Day 02: 25 Mar 2014; Marazion to St Just

Walk descriptor	LEJOG2014		Day	02
Date	Tue 25 Mar 2014		Start to end time	10h 26m
Start point	Marazion		End point	St Just
Miles today	24.87		Cu miles	50.29
Ft today	3,348		Cu ft	9,534
Route miles left	1,416.19		Route ft left	182,426
Today’s weather	Wet morning, after heavy overnight rain. Blustery northerly wind, about 8 C. Watery sun in afternoon

Today’s location (the red cross in a circle shows where I am at the moment)		GPX based track of today’s walk (click here to access to access downloadable file)

Commentary

“Second day of the big hike north, and it feels like it is properly underway now.

Quite an eventful day. First off, it started raining again in the night, and I realised that pitching your tent at the bottom of a field on a wet night isn’t a good idea. When I got up at 6 am, I discovered that I was actually sleeping in a small pond. Memo to self – camp at the top of the field next time.

I was away by 6:45, mindful of the long walk to St Just today. Stopped for breakfast at the Station Café in Penzance and after a cheese and bacon turnover, bread and butter pudding and four cups of tea, I felt ready to face the day. It rained from about 5 am to about 1pm but then brightened up. So I got saturated right from the start. Then just outside Penzance, I stepped on a massive thorn which punctured right through the sole of my boot. Try as I might I couldn’t get it out by hand, so had to resort to my emergency pliers to extract it. So these multi-tools with weird attachments for removing stones from horses’ hooves do actually have a use.

Stopped for lunch at the Minack outdoor theatre – very spectacular, then headed for Land’s End. I have to admit that I couldn’t face the coast path to Land’s End – it is beautiful but hardf to walk – constant up and downs which are hard work with a full rucksack. So I cut inland via some quiet country lanes, which saved time and energy.

At Land’s End, stopped for the obligatory photo – at which point I felt that the trek north had really started. But didn’t linger as it has now been turned into a giant theme-park: I think in order to enjoy it requires a taste which I haven’t acquired yet. Followed the coast path northwards to St Just – a brilliant work but with 2,000 ft of climbing packed into just 5 miles, it’s quite tough. Stunning views of the sea, with giant Atlantic rollers crashing into the granite headlands.

Camping at Trevaylor which is brilliant as I think I am the first guest of the year and it’s All just been repainted. Dinner in nearby Queen’s Arms. I wonder how long it will be before I get sick of pub food?
”

Today’s photos (click to enlarge)


Camping in a pond. Not recommended	Boat in dry dock in Penzance harbour

Giant thorn removed from boot with “be-prepared” pliers	Eerie megalithic standing stone – one of many on the coast

Obligatory photo by the famous sign at Land’s End	Atlantic coast north of Land’s End

Panorama from the Minack open air theatre. Brilliant setting – presumably warm enough to enjoy outdoor play about once a year?