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Clifftop Coastline - Cornish Coastal Challenge

Cornish Coastal Challenge 3 days UK

Trek
Trek
Communal
Communal
Terrain
Terrain
YELLOW 2
Grading


About the Challenge

This beautiful weekend trek follows the dramatic coastline of North Cornwall. The landscapes are spectacular, with rugged cliffs, hidden coves and old fishing villages forming a beautiful backdrop to the blue sea.

Starting at Harlyn Bay, west of Padstow, we walk for 24 hilly miles to St Agnes – a challenging distance considering the terrain. We pass the well-known beach stacks of Bedruthan Steps, as well as old reminders of Cornwall’s mining heritage, while Poldark fans will recognise some key filming locations, such as Holywell Bay, with the much-filmed Gull Rocks off-shore.

This is a tough weekend challenge, but a spectacular and inspiring experience which will give you an unforgettable sense of achievement!

Dates & Prices

Pam - September 2023


A fantastic challenge, with great scenery and an awesome Discover Adventure crew. 

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Itinerary

Cornish Coastal Challenge


OPEN 3 DAYS
  • We meet at our accommodation in the early evening for a briefing and to get to know the rest of the group. We have plenty of choice for an evening meal nearby, before returning to the hostel for a good night’s sleep ready for the rest of the weekend. Night hostel.

    (Dinner not included)

  • After a good breakfast, we have a short transfer to Harlyn Bay, a wide and spacious beach of yellow sand, with plenty of rock pools backed by dunes. The rugged cliffs towards Trevose Head stretch for miles before us, and on a windy day the full might of the churning sea illustrates why this coastline was notorious for its shipwrecks. Our cliff-top path undulates dramatically, with very few flat sections, but fabulous views all the way –rolling grassy fields and wildflowers, sandy coves, wide sweeping bays, and jagged islands jutting off the coast. We pass Porthcothan Bay, a lovely cove with a wide sandy beach and grassy dunes; this was Poldark’s Nampara Cove. Further south we stop to admire the views over Bedruthan Steps, a well-known beauty spot known for its dramatic slate stacks offshore, and continue over spectacular clifftops paths to Watergate Bay, a short distance from Newquay. Here we transfer back to our accommodation. Night hostel.

    Trek approx 14 miles / 22.5km

    (Dinner not included)

    Route Profile

    Harlyn Bay – Watergate Bay Route Profile.png

  • After breakfast we transfer to Holywell Bay, south of Newquay – a fabulous place to resume our coastal challenge. The beautiful wide sandy beach, with its distinctive Gull Rock offshore, will be instantly recognisable to Poldark viewers as the Warleggans’ beach. We continue past the three-mile-long sweep of Perranporth beach, popular with surfers, and head out onto rugged St Agnes Head, known for its mining heritage. These heathland landscapes were used to film Nampara Valley, part of the Poldark estate, including many of the iconic clifftop horse-riding scenes. This beautiful headland is a wonderful end to our trek, and after transferring back to base, we say our farewells and head for home after an exhausting but exhilarating weekend!

    Trek approx 10 miles / 15km

    Route Profile

    Holywell Bay  – St Agnes Head Route Profile.png



Dates & Prices

Prices may vary depending on date.


WHAT'S INCLUDED

  • All food and accommodation
  • Transfers within trek
  • Discover Adventure leaders and drivers
  • Full vehicle support

WHAT'S EXCLUDED

  • Travel insurance (optional)
  • Personal items such as drinks, snacks and souvenirs
  • Transport to / from the event
  • Entry to any optional sites or activities
  • Any applicable surcharges as per Terms and Conditions


Detailed Information

  • Your trip will be led by experienced Discover Adventure leaders and support crew. Our leaders are selected for their knowledge and experience, friendliness and approachability, sense of humour and ability to safely and effectively deal with any situation that arises; they are also trained in first aid. You are in very safe hands with a Discover Adventure leader. The crew will have mobile phones and/or radios where appropriate, medical kit and other safety apparatus where necessary, as well as vehicle support.

