Blogging challenges lead to some rash decisions, or at least sow the seeds of some rather crazy ideas.
For a long time I have marvelled at the people who have managed to walk the coastal footpath round this not so little island. Could I ever find the commitment and enthusiasm to tackle such a task? I don’t think so, but now the idea has come up I have to investigate. The more I look into it, the more tempted I get, but the reality check kicks in. A smaller target is the solution. I consider doing the path around the southwest thinking it might be more manageable. I soon discover that the distance from Minehead to near Weymouth is 670 miles. Too far. Our local pub is 1 mile away and it takes me at least 20 minutes to get there, so perhaps setting that mileage is totally unrealistic and would guarantee failure. I know I’ll have to settle for something I could complete.
One option is the Somerset coastline because it has a long stretch across the levels where I could build up stamina, before reaching Porlock and the climb up onto Exmoor. Or I could do from the Somerset border to the Cornwall border taking in the North Devon path.
I think I might check if anyone else wants to join me on this quest before I commit. Or at least find an enthusiast who will drop me off and pick me up to save me having to walk each section twice going there and back.
And there certainly won’t be a time deadline to this challenge. I have enough difficulty finding time to write the blog, let alone get out to go walking. I will have to work on the logistics before I set a time scale for this one.
It appears to me you need a path with many pubs at strategic locations to entice you forward. When you find that path…. I’m in!
Under those conditions I might be enticed to join, too – just give me a little while to get better at walking!