18.04.22: it was raining during the night before but was dry and even sunny when I started the walk from Porthcothan to Newquay – together with my daughter.
These fancy gadgets like GPS watches and smartphones allows to track every meter you move. Wether forward, backward, up or down and even calculate the calories you burned. Amazing and interesting, if one is a number oriented person (which I seem to be).
After exporting the Garmin walking and cycling routes I just needed to add a summarize cell below the results and my spreadsheet app clearly displayed the results which I proudly publish here now.
During the 53 days of SWCP hiking I walked 1085 km (678 miles) and went 38 km UP and 39km down. Well, I am not sure if the figures are correct but that is what my Garmin watch tracked and when I take into account that it is said that doing the SWCP is about 4 times up and down the Mount Everest (8849m) – these figures could really be true. And my knees feel a little like these altitude numbers as well. So, I believe the numbers are true!
Additionally I had to cycle 197 km (123 miles) with my little friend the foldable 20” bike. I had to cycle (well sometimes I had to walk and push the bike) 4 km up and 4 km down the hills of Cornwall, Devon and Dorset when no public transport was available or did not fit in my planned schedule. In Somerset I was able to use public transport for the two sections.
I did not count steps, sheep, cows, gates, lighthouses or anything else. But one thing I started to weight the first days was the waste of plastic bottles, cans etc. I found while walking on the path. Well, I have to confess I stopped weighting the litter – I just collected and disposed appropriate. The positive message is that there was far less waste on the SWCP than I expected. I could clearly see more waste around bigger villages and towns and beaches than on SWCP sections in less rural areas. At the end I may have only collected about three of my big yellow bags full of waste. And this is fantastic news. Less pollution on the path than I expected!!!
| Day | Date | Stretch | km | up (m) | down (m) | Biking | km | up (m) | down (m) |
| Day 0 | 22.02.22 | Swanage to Poole | 12,22 | 172 | 185 | Purbeck Biking | 10,39 | 173 | 119 |
| Day -1 | 23.02.22 | Worth Matravers to Swanage | 13,48 | 424 | 542 | Purbeck Biking | 8,09 | 191 | 112 |
| Day -2 | 24.02.22 | Kimmeridge Bay to Worth Matravers | 16,98 | 955 | 959 | Walked back to Van | |||
| Day -3 | 25.02.22 | Arish Mell to Kimmeridge Bay | 14,28 | 655 | 677 | Walked back to Van | |||
| Day -4 | 26.02.22 | Ringstead to Arish Mell | 24,24 | 1193 | 1198 | Walked back to Van | |||
| Day -5 | 27.02.22 | Weymouth to Ringstead | 14,6 | 518 | 561 | Walked back to Van | |||
| Day -6 | 01.03.22 | Portland Loop | 17,7 | 437 | 480 | Walked back to Van | |||
| Day -7 | 02.03.22 | Burton Bradstock to Weymouth | 24,12 | 355 | 380 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -8 | 03.03.22 | Lyme Regis to Burton Bradstock | 22,49 | 921 | 998 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -9 | 04.03.22 | Seaton to Lyme Regis | 11,76 | 465 | 412 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -10 | 05.03.22 | Sidmouth to Seaton | 18 | 787 | 812 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -11 | 06.03.22 | Exmouth to Sidmouth | 22,1 | 625 | 637 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -12 | 07.03.22 | Teignmouth to Starcross | 13,96 | 304 | 289 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -13 | 08.03.22 | Paington to Teignmouth | 25,77 | 1084 | 1113 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -14 | 09.03.22 | Kingswear to Paington | 25,72 | 134 | 1297 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -15 | 10.03.22 | Torcross to Dartmouth | 17,94 | 619 | 508 | South Hams Biking | 13,23 | 213 | 342 |
| Day -16 | 12.03.22 | East Portlemouth to Torcross | 21,48 | 785 | 891 | South Hams Biking | 12,65 | 296 | 226 |
| Day -17 | 13.03.22 | Bantham to Salcombe | 19,6 | 688 | 619 | South Hams Biking | 11,65 | 271 | 340 |