  • Your safety, and that of the rest of the group, is our highest priority. Our trips are designed and planned with safety in mind. Your crew will be equipped with communication devices (eg phones, radios and/or emergency satellite phones), medical kit and other safety apparatus appropriate to the destination. Our leaders always have access to our 24-hour emergency UK back-up. They are responsible for safety on the trip, and will make any changes to the itinerary they deem necessary, should local conditions dictate. Pre-trip administration - such as medical questionnaires and travel insurance as appropriate - is all done with your safety in mind.

  • Accommodation is in a well-located youth hostel, which is comfortable with good shared facilities. Rooms are dorm-style; some have en-suite facilities. All bedding is provided. Dorm rooms are single-sex.
  • We sleep in hostel dorm rooms, usually sharing with 2-5 others on the trip. Dorm rooms are single-sex.
  • Your booking is part of a group challenge, and the tour costs and fundraising targets listed on our website are based on a minimum number of participants which is shown on the challenge  Our typical groups run with approximately 20-30 participants; however you may find your group is smaller or larger than this.

    We will confirm at least 12 weeks prior to departure that your challenge is guaranteed to run. Occasionally it may be possible to still run the challenge with less than the minimum numbers, subject to a small group supplement.  If we think a small group supplement may be necessary, we will discuss this with you as soon as possible, usually 5 months before your departure date. 

    Minimum numbers and groups sizes may vary on Bespoke Charity challenges.  If you are booked onto a bespoke challenge please contact your charity for full details.

  • The food provided is plentiful and will give you plenty of energy. Where lunch is included, it may be a buffet-style lunch-stop, or a packed lunch. Dinners and breakfasts are generally eaten in camp or at our hotel, depending on the trip. Being vegetarian or having other dietary requirements is not usually a problem provided you let us know well in advance. If you know there are plenty of foods you cannot eat you may wish to bring extra snacks from home so you can top up your energy supply.

  • Your main luggage will remain at our accommodation (camp, hostel or hotel as appropriate) and you will not have access to it until the end of each day. You should carry a small daypack for items needed during the day.

  • In the unfortunate circumstance that you need to cancel your booking, we would ask that you notify us in writing either by post or email.  Your cancellation will be considered effective from the date the notice is received.  Registration fees, amendment fees and insurance premiums are non refundable and, depending on your payment option and how close it is to your challenge departure date, you may be liable for a cancellation charge.

    Full details of cancellation charges can be found in the Terms and Conditions of booking.


Preparing for the Challenge

  • This is designed to be a challenge, and it is vital that you train sufficiently for it. We will supply you with a thorough training guide once you have registered. We expect all participants to train hard in advance, but we respect everyone’s limits and do not expect everyone to maintain the same pace. Inadequate training is likely to have an impact not just on your chances of completing the challenge, but enjoying it too - and we want you to have the time of your life!

    Our challenges attract people of all levels of experience, fitness and ability as well as all ages and backgrounds. We design our challenges so that everyone can go at their own pace: this is not a race. If you have concerns about your fitness or if you have reduced mobility please do contact us for a confidential chat about whether this challenge is appropriate for you.

    For logistical and safety reasons we sometimes need to re-group, so the front-runners may find themselves waiting for the slower ones. Please relax, and remember that this is a team effort that enables people to achieve their personal goals and earn sponsorship.

  • We plan our trips around the optimal weather conditions, but could still be exposed to bad weather at any time. It is vital you are prepared for all conditions. We provide you with a detailed packing kit-list on registration, with plenty of information, and we are always available if you need advice.

  • Travel insurance for UK weekends and one-day events is not compulsory but you might like to consider taking out cover in case of cancellation or loss of belongings.

    Once your travel insurance is arranged, just remember to let us know the policy number and 24hr medical emergency phone number which is provided by your insurers!