Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

AMA

I walked the South West Coast Path solo…AMA

115 replies

SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 08:03

It’s a 630 mile hiking trail around the coast of Dorset, Devon and Cornwall. I carried my own camping equipment with me the whole way, and it was one of the best experiences of my life!

I thought I’d do an AMA in case anyone else is planning their own Salt Path/ Cheryl Strayed experience and is looking for inspiration or tips.

OP posts:
thinkfast · 14/05/2023 16:51

What clothes did you take OP and where did you wash them?

londonmummy1966 · 14/05/2023 17:06

Lovely thread OP - I've run bits of the SW Coast path when I've been staying in Cornwall - so beautiful and I keep on thinking I'd like to do it all. A friend of mine did the whole of the Welsh path last year - an amazing adventure.

For anyone who likes reading about that sort of thing I can recommend this blog written by a guy who walked the whole of the UK coast.

https://www.charleswalk.com/about

About — charles' walk

https://www.charleswalk.com/about

SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:18

@CatherineMaitland thanks for the book recommendation - I’ve added it to my list. I wore these walking shoes: https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/lowa-womens-sirkos-gtx-shoes-B2224081.html?colour=3539&utm_source=google&utm_medium=gdn&utm_campaign=CWO-UK-PERF-ONG-PLA-NB-GOOGLE-PMAX&gclid=CjwKCAjwjYKjBhB5EiwAiFdSfthEtmW_aIEoCKkW-HxMwKJQFeSxN8eEuefcwBp41rdIjfV3kCRoTBoCESYQAvD_BwE basically they were sturdy walking shoes with good grip. I find full walking boots quite heavy on my feet, and also it was so hot I think full boots would have been a lot. By using hiking poles combined with the walking shoes I felt like I got more than enough stability.

There’s definitely a bit of a walking boot vs shoe/ trail runner debate going on, but basically go with whatever works for you I think (although I definitely recommend poles - I just got cheap ones from Decathlon and they were great). Ones with really good grip are ideal for the path though, as it can be chalky and pebbly/ scree-like in some places.

Womens Sirkos GTX Shoes

Order Lowa Womens Sirkos GTX Shoes today from Cotswold Outdoor ✓ Price Match Promise ✓ 3-Year Product Warranty ✓ Expert Advice

https://www.cotswoldoutdoor.com/p/lowa-womens-sirkos-gtx-shoes-B2224081.html?colour=3539&utm_source=google&utm_medium=gdn&utm_campaign=CWO-UK-PERF-ONG-PLA-NB-GOOGLE-PMAX&gclid=CjwKCAjwjYKjBhB5EiwAiFdSfthEtmW_aIEoCKkW-HxMwKJQFeSxN8eEuefcwBp41rdIjfV3kCRoTBoCESYQAvD_BwE

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:20

@BadSkiingMum thanks - it really was amazing! Hmm, to just do Cornwall I would probably allow between 3 - 4 weeks, which would include a few rest days. You could also spilt into into 3 separate trips, and look at it as three sections of North Cornwall, West Cornwall and South Cornwall. I met people doing similar and that worked well for them. You should do it!

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:28

@thinkfast I took two full sets of hiking clothes: 2 x quick dry tshirts, 2 x pairs of leggings, 2 x sports bras and 2 x hiking socks. Then I had a ‘sleep set’ of a pair of soft cotton leggings, a merino wool blend tshirt and a pair of thin cotton socks. I wore these when I slept and only put them on after showering! (Unless I was wild camping, in which case I had no choice)

I also took 2 x warmer synthetic mid layers (although tbh I could have just taken one), and a packable uniqlo down jacket that folded down really small for the evenings. Also one rain jacket, and a cap. And a pair of flip flops, a swimming costume, a quick dry towel. Final things were one strap top and a pair of cotton shorts which I wore on rest days, and about 9 pairs of underwear (again, could have cut down on this if I were really hardcore).

I did laundry at campsites mainly, and once at a launderette in Newquay. When I did laundry I just washed everything and sat in my swimming costume and rainjacket whilst it washed! I did laundry about every 8 days.

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:31

What an amazing place to live - and yes, I did do the rugged section from Minehead! It was Day 1 and I felt like I was up for the challenge. I loved it and it was definitely a baptism by fire for beginning the path.

