Day 13: Sandy beaches and sore feet

Start: Polzeath

End: Treyarnon

Miles: 15

Total miles: 176

Last night I arrived at a campsite with another hiker who I'd met in the afternoon. He hadn't got any cash to cover his camp site and shower fee, so I paid and in exchange he bought me dinner. There was a food van on the campsite where a man had cooked up homemade veggie chilli, lasagne, garlic bread and potatoes. He made us both up a plate of everything he had left. Even though back home this would not be a normal food combination, I have to say it's the best meal I've had since I've been out here. I ate every last bite and went to bed very happy.

The food van and amazing dinner last night got me thinking about the unexpected occurrences that happen when you undertake long adventures. There are often moments that lift your spirits, inspires awe or gratitude. It can take various forms; finding exactly what you need the most when you expect it the least, encountering something rare or inspiring in nature or experiencing acts of generosity that restore faith in humanity. These chance encounters seem to occur when motivation is wavering and they pull you back into a state of positivity and hopefulness. On previous hikes I have experienced serendipitous encounters that have given me a much-needed positive boost; from seeing my first golden eagle on the Hebrides when we’d lost the trail, being given a lift to a campsite after a long day by a kind stranger and stumbling across a small convenience shop that happened to sell spare tent pegs when I had lost some of mine in a storm. I think this phenomenon is partly due to being removed from everyday conveniences that your expectations are lowered. You have such gratitude when you have something as simple as a meal that you haven’t had to rehydrate yourself.

This morning I left camp and headed for Rock where I'd catch the ferry into Padstow. I strolled between the sand dunes above the beach as the sun beat down, I could tell it would be another hot day. There was a toad sat on the sand, hiding in the shadow cast by the tall grass. The ferry arrived as soon as I got to Rock and with a matter of minutes I was in Padstow. The town was already busy, the most people I'd seen in one place for days. After I ate breakfast I pushed on with the route. Today there were two prominent headlands to work around; Stepper Point and Trevose Head. The trail was gently undulating but there were no huge climbs or endless steps like my previous days.

Between the headlands there were large stretches of sandy beaches, the conditions looked ideal for the surfers. I didn't meet any other hikers today, but after all the chatting yesterday I was happy for a day alone. Towards the end of my day's miles my feet began to ache and complain. The soles of my feet burning and the blisters I'd felt forming yesterday had developed. It's a combination of the longer days, rockier terrain and hotter weather - the perfect recipe for blisters. I knew I'd arrive at camp earlier today to give my feet a longer rest as I've been out on the cliffs for 8-10 hours these last days. Tomorrow will be shorter too, hopefully allowing for further recovery. But as I lay at camp feeling my feet throbbing, I studied the map and looked how far I'd come. No train, no car, no bus. Just my feet. I understood why they were tired and made peace with it.