Day 9- Bude to Hartland Quay 19 miles

Today was a struggle and a mistake on my part. The guide book states the distance as 14 miles but I somehow managed to wrangle 19 out of it by taking 'short cuts'and trying to avoid the coastal path. Along the coast path I would have climbed 1300 metre while my 'easier' track rose only 1475. Teach me for being lazy. That said the five or so miles along the coastal path at the end nearly killed me.
   I began the day with a bacon and sausage bab from a cafe, happy to delay the day just a little before leaving. After all today was a scarce 14 miles so what was the rush? After I popped into Safeway's and bought a few things. Once on the edge of town I walked a hundred metres back from the coastline for the first few miles, over pretty fields with the sun high in the sky.

Field path just outside Bude

  The land dipped down a few times as I walked across a series of valleys, the paths merging into smaller roads, never heading directly north but zigzagging. In one particular field I found myself in trouble. I was about fifty metres from the gate and  advancing towards a herd of female cows, no carfs or bulls. The one directly ahead of me stood up but didn't move. Then one came closer, followed by two others. I spoke up a little to show I wasn't afraid and they backed up slightly. Then an even larger one began to advance at a trot, stamped his hoof and began a hesitant charge. By this point I'd already began to back away but, since I was too far and too heavy to get to the gate in time, decided to face them down. I'd watched a man face down a charging elephant on the news a little while back and I attempted to summon his tone and authority. I yelled at them and made as if I was going to charge myself, and while they backed up a few steps turned and ran as fast as I could to the fence. They followed as a mass.

Knap Head

   I'd already followed this path for a mile so didn't want to turn back. Instead I fought my way over the edge to the neighbouring field and walked on the other side of the fence. The cows followed the entire way and when I attempted to climb back over at the edge of their field one charged again and quickly changed my mind. I'd never seen this from female cows, my only guess is that they'd just been separated from their calfs and were out for the next human they saw.

Knab Head

   After another few hours I gave up and made my way back to the coast path just in time to encounter Marsland and Welcombe Mouth two one-hundred metre climbs and hundred metre drops. You go up one side and down the other. Finally I reached a flat patch along the cliffs. Here I met a lovely lady who writes for walking magazines. We talked through our past journeys and she filled me in on a few of the other end to end walkers she'd met over the last few days. Just then the end to ender I'd meet yesterday came marching past and we joined forces for the last stretch. He gave me a good rhythm and the miles went by quickly.

 I thought he was a touch smug, far too eager to show how good he was and how silly other hikers were. Harmless enough though and he didn't seem to mind sarcasm been flung his way. He objected to my iPod, demanding I listen to the world around me, but I'm afraid the iPod keeps me going and the earphones were back in as soon as we parted ways.

Heartland Quay

  A last climb and camp at Stoke Barton Campsite and one of the most pretty farms you could wish for with free showers in lovely facilities. They've converted a corner of the barn into bathrooms and they are specious and clean. A lovely place. I washed, ate and was asleep by eight thirty.

Stoke Barton Farm House

Stoke Barton camp