Walking Lands End to John O'Groats 2025 for Alzheimer's Society

Over 100 miles completed and I’m relieved. I’m camped up in a little glade just above Lundy Cove at 108 miles into the walk! I’ve chosen to finish the sandwich from lunch rather than cook tonight. The tent isn’t perfectly pitched but it will do. The glade is out of the ferocious WNW wind of today which was strong enough to blow me side ways and do strange things to my cheeks when I stood on a small headland. It’s 19:00 and I’m ready to go to sleep. Drizzle is falling and the blackbirds have just stopped dining. I can hear the waves pounding into the cove - Lindy Hole is just below me and foam is blowing up the path leaving little fluffy balls of cream in the blackthorn hedge. I’m pleased how today has gone with the backpack. When we first set off from Trevone I confess I was worried as it felt soooo heavy but as the day has progressed I have become accustomed to it and simply ensured I take it steady and take regular breaks for fluid and snacks. Martin turned back when we reached Gunve...

Although drizzle greeted the morning, by the time we had arrived back at Mawgan Porth it had cleared and waterproofs were not required. We walked across the beach watching the Surf School lesson move from sand to water but at this point in the day it looked like the waves were breaking too early into the Cove for the surfers to catch anything reasonable. Later on would be another story! Walking along the cliffs we saw more fulmars and gulls with the possibility of kittiwakes but I need to check their identification. But then the highlight of the day - Bedruthan Steps with perfect lighting, bright sun and huge crashing waves. Stunning. We met a couple who were intrigued by my walk and wanted to take a photo of us to inspire the grandchildren to get off their phones!! I was very grateful later to see they had made a donation. We paused and had elevenses here - the view was too stunning to rush. Martin decided to head back to the car and walk out to meet me from Trevone. Continuing on, I...

Somewhat to my surprise this was a really interesting and varied day.  With heavy rain forecast into the afternoon, I was feeling reluctant to get out of bed! And certainly not enthused about getting moving. My legs seemed to agree and it was well into the morning before I really felt I was moving well.  We were surprised by this as we had treated ourselves to steak at the Sloop Inn the night before thinking this would set us up for the day, but it made me think (apologies vegetarians) how lions have to sleep off their feasts! Setting off from Holywell I was delighted the rain hadn’t come through and although I set off through and enjoyed the sand dunes, when I saw a dauntingly large slope coming up I diverted down onto the east side of the beach to check the geology and seek a cave I’d heard about - the Boly Well at that end. The views were gorgeous but the tide wasn’t low enough as yet to see the cave - and what’s more I hadn’t avoided a steep sand slope to get back on the p...

One of the stand-outs for me about this coastline is the spectacular geology - it’s incredibly varied, with some of the oldest formations I will see until I get up to Scotland. Here is a little summary of the geology that has stood out to me so far. Penzance and Mount’s Bay Mainly  Devonian slates and sandstones  with more recent  alluvial deposits  and  beach sands in the bay, , and the beautiful  St Michael’s Mount  a granite outcrop connected to the mainland by a tidal causeway. Mount’s Bay to Porthcurno  M etamorphosed mudstones and slates  apparently called killas appear along side  granite intrusions  from the larger Land’s End Granite mass which I crossed on the second day. We started to notice striking black “dykes” - exposures of  contact metamorphism , where the granite intruded into the sedimentary rocks. I hadn’t been aware of these before but they are called  hornfels . There are also  quartz veins  ...

Starting at 10am, a steep climb out of Porthtowan brought me back onto the high cliffs overlooking the beach.  Heading over the tops Wheal Charlotte came into view set against the blossoming gorse - a classic sight.  It still looked some distance off, and before long I was heading down the zig zags to Chapel Porth valley.  I was taken by surprise as I climbed around the corner from the valley to see Wheal Charlotte close by with the turquoise sea and rolling waves below.  Onward now for pretty easy walking on the tops, wanting to keep pace so I could meet Martin if possible walking out from Perranporth. Again I seemed to reach St Agnes Head with the coastguard station above the path much faster than I thought.  I was trying to work out whether the birds I was seeing were all gulls or if there were kittiwakes among them. I’m not confident yet of identifying them, though I am of fulmars. Winding my way down to Trevaunance Cove, I was surprised by a deep crack open...