 The South Downs way is a long distance footpath and bridleway running along the South Downs in Southern England. The trail runs 100 miles from Winchester in Hampshire to Eastbourne in East Sussex. Join me as I navigate the chalk bridleways and rolling hills of the South, check out some of the greatest sunsets and sunrises I've seen to date, and interact with some wonderful people along the way. No trace. E Chapman again. Glorious, look. The moon was amazing last night. So it rise pink like the sun, and it just arches way over every time I woke up, and the pfft, as I say it was the tail end of this comet, so the sky was, even though it was a full moon, so not as bright, you could still see like flashes of stuff. It was wild. One of the greatest nights, man. Thanks, Mother Nature. Head off I go. Into the breach. Silhouette ones. Romeo and Silhouette. Nah. So shoulders are hurting a bit, because I think I got burnt a bit yesterday on top. So bags are hurting it a little bit. Left ankles tweaking a little. Now serious. Half of that, completely fine. Just enjoying this, man. This is nice hiking this. Real nice. It's starting to heat up though. It's only quarter to seven, but you can feel the heat of the sun already. It's making me think. Oh well, it's making me think. Another day in it. Another day in the heatwave, I guess, isn't it? I suck it up. It's just nice hiking, man, along this ridge. I'm really enjoying it. I've got lovely views to the left, and I've got the sea to the right. There, there, there, there. I'm hoping to come across somewhere that sells coffee at some point. That would be nice. But, that's it. Damage report is, hold on. Maybe a little bit of amber on both shoulders. Maybe a bit of amber on ankle. I mean, we're not 100%, are we? We're not green everywhere. Nogging's green. Feel good in jogging. The body's a little bit beaten up, but that's what you're expecting it from. Hiking so much. I didn't stop till, was it 10 o'clock last night? Up at six. Just crack on. Yeah, the coffee today would be good. And I keep getting excited about the finish by having a beer, getting a shower. All the simple things, simple, beautiful things. That worked, mate. That's hard. Look at that. Look at the CD. Taking a little detour. I've come off the tops up there, because I've seen this garage. Wee! Yes. Coffee, banjo, sauces. Get after it. With some beautiful views. With some bins. Suitably refreshed. After my coffee and banjo. Don't know what to expect off this section as we head towards Eastbourne. I think I'm about 23 miles away from Eastbourne. And so I've done a few miles today already. Let's have a look what we're on. Time-wise, half-night. My friend is meeting me at the finish line. And she's not going to be there till tomorrow, maybe midday, one o'clock, something like that. So I guess I could finish today. Later on today. Just have a relaxing one by the beach. Look at the size of that. Feel like I want to move it off the track. Yeah, mate. Don't bite me, mate. It's a hawk moth. Hawk moth caterpillar. Ew. See that hawk moth. Is this how it all ends, is it? Me and you, lads. In here. They've got little ends. It's when they've got little ends that it's a bit of a... I'm coming through. I just want to get through. You've all got kids weird. You could potentially kill me. I don't know if I could handle it. I'm going through it, are we? Right, look. I'm going to just come straight through. There's tiny little baby ones. I'm going to come straight through on this path. You can just part ways like Moses through the sea. I don't want any beef. I don't want any trouble. How am I going to do this, look? Do you want out? Do you want out? Yeah, that's right. Go that way. She's seen biceps, look. I'll take your little kid with you as well because I don't want to... I don't want to orphan that little thing. Right, I'm going through. Anyone wants it, they can have it. That's it. Right, you move. Come on. You shouldn't weigh me. That's it. That's it. No, I'll fight you. Real close to these lads, look. Girls. I wasn't even bothered. Palms weren't even sweating. That's because it's sunny. That's the only reason my palms were sweating, guys, because it was sunny. You don't want this sweaty palm all up the side of that bonny little head. Look at that, getting cocky out because I've made it through. Am I going to fall at the final hurdle? Is this one going to get me? She's looking, not bothered. You worry about them flies all over your bont. I did it! I did it, never in doubt. Just another... just conquered it again. You lot take care of yourselves. See you in Eastbourne for a gauge. Medic! Right, you see. There's a sea over there and in this valley, that's Newhaven in here. We're going all the way around this headland as far as the eye can see over the other side. And that's Eastbourne. Seems quite a long way. Hey, what's that, buzzard? Can you hear it? Buzzard, definitely. I want a slush puppy. I know it's only crushed ice and e-numbers, but I want them e-numbers to stick in my face. Honestly, I've got a wheelie bin full of it. Blue flavour. Or whatever flavour you've got. Mix them all up. Watermelon, if you've got it, that'd be good. I keep thinking about it with this watermelon. Or just... I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm going to search for one when I get to Eastbourne. There must be a slush puppy. I haven't had one for years, man. That's all I've been thinking about. It's just sugary and cold in it. That's what I want. I'm going to get one. I might get a little bottle of... like a miniature bottle of vodka or