Portwrinkle to Plymouth

Hi everyone,

Tonight I've reached Portwrinkle coming from Polperro. I've now done 396 of the total 630 miles....... not that I'm counting or anything!!! On my way to Plymouth tomorrow. May be crossing what is described in the walking book as an 'interesting walk' through the MoDs Tregantle range!! Better keep my head down!

Todays leg (I'm wearing a different one from yesterday:-)) was good. It seemed to pass quite quickly. Weather was really changeable though with lots of short showers - most of the time you can see them coming in over the sea, that's if you look over your shoulder regularly!

Although I'm still loving the challenge & experience, yesterday (Weds) was a rotten day, in fact the worst since the second leg I did from Porlock Weir to Lynmouth/Lynton. It felt like a real test which I was surprised to get nearly six weeks into things. I was feeling tired & a bit grumpy at the start anyway but it was the weather ..... gusting, strong wind & almost horizontal heavy rain coming at me from the side.

It was raining so hard it actually stung my face. The paths were totally waterlogged & very slippery. By the time I got to the Ferry at Fowey, I was soaked through & cold. Although my boots are great, after 3 or so hours of deep puddles & the rain, my feet were also sodden - it was like walking on wet sponges. I then discovered that I had left the zippers on the sides of my trousers & the pit zips on my jacket open!!

I'd also forgotten to pack extra dry socks for this leg - what a complete arse!! At this time, I had pretty much lost the perspective, focus and enjoynent of the journey. Added to which, the next stretch was supposed to be the toughest on the South Coast!! It took about 4 hours but as I got toward Polperro the whole day changed for me. When you approach Polperro along the coast path from the West, it is completely hidden from view until you are virtually on top of it. As you round the rocks at the top of the cliff above the entry to the Harbour this fabulous place comes into view below & to your left.

Actually, the first I knew that Polperro was just ahead was when I saw a fishing boat emerging directly into the rough sea from behind the next cliff. It was such a gorgeous place with any amazing entrance from the path that my mood changed dramatically - this was what the coast path walking was all about:-)

Since Porthallow, the coastline has generally got more rugged, with more ups & downs & although not as dramatic as the North coastline it is still very attractive. There are lots of fabulous coves & historical points. When the sky is clear, some of the views along the length of the coastline are amazing. I've still been looking out for basking sharks but haven't seen anything. I don't think I'll see them now this far up the coast.

Still meeting lots of interesting people & some local real characters - they seem to really like walkers. They like to have a laugh & tease a bit but its great fun. l met a lady on the stretch from Mevagissey to Charlestown that I met on the leg from Hartland Quay to Bude in my second week on the north Coast - she was walking with her husband then. They live nearby in St Austell. I didn't actually recognize her which was a bit embarrasing but she remembered me & said she'd been following everything on the Internet - she even said she'd sponsor me!!

I've got lots more to tell you about. Hopefully, I can squeeze some more into future blogs.

Well ...... I'd better turn in now. Will post again soon. Have a good day tomorrow

Cheers
George:-)



Remember that all important web address for sponsoring George for putting himself through this highly physical challenge is www.justgiving.com/georgerix . Please give generously. Thank you!

Greetings from Porthallow

Hello Everyone,

Apologies again for the lack of blogs since the last. I am officially a complete arse when it comes to blogging!!

Well....

I'm at Porthallow and officially half-way the South West Coast Path!! So, I've done 315 miles... phew! Time for a minor celebration me thinks. Although overall it was great approaching and going round Lands End, I did have some mixed feelings. Some of the coastline from Cape Cornwall to Porthcurno was the best yet. But, Lands End as a place was a bit of a disappointment. I also felt like I was going to miss the North Coast. Through all the many ups and downs I had experienced (mainly ups I must say), I felt very attached to the North Coast, rugged high cliffs, the Atlantic swell, the beautiful coves and the people I met. I had my photo taken with Little George though, although someone at the time did think that Little George looked like a girl!!

It was great to hook-up with Neil & Anna Osborne and young Thomas & Emma at St.Ives. We all had lunch and ice-cream but Anna & I had ours stolen for our grasp by swooping seagulls! I've never experienced 'attacking' seagulls before. They are really very canny and I've got to say highly skilled... albeit also quite aggressive. Next time though.....!

I'm off to Falmouth tomorrow. It's quite a long hop but looking forward to it. Still hoping to see some basking sharks.

Thanks again for the communications and encouragement. Some are really funny and make me laugh a lot. Keep them coming please.

Take care and have a good day. Will post again soon.

Cheers

George

Bring it On!!! The challenge starts now!

Hi Everyone,

Just a short update from the depths of North Cornwall. I'm currently at Pendeen about to go around Lands End! I started this morning here.

