14th DEC. LYME REGIS ( 3 MILES WEST ) to GOLDEN CAP( St.Gabriels )

I woke around 5.30. I could hear the wind increasing in the trees and now and then a gust would catch the tent .We were well sheltered and the would of been dry to carry if it had not started to rain around 6. Usual routine for breaky but as the rain continued I , rarely, packed up sleeping bag and mat in the tent. It went amazingly simply.
Due to the trees and the darkness of the miserable day it was a head torch start.
We were away by 7.30 , slipping down the bank to the muddy footpath. Wearing our ponchos for the first real time we slipped and slid our way through this rain forest. It felt like something from a vietnam war movie. The rain was heavy and the already muddy path had massive unavoidable pools gathered in the dips and the ups were flowing streams. I regretted stopping so early yesterday,  hindsight!
We entered Lyme Regis with its harbour taking a battering from the sea,  the wind was more prominent now we had left the woods. In a fancy sea front shelter we stripped of capes the walked the surprisingly small main street to grab a coffee and warm up. The whole idenity of the town seemed based on fossils, numerous twee shops selling them.We went into one place but rejected it due to being uncomfy seats and lack of personal space. We went to a Costa Coffee up the way.
We ensconced ourselves and gear and with coffee got xmas stuff sorted. Posted things,  arranged things and generally and thankfully avoided the weather for 2 hours.
We left gone midday high on coffee and hungry.
The rain continued as we followed the route inland via road and more path diverions to Charmouth. With a respite from the rain we dined on cheese and branston sandwiches. Bought more meths,  I had refused to spend £3.50 in Lyme Regis and was happier to pay 90p less,  the price of a decent packet of bics saved!
As we walked out I was disappointed that we had not had a route where fossiling was possible , constant land slippage made the route avoid such areas. However as we climbed in the direction of the prominent Golden Cap,highest point of the south coast at 191 metres, we saw an opportunity to drop down a clay slipped cliff to the shingle shore below to have a go.
Straight away we found belimites and bits of ammonites. We dumped packs as rain had stopped and hunted the piles of clay for past treasures. We got so enthrailed by this that we spent over an hour digging around. Josh at one point lost his phone again, I did not even know where to start to look and went up clay cliff to find a spot to pitch. I could see J skipping along below indicating he had found it. Relief.
We got pitched near St Gabriels Mouth,  a clay sided outlet.  J went for water telling me later he had got stuck up to his knees in soft clay. From the state of him I believed him,  he was coated in grey clay silt top and bottom.
Once pitched we continued to search for fossils until light stopped play and we retired to the tent. Getting up the cliff was hard work via soft clay so we follwed a narrow, very narrow ridge. It was a steep sided affair which J appeared to scamper up much like Gollom, me less agile and cautious.
Up at the tent we attempted to wipe clay off waterproofs an heavy clodded boots. What a mess!
We examined our haul of fossils pleased we had taken the opportunity. Only a short distance covered, barely 10 miles.