WB 07: From Jam on Cream to Cream on Jam

Progress

Progress has been good this week, and I have hit each scheduled daily endpoint. I have taken the rest day one day early for accommodation reasons. I have travelled from Plymouth, Devon to Falmouth, Cornwall covering 98 miles & 26700 feet of ascent.

Hardships

Well for the first time on the walk I had a mental health wobble on Tuesday. When due to a relatively small issue I started to get very anxious and make irrational decisions. I got in quite a state, and had no signal and the best plan in my mind was to keep walking until somehow things sorted themselves out. In fact I did make a rational decision in the end and realising I was starting to spiral downwards just booked into a pub with rooms which I passed. Within 10 minutes I had calmed down, and in fact by walking further it meant I could shelter from the worst of the weather the next morning.

The mud got even worse this week. With the second half of the day on Thursday with Dick Warner almost non-stop mud, slowing progress to a significant extent. But the worst mud and in fact as bad as it could get without being impassable happened on a farm just short of St Mawes. It was so thick I could hardly lift the boot, and at points so deep that I ended up with mud in the boots as well. I can't wait for the muddiness to disappear a bit, I have been told North Cornwall and Devon are not as bad.

Other than the above, no other paticular hardships.

General

Shops

This was the first part of the walk where I actually had to be careful planning food, as there were sometimes substantial distances between them. There was still always at least one shop (even if tiny shop) each day I just had to be oraganised to know which ones I had to use.

Mental Health Blogs

A couple of people have messaged this week to ask where the mental health blogs have gone. The main reason is time, on average I am out on the walk for 9 hours, then diary and uploading stuff takes at least 2 hours, on top of that I need dinner, so on a general day there is very little spare time. On my rest day by the time I have responded to emails, emailed options for future accommodation, pdfed and printed maps for the week, done laundry, written weekly blog, checked tides, checked ferries, checked military bases amongst other things there is very little time left over for the mental health blog as well as a rest.

Secondly I do have some drafts written but for some reason not confident in posting them. Over the next few weeks I will get back into it, and also try and get some of the guest blogs out as they arrive.

The above is not meant as a moan even though it sounds like it. I know the admin is all part of the challenge.

Accomodation

I am a little light on accommodation options over the next few weeks, currently only 3 nights definitely out of tent over next 21 days (though working on several others). If you know anyone on the north coast of Cornwall/Devon who could offer a bed let me know.