Two weeks ago it seemed such a long way away but it's arrived so quickly. I'm really excited about turning the corner. The walk since my last blog has been great. I've come all the way from Portreath to here. The coastline has been some of the most gorgeous yet, the cliffs are really rugged. The wind has been pretty strong which had whipped up a good swell in the Atlantic.
The waves on the coastline had looked spectacular. It must be great to see in the winter.

Thanks again for all the support and encouragement. Well.....Lands End here I come!!

Will post soon, take care all

George
:-)

George is now officially undertaking his walk in the hope of raising funds for the AECC - he's already achieved almost 50% of his sponsorship goal. Have you sponsored him yet? Just visit www.justgiving.com/georgerix to sponsor him online safely, quickly and securely.

And I have walked 200 miles!

Hi again everyone,

Well......I'm still here, moving forward really well now & loving the experience even more. I might even just make it...!!!! You just don't tire of this fabulous coastline. I'm definitely getting much fitter now, losing some tonnage too!

I've had lots of great company over the last few days. Jen Julian and her mum Celia, met me for the Padstow to Mawgan Porth leg on Fri. It was 18 miles in total but the time just flew by - they were so good to walk & talk with, really enjoyed it. On Saturday met up with Jane & Jon Cook & their boys Jacob & Lucas. I had a relatively short hop from Mawgan Porth to Porth that day so was able to spend some time with them on the beach at Watergate - great to see them - had a really good time. Spent Sat night with Neil Osbornes parents (Gerry & Margaret) & his brother Russel at Porth just outside Newquay. They were fabulous. They thoroughly spoilt me & I really enjoyed the stay.

On Sunday I walked to Perranporth. Made really good time. Met Celia again to walk some more at the start of the huge beach at Perranporth. When you come down the cliff to meet the beach it's a great view. Walking on the beach was such a great end to the leg - what coastline walking is about. Stayed at Celia's cottage on Sunday night and was spoilt with some gorgeous roast lamb. Had a fab evening.

Broke the 200 mile mark on Sunday too! Mon was Perranporth to Portreath. This is a particularly nice stretch of the coastline. There is an airfield on the clifftops a little way along this stretch. You can learn to fly here. You take off over the cliff edge & fly straight out to sea. Must be a bit of a sphincter tightener when you're just learning!! At Chapel Porth on Jens' recommendation, had the legendary 'hedgehog' ice-cream. Check this out; a cone filled with Cornish vanilla ice-cream covered in a thick layer of clotted cream heavily sprinkled with roasted hazelnuts - a coronary in a cone. Got to say it was great!

Well..... I'd better hit the sack. On my way to Hayle tomorrow. Thanks again for all the support & encouragement - means a lot. Love all the funny texts & e-mails aswell-I've laughed loads.

Take care & have a good day

George:-)

Remember: George is walking all this way in the hope of raising £10,000 for the Anglo-European College of Chiropractic and is still a long way off his target! Why not make the whole challenge even more worthwhile by sponsoring him for his efforts?! Please visit www.justgiving.com/georgerix to sponsor him quickly and easily online. If you've got any questions regarding sponsoring George, please email rgrail@aecc.ac.uk. Thank you!

Onwards and Upwards - From Port Isaac to Padstow

Hi Everyone,

I'm walking again today which is a great relief. The blister is doing OK so no time to lose. Will miss the folks I met at Port Isaac though - they were so friendly and helpful. The hotel owner used to be the drummer & lyricist for Dexy's Midnight runners - ahh......good ol' 80's music! Brings back lots of great memories! He was really interesting to talk to - really nice fella.

Walked from Port Isaac to Padstow with Maria Browning today - it was to great to have such good company. We made great time & the weather was gorgeous - got the legs out today as well! - didn't frighten any wildlife with them which was good! Some of the coves today were the best I've seen yet - the water was really clear & looked so inviting. I was so tempted to dip in.

Padstow was packed when I arrived. Had some Rick Stein take away fish & chips, they were fab, chips were genuinely the best I've ever had.

Thanks to all for the texts, e-mails & other messages of support - really love getting them so much. Had some from people I've met along the way which is great. Some from Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Norway & Sweden!

Next stop is Mawgan Porth. It's about 18 miles but not a hard leg in terms of hills and valleys. Jen Julian & her Mum are joining me for part of the leg - looking forward to meeting up with them.

Well.....Have a good day all. Will post again soon:-)

Remember: George is walking all this way in the hope he will raise £10,000 to undertake important neurological research at the AECC. The research will hopefully help to shape and develop chiroopractic knowledge in this area, so it would make a massive difference to George and to the chiropractic profession if you were to sponsor him.

