph came from Geograph, via Wikipedia.
At Navigation Road Station, Timperley
A long day involving a bit of cycling and lots of trains (4) saw my arrival in Penzance at 18.04 precisely.
This evening's Plan was to cycle to Lands End and stealth camp but the weather has worsened..... and it's going to get worsener still overnight, with 55-60mph winds and heavy rain forecast.
Quincyquontly I've booked into Penzance YHA for the night. The forecast isn't brilliant for tomorrow so Plan B is to go to Lands End by bus and walk back to the hostel, it's only around 10 miles so I should be back at the hostel by around 1pm. I'll jump back on the bike and pedal off into the East.
Being as wot the wind will be from the West, and that I'll be travelling East I should be able to get a good few miles in before tea-time.... I might be a bit soggy and damp though.
I was going to hit the local Wetherspoons but I'll try to support the YHA by drinking some of their beers. The YHA is a charity after all, and charities should be supported.
Timperley Taxis, aka Martin & Sue, collected Long Suffering Rick and me on what was forecast to be the driest day of the weekend – not difficult, the previous day had been more than a little damp. A muddy walk was expected – and a muddy walk is wot we got.
Martin had put the word out that he was doing this walk and it was pleasing that around 14 walkers turned out to endure enjoy it. Unfortunately he’d left his paper maps at home but as this was quite familiar territory it really wasn’t a problem – he had his very clever phone with him anyway….we only took a few wrong turns!
We set off walking south from Ridgegate Reservoir, following a section of the Gritstone Trail. Not much mud…yet.
Along the Gritstone Trail towards Croker Hill we had grand views over the Cheshire Plain:
Looking west to Jodrell Bank Radio Telescope
The mudlessness wasn’t to last, I was glad of my PacerPoles when we eventually hit the slippy, slimy brown stuff.
First climb of the day
Following the slutch
Leaving the Gritstone Trail just before the comms tower on Sutton Common, we headed west and downhill to our lunch spot.
The plan was to have lunch at the picnic tables of the closed Fool’s Nook boozer but it wasn’t possible. A pleasant spot (ie not too muddy) was found by the Macclesfield Canal swing bridge, just across the road from the pub.
Martin
Then followed 3 miles of relatively easy walking, north, along the Macc Canal towpath.
Slutch on the Macclesfield Canal Towpath….
….then not much slutch at all. Swing bridge close to Lyme Green.
Then it started to rain, just a little earlier than the BBC had predicted. I was a bit worried that I might not have had my wetlegs with me, I’d just grabbed my bag without checking before setting out. No need to worry, they were lurking amongst the usual detritus that gathers at the bottom of a well-used pack.
Approaching Macclesfield aka Silk Town, famous for, er, silk.
Sue modelling the latest rainwear
Wellies may have been a better option…
…or a mud sledge
Judith sprinting up the last climb of the day
A grand day out – thanks to Timperley Taxis for organising it, arranging for good company and for providing yummy shortbread.
Martin has a far more detailed account here – along with much better photographs. In fact the quality of Martin’s images has got me considering a better quality compact camera. My Lumix DMC-SZ3 does the job but I could do with a compact with a better sensor and lens. Time to start looking again.
Whitworth Wander – Turkey Trot, 27 th of a very wet December 2023 In memory of the late Brian Whitworth, a fine man, my friend, and a for...
