Day 35: Friendly chats and recovery

Start: Beesands

End: Dartmouth.

Miles: 13

Total miles: 474

I slept all the way through and woke up feeling similar to yesterday, general malaise with a blocked nose and sore throat. Putting my tent down and packing up felt much more laborious. I knew today I could source more food, which would help my recovery and the walking would be easier and less remote. Not long into the walk I stumbled across a cafe right on the path at Torcross where I got breakfast, tea and orange juice. I spoke with a woman in the cafe who'd been working her way along the path over 10 years, she'd do long weekends a couple of times a year and will eventually have made it all the way round. We compared experiences and she asked me about the sections she hadn't yet completed. From here, the route ran parallel to an A -road which meant it was flat and easy. I was grateful for the flat gradient after all the hills. It wasn't long until I was beginning to feel a little more like myself; marching along, smiling and chatting with fellow walkers.

Up ahead I saw a man with hiking poles, a large pack and a beaming smile as he approached. He had a similar look to me, someone who has lived outside for some time. He told me he was completing the path also and it was day 55 for him. I was confused, as he was going the opposite way and I knew Poole was only 10 days away. He looked strong and his pace was similar, if not quicker than mine. He explained telling me he'd walked from Minehead to Poole in 45 days, spent a night in a B&B then just turned around. Baffled by this I clarified with him that indeed he was completing the path twice, firstly anticlockwise and now clockwise. Back to back. He's got 12 weeks off work, so when he got to Poole he had decided to head back to Minehead. On foot. Even though Poole has every type of public transport you can dream of. Remarkably, he even lived in Dorset, in Axminster so was walking away from home. There's no doubt that this is an incredible, rewarding experience that I'm enjoying and gaining so much from. But to turn around at Poole and head back to Minehead was unimaginable to me. Physically I can understand how it's doable as your body adapts to the repetitive process of walking. It does get to a point where walking is all you know and you can just keep moving forward. But to mentally conjure up the internal motivation to repeat the whole 6 weeks in reverse was something else. He told me he wouldn't be such a "purist" on the way back, cutting across some headlands here and there. I suggested he should maybe throw the odd bus or taxi too! We congratulated each other, wished each other luck and continued on our way.

The route followed a wooded path, occasionally cutting back out to cross the road. I met a couple near Stoke Fleming with small bags completing a section of the path. They had a friend who would drive their camper van to a spot for the night, to save them having to carry all the camping gear. This seemed like an ideal way to complete the route. The path continued along a gentle gradient through small villages of Stete and Stoke Fleming. There was the occasional hill, but nothing too strenuous.

I was at camp by mid-afternoon. I'd found a shop selling fresh fruit so devoured oranges, raspberries and blueberries. My tent is significantly smaller than the others here. Everyone else has tents with bedrooms, double mattresses, duvets, chairs with backs and extravagant looking barbeques. A couple argued as they tried to figure out how to construct their large tent. I was using my sleeping mat as a poor substitute for a chair, sat amongst an array of scattered objects that I rely on daily. My tiny cooking pot, my gas canister, plasters for my feet and my maps. Even though I'm feeling little under the weather, I was grateful not to be injured. I've met lots of walkers who are limping, have shin splints or other muscular complaints. It's inevitable that living like this for over a month will induce some sort of ailment, but I was glad it was a cold not an injury that prevented me from walking. I'm sure with a little more rest and better nutrition I'll fight this in the coming days. This time next week I'll be in Weymouth. This will be the home stretch.