June 26th: Beer to West Bay
- Phil Brown
- Jun 28
- 2 min read
Day 27. I left Beer, setting off with my companion Ivor for the first three miles. Unfortunately, Ivor’s replacement knee would not take him any further but I appreciated having him with me for the morning.
After parting ways with Ivor, I faced a 7-mile stretch where, surprisingly, I did not catch a glimpse of the sea, which had been something of a constant companion on this journey. Instead, the route to Lyme Regis wound through a dense, wooded area that shrouded me from my view of the coast.
It had rained and so underfoot was treacherous especially on the down hills. Unfortunately it was during this stretch that I started experiencing pain in my right shin area. Despite the pain, I pushed on. But the discomfort continued all the way to the end of what was a gruelling 21 mile day with 4000 feet of elevation. I was limping by the end…
I will work diligently with ice and heat and massaging tonight and tomorrow morning and keep my fingers crossed… Hopeful that with the proper attention, I can recover quickly and continue on tomorrow…
Today also marked my entry into the beautiful county of Dorset. Here I had the opportunity to climb Golden Cap, the highest cliff in the region. The views from the top were breathtaking, a rewarding sight after such a physically demanding climb. By the end of the day I have racked up 555 miles and 105,000 feet in elevation, so very nearly there, I can feel the anticipation building.
During my solitary walk through the woods I met no one for over two hours. That was broken when I bumped into Brian and Nancy from the USA. We had a lovely chat and they were really moved by my story and journey along the path. To my astonishment, when I checked my JustGiving page later that evening I discovered that they had generously donated £100 to my cause! I still can't believe the love and generosity that so many people have shown me. I feel so motivated to keep moving forward. For the love of my wife, and to support the incredible work at Sue Ryder. Who work continuously for families just like mine going through the hardest times imaginable.
After a long day, Jane and Ivor collected me from West Bay and brought me back to Beer where we had a great meal and I enjoyed another comfortable night with friends in a familiar location.
Sea Bass with clams in The Smugglers Kitchen in Beer, my fourth map finished and onto my fifth and final map!
Tomorrow, they will take me back to West Bay, where I will embark on the final four days of this journey. Fingers crossed for my shin.
🪻💙🪻