Adventures on the Cornish Coast Path: Bude to Crackington Haven

Jamie and I are walking the Cornish part of the South West Coastal Path. We still have a few sections left to complete, mostly the more challenging ones 😊. For me, hiking is my salvation as it helps me stay strong. Many years ago, I was diagnosed with the autoimmune condition Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS), with complete fusion of both sacroiliac joints. AS is an autoimmune inflammatory disease that causes the bones in the spine to fuse. When I was diagnosed, I decided my life was not just about managing but thriving, as living in constant pain is tough. I write my blogs as a survival guide for the soul, but with grit and determination, providing readers with the tools they need to reclaim their best life.

Over the next year, I intend to write a blog about each section. Sometimes, when I research a new hike, I find the information quite “fluffy”. I prefer reading the raw guide — what the walker experienced, in ways that glossy brochures and books never can. I want to understand nature’s harsh realities beyond sanitised words, and that’s what I aim to provide.

Last summer, we began a challenging day hike from Bude to Crackington Haven, which is considered one of the most difficult sections of the trail. Bude is a common starting point for walkers on the Cornwall section of the South West Coast Path. We left our home in St Agnes at 7:45 a.m. to catch the 9:23 a.m. bus to Bude. To avoid the return walk, we parked our car in Crackington Haven and planned to retrieve it afterwards- details of this choice will become clear as you read further.

After a pleasant bus journey with coffee in hand, we headed towards Widemouth Bay, a rugged stretch of golden sands and dramatic cliffs. The early scent of seaweed mixed with the soft breeze hinted at a warm day ahead! I knew from our research on this section that this gentle start should not lead us to believe the whole day would be like this. The Southwest Coastal Path notes described it as challenging and strenuous, and I’d visualised the triumph of completing it as I prepared to push beyond my comfort zone 😊.

Lo and behold, my comfort zone was shattered early. We ascended steeply to Compass Point (100m climb), where a lookout hut offered our first vertigo-inducing views. The path hugged the grassy clifftops, with sheer drops of 100-200m, and gorse scratched my legs. The descent was equally brutal into Widemouth Bay, testing my balance. I couldn’t take my eyes off the ground; constant vigilance was essential, and it was like “the view”—what VIEW? 

Now for the juicy part! The middle part of the hike was like a relentless rollercoaster that went on and on and on for hours! Well, at least 2! We climbed Penhalt Cliff (a 200m ascent, one of the steepest on the route), my lungs now burning on the uneven steps carved into the slate. We passed Dizzard Point and descended to secluded Chipman Strand (a rocky cove accessible only at low tide), only to start climbing AGAIN! The views were stunning, but it was hot; I’d forgotten my hat, and I’d started to moan a bit! 

On the rare occasions you’re on the flat, one of the things I love most about walking the coastal path is the wide, open views of the Atlantic, where you’re always aware of the force of the sea and the winds. This walk didn’t disappoint. The heat had ramped up, and the sea was calm for the North Coast, but it still looked wild and feral when we stopped and gazed at the different shades of blue, taking a moment to catch our breath. We also had our packed lunch since we were starving.

Unbelievable, I know, but the hardest part of this hike comes last. We were climbing AGAIN to High Cliff (at 223m, the highest point on Cornwall’s coast), but at the top, we were rewarded with panoramic views of Tintagel. Then, guess what, another “plunge” into the “Valley of the Rocks”

Then I saw it! All my Christmases arriving at once, A sign – “Crackington Haven 2 miles”

Two miles isn’t very far, is it? But whoever put up this sign was clearly joking! To me, those two miles felt like the longest I’ve ever walked. Looking back, I see that wasn’t entirely accurate, but they were definitely tough. At one point, I genuinely thought Crackington Haven had moved 10 miles further along the coast, especially after a group of four hikers we met during another rest shared that same view.

“Are we nearly there”? I found myself asking, then laughed at the childishness of what I’d just said.

Jamie could see on the map that only one steep coombe should remain between us and our car. My glutes and quads were burning from all the “ups,” and my toes felt bruised because my feet pressed forward into my boots on the endless downward slopes. The walk itself is only 10.2 miles long, but with a total elevation gain and loss of around 900-1,000 metres or 3,000 feet, and by now we’d been walking for over six hours! To put the elevation into perspective, Scafell Pike (England’s highest mountain) stands at 3,209 feet.

As the trail curved around the 400-foot Pencarrow Point, we finally caught sight of Crackington Haven and, even better, our car! We were treated to breathtaking views of Hartland Point and Lundy Valley, with valleys below teeming with purple heather and yellow gorse. At the top, the last incline was gruelling and my lungs were plotting rebellion. But here’s why hiking is so beneficial for my AS: it releases a mix of exhaustion and triumph, along with a deep sense of achievement. Every pain melts away as endorphins flood in, humbling me with a reminder of my own resilience.

Crackington Haven looked just as stunning from the ground as it did from high up on the cliffs. The sunshine heightened its charm. The cove resembled a painter’s watercolour dream. The pub appeared so inviting, and we couldn’t resist; the beer felt like liquid salvation poured straight from the gods of refreshment.

Until the next trail calls….. xxxx