Identity Crisis (Portreath to Perranporth) (Day 5 - Walking Lands End to John o'Groats)

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United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It's a bit of a mouthful. Ask anybody from England, Northern Ireland, Scotland or Wales what country they're from and I'm sure most would never answer United Kingdom or Great Britain. Like being labelled European or North American, it dilutes a person's cultural identity into something more generic.

I'm not at all surprised by this. The prestige and pride of being English, Welsh, Scottish or Irish will never be compromised and neither should it be. I'm proud to say I'm English. I have national pride, even if at times it's misinformed and misplaced. What I wasn't expecting before starting this 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats to raise money for Association for International Cancer Research would be the high levels of regional pride and identity within England itself.

People from Berwick-upon-Tweed, the northern-most town in England avoid articulating a definitive nationality, instead referring to themselves as Berwickers. Similarly, people from Cornwall are Cornish. Although Cornwall is today administered as though part of England, it has never been legally incorporated into England (unlike Wales, which was legally incorporated in 1536).

I've been in Cornwall for less than a week, but it's impossible not to pick up on this identity. They have their own language that's gaining popularity and being taught in schools again. The Saint Piran's Flag (a white cross on a black background), the flag of Cornwall (or Kernow in Cornish), is highly visible in every town and village passed. Of course I'm skirting over the complexities of cultural identity and allegiances, but these underlying independent feelings make Cornwall a unique place.

We woke feeling refreshed and full of energy. The sun was already strong and the temperature inside our tent was approaching that of an oven. For the first time since starting the walk, our tent wasn't covered in moisture or dew and we packed it away dry. Unfortunately we couldn't leave immediately. I had to wait for the farmer to return with my phone, who had kindly offered to charge it overnight. The one problem with relying on a phone's GPS capabilities rather than an OS map, is the quick demise of its battery life. At present this means charging it almost every day. A large part of our evenings are spent sourcing plug sockets on campsites or in pubs to satisfy and replenish our energy demands.

An hour later and with phone retrieved we set off. There was no need to go back on ourselves to Portreath, noticing a short cut along Chapel Hill to Porthtowan (comes from the Cornish words 'porth' and 'tewyn' meaning 'cove of sand dunes), which skirted around the disused RAF Portreath (Nancekuke) base. Here we re-joined the South West Coast Path.

Porthtowan's history is associated with mining. Walking around Porthtowan on the South West Coast Path, you can see why the mining landscape of Cornwall and West Devon is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There is not a more spectacular example than Towanroath Engine House at Wheal Coates. Dramatically built on the cliff's edge in 1872, it was responsible for keeping water out of the mining shaft 600 feet below. It's haunting ruins now serve as a poignant reminder of the regions previous industrial power.

This was now our fifth day of walking along the South West Coast Path. Even though much of the scenery had repeated itself each day, walking next to the sea never grows tiring. With only one day left of it before heading inland, it wouldn't be until we reached Edinburgh when we would see it again. The blisters plasters my wife bought in Portreath were working perfectly, helping subdue the normal levels of pain she had become accustomed to. The miles passed quickly. Showers and sunshine kept us on our toes. The temperature fluctuated accordingly.

I know this is an extreme walking challenge but considering the amount of tourist attractions within close proximity it's a shame the majority of our daylight hours are spent completing our mileage. There just isn't the time to see them, unless we cut our mileage in half and took 6 months to complete the 1160 miles. St. Agnes, with its Sea Captains cottages known as 'Stippy Stappy' would deserve at least a day's exploring under normal circumstances. We bypassed the town altogether, choosing to take a short cut across the beach, rock pools and boulders of Trevaunance Cove.

Looking at the steep ascent and descent of the neighbouring cliffs, it made good sense to take the beach route. It wasn't. With the tide coming in, we were forced to clamber through rock pools and over boulders for 200 metres. Rock pools and boulders covered in treacherous slimy seaweed. Our chunky backpacks made it impossible to keep our balance and by the time we had reached the opposite end of the cove and rejoined the South West Coast Path, our shins and knees were cut and grazed from our slips and falls.

It was just our luck that almost immediately after this clambering, slipping and falling, the South West Coast Path narrowed, leaving us to walk through waist high grass, brambles and stinging nettles. Choosing shorts to walk in was another unwise decision as this added insult to injury to my already throbbing legs. The path was so close to the cliff's edge that you felt a loss of balance or accidental trip on a branch would see you disappearing over the edge to an ungraceful demise.

Due to the lay of the land and height of the cliffs, our finishing point for the day, Perranporth, was visible many miles ahead of us. Similar to still being able to see St. Ives two days after passing through the town, seeing your finish point hours before you actually arrive is also a demoralising experience. It leads you into a false sense of security that your hard-work is almost at an end.

