Ah yes, the walk to Zennor from St. Ives, Cornwall via the coast path. It sounds
idyllic, doesn't it? Just a stroll along the cliff tops drinking in the
spectacular scenery.
Oh, it is spectacular.
It's just that your feet may never speak to you again after you attempt it
(see Serious Note below).
If you've got any enemies with heart conditions, sending them on this walk is
a foolproof way of bumping them off.
The sign quite clearly says 'six and a quarter miles to Zennor'. Unfortunately
it forgets to mention that it is six and a quarter miles as the crow flies .....
..... a rocket-propelled crow that has just been shot out of a cannon, to be
precise!
There are three potential walking routes to Zennor:-
- Walk the road - and risk getting run down by deranged motorists
- Walk the field path - follow the telegraph poles (which the locals
regularly move as a practical joke)
- Walk the coast path - it hurts but it's a good sort of hurt
Still, any of these routes will prove most problematical if you are, in fact,
not in St. Ives. So, for the benefit of those who live in that place outside St.
Ives (I think it's called the world or some such funny phrase) your intrepid
correspondent brings you .....
..... the coast path walk to Zennor in all its glory (and terror).
Serious Note:
The walk along the coast path from St. Ives to Zennor is beautiful. It is
also very serious walking. There are high cliffs, the ground is very rocky and
uneven. The path is narrow and steep. There are no shops and there are very few
places where you can exit. Once you set out your options are basically reduced
to two; keep going forward or go back.
If you want to do the walk these are pretty essential:-