Neither of us wanted to get up this morning but finally did at about 0830. Arnie didn't want the tent down and kept wandering inside and laying down. Tiny bit of water left in bottle so arnie had that. Not enough water to make breakfast so we headed off to swanage.
It was getting tough due to lack of water and we lost the path a little as we entered swanage but using phone fed in that I wanted the nearest pub which found the bull and boat so headed there along the way stumbled across a small shop and bought 3l of water, arnie drank loads, Sun was really hot so arrived at bull and boat, ordered some food and decided to stay there for a couple of hrs to lose a bit of the midday Sun. Got the solar panel at this point and set it charging the cell bank as it was really sunny it was poking out a decent charge.
Finally decided we needed to make some headway even though the sun was still burning. Stopped off at the toilets at peveril point but the body wasn't interested. So we headed on towards durlston head, asked someone which way the coastal path went and continued on past tilly whim caves, you used to be able to go in but due to coastal erosion they are now shut.
I'm not sure what killed it so quickly but battery on phone died just before durlson.
I was really struggling today everything was hurting. The arthritic ankle was not helping I could manage about 20 paces then stop, take some photos and rest a bit while the pain ebbed away and then do the same again and again and again etc.
The scenary is stunning and we passed dancing ledge. So hot as well luckily the sea brease kept cooling us a bit.
There are several old quarries along this stretch and I was looking for a place to camp got to seacombe quarry and wasn't sure where the path went. Asked a guy just leaving the quarry and he pointed me in the right direction and said that I'd be able to camp at winspit quarry about 1k further on.
I was really struggling with the weight of the backpack and was desperate to stop but had to carry on to find a camping spot. This last bit was torcherous more ups and downs, no camping spot at winispit so continued on eventually all the way to st aldhelms head. There was one last climb up which I managed at snails pace, could barely put one foot in front of the other. Then found a spot just below lookout station. No phone signal but I could go no further.
Struggled to put tent up and arnie getting impatient actually climbed on top of the tent, when it was up, trying to get in it. Lol I could kneel down to put tent pegs in but then a real struggle to get up again.
Made sure arnie had water and then used the last to make a self heating chicken curry and rice really good these meal as you only need 40ml of water to make one and they do come out hot as long as you do it righ
Have to admit thoughts of quitting at this point did go through my head. I can't carry enough water for both of us through these sections. I've got a 3ltr hydration pack but at 1kg per Ltr that's the weight of 3 bags of sugar on its own.
Anyway as I drifted of to sleep I realised we had 2 options. 1. Try and beg water from the look out station, or 2 backtrack 1.5 miles to worth matravas.
All that aside it's beautiful here so quiet but could hear what I thought was thunder in the distance, which turned out to be artillery night firing on the ranges.
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