OP posts:
QuintanaRoo · 14/05/2023 20:32

SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 08:06

Thanks! It took 8 weeks in total. I did 5 weeks in one summer, then the remaining 3 weeks the next summer (including rest days). Some people do it in as little as 30 days, some take much longer.

Dh did it in 20 something, I think 22 days. He wild camped along the way!

too be honest I think however long it takes it’s an amazing achievement. If I was ever going to do something like that I’d rather do it slower and enjoy it more.

I did plan to do the pct and a had a permit for 2020 which obviously did not happen. I’ve since broken my ankle badly and don’t think I’ll ever manage anything remotely like that as it’s not healed properly and I can’t walk very well now. I love reading books on long distance hiking. 500 mile walkies was a good one about the SW coast path I read a long time ago.

SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:33

SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:31

What an amazing place to live - and yes, I did do the rugged section from Minehead! It was Day 1 and I felt like I was up for the challenge. I loved it and it was definitely a baptism by fire for beginning the path.

This was at @DobbyTheHouseElk btw!

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:40

Aliensrus · 14/05/2023 08:40

An amazing achievement!

Did you ever get lonely? Did it feel like a meditative/ spiritual experience? Did you get any aches and pains that you needed to see treatment for before continuing? Also interested in the toilet thing, what do you do if you need to do a number 2 on the trail?

thank you

Thank you! I didn’t ever get lonely, no. I absolutely relished the peace, and also, there were plenty of people around I could chat to if I wanted to.

I did end up walking with people (often other solo women) on a few days, and a couple of those people I’ve stayed in touch with and have met up with since!

I also had a couple of random interactions - eg chatting to a man in a launderette in Falmouth and then going for dinner that evening with him in Spoons 🤷‍♀️ all part of the adventure! Another guy I met one day was from Cornwall and we ended walking part of the way together and going swimming in some secret caves and sharing a pasty on the beach. Basically I had so many different, one off interactions and friendships for a day or afternoon which really made the experience so exhilarating.

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:53

Hercules12 · 14/05/2023 08:43

Hi. Really interesting thread.
what sort of pre-planning did you do beforehand? Did you use a paper map or phone to navigate? What did you pack re essentials like plates, pans etc? What would be your top 5 tips?

Thank you! In terms of pre-planning, I bought the Cicerone guidebook, which I took with me, and joined the South West Coast Path association and received their guidebook too (which actually I also took with me - this explains why my pack was a bit too heavy…!) The Cicerone guidebook includes the OS map sections, which are nice to see

Navigation was for the most part extremely easy, as you just keep the sea on your right. But, when there were diversions or it went though towns, I did use my phone sometimes. It was good to use it on satellite mode when looking at the terrain for potential wild camping spots too.

For other packing, I had a small stove, a tiny cooking pot (which I ate noodles out of with a spork, so it doubled up as a bowl), and a lightweight tin mug for tea and hot chocolate.

Hmm, 5 top tips:

  1. ’Hike your own hike!’ Don’t feel you have to stick to a schedule of early starts and finishes. Do what feels right for you. If you want to stay at a campsite until 10am, hike for an hour, have an ice cream at 11am, hike, swim, realise it’s 5pm already, hike until 9pm and then wild camp then do it! I loved hiking in the golden hour and watching the shadows lengthen and watching the moon rise.
  2. No need to rush - the path will be there, and you can come back to it.
  3. Stop to watch the seals and swim in the sea as much as you can.
  4. Eat lots of Moomaid of Zennor ice cream.
  5. Don’t plan at the expense of actually doing it. Don’t think ‘I need to get fitter first/ get this gear first/ do more planning first’. The path will provide! Just get started and enjoy it.
OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 14/05/2023 20:54

Also @Aliensrus hope I answered the toilet question fully enough up thread!

OP posts:
Redshoeblueshoe · 14/05/2023 20:58

Wow I am very impressed

TinyRebellion · 14/05/2023 22:58

Amazing thread! I have taken screenshots of all your answers and put them in a note file on my phone for easier access! Hope that's ok. My question would probably be about costs. How much do you think you spent on gear and then how much do you think you spent actually doing the walk, ie food and accommodation, travel etc.? Ballpark figures of course, unless you kept a record Grin
Thanks for the thread, it's incredibly helpful!

