We'd set the alarm for 7.30, but had again slept fairly fitfully. I asked Christian for a few minutes to wake up properly before getting up, and he responded by pulling the plug of the ready bed and letting it go down. How rude!
We packed up all our gear and the tent. I went to the amenities block while Christian readied his kit, and he was waiting outside when I'd finished. We drove again to the Aqua, and sat eating our breakfast with Fiona and Paul. The others arrived, kitted up, and the RHIB arrived at about 9.45. I left them to it, and set off on my walk around Portland.
The south west coast path started just off the nearest roundabout. The first bit of the path was quite long and steep - the Merchant's Incline. There was a sign saying that the path via the east cliffs was 5 1/2 miles. Brilliant, I thought. I'll be back in two hours, have some lunch with the divers, and then head back to Weymouth beach for a sunbathe. At the top, the sign pointed to the Merchant's Railway to the right, I began to follow it, but it wasn't in the direction I wanted to go. So I went back and followed a path in the other direction, but ended up at a dead end on a road. So I went back the first way. After going under a bridge, the walking was pleasant and grassy for a while. I saw a sign about the quarry's and transporting stone, and then after walking up some stairs and seeing a fortress-style thing, read about the prison.
After a little more walking, I came across a family farm park, with goats. And wallabies. Hmmm. A mountain bike posse passed me. I followed the east cliff for a way, seeing the breakwalls of the harbour, and the view out to sea, and then walked alongside a youth offenders institution for a while. The path then zigzagged steeply downhill towards the water, and the vegetation got a bit more lush. The cliffs rose to my right, and I came across some rock climbers. I saw a RHIB that I thought might be our lot, but later found out it wasn't them. I then came to Church Ope Cove - a stony beach with a few huts and people on it.
I followed signs to a thirteenth century church, which was quite cool. It must have been around then that I took a wrong turn. I headed up through vegetation that was suddenly rainforesty. The path went uphill, away from the sea, and emerged beside a big, posh, castle building, with a lot of 'private' signs around it, and then at a road. In the absence of signs, I crossed the road and walked past a quarry, and then through an equestrian centre, passing some girls on horses (one with pink hair) (the girl, not the horse). I came out on a road and had no idea where to go, so I consulted the technology. I was nowhere near the path. I was somehow confused into thinking that I had turned the corner at the end of the point and so had to go cross country to get to the west side. Wrong! I didn't want to cut the end off because I wanted to see the lighthouse, and all the bits in between. So I walked on roads for a good half hour, through Southwell, and joined the path not too far after Church Ope Cove. Oh well.
I then followed the path through a stony section of coastline, with large ancient cranes hanging over the edge. I could now see the end of the point, and it got grassier, with huts, and a lot more people. I stopped on a seat, let Christian know I wouldn't be back for lunch, and finished the walk to Portland Bill and the lighthouse. I had a cheeseburger from the Lobster Pot, sitting for a while eating it, and then went on my way. I followed the path past the lighthouses, some lovely rocky features, and a military installation. The path after this was simple, and along the grassy edge of the cliffs. I was conscious that I needed to be back in time for the end of the dive, and thought there was a chance, given the second dive had had a ropes off of 1.30.
I saw a few eagle/kestrel type birds just hovering on the wind, and then diving a little, then hovering again. They were beautiful, but I didn't have a big enough lens to capture them. As I approached Chiswell, there were some some sections of the path closed because of instability. But the six-month ban was up that day, so I just went past the barriers. I found out then that ropes off had been delayed until 2pm, so slowed down a little. My feet and legs were really struggling by now, but I came down off the cliff and went through the streets of Chiswell back to the Aqua. I only had time to rinse my feet, put plasters on my heels to cover the giant blisters, buy a soft drink, and sit in the car for a short while before the intrepid divers came back.
Christian rinsed his dry suit, but just packed the rest to rinse at home. We left fairly quickly, after saying goodbye to those who were left. Niamh had apparently got loads of scallops, so we tried to find the boat ramp to pick some up, but failed to find it. So we kept driving. The traffic was a bit icky, but we kept on, and got home at about 7.15.
