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South West Coast Path

J

jujubery

Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Francis (2017)
Via Francigena Italy portion (April 2018)
Good day Pilgrims
my husband and I completed the CF in 2017. We did a portion of the Via Francigena in 2018
We are now looking at starting the South West Coast Path in England. I understand it is not a pilgrimage, but it looks so beautiful and enchanting and would seem to think it would be a wonderful walk for reflection.
This forum has been a wealth of knowledge for me and others. So I would ask for a bit of direction. Does anyone know of a forum that discusses this path in particular? Do you know of anyone that has walked it?
Thanking you in advance for sharing and caring.
juju
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
Have you read The Salt Path by Raynor Winn?

This is a gripping account of a walk by a couple in straightened circumstances, with hardly any money and hardly any food, wild camping and living on instant noodles. It's a tough "camino" with too many ascents and descents on the trail for me, but these two intrepid travellers somehow manage to do it. It's an adventure story. You want to know the ending but you don't want it to end. A bit like the Camino!
 
CNN n mb nn n mb
Two friends of mine started this trail about 6 weeks ago, they had to quit after two weeks for medical reasons. They wrote each day in a kind of blog. From them I understand that it is a beautiful trail that follows the coach at a close distance. This means that there are many (high)ups and downs to reach sealevel again. They had very much rain They have walked at least 4 caminos, among them the Norte and the Primitivo. The SWCP was much more difficult than any camino they walked, there are much less fellowwalkers and of course it was much more expensive.
 
Camino Preparation Guide
The focus is on reducing the risk of failure through being well prepared. 2nd ed.
I've completed it in 2005 in sections.
It's a very nice walk with stunning scenery (sometime it's also possible to spot seals in the sea ), with a lot of ups and downs, but not as strenuous as an alpine walk.
I can't advise much on accommodation because I've done it a long time ago and likely much has changed, but I stayed in a mix of B&B, camping, friends and sometime I've just done day hikes and went back home since I was living nearby in that period.
For me the only draw back was the constant wind, not cold, but relentless. To limit the ill effect it had on my body and especially on my mind I used 2 Buff: 1 for my head under a baseball cap to cover my ears and the back of my neck (I don't remember much shadow on it) and one on my neck which could cover also my mouth and nose when needed. I also used large sunglasses which covered also the side of my eyes (the one designed for cyclists worked great). And, of course, I had to tie everything I wore down very well to avoid the noise of continuous flapping that made me crazy.
The paths were well kept with a lot of cattle gate crossing and everything was very well marked.
To plan it I used the book in the picture below which, I believe, it not going to be useful anymore.
Other than that it's a walk that I recommend since I've liked it and I didn't find particular difficulties on it.
 

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thank you all for your replies.
I recently read a review on the book "The Salt Path" and borrowed it from my library. The book is the reason for us wanting to walk this path! I agree with you Margaret, that it was gripping and such an adventure.
Alipilgrim, I will open that blog and see acquaint myself with the parts that pertain, Thank you. Stroller, Thanks for the tips for using buffs! I have one, that came in quite handy on the cool mornings doing both the CF and VF, but you bring up a great point of the wind! And, Antonius, sorry to hear about your friends, I hope they feel better and are able to start again. Yes, the expense seems prohibitive, but, I think there are a few hostels along the way. We will not be wild camping. We are in our mid 60's and have done that in our earlier, crazier years!
Juju
 
Get a Spanish mobil number + data while on the Camino
Get a spanish phone number with Airalo. eSim, so no physical SIM card. Easy to use app to add more funds if needed.
As a point of reference, I have completed the Camino Frances three times. I am 76 yrs old. I plan on another Camino when I’m 80. I’m quite active and have done many walks around the world.

Two years ago my wife and I did part of the SW Coast path from Padstow to St. Ives. A travel company that we have used before, MacsAdventure, set up B&B along the route. It was interesting, but not nearly as interesting as the Camino. At one point there were yellow arrows and signs showing a Camino route.

A couple of years before we did a 200 mile Coast to Coast walk across England that was of more interest to us. This was also set up with MacsAdventure. I plan on another walk with MacsAdventure in 2020.

Other walks are interesting, but they’re not a substitute for the Camino.
 
The SW Coast path is lovely, I've done bits of it and have friends who've done it all. Two points to keep in mind: 1) half of it you're walking into the prevailing wind and the other half it's to your back. 2) Some sections, particularly in Cornwall, you do a LOT of ups and downs for very little linear progress. On the other hand navigation is very straight forward, it's sea on the left or sea on the right depending on which way you're doing it. Enjoy yourselves.
 
Altus BALI Sleeping bag liner
Ideal sleeping bag liner whether we want to add a thermal plus to our bag, or if we want to use it alone to sleep in shelters or hostels. Thanks to its mummy shape, it adapts perfectly to our body.

€46,-
jujubery said:
Yes, the expense seems prohibitive, but, I think there are a few hostels along the way.
Click to expand...
Yes, it is very expensive (B&Bs, country inns and hotels) and yes, there are (very few) hostels along the way. It is relentlessly up and down, following the headlands around the coastline, so hard work. I think most people do it in stages, a little bit at a time, rather than the whole thing in one go. When I attempted it (twice), it was very solitary, and I met nobody else walking it, just a few other people out on day hikes at the weekends. Quite a challenge. Good luck!
 
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