Hercules12 · 15/05/2023 07:13

Thanks, op. I’ve bought a guide book now and also a teacher so planning my half term holiday! Have a small dog though and debating on taking my car as have health issues which will make it all a bit tricky although doable. Would either leave my car at start or end of day walk.

BSky · 15/05/2023 07:52

This sounds amazing. Would love to do this SWCP one day. Not sure I'm brave enough to do it alone but it sounds exhilarating.

Jellycatbat20 · 15/05/2023 08:18

What a lovely thread, thank you. We live not too far from part of the Somerset coastline though we're in exile in the north for work right now. You have some great tips, maybe we'll manage it next year.

Twerpsichore · 15/05/2023 08:24

Great thread 😁

JoanThursday · 15/05/2023 08:41

Great thread! Thank you, @SeaSwimsEveryDay. Such a beautiful part of the country - I'm very envious!

Aliensrus · 15/05/2023 11:48

Thank you @SeaSwimsEveryDay for your responses! Interested in the loo situation as I’d love to start long distance walking but worried about that part. Great thread thank you!

CatherineMaitland · 15/05/2023 11:59

Thanks @SeaSwimsEveryDay ! That's really helpful.

SeaSwimsEveryDay · 15/05/2023 17:47

tiredsofingtired · 14/05/2023 08:41

If I wanted to do a 5-10 mile stretch with great views, a pub at the end and a bus back to where I started. Is there anywhere in particular that you can think of that broadly fits?

Ooh there are so many to choose from! My first recommendation though would actually be to take the bus out first, and then 'walk home' to your starting location. That will avoid any bus time stresses. Having said that, if you leave yourself lots of time, and leave early, I'm sure you'd be fine. I just don't like that 'having to make the bus' feeling.

I know the Atlantic Coaster bus is particularly good - it goes all along the coast of Cornwall and is reliable. Honestly everywhere is SO beautiful that you can't go wrong with any stretch! The South West Coast Path association has a page all on pub walks with transport options: https://www.southwestcoastpath.org.uk/walk-coast-path/south-west-coast-path-national-trail/day-walks/pub-walks/, and their guidebook is also really good for suggestions for bus accessibility. Have fun!

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 15/05/2023 18:18

TinyRebellion · 14/05/2023 22:58

Amazing thread! I have taken screenshots of all your answers and put them in a note file on my phone for easier access! Hope that's ok. My question would probably be about costs. How much do you think you spent on gear and then how much do you think you spent actually doing the walk, ie food and accommodation, travel etc.? Ballpark figures of course, unless you kept a record Grin
Thanks for the thread, it's incredibly helpful!

Oh I'm so happy you found this helpful! In terms of costs (and @timetochangethename asked this too - so I hope this helps), it's such a tricky one as it's the sort of trip that really can adapt wildly to different budgets.

Personally, on gear the first summer I think I probably spent around £350. I had a backpack already, plus a sleeping bag and sleeping bag liner, so I bought a tent (£140-ish), an inflatable rollmat (£40 ish), hiking poles (£10), new boots (£100-ish), a stove and cooking pot (£40ish), plus a few miscellaneous things like a new quick dry tshirt, towel and a new dry bag, and a little waterproof pouch thing to wear round my waist which I put my phone in when I went swimming.

Then, last summer, all my gear was still good from the first time around, so I decided to upgrade my sleeping bag for a warmer one instead as I didn't need to buy anything else new. That cost £250ish which was a massive splurge but worth it! I slept so well in it.

In terms of costs during the trip itself, campsites ranged from free (wild camping/ a farmer's field one night - I asked him if he knew of any good camping spots close by and he offered me his field!) to the most expensive one which was £25 I think - in Tintagel (but it was lovely, and the owner went above and beyond by doing my laundry for me for free - totally unexpected - maybe I just smelt really bad...!). Most were between £10 - 15, I think, but there were a surprising amount which only charged £5 - £8 as a backpacker rate. It's always worth asking for a solo backpacker rate, as often they'll offer one.

Travel - I got the train from London to Taunton (£40ish?) then a local bus to Minehead (£8ish?) to start the walk. Had my first night in a hotel in Minehead (£50ish?), and then the first campsite I booked in advance, which was Sparkhayes Campsite in Porlock - which is the one everyone books for their first night. I think that was £12.50. After that, I pretty much just booked everything else on the day/ turned up.