We packed up all our gear and the tent. I went to the amenities block while Christian readied his kit, and he was waiting outside when I'd finished. We drove again to the Aqua, and sat eating our breakfast with Fiona and Paul. The others arrived, kitted up, and the RHIB arrived at about 9.45. I left them to it, and set off on my walk around Portland.
The south west coast path started just off the nearest roundabout. The first bit of the path was quite long and steep - the Merchant's Incline. There was a sign saying that the path via the east cliffs was 5 1/2 miles. Brilliant, I thought. I'll be back in two hours, have some lunch with the divers, and then head back to Weymouth beach for a sunbathe. At the top, the sign pointed to the Merchant's Railway to the right, I began to follow it, but it wasn't in the direction I wanted to go. So I went back and followed a path in the other direction, but ended up at a dead end on a road. So I went back the first way. After going under a bridge, the walking was pleasant and grassy for a while. I saw a sign about the quarry's and transporting stone, and then after walking up some stairs and seeing a fortress-style thing, read about the prison.
After a little more walking, I came across a family farm park, with goats. And wallabies. Hmmm. A mountain bike posse passed me. I followed the east cliff for a way, seeing the breakwalls of the harbour, and the view out to sea, and then walked alongside a youth offenders institution for a while. The path then zigzagged steeply downhill towards the water, and the vegetation got a bit more lush. The cliffs rose to my right, and I came across some rock climbers. I saw a RHIB that I thought might be our lot, but later found out it wasn't them. I then came to Church Ope Cove - a stony beach with a few huts and people on it.
I followed signs to a thirteenth century church, which was quite cool. It must have been around then that I took a wrong turn. I headed up through vegetation that was suddenly rainforesty. The path went uphill, away from the sea, and emerged beside a big, posh, castle building, with a lot of 'private' signs around it, and then at a road. In the absence of signs, I crossed the road and walked past a quarry, and then through an equestrian centre, passing some girls on horses (one with pink hair) (the girl, not the horse). I came out on a road and had no idea where to go, so I consulted the technology. I was nowhere near the path. I was somehow confused into thinking that I had turned the corner at the end of the point and so had to go cross country to get to the west side. Wrong! I didn't want to cut the end off because I wanted to see the lighthouse, and all the bits in between. So I walked on roads for a good half hour, through Southwell, and joined the path not too far after Church Ope Cove. Oh well.
I then followed the path through a stony section of coastline, with large ancient cranes hanging over the edge. I could now see the end of the point, and it got grassier, with huts, and a lot more people. I stopped on a seat, let Christian know I wouldn't be back for lunch, and finished the walk to Portland Bill and the lighthouse. I had a cheeseburger from the Lobster Pot, sitting for a while eating it, and then went on my way. I followed the path past the lighthouses, some lovely rocky features, and a military installation. The path after this was simple, and along the grassy edge of the cliffs. I was conscious that I needed to be back in time for the end of the dive, and thought there was a chance, given the second dive had had a ropes off of 1.30.
I saw a few eagle/kestrel type birds just hovering on the wind, and then diving a little, then hovering again. They were beautiful, but I didn't have a big enough lens to capture them. As I approached Chiswell, there were some some sections of the path closed because of instability. But the six-month ban was up that day, so I just went past the barriers. I found out then that ropes off had been delayed until 2pm, so slowed down a little. My feet and legs were really struggling by now, but I came down off the cliff and went through the streets of Chiswell back to the Aqua. I only had time to rinse my feet, put plasters on my heels to cover the giant blisters, buy a soft drink, and sit in the car for a short while before the intrepid divers came back.
Christian rinsed his dry suit, but just packed the rest to rinse at home. We left fairly quickly, after saying goodbye to those who were left. Niamh had apparently got loads of scallops, so we tried to find the boat ramp to pick some up, but failed to find it. So we kept driving. The traffic was a bit icky, but we kept on, and got home at about 7.15.
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