tequila or something. Go and get a slush puppy. Mix the two together. Slush puppy cocktail. Bosch. I'm torturing myself actually by talking about it. Actually, I get all excited and I get real sad because I don't have it. Oh. The sun's well up now. That's what's got me feeling like this. I've not passed water for a long time. I've got two or three mouthfuls left. I'm saving just for emergencies. So, my mouth's dry as a bone. That's why I'm on the slush puppy vibe. I've run out of electrolytes as well. Which is a bit of a nightmare for the old mussels. But I figure it's the last day. Last big push. I'm going to leave it all out here. It's fine. Yeah. The weather is hot but it is glorious still. I have to keep putting myself in that mindset of at least it's not gale force winds and rain. It's quite pleasant when you just get into your own pace. So, you get into a zone and then time goes quicker when you're in a zone and you're almost black out in your own thoughts. And then you come round and you're like, oh, I've just done three miles without realising. I still can see the sea. So, I've got the sea on the right-hand side and I'm just going to get gradually closer. I'm desperate. We're at this trough, a farmer's trough, a cattle. And what you can normally do is self-filling. So, once this we put a stopcock goes down and refills it again. It's not always clean drinking water but you can filter it. It's definitely good to smash over your head. I can't get in there. It's a bit dirty in there, but it's a cool head down a bit. Apparently there's a station over this island down through this valley a couple of miles, maybe. I don't know what that means. It might have some drink in there. That would be nice. Somewhere to fill water bottles up. Use this and run it through my filter. Do you know what I'm going to? I'll talk myself into it because what if that station doesn't have any water? On a day like today, that is insane, isn't it? Not to have out. Yeah, let's take a minute and fill this. That's clogged up, man. I'll tell you why it'll be clogged up if I'm cleaving away. It'll be clogged from that puddle full of rubbish. I can get up bits in it as well. I can't do this, man. I'm doing it, though. See, that's the thing about going spur at moment. Not checking over all your kit. On my last trip on there, the cleaving way, I drank out of a puddle that had so much smeg in it. That's it. There we go. There we go. Are we in? So much greenery. Dislodged it a little bit. This is going to be painstaking, man. I'm going to get it off, but I'll sit with it. I'll sit with that, fill that up, get a blister pad on, and we'll crack on. Phew. Filted water. Unbelievable. So simple in it, but when you need it, it's the most important thing in the world. I'm going to spend some time and fill another one of these up, chuck a blister pad on, and then we'll crack on. Look at that. I look like someone's created like on Grand Theft Auto when you just get hikers, like a generic hiker. That's me. I look like I've been made for Grand Theft Auto. Absolute nerd, really. Nerdsville. Yeah, this isn't Nerdsville, look at this. Can you read it? Yee-haw. To the pub. Rodmill Village, half a mile. I wonder if that has got a pub. Oh no, the South Downsway is that way. Forget it then, no pub for me today. Look at these lads with boat, look. Where there's a boat, there's water. And I'm going to just ask these lads if it's safe to swim where they're going, and I'm going in if it is. I've got to make friends. There they go, look. I'll document it just in case they never come back. Farewell. Farewell. Can we get their birthdays? Because I'd like to put their birthday... on, and then this day, and then Fid just like Sapier or Black and White or something. Because they're the dead now. First November 1988. Twelfth of Feb 1988. So this day. That's cool. See ya. Yeah, we'll see ya. Yeah, I'll see ya there. Ah, just fun. Just for shits and giggles. I wasn't planning on there being a heatwave, but that's one of them, isn't it? There's loads of water stops along the whole place. For when you do your biking, there's like designated taps and stuff. Yeah, it's brilliant. There's an app as well that you can find them on. I thought that it was pretty good going though, isn't it? I thought it was really good, yeah. Yeah, making good pace. Like a lot of people don't even cycle it in four days. But the thing is, it's long days, so I just hike all day just till I get tired and then sleep wherever I drop in a field or whatever and then crack on, yeah. Well, it takes you a while to get your coordination done it. Sink up with whoever, they're all of it placed at your mix. They're just bedding in. You guys have got the best boat as well, look at that. It's a beast. It does the job actually, doesn't it? Yeah. Wow, that's legit. Godspeed gentlemen. Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of your trip. I will, I'm just putting you on the camera so you don't mind just documenting this for prosperity. Prosperity slash YouTube. What's your names, guys? If you do want to be on here, do you mind? Do fake names. Do aquatic names. What's your parrot? Because there's a parrotfish? Or is that because it's a sailor's thing? Yeah, sailor. Yeah, there's a parrotfish. Yeah, really blowfish. I feel like I should help. No, you're good. Don't just be honest, that's what it's all about, isn't it? That's just kind of the brilliant news. Yeah, that's all it is, isn't it? It's just an aquatic pub crawl. All right, mate. Right. This is good. There they go, look. Say bye to it, lads. Bon voyage. Look at