Climate Explorers

Day 12 – A Warm Welcome to Cornwall: From Devon to Newquay

This morning the team finally woke up to sunshine and the forecast promised much more! Today’s route would take the cyclist into Cornwall, the final county of the expedition! If you have ever travelled to Cornwall you know that the hills are constant. So although our team were cycling a shorter distance, they had around 3,500 feet of elevation to climb in one day!

The early morning breezed past with our team making good time on the hills. It was later on in the morning when things started to look a little less bright. Sal’s foot injury took a painful turn and we were unsure if she was fit to keep riding, but after roadside redressing and some words of encouragement Sal decided she wanted to continue. We are now so close to the finishing line and as long as we kept an eye on her foot we were all in support of Sal finishing the journey with the rest of the team! After that small hiccup, the team found the route they had planned took them across an unrecognised trail, so in other words they were lost. Despite being lost in the middle of Cornwall, the team soon came across a house on Bodmin Moor that they decided to ask for some direction. Little did they know this was the Thrussells studio, owned by Gary and Thomas, which produces incredible bespoke sculptures. Not only were the team now going in the right direction, but they also got to view some amazing pieces of artwork! 

Once back on the road the team kept pushing through the tough elevation and found themselves on a section of the stunning Camel Trail. The Camel Trail links Padstow, Wadebridge and Bodmin along an 18 mile cycle track. Our team were only on the trail for a few miles as they travelled towards Bodmin, but they all spoke about stunning valley’s and woodlands the route took them through. This cycle-way is also a notable part of the National Cycle Network, owned by Sustrans who we spoke to a couple of days ago. Another noteworthy area the team travelled through was Bodmin Moor. The moor is another designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and hosts the highest point in Cornwall, Brown Willy. 

Rather than heading straight to the campsite, the team were on their way to Mawgan Porth Beach where they would be meeting with the Oll an Gwella Male Chorus to listen to them sing. On the road Lukas’ bike gears broke meaning he could only cycle in a very high or very low gear. The end of today’s route was so close that he powered through, choosing to run his bike up any hills that he couldn’t cycle. Now that is one determined adventurer! Despite the bike issue, Lukas and the rest of the team reached the beach to listen to the choir with plenty of time. The Oll an Gwella Male Chorus performed a handful of Sea Shanties for our team. This was a once in a lifetime experience and was truly breathtaking to watch. The team are now just two days away from their final sea crossing and what a wonderful honour to have this experience to get them through this final push.

The sun was shining and the entire team was on a high as we reached the Sun Haven Holiday Park in Newquay. The park is run by Lovat Parks, a holiday park chain and certified B-Corp business! The atmosphere around the camp was electric, not because of our arrival but as England were winning the football! We welcomed the happy mood as we pitched up camp in the sunshine.

This evening we were very lucky to have our dinner provided by Chorley’s, a local South African restaurant and creator of the BEST sauce we have ever tasted! We may be slightly biased as Chorley family member Deon is on our support team, but we dare you to tell us any different once you give it a try! Tonight we were treated to a delicious chilli with jacket potatoes, giving our team the protein they need in the tastiest way possible. 

We were joined later on by Lawrence Harmer who is the Director at Solve. Solve is the digital marketing and web design agency that powers our very own website sustainably. Lawrence is quite the adventurous character himself and encouraged some of our team to go for an evening swim with him in the cold cornish water! A pretty exciting way to end an exciting day! 

Tomorrow promises even more excitement as our team heads for Land’s End, finishing their JOGLE and the land section of the expedition.

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Check out our most recent blogs…

Day 9 – Back to the Countryside: Hard Hills in Hay-On-Wye

Day 10 – Say Cheese! Journeying from Hay-On-Wye to Cheddar

Day 11 – Misty in the Moors: Exploring Exmoor and Dartmoor National Parks

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