Food wise - again, this can vary sooooo much. If you want a pub meal per day, you'll obviously need to budget £15 - 20ish. Fish and chips by the beach maybe £12ish? Or a pizza at a campsite -£10ish. Also, think of the number of ice creams you plan to consume! Each one is £3-4. A pint of Cornish Rattler Cider - £5ish, or £3 a bottle from a campsite shop!

Or - you can do as lots of other people I met were doing, and be as frugal as possible, and aim to go to a supermarket for a big resupply whenever you can. Oat bars/ pop tarts and a cup of tea from your camping stove for breakfast, a couple of tortilla wraps and some squeezy peanut butter for lunch, big bags of homemade trail mix (salted nuts, dried fruit, M&Ms etc) in your bag to snack on, lots of Snickers bars, bombay mix, jerky throughout the day for more snacks, and then noodles for dinner.

Budgeting is so elastic for this sort of trip. You have a lot of control over your budget, and it really can be as cheap as you want it to be. Personally, I didn't set a super strict budget, as I first set off after lockdown, where I hadn't been spending much. So, I was happy to pay for campsites, nice meals if I came across a pub I liked the look of, and a sprinkling of cheap B&Bs (as well as many ice creams and ciders!).

No idea of a ballpark figure, and I don't want to estimate in case I'm wildly off, and because each day was so different. I could have spent the day eating food from my backpack, and then wild camping in the evening - and spent nothing that day, but then the next day deciding to have a pub lunch and drinking cider with people I met in my campsite, and spending £60+ on food, ice cream, cider and a pricier campsite. I hope the above is a little bit helpful, and simply shows that basically you can really adapt the trip to suit any budget. I hope you can make it work for you! You will have a great time.

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 15/05/2023 18:19

Hercules12 · 15/05/2023 07:13

Thanks, op. I’ve bought a guide book now and also a teacher so planning my half term holiday! Have a small dog though and debating on taking my car as have health issues which will make it all a bit tricky although doable. Would either leave my car at start or end of day walk.

Oh I'm so glad! I met a lot of happy dogs on the path - enjoy it and have a lovely half term!

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 15/05/2023 18:40

Pebble21uk · 14/05/2023 09:58

Amazing timing as next Saturday me and my partner are taking a week out and walking as far as we can in the time allowed... just starting out! I live in Devon and we have done tiny bits here and there but never done it multi-day before and carrying everything with us. I have kit all over the bedroom at the moment - going to do a practice pack today and see how much my backpack weighs!

We're intending using campsites when possible and maybe a bit of wild camping. We are starting in Salcombe and walking as far East as we can get in a week! (Just chose that section for its convenience from where we live) Neither of us are particularly fit so will just be going at our own pace and have a little adventure along the way!

So - what are your top tips please? And any little (light) things you wish you'd taken to make life more comfortable? If you can recall the section from Salcombe (there are lots of little river ferry crossings!) how did you find that stretch? Also wondering about water - I will have a Sawyer with me for emergencies, but hoping there will be plenty of places to fill up en-route! Sorry - loads of questions there! Can you tell I'm just a bit excited!!

Oh I am SO excited for you! How did your practice pack go? It is such an adventure carrying everything with you, and makes it feel so satisfying.

I can definitely remember the section from Salcombe. Starting in Salcombe and going East will be amazing. The section after Salcombe up to Start Point is absolutely gorgeous - so many coves, stunning rocks and breathtaking landscapes. I think that's 10 miles or so, and I'm sure there would be some good places to wild camp along there. There's a good campsite called Leonard's Cove which is in Stoke Fleming (about 10 miles after Start Point - so you could do it as Day 2), and it's pretty flat from Start Point to Stoke Fleming, so that would be good in terms of helping your legs adjust.

I wild camped about 2 miles before Brixham - there were loads of nice flat headlands hidden behind rocks which worked perfectly. Then I went swimming in the sea pool before Brixham, and had a great breakfast by Brixham harbour! Ah, it's making me so happy remembering it. The bits around Brixham get HILLY and are tiring, but it is so beautiful. If you want to stop every few mins to rest and have some Haribo and take in the view, then do it!

Hmm, in terms of ferries - there's the one to cross over from Salcombe, and then the next one is Dartmouth I think. The ferries were fun - you just need to double check the times to make sure you don't miss the last one. And remember a bit of cash for them! They don't all take cards.

