Walk 377 -- Whitesands Bay to Porth Clais

 Ages:  Colin was 75 years and 40 days.  Rosemary was 72 years and 182 days.

Weather:  Very sunny and very warm. 

Location:  Whitesands Bay to Porth Clais.

Distance:  6½ miles. 

Total distance:  3879½ miles. 

Terrain:  Cliff paths again, but a fraction kinder than before. 

Tide:  Going out. 

Rivers:  None. 

Ferries:  None. 

Piers:  None. 

Kissing gates:  Nos.909, 910, 911, 912, and 913 spread along the way.  (No.909 had lost its gate but we had a kiss anyway!) 

Pubs:  None. 

‘Cadw’ properties:  None. 

Ferris wheels:  None. 

Diversions:  None. 

How we got there and back:  We were holidaying in our caravan near Whitesands Bay.  This morning we drove to Porth Clais and parked for free in the National Trust car park there.  (We have recently joined the National Trust.)  From there we caught a bus to Whitesands Bay. 

At the end we came to the car.  We had tea and chocolate biscuits before driving back to the caravan.

It was a beautiful day to be by the coast!  From Whitesands Beach we climbed on to the cliffs on the official path behind the sands.  We had lovely views of this beautiful and popular beach.  Part way up we came upon a cluster of wild orchids, a host of them all in one spot right by the path.  They looked wonderful!  And we were thankful that all the walkers just admired them as they carefully walked by — nobody trampled on them, or even worse picked them.  Well done people! 

The scenery all along this Walk was fantastic.

The sky was the bluest of blue and the sea was even bluer.  It contrasted so well with the green grass on the cliff top, and there were interesting rocks to look at everywhere including arches and caves.

There were lots of other walkers in both directions.  We let all those going in our direction pass us because we were the slowest.  (But we were also probably the oldest, and I bet I was the only walker with two replacement knees!) 

We descended to a creek and a little beach at Porthselau where a couple of families were on the sands and children were playing in the sea.  There was no road to this beach, but we could see their cars parked in the field above where, according to our map, there is a campsite. 

Further on we came across a stile leading into fields with a notice which said – NO ACCESS   PRIVATE PROPERTY.  It was quite breezy there, not too hot and with good views, so we sat on the stile and ate our pies.  Further round the full extent of Ramsey Island revealed it self.  It is a bird sanctuary, no one lives there. 

The sun was hot so Colin decided to use his umbrella as a sunshade.  He was boasting about what a bargain he had got when he bought it on the internet — two umbrellas for the price of one and they were advertised as windproof.  Very soon after he put it up, it blew inside out!  I had to laugh. 

The path led us round to St Justinian where there is a lifeboat station.  There are two sheds and two ramps, one bigger than the other.  One of the lifeboats was in the water as we passed but nobody seemed to be in a hurry about anything.  I think it was just an exercise. 

There were not so many people on the next section of the path, but the scenery was just as wonderful

We rounded a corner so that we were directly facing Ramsey Island.  There we sat on some rocks for a good long time eating our sarnies.  We saw a seal, but it dived before either of us could get out our cameras to photograph it.

We watched RIBS taking trippers from St Justinian to Ramsey Island and back.  I didn’t fancy going there myself, it looked a bit bleak.  But I suppose they go there for the bird watching.

We continued on our way.  I was just remarking that I was finding the paths easier today because there were less undulations and a lot of flat sections, when it immediately got more difficult.  (I should have kept my mouth shut!)  It was quite mountainous, in fact, with some steep descents with big steps.  I became convinced that the next inlet was Porth Clais (I hadn’t looked at the map since we started) and was really disappointed when it wasn’t!  We sat on a wall to eat our apples.

Then we descended to the shingle beach of Porthlysgi Bay — and immediately climbed up and out of it again.  By now we were both feeling tired and hot.  We still had about a mile and a half to go, and the terrain was not easy.

Further on I had got myself into route-march mode, and was striding on what I thought was the most obvious path.  Then Colin called out, “I’m on the nearest safe path to the coast!”  He was hailing me from a lower path. We both thought they were parallel paths that would meet up later, so we carried on our different ways.  I was convinced Colin was on a rubbish path and would come to grief.  The paths diverged.  Colin said, “I expect I will see you sometime!” and we continued out of sight of each other.  I got to the top of a rise where there was a small cairn.  My path disappeared then — it was me that was on the rubbish path! 

I called and called Colin, but he was too far away to hear me.  So I returned to the junction, and was surprised at the quality of the path he had taken — I hadn’t noticed it in my tiredness.  I stomped along it — there was no sign of Colin even in the distance.  I asked a passing walker if he had seen a man with a maroon umbrella, but he hadn’t.  This was worrying.

Further on I asked a woman the same question and she said, “Yes!  Back there somewhere!”  pointing the way I was going.  Encouraged, I marched on, but there was still no sign of him although I could see a good long way.  Then his voice came from above me – “I’m over here!”  He was on his way back to look for me on a higher path and was worried that he couldn’t see me.  So all ended well.

 

We rounded the final corner and there was Porth Clais Harbour looking very pretty in the sunshine.  A climber was halfway up a blank wall of rock on the other side, and some youngsters were leaping from a high ledge into the sea.  It looked pretty dangerous to me — I expect it is this new sport called “Coasteering”.  Not for the likes of me, I’m too old and scared!  We descended to the bridge where we ended the Walk.

That ended Walk no.377, we shall pick up Walk no.378 next time on the bridge in Porth Clais.  It was twenty-five to five, so the Walk had taken us six hours fifty minutes.  (Oh!  We are so slow!)  It was a short walk to the car park where we had tea and chocolate biscuits before driving back to the caravan.