Golant -> Exeter
This was the biggest and probably the hardest day, going via Liskeard, Tavistock and Okehampton.
We set off at 9am from Golant Youth Hostel after getting up at 7 and eating a breakfast of porridge oats out of a large pan.
When we set off, it was raining lightly but we soon got very wet because the rain had got harder. We found that the uphills were not too bad because at least you were kept warm, but the downhills were very chilly because of the wind, rain and thin layer of wet clothes that clung to our bodies.
After about 40 miles we had crackers and jam for lunch in Tavistock in a bus shelter. There were a number of old folk in the shelter who were quite chatty and offered advice in terms of route to Exeter. The bus station also came complete with a much needed toilet and ‘hand’ dryer – very userful for making the feeling return to limbs.
Out of Tavistock, we had a decision to make – either 35 miles over a foggy wet Dartmoor or 40 miles along A roads and duel carridgeway. We chose the latter because it involved less climbing, and visability should be better.
The A road was up and down all the way and the traffic very fast, but the gradients were not too steep so we could keep up a decent speed.
The rain subsided after lunch, and visability improved, although it was still very wet. I managed to get a few photos of the scenery, looking towards dartmoor.
We arrived in Exeter at about 6pm, and went to Sainsburys to buy some food. After stocking up with sausages, bacon, pitta bread and Jam we headed for our accomodation – Globe Backpackers, Exeter.
The People in Globe Backpackers were very friendly, but the rooms were not spacious. We had massive portions of pasta, tomato sauce, sausages and bacon for dinner, and then headed off for bed.
Distance: 59 miles [13.2 mph average] (Cumulative: 68 miles)