You can sponsor George quickly and easily online by visiting www.justgiving.com/georgerix so please please please show him your support! Remember, every little bit helps, so any pennies you can find will really help George and his quest!

Thank You.

Resting in Port Isaac - Poorly Foot!!!

Hi Again Everyone,

Really sorry it's been a while since I updated my blog. I don't have a good excuse so please don't ask me to come up with a bad one!! Joking apart, I've been on such a steep learning curve since starting, had to manage a few foot problems that have slowed me down a wee bit & it's taken me a while to 'settle-in' to things. (see my Blister!!) Anyway....poor excuses aside, I'd really like to thank everyone for their sponsorship & continued support & encouragement. I've been quite overwhelmed by this & it has really made the experience so much more special - so thank you.

I'm currently at Port Isaac, resting my rather problematic large blister on ball of my foot. I'm actually staying at a small hotel (The Bay Hotel) where they filmed a small part of the Doc Martin TV series.

To pass the time, I've started to read the Bill Bryson book, 'Notes from a Small Island'. Writing a blog after reading his really humorous & observant travel tales is pretty daunting!! One thing, I do share with him is a birthday on 8th Dec!

I've had so many great, new and challenging experiences since starting my journey. One thing about travelling alone is that you meet and talk to so many people. I've met such a range of interesting and funny characters. The degree of friendship & generosity shown has been incredible. I've had some marvellous & sometimes quite intense dips into their communities & lives, something I don't think I could have experienced travelling any other way. Several of the people I've met now keep in touch via texts & e-mail!! I've also collected £80 along the way from folks, literally people who have stopped to talk on the path - they love mini George too!

The coastline has been amazing to see. There's been a clear change between Devon and Cornwall. But it also changes from each time you to round a headland or even down and up a valley. Although, I have quite a few miles to cover each day, I really try & live in the moment & absorb what is around me. Three days ago I met two wildlife enthusiasts on a cliff top just before Fire Beacon Point, between Boscastle & Tintagel.

These ol' boys were fabulous. I told them that I hadn't seen any seals yet & they calmy pointed out that there were some on the rocks below!!
I couldn't see them at all with the naked eye so one of the fellas set up his telescope and let me look. There were three seals with pups just basking on the rocks and occasionally playing. He then told me that this was a common place to see Peregrine falcons & promptly focused his telescope on a cliff ledge. "There you go" he said, it was falcon perched on ledge seemingly passing the time. This experience just made my day.

I've done 153 miles now of the 630 total. I'm a little behind schedule but will make it up!

For me, this has been an amazing physical & indeed mental & emotional challenge so far. At times I've had to dig deep, particularly on the real up & down parts when it's been really windy & wet & when I've been tired & had a lot pain from the foot problems.

You find out a lot about yourself - and realise how important your support is! One quote that really helped me was passed on by Aaron Coode - it's from Lance Armstrong "Pain is temporary, it may last a minute, an hour, a day or even a year but eventually it will subside & something else will take it's place. If I quit, however, it lasts for ever".

Well...I'll sign off now. I will try to update each day from now on.

Don't forget if you want to you can keep in touch using facebook www.facebook.com/drgeorgerix or using on this blogsite or by google mail rixbigramble@googlemail.com - I'd love to hear from you.

Take care all :-)

George

Day 9 (of walking!) Clovelly to Hartland Bay

Hi Everyone,

Sorry it's been a while since I updated my blog - it's been a busy and tough few

Day 6 - Walking from Coombe Martin - Putsborough

Hello Again everyone,

Sorry the updates are so random, the coverage down here is very sketchy and so I've not been able to get onto the internet as easily or regularly as I'd have liked!

So, so far I'm managing to walk all the distances, I've averaged about 12 - 13 miles a day so far. The weather has been really awful which has put a bit of a downer on my spirits at times! Saying that, all your support and motivation will keep me going and I am going to finish this challenge!

I had a rest yesterday in Coombe Martin, which was great. I stayed at a brilliant B&B, where they offered to wash some of my clothes (maybe that was a hint!) fed me a fantastic breakfast and gave me lots of hot tea! I've managed to hurt my achillies tendon, so I needed to rest that, but today will be walking 16 miles to Putsborough so hopefully it'll bear up!

I've met some really lovely and interesting people now who were walking to St. Ives, they were from Norway, Holland and Bournemouth! They gave me some good tips on making the distance - including telling me I was crazy to be carrying so much weight in my rucksack!! The weight is what is making the walking that much harder. There are lots of hills & valleys too, which makes things all a little more difficult! The scenery is gorgeous though - varies every time you go round a headland. If you're feeling tired, you've just got to look around, watch the sea & somehow it doesn't feel so bad. Apparently though the south coast is easier, so I hope I'm still in good form for that!

