As someone who also weighs about 107kgs at the moment, with 10 weeks to go why not try and lose 2.75kgs so that you can carry your tent etc. with no extra weight on your feet - well it makes sense to me!

I carried 17.7 kilos including the rucksack but excluding water/food. However there were a number of extra items that I shouldn't have taken e.g. swimming trunks as I intended to camp and go swimming at a local beach as the sun went down! Also gaiters, why do I take them (I don't any more) as I have never used them and when required they are at the bottom of the rucksack and I can't be bothered to get them out! I now take much lighter slip on shoes for the evening as the ones that I took weighed 2.8 kilos - big feet as well as heavy!

I shed 9 kilos doing the PW last year so will be lighter at the end at least! Will start some practice walks soon and that should help at least.
20 kilos is some weight to carry Harland but it is encouraging that you made it all the way with that on board. In reality I will no doubt be ok with the tent ( just take fewer clothes etc). Ironically I have just got a fancy berghaus rucksack but my old hi gear Tibet will be better with the tent etc having more top and bottom external straps.
I was aware there was a bank holiday in early May but seem to have excluded it from my thought processes. Too late to change now; so it will be the Saturday night in Minehead and Sunday at Lynmouth that are the possible problems. Not sure whether just to turn up at 5 pm Saturday and take a chance. As you say I can always walk a few miles up the track and find a secluded spot

Yes...I have worn gaiters for half a day in my entire walking career. They wont make the trip; nor will my heavy gloves etc. In fact a lot of PW stuff wont find a place in the sack

The Man Who Hated Walking by Overend Watts

I have just finished reading the above. For those that have walked the South West Coast Path then this book will bring back wonderful memories; I read it in conjunction with my very unprofessional journal. A wonderful and entertaining account of Overend Watts’ first long distance walk (for those of my generation he was the bass guitar player with “Mott The Hoople”). Any walk over a mile or so was something that he hadn’t really experienced before, in an amusing way he details where he went wrong (volume/weight of his pack etc – don’t we all at the start), the people he met and how he felt along the way. Unfortunately for him the weather could have been better but he finished. So if you have walked it there will be many great memories, for those that haven’t it is worth reading so that you don’t make the same mistakes that he did at the start or just read it for fun.

Will have a look for that, maybe as a read at days end.
Start on May 1st. Anticipation starting to build. Still not resolved the tent issue. It is sat on the office table looking at me waiting to be packed!

Have a great walk! We did portions between Lynmouth & Minehead in 2013 and really enjoyed it. (If you go off route the NT tearoom in Selworthy was great for a cream tea!)

K

Thank you K. I am really looking forward to it. Bit under practised so some early starts will be in order I fancy. Like the idea of teas and scones at any time but I fear day 1 to Lynmouth will be a bit of a trek; so the first cream tea may have to wait until another day...maybe day 2 !

Just back from my Minehead to Chepstow and Chirk to Edale walk so now I've walked from Land's End to Scotland. The weather was supposed to be changeable with thunderstorms, however all I had was rain for 2 hours one day and 5 minutes as I walked into Cheddar - I must be doing something right! I must admit that age seems to be taking its toll, I had thought about doing the SWCP again next year but now 10 years after I did it last time I know that I would really struggle unless I extended the number of days quite significantly.

Any way good luck to you and I look forward to hearing that everything went really well.

Well done Harland; good job done. What was the Chirk to Edale route? (in case someday I try and do the end to end).
Bet it seems like yesterday you did the SWCP.
My plan for next year is a n-s PW and in 2018 a back to back C2C ie start at RHB and finish back there (if the knees keep going). Actually may do the LWW to start the outward C2C for a bit of variety.
As for the immediate challenge; I am a bit undercooked preparation wise so it will be a matter of mind over hamstrings for the first couple of days. Just been so busy with various business projects; more so than before I actually retired!
By now by bag would normally be packed and looking at me with three days to go. Have'nt even started yet. Main issue is whether to take my nice new berghaus rucksack which I have only worn for 4 hours thus far or the heavier old faithful.
Decided after much thought to not take a tent. If I get caught short I will get a cab to some sort of bed for the night. Taking a survival bag and sleeping back for a real emergency though...
I will try and post en route. If not will drop a line when done.
Thanks for the best wishes; cant wait to get the train and Minehead digs out of the way and get boots on the path Sunday morning. Pity the weather forecast is not better.

John

Sorry for the length but the route I took was on arrival at Chirk I walked to Bronygarth to touch the Offa's Dyke fingerpost and back.

The next day I walked to Whitchurch via Glynmorlas, alongside the River Dee, Overton, Penley, Tarts Hill, Hanmer, Bronington.

The following day I walked to Weston via Wirswall and then the South Cheshire Way (SCW) all day, just South of Marbury, South of Wrenbury cum Frith, Aston, North of Hankelow, Hunsterson, Hough.

The to Congleton via Bridgehouse Farm, Haslington, up to the Cheshire Ring Canal Walk, Hassall Green, heading North before Rode Heath (still on the SCW), Little Moreton Hall, back to the Cheshire Canal Ring Walk to Congleton.

Next to Bollington (North of Macclesfield) via the Cheshire Canal Ring Walk all day.

The final day to Edale via Berristall Hall, B5470, Whaley Bridge, Buxworth Basin, the Peak Forest Tramway (PFT), then I should Have gone via Chinley then up to Edale Cross to follow the Pennine Way down to Edale. However I was keen to get the train home so I continued along the PFT to Chapel Milton then turned North up a steep single track road to join the road by the Chesnut Centre (Otter, Owl & Wildlife) via Rushup Edge to Edale.