This walk had a couple of objectives. First, to get back into walking this summer. Second, the unfinished business of last summer, when Will and I finished on top of Houns Tout before turning inland to Kingston. I wanted to complete this stretch of the South West Coast Path, so I took a bus to Swanage and attacked it in a day, walking there and back. It was painful.
I had done some of this journey to Dancing Ledge before with Will, so it was only the Dancing Ledge to Chapman’s Pool, and climbing the east side of Houns Tout that I had not managed. The path between Dancing Ledge and St Adhelm’s Chapel was fine, but then there were steep declines and inclines for the remainder, which really took it out of my legs. Even getting to Chapman’s Pool was a scramble, and it’s clear that the coastal path has been moved back because of landslides at this location.
I am pleased that I finally walked this distance. I don’t think Will and I would have managed it with our camera gear last summer, so I’m happy that we didn’t attempt that. I’m hoping to walk more of the path this summer, but my legs need to recover first, as this was a long round trip.