I'm still eating well, I've got chocolate for quick releases of energy, and I'm snacking regularly throughout the day. I'm not stopping to sit down for lunch or breaks really, so am impressed with my stamina so far!

Well, I'd best be off, 16 miles is a long stretch, so I've got to get started! I think the weather is going to be better today, so hopefully it'll be a bit easier!

I've got some pictures for you all to see, and will try to update them soon!

Will post again later,
George

P.S. If you now feel that I deserve the all important sponsorship for my research, do please visit www.justgiving.com/georgerix to sponsor me online! I need the encouragement right now if I'm honest!

Thanks again to everyone for your kind and generous donations, you have no idea how much it means to me!

G

My First Weekend A Rambling - 21miles down!

Hello!

I'm now 3 days into my training, and boy I realise now I need it! I knew my ramble would be hard work, but never thought it would be THIS much hard work! There is also a distint lack of mobile phone coverage along the path, so I'm sorry if I don't keep you as informed as I want to!

I have now walked from Minehead, via Porlock Weir and am currently having a rest stop in Lynmouth! I've walked just over 21 miles in total now.

Yesterday was VERY hard work! I walked from Porlock Weir to Lynmouth (12.3 miles/19.8km) It took me 9 hours and I didn't see a soul the entire time I was walking! The rain was relentless, and I was soaking for the entire leg! Each corner I turned there seemed to be another hill, each one bigger than the last, and it was really difficult to keep going and maintain any levels of motivation!

It was the first time I'd walked with the full weight of my bag on my back, and obviously with that being wet too it made it even more difficult! I didn't realise just how heavy all my stuff would be.

Other than the rain though everything is going well so far! My legs are now aching and I seemed to have hurt my achillies tendon this morning, but it's nothing too serious at the moment. Having said that, does anyone know any chiropractors close to me that could possibly come to help me out if necessary?!

I hope I reach that £10,000 target - that might help this be a lot more worthwhile! If you feel sorry for me, please sponsor me - www.justgiving.com/georgerix

Thank you!!

If you want to see where I am on my map, just visit here: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=102404412113164124273.00046f3940148620ec4d4&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9 I'll try to update my location daily.

Tomorrow I'll be walking from Lynmouth to Ilfracombe which is another 18miles (30km!) I'm not sure I'll make it that far! I might have to pitch my tent along the way to rest for a bit!

Thanks in advance for all you sponsorship/encouragement! It looks as though I'm really going to need it!

George :-)

Argh - It's all a go!

Argh it's all really happening now! No backing out!

I'm off to start my ramble from Minehead tomorrow! I'll be walking all along the top coast of the South West 'leg' of the UK!

My first day is 10 miles to be walked between Minehead and Porlock Weir! Apart from Exmoor National Park, there doesn't appear to be very much along the route, but I'll keep you informed if I see anything interesting!

I'll also be uploading my location to my google map, which can be found on Google here:

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=102404412113164124273.00046f3940148620ec4d4&hl=en&ie=UTF8&t=h&z=9

Technology is so fabulous, I'll be able to upload my exact location to the map each day - so you really can follow me along the entire route! (As well as seeing how far this really is!)

I'll try to upload as many pictures to my blog so you can really enjoy the route with me!

Thanks to everyone for your ever-continuing support!

George :-)

RSS Feeds

Hi Again,

Just to let you know - to make it easier to follow my blog you can add an RSS Feed to your site and you will automatically be told when I've updated my blog with more information or news or anything! (Hopefully you'll find what I write interesting!)

Just click on the orange RSS feed button on your browser (generally somewhere on the top right) and you'll get all the latest news, hot off the press!

Enjoy!
George :-)

Welcome to Rix's Rambling On...

It's only 3 days now until I leave for the unofficial start of my summer ramble! To warm up for my 620km walk from Land's End to Parkwood Road, I have decided to start at Minhead and do the ENTIRE South West Coast Path.

This was a challenge I couldn't stay away from, I felt I had the opportunity to undertake the walk, and I should sieze that with both hands!

I hope the weather isn't torrential rain for the next 8 weeks though! I'll be walking along some of the most stunning coastline in the UK, so good weather will be a real bonus!

As you're all hopefully aware, I am doing the walk in the hope of raising money for chiropractic related clinical research in the field of neurology and clinical neuroscience. I want to undertake the research at the AECC and really try to help move this area of the profession forwards. We want the research to be taken seriously, and with your help towards the funding, I am sure it will be!

Remember - visit www.justgiving.com/georgerix to sponsor me online.

I'm actually doing this now... no time left to get nervous! All the preparation and hard work will hopefully make sure I achieve this challenge completely in-tact!

Thanks in advance for all your donations and support!