Earlier I said, ‘sleeping is cheating’. I had fully hoped to make it the whole way to Eastbourne, about 37 miles from where I left Fulking today. Well, someone didn’t check the weather did they. I was aware it would be windy, and maybe a little wet, but I was not, prepared for what just hit!
At around 3pm ish the rain began, it wasn’t a problem, I got waterproofed up and pushed on, still smiling, still enjoying my minor battles with the wind. I thought the rain would be short lived too, but it continued, on and on, but still, it wasn’t a problem. The darkness came and out came the head torch.
I continued on repeating to myself, Eastbourne, smiling and laughing in the face of the wind and rain. Then, unexpectedly, as the time passed the wind blew harder and harder, driving the rain harder and harder along with it. As I approached Falmer, the visibility on top of the downs dropped to around four to five metres in my head torch. It would be interesting to see if there is a weather observation station on top of the downs because I have never, been in wind like that! I was being blown all over the place. My trekking poles stopped helping to push me forward, instead, they were purely holding me up. How I stayed on my feet I do not know! If I wasn’t being blown across the downs with my feet sliding in the mud, I was stopped, using my poles to brace myself against the wind. I had no other option but to escape the exposure on top of the downs and found the next path down into a nearby village. I was going to either get lost or end up getting injured. It was an experience, a fun one at that too, but it would have been silly to have continued. I would love to know how hard the wind was gusting because I have never experienced wind like that in all my life!
So, I’m now sat in a pub in Kingston, near Lewes, drying out, warming up and just about to tuck into a monster of a burger. Tomorrow, I will arrive in Eastbourne, when it’s daylight. Tonight, I am exhausted!
Jamie Spiers 