My first 30-mile day!

Waking up on the morning of my first 30-mile day I was greeted with an impressive sunrise over the downs. That bitter-sweet scent of the flowers and morning due coated my tent and before I knew it I was off again. Continuing along the trail as the sun rose to my left, the light hitting the landscape made the views impressive and the plants seem as if they were on fire.

Devil’s Dyke

After a long morning’s walk, the Devil’s Dyke pub was the perfect spot around lunchtime to lay out all my gear and dry it off from the condensed morning due still on my tent. Looking out over the downs nearby I overheard a tour guide explaining how the downs were formed of chalk. Made sense as I did find it difficult to pitch my tent, using a rock to hammer my stakes into the ground. The Devil’s Dyke Pub is a welcome break for hikers and tourists alike and I couldn’t resist stopping by for a fantastic steak sandwich before heading off.

30 miles and a stop near Southease

I knew I could do 25 miles as I’d previously done that the week before in one day. But pressing on and overlooking the town of Lewes, I found myself already at mile 27 of the day. I decided to press on and after checking my GPS watch I knew it could be done. By the time I reached Southease, I’d smashed through that 30-mile mark, my legs were really worn out and my feet were gathering hotspots, but no blisters. I was ready for camp after a refill of water at the water point at Southease Church.

Elevation

The furthest I’d ever walked, this section saw me travel up and down 4 sets of the downs so the elevation here was the most challenging yet. Once on the downs they’re pretty much flat the whole way to the next.

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