South West Coast Path fundraising

Obviously, tackling the SWCP in one hit is a considerable undertaking. It seemed to me that it would be worth using it as a charity fundraiser and not to do so would be a waste. Ucare Oxford is a charity close, not only to my heart but, also, to my one remaining kidney. I walked for Ucare in 2018, raising something over £2,000 on the Great English Walk from Chepstow to Berwick-upon-Tweed. Should you wish to read my account of that walk, then the blog entries start here. I have set up a Just Giving page here. If you enjoy what you read then do consider making a donation, however small.

With just over a week to go, preparation is in full swing. A room in the house is strewn with gear, being narrowed down with what I will actually take with a view to keeping my pack as light as possible. An advantage of the route is that I shouldn't need to carry more than a couple of days worth of food as there are regular places to resupply along the way.

Over the last few weeks, there have been many changes of mind over which bits of kit to take or not take. For example, I was originally intending to wear non-waterproof trail shoes for guaranteed blister free walking. However, a walk last weekend through incredible mud and flooded paths persuaded me to wear boots with strategically placed duct tape on my feet. My left foot generally suffers worst in boots as it is half a size smaller than my right foot.