Log No 78. Thu 11th Jul 2013 - Badcaul to Greenstone Point, 18 miles (1269 miles walked)

I must have been tired for I never looked at my watch until 6.45,but it didn't take long to get going.

At 7.00, while I was eating my porridge there was a sudden loud snap, I thought at first that something must have flown into the tent but it wasn't that kind of noise.
From the inside the tent didn't look quite right and I feared the worst.
I poked my head outside and guess what? Yes you've guessed it, a pole had snapped, and all by itself!

It had been pitched in the sunshine and there had been no wind, the morning was still but misty with low cloud.

I quickly finished my porridge, didn't bother with a drink of tea, packed the rucsac and emptied the tent.

Taking the tent down as carefully as I could I couldn't stop the end of the broken pole tearing through the pole sleeve. It wasn't the pole that had broken but the small connector that joins the poles.

It was a good thing a spare one came with the tent so thankfully I was able to repair it.

I have just about lost all faith with this tent and will have to replace it. It has certainly not been a good buy. Will it survive another 6 weeks?

Oh well, I'll try not to think about the tent and enjoy my walk, but that may be easier said than done, having had 2 weeks off and carrying 20kg.

The early morning mist had lifted as I set off at 8.30 and it looked like being a hot sunny day.

I walked along the minor road to it's end at Badluarach then I went over the hill towards Stattic Point to get to the coast.

I stayed inland just a bit until I was forced down to the rocks at a deer fence that had barbed wire right at the top. I walked across the small sandy bay at Mungasdale and got on the main road.

Not being used to the weight it was hard going on my hips and seemed to take about an hour after each break to get up to speed.

The steep hill at Little Gruinard felt particularly hard but there was a good view from the top.

I stayed on the road, going through the oddly named settlements of Second Coast and First Coast. Just before I came into Laide, at 13.30, the Ocean View Hotel had a sign saying Cafe/Restaurant and as I had missed my drink of tea this morning I spent an hour there having two lots of a Pot of Tea and a Scone.

The owner put my phone on charge behind the bar and when I had finished said to put the £8.20 it would have cost me towards Parkinsons.

At Laide I turned onto the minor road to go up the east side of the headland.

I saw a dead snake on the road, it was about 250mm long and 15mm thick, dark brown/black with no markings.

The road went through Mellon Udrigle and on to Opinan, where it ended.

I headed over the grassy moor to the group of lochs at Greenstone Point which would be my water supply for the night's wild camp. It was 16.45.

I carefully pitched the tent without mishap, I hope it is still in one piece in the morning.

I left the tent to dry out a bit (it was taken down wet with the mist) while I filled up my water bottles and discovered I had a visitor in the tent.

After it had posed for a photograph I ushered it back out.

Today's 18 miles hadn't been too painful in the end.