| Day -18 | 14.03.22 | River Erme Ferry Point to Bigbury-on-Sea | 16,3 | 734 | 736 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -19 | 15.03.22 | Noss Mayo to Mothecombe | 15,87 | 453 | 423 | South Hams Biking | 7,94 | 133 | 141 |
| Day -20 | 16.03.22 | Plymouth to Wembury Ferry | 27,18 | 553 | 550 | South Hams Biking | 13,52 | 258 | 278 |
| Day -21 | 17.03.22 | Wiggle Cliff to Cremyll | 12,2 | 309 | 396 | Cornwall Biking | 6,95 | 240 | 148 |
| Day -22 | 18.03.22 | Seaton to Wiggle Cliff | 23,41 | 818 | 731 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -23 | 19.03.22 | Polperro to Seaton | 15,83 | 680 | 712 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -24 | 20.03.22 | Polruan to Polperro | 13,03 | 687 | 715 | Cornwall Biking | 12,57 | 230 | 296 |
| Day -25 | 21.03.22 | Mevagissey to Fowey | 29,97 | 1234 | 1291 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -26 | 22.03.22 | Portloe to Mevagissey | 21,08 | 948 | 920 | Cornwall Biking | 15,34 | 248 | 292 |
| Day -27 | 23.03.22 | St. Anthony to Portloe | 19,33 | 645 | 632 | Cornwall Biking | 16,16 | 374 | 344 |
| Day -28 | 24.03.22 | Helford Passage to Falmouth | 17,57 | 462 | 462 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -29 | 25.03.22 | Coverack to Helford | 21,99 | 663 | 675 | Cornwall Biking | 9,44 | 234 | 226 |
| Day -30 | 26.03.22 | Mullion to Coverack | 34,48 | 1477 | 1446 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -31 | 27.03.22 | Porthleven to Mullion | 9,24 | 311 | 322 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -32 | 28.03.22 | St. Michael’s Mount to Porthleven | 21,07 | 619 | 611 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -33 | 29.03.22 | Porthcurno to Penzance | 18,21 | 610 | 637 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -34 | 30.03.22 | Pendeen to Porthcurno | 23,83 | 845 | 922 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -35 | 31.03.22 | St. Ives to Pendeen | 26,89 | 1383 | 1346 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -36 | 01.04.22 | Hell’s Mouth to St. Ives | 21,44 | 614 | 601 | Private Transport | |||
| Day -37 | 02.04.22 | Perranporth to Hell’s Mouth | 27,73 | 879 | 833 | Private Transport | |||
| Day -38 | 21.04.22 | Newquay to Perranporth | 24,04 | 582 | 591 | Private Transport | |||
| Day -39 | 18.04.22 | Porthcothan to Newquay | 15,9 | 494 | 475 | Private Transport | |||
| Day -40 | 17.04.22 | Padstow to Porthcothan | 22,01 | 525 | 519 | Private Transport | |||
| Day -41 | 03.04.22 | Port Isaac to Rock | 21,74 | 874 | 859 | Cornwall Biking | 10,29 | 196 | 183 |
| Day -42 | 04.04.22 | Boscastle to Port Isaac | 21,3 | 680 | 690 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -43 | 05.04.22 | Bude to Boscastle | 28,5 | 1538 | 1522 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -44 | 06.04.22 | Hartland Quay to Bude | 25,53 | 1722 | 1823 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -45 | 07.04.22 | Bucks Cross to Hartland Quay | 23,31 | 1101 | 1229 | Torridge Biking | 3,58 | 82 | 58 |
| Day -46 | 08.04.22 | Instow to Bucks Cross | 22,08 | 837 | 653 | Torridge Biking | 11,1 | ||
| Day -47 | 09.04.22 | Saunton to Instow | 32 | 92 | 110 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -48 | 10.04.22 | Ilfracombe to Saunton | 25,95 | 969 | 926 | North Devon Biking | 6,4 | 15 | 40 |
| Day -49 | 11.04.22 | Combe Martin to Ilfracombe | 10,18 | 475 | 461 | North Devon Biking | 6,88 | 190 | 212 |
| Day -50 | 12.04.22 | Lynmouth to Combe Martin | 21,76 | 948 | 998 | North Devon Biking | 20,64 | 644 | 638 |
| Day -51 | 13.04.22 | Porlock to Lynmouth | 24,17 | 917 | 935 | Public Transport | |||
| Day -52 | 14.04.22 | Minehead to Porlock | 13,87 | 366 | 324 | Public Transport | |||
| 1.085 km | 38.165 m | 39.634 m | 197 km | 3.988 m | 3.995 m | ||||
| 675 mi | 125.212 ft | 130.031 ft | 122 mi | 13.084 ft | 13.107 ft |
I am proud and happy to have completed it successfully without giving up or any major injuries.
Below are some pictures of the hike. Please click to enlarge if you want. Also below are my Komoot Tour Details, the Relive Summary Video and a Timewarp Video.
