Following the success of my Pennine Way Adventure of 2020 I have decided to raise the bar for this year.

Starting in early September 2021, coronavirus permitting, I will complete a solo hike of the the Southwest Coastal Path (SWCP), or as it is commonly known the Salt path. The SWCP is the UK’s longest waymarked long distance footpath and National Trail. It stretches for 630 miles (1,014 km), running from Minehead in Somerset, along the coasts of Devon and Cornwall to Poole Harbour in Dorset. Because it rises and falls with every river mouth, it is also one of the more challenging trails. The total height climbed has been calculated to be 114,931 ft (35,031 m), almost four times the height of Mount Everest.

This will be a tough endeavour and a large leap forward from the Pennine Way. As such, I have planned to complete the trek within a six week time frame.

Once again, I will be completing the trek in support of the Rawthey Project/Blue Beret Charitable Trust (BBCT), which helps struggling veterans and families suffering from the complex effects of mental health issues brought on by traumatic experiences whilst serving within the military. I can think of no better way to fuel the inspiration needed to achieve this endeavour.

As well as raising money for the Rawthey Project/ (BBCT), the hike aims to raise awareness of combat related psychological illnesses such as PTSD, which affect so many veterans. This silent killer is not going away and over 280 veterans have taken their lives since Jan 2018. Studies show that PTSD starts to affect people on average 10-14 years after the trauma, which is often well after their discharge from the Services. As the UK military withdrew from Afghanistan in 2014, we can expect to see new mental health issues emerging for several years to come, especially in light of recent events.