I put some top tips in an earlier post, but essentially I think they can be summed up in, 'hike your own hike, and enjoy yourself!'.

I was pretty happy with what I'd packed - I was glad I took a thin cotton tote bag, actually. It sounds small but was helpful if I stayed at a campsite and wanted to go to the beach for a rest day/ to the pub for dinner. When all of your possessions are in a backpack, you forget it's useful to have something to carry other things in, too, once your tent is up - like going to the shower block and stuff. Also flipflops. I took Crocs the first summer but flipflops the second, and they were lighter, less bulky and just as good.

Also, for general bag organisation, mesh bags are good for helping organise your pack. I had a mesh bag for clothes, and one for electronics. I used ones from Amazon from years ago, but the 60p supermarket mesh bags for fruit and veg work just as well! And a battery pack is super useful (then just find somewhere in a campsite like the laundry room to plug it in overnight when you can). Ziploc bags are great for organising your food too.

Water wise - I filled up in cafes/ pubs/ from taps when I could, but basically just carried quite a lot. If I got a coffee or an ice cream from a cafe they would always fill water up for me happily. The SWCP is used to walkers and so most businesses along it are really friendly to backpackers. I carried a 1l Nalgene bottle, plus a 2l water bladder (not the one with a drinking tube - literally just a tough plastic bag, essentially - the lightest way to carry water!).

I hope that helps. You will have an amazing time - please come back and update when you've done it!

OP posts:
SeaSwimsEveryDay · 15/05/2023 18:54

1dayatatime · 14/05/2023 10:09

Firstly well done you on such an amazing achievement- lots of people think about doing things like this (myself included) but few actually get on and do it!

I can see you have been inundated with questions but please could I ask a few:
how would you describe your level of fitness beforehand and secondly (apologies if rude) what is your age range.
Sorry if this is a dumb question but is there a risk at various points of falling off a cliff. I mean how close is the coastal footpath to the edge.
Are there many other walkers doing the same thing. The reason I ask was that a few years ago I did the Cinque Terre walk in Italy and it was spoilt by the sheer number of people doing exactly the same thing.
Any recommendations on makes of tent, sleeping bag, walking boots and backpack.
Did you listen to music or audiobooks whilst walking?

Thank you

Thank you so much!

My sleeping bag (also to @Yellowdays and @RaceToTheMiddle ) was this one: https://www.seatosummit.co.uk/products/sleep/spark-spii-2c/ (although I got it on a discount site so I think I got it for about £250ish).

I would say my level of fitness beforehand was 'average'. I never do weights in the gym or anything, or go to fitness classes, but I am fairly active day to day in that I walk 2 miles to and from work every day, and my days involve walking around a fair bit. But nothing more than that really.

I'm early 30s (@Harkonen asked that too).

Not a dumb question re cliff edges at all! So there was one point I did feel a bit scared of falling, and that was the path from Lynmouth to Combe Martin. There was a very narrow steep stretch of a couple of miles, where I was thinking to myself, 'one false move...' I think, if you suffer seriously from vertigo, that would be best avoided. Having said that, I was obviously totally fine - and thousands of people walk it every summer with no incident. That was the only bit I remember as standing out as being a bit too close to the edge!

There are other walkers doing the path, but it doesn't feel like a conveyor belt by any means. Some stretches (eg, near car parks) are busier than others, and some I would go for hours without seeing a soul. So there was a lot of variety in that respect. I definitely never felt like the path was overcrowded, because, if there were a lot of people (eg, at Land's End), you would just walk on for 10 minutes and it would empty out again.

Tent, walking boots I've answered above now. My backpack was a 45l +10l Deuter https://www.deuter.com/int-en/shop/backpacks/p225775-trekking-backpack-aircontact-lite-45-10-sl (although I see it's now out of stock). I would say it was a good capacity though. Anything bigger and I think I would have overfilled it even more, and I'm definitely not the lightest packer at the best of times...

I didn't listen to audiobooks, but occasionally I'd listen to music or podcasts. Not as much as I thought I would though - I enjoyed just listening to the sea and feeling present. Time seemed to pass very quickly.

I do hope you manage to do it some day - it's such a wonderful experience.

Spark SpII - Sea To Summit UK

https://www.seatosummit.co.uk/products/sleep/spark-spii-2c

OP posts: