I woke up to the sound of rain drumming against my tent. It always sounds worse than it is, but this was one of those occasions where it really was that bad. With the rain not forecast to clear until early afternoon, I decided I would pack up and push through it. By the time I had walked the short distance to Lulworth Cove I was drenched. The access along the beach was cut off by both the tide and the cliff fall part way along the bay. I took an inland diversion up and over the cliff fall and into Lulworth Ranges. At this point the rain had eased and I was hopeful it had cleared earlier than forecast. Moving on past the fossil forrest, containing the fossilised remains of early conifers dating back 135 million years. The walking remained easy and dry until I reached Mupe Bay. At this point the rain returned, making the climb out of Mupe Bay an even more challenging experience. Looking in land I was able to see the shells of tanks, used for target practice, as I continued towards Arish Mell. The rain and wind were making the day hard work and continued to hit me on the climb up to the hill fort at Flower's Barrow. 30 minutes later I had descended into Warbarrow Bay and was relived that the sun had come out. The path became easier for a time along Gad Cliff, walking parallel to Tyneham Village, commandeered by the military in the 1940s and deserted to this day. Finally I reached the end of the ranges emerging into Kimmeridge Bay. The sky turned black by the time I reached Clavell Tower, allowing me just enough time to put my waterproofs back on before the rain resumed. The path by this point had become very muddy and I was having trouble staying on my feet as I approached Houns Tout. The path at the top of Houns Tout is diverted inland to Kingston before returning to the coast at Chapman's Pool, a total of 3 miles added to the walk. One final climb up West Hill saw me arrive very wet, muddy and tired to where I had planned to spend my final night on the path.
Thank you to everyone who has supported me since my last video. If you would like to buy me a coffee please follow the below link.
buymeacoffee.com/pilgrimpaul