Good morning world!!!
Well last night was different first of all I have decided that I dont sleep well in a mummy sleeping bag -I wriggle too much! Next I ended up making up a hot water bottle a total of 3 times! Ok have a laugh I took a little hot water bottle with me - I always have a hot water bottle! Anyway I was cold!
It was 7.0 when I did get up and had my cereal - I had been advised by an internet friend to consider making up packs of museli or porrage with powdered milk so it just needed water and that proved to be good advice! 2 cups of coffee and a large bowl of museli and a bannana baguette did the tirck I packed up my camp and got ready for the heavy end of the walk!
I decided that the map was telling me to go virtually through the entirity of Eastbourne and it would be all street walking and I needed to find somewhere to dummp the car - SO I CHEATED! I took the car to the far end of Eastbourne and started my fully loaded back pack for my first ever gallvant and I had picked Beachy Head and the Seven Sisters to do it!!! My goal was for Seaford - this was in the end pure fantasy!
Beachy Head was my first goal and I was surprised to find it so close to Eastbourne granted it was all uphill but it was very enjoyable and as it was the first time I had ever been ther Iwas pretty impressed! I must admit I didnt get too close to the edge - Ive never been that keen on cliff edges -something to do with the height thing! Anyway the pub was nice and the visitor centre was kind and a little dubious that I was heading for Seaford (at that point I was in blind enthusiasim that I would do this!!!)
I carry on full of the joys of spring it is hot and I am down to t-shirt and thankful I am on a cliff top with the wind blowing gently in my face. I reach Belle Tout Lighthouse and onwards to Birling Gap - how can a distance just to THERE seem so long? By the time I get there all I want to do is jump in for a paddle but 2 things stop me 1. you have to go down a really high set of steps and then back up and 2. there are a really high set of STEPS which puts me off from heading for the shale beach.
By now I am realising that this is no walk in the park - ok so technically it is the 7 sister park but you know what I mean!
Hill 1 sees me stop for lunch - out comes my trusty stove and beans and coffee here we come as well as a little sun bathe/ catnap!
hill 2 I can do this but it is going to take some doing hill
hill 3 what do you mean there are 3 more to go???
hill 4 I just gave up a lovely young German boy came up the hill I think he thought I had collapsed on the hill going down! We held a really good conversation about the route and how there are no refreshments at the Exceat end - hardly an incentive to finish that part of the route! Anyway keep going there are only 2 more to the end!
hill 5 sees me asking a couple if it is much further to go and then asking someone else if it really is still 2 more to go! Mind you the second person I asked was ex army friendly and rather nice!!!! so it was worth asking if only for a chat!
hill 6 seemed like forever and then
finally number 7 and down the hill to Exceat as the tide is inconveniently in and therefore I cant walk across the river :(
As I walk to Exceat there is a sign for Foxhole campsite so I trail off up this farm track to find noone available to let me stop so back down the path and along this unmotorised path to the pub - the Golden Galleon! I was just deciding whether it was worth asking if there was anywhere else to camp but it was rather busy being as it was a red hot summer Sunday evening. But the Gods were upon me and a bus comes trolling up heading for Seaford and I decide that this is giving me amessage! I catch the bus and get off just outside of a Tescos -ahhh food! a £2 special which I devour before checking out where the campsite is - 1 and 1/2 miles beach side walk grrrr. I try to catch a bus who says "bus doesnt go there" so it is walking again I go - by now my feet are killing me and I know I have a blister on my feet and it is hurting!
I walk along, find the campsite and pitch up - have you ever tried to pitch up on your hands and knees? Well I had that experience! Still after a shower and a chat with the next tent I start to get ready to do beans for tea only to discover that my matches are wet and by that time I feel that I could do a quick'ish walk to a shop - errr no that is back to the Tesco's which is 1 1/2 miles back where I came from - Sod it I will drink water and eat museli and think nice thoughts!!! By 8.30 I am asleep with 2 layers of clothes tonight 'cos I cant have a hot water bottle - now I was really sulking about that!
Never mind tomorrow is another day!
Found another site (Saturday Walkers Club) that says that Eastbourne to Exceat is 9.2 miles and has a 10 out of 10 for toughness! Add to that the walk to the campsite (which was all en route) I have done 10 3/4 miles - it seemed a lot further but it was all hills and not much else - fantastic views though and I am proud of having done it - bit gutted about missing the Exceat to Seaford stretch but still you cant do everything! Now done a total of aproximately 23 miles
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