The last few miles passed very slowly, with Perranporth seemingly getting no closer. Perranporth Aerodrome, which was used by 21 different Spitfire squadrons during World War II, came and went. Light aircraft and helicopters took off at regular intervals. By the time we finally arrived in Perranporth the earlier showers had retreated leaving a scorching afternoon. Before carrying on across the packed golden sands of Perranporth Beach, we rested in the only way we currently know how: by eating another Cornish pasty.

My mindset of trying to complete this walk frugally eating only baked beans, rice pudding, and other types of camping food has quickly fallen by the wayside. Walking so much each day, ascending and descending steep cliffs while carrying our 14kg backpacks has meant there are no feelings of guilt anymore when eating bad, fattening food.

Like most towns in this area, Perranporth was originally a tin-mining community in the 19th century. Now it's a family resort, and nowhere yet in Cornwall have I seen such a diverse mix of holiday-goers. Bronzed-Adonis surfers, showcasing the pinnacle of human physiques, competed for space with red, peeling lobsters and near nude beached whales on the hot sands. Old-aged pensioners, dressed in heavy coats and headscarves, their chosen attire for all four seasons, filled the many benches. Their melting ice-creams dripped on the chewing-gum covered pavements. At the end of the beach, people snorkelled in the chilly waters over the submerged rocks.

Our campsite was located at the far end of Perranporth Beach, over the dunes of Perranporth Golf Course. Upon hearing of our Land's End to John o'Groats charity walk, the owner waived the camping cost, and with the money saved we happily spent a large percentage on a freshly made pizza dinner, eating it while watching the sun go down over Perranporth Beach below us. Again, there was no guilt polishing off four large slices with ease.

Land's End to John o'Groats (LEJOG) Walking Statistics:

TODAY:

Start Location: Portreath
End Location: Perranporth
Distance Covered: 13.17 miles
Start Time: 09:25
End Time: 15:45
Total Walking Time: 6 hours 20 minutes
(this includes all rest and stoppage time between start and end location and not just walking time)
Footpaths Used: South West Coast Path. For a full in depth look at sights of interest passed during today's walk, please visit http://www.southwestcoastpath.com/. This is the official South West Coast Path website, maintained by the National Trust.
Accommodation: Tollgate Farm Caravan & Camping Park, Budnick Hill, Perranporth, TR6 0AD. Cost: FREE (Cost waived after hearing we are walking for charity).

OVERALL:

Total Land's End to John o'Groats (LEJOG) Walking Distance: 1160.23 miles
Total Distance Covered: 59.96 miles (5.17%!)(MISSING)
Average Miles Walked per Day: 11.99 miles
Days Walked: 5 (out of 82)

Pint(s) of the Day:

Helgan Honey (Skinners Brewery, Truro, Cornwall) (4%!)(MISSING)
"A light refreshing bitter, pale amber in colour with distinct hoppy overtones. The subtle addition of real Cornish honey will give your palate a buzzz!" http://www.skinnersbrewery.com/

Charity of Choice:

We are walking 1160 miles from Land's End to John o'Groats (LEJOG) to raise money for cancer research charity Association for International Cancer Research (AICR). AICR funds cancer research projects globally. If you would like to see how much we manage to raise or if you are inspired to donate to this worthy cause, please visit our donation webpage at http://www.justgiving.com/Adrian-and-Candace.

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Photos

Towanroath Engine House at Wheal Coates
Views from the South West Coast Path between Portreath and Perranporth on Day 5 of our 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats in aid of Association for International Cancer Research.

Trevaunance Cove, St. Ives
Views from the South West Coast Path between Portreath and Perranporth on Day 5 of our 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats in aid of Association for International Cancer Research.

South West Coast Path
Views from the South West Coast Path between Portreath and Perranporth on Day 5 of our 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats in aid of Association for International Cancer Research.

Porthtowan Beach
Views from the South West Coast Path between Portreath and Perranporth on Day 5 of our 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats in aid of Association for International Cancer Research.

Fields of Gold
Views from the South West Coast Path between Portreath and Perranporth on Day 5 of our 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats in aid of Association for International Cancer Research.

Perranporth Beach
Views from the South West Coast Path between Portreath and Perranporth on Day 5 of our 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats in aid of Association for International Cancer Research.

Coastal Flora
Views from the South West Coast Path between Portreath and Perranporth on Day 5 of our 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats in aid of Association for International Cancer Research.

South West Coast Path
Walking along the South West Coast Path from Portreath to Perranporth on Day 5 of our 1160 mile charity walk from Lands End to John o'Groats.