Cowlands and Coombe is a lovely walk 3 miles from Truro, however if you are energetic you can walk straight there. It isn’t massively long, and it isn’t massively hilly. It is quite lovely, an today I thought I would test my newly Nikwaxed Rab jacket. The day was very very grey, and quite foggy, but none the less off we set. The walk starts from behind new county hall. An old railway line that runs to Newham. Along the old path that is now a cycle way(need an off road bike of some description), and you come to a closed gate with Old Falmouth Road behind it. Swing right and down the hill past the beautiful old Calenick foundry, and turn left. Now you walk along a country lane for 15 minutes. Very quiet and bit of a hill. It is a strange area, very quiet, and not many people around. At the top of the hill right, at the top of that hill right. Soon on the left you will see a style and a footpath sign. This is the entrance to some magical woods. In the summer they are full of bluebells, in the winter… leaves, but its beautiful.

Walking down through the woods and past an ancient orchard that has all but dissapeared in a sea of brambles and you come to the creek. There are a few lovely cottages that now all belong to the Tregovthanan estate. Walk along the creek, and through the tiny hamlet of Coombe. Coombe is very beautiful and unchanged for centuries. Now all owned by the Tregothnan estate, and only people seen there during holiday times. Its very sad. Soon up a very leafy very steep hill, and past the delicious tea rooms of Halwyn. Then back on the road and you eventually meet up with the road you left earlier.

It is a great walk, and from my house it was about 8.8miles, so not too far and not too strenuous. Its amazing how you are able to find solitude so close to the middle of the city of Truro. Today as it was rather foggy I only passed one other walker. I guess a sign of the times, people would rather stay in and watch crap than get out and live. There is no such thing as bad weather, only inappropriate clothing.

There is nothing better than a cuppa when you are out and about. The Jetboil is brilliant. 2 mugs of boiling water in less than 2 minutes! It is fantastic. The gas is pretty reasonable-£4 for the lightweight refill. You can get a higher capacity canister, but the big one won’t fit nicely in the cup of the Jetboil.
The Jetboil Sol is for colder climates as it has a better valve, and titanium makes it about an ounce lighter. The jetfoil has a heat convertor welded to the cup. It sits on a high pressure flame. The stove has electronic ignition. It is fast, quick and very efficient. It has an adapter to use as a simple stove-so you can cook your bacon in the mornings. Be careful as it gets hot and will melt anything put on it-Many spatulas have gone to the big place in the sky for retired spatulas.The stove is a great little addition to a walk!

My Rab jacket did well, and although mainly misty the occasional rain did bead and drop off, so I stayed dry as a bell. (Is that a saying?) My Brasher  Hillmaster did brilliantly, again warm and comfortable albeit for a bas***d little stone in my left  boot that I simply couldn’t be bothered to take out.

Did a little foraging too, and found some tasty mushrooms, and maybe some tasty other mushrooms-I Need to do a little research on the others, but hey-nothing ventured, nothing gained.

This walk I highly recommend.

 

 

Walk rating: 10/10

Jetboil

PROS: Fast, light, small, convenient

CONS: Cost