Day 1

Day 1 – Sunday July 31st 2009 - Lands End to St Austell
Sunday May 31st - Lands End to St Austell – Cliff Head Hotel

Route Distance: 60.1 Mi Estimated Time: 4:27
Total Ascent: 5,208 ft
Total Descent: 5,258 ft

Alison, my wife drove me down from Matlock in Derbyshire to Mousehole which is about 20 minutes from Lands End where we stayed at The Old Coastguard Hotel.   The Hotel was excellent and I would definitely use it again if down that way.   We had breakfast at 0800hr on Sunday May 31st and were at Lands End for the typical photo shoot for 0900hr.   I left around 0930hr and had a good lunch at Stithians which is the half way point.   The route to St Austell was superb. Very quiet and passing through lovely countryside , typical Cornish Lanes and  villages.  I took photos approaching Penzance, shots showing the type of lanes used, and the King Harry ferry crossing at Fowey, where the operator couldn’t be bothered to give me change from a fiver for the fifty pence crossing and said I could go across free of charge.   The average ascent for the various routes to John ‘0’ Groats is around 4,200 feet.   This route at 5,200 feet was above average in difficulty, but being the first one and with the adrenaline running I found it easy and certainly easier than the routes I use in training around Matlock.   The Hotel at St Austel was The Cliff Head Hotel and I arrived there at around 1600hr.   This is a nice traditional typical sea side hotel and although a bit dated in décor it was newly refurbished and the staff were very helpful.   I would use it again.   I hand washed my cycle kit and dried it in the sun on the window sill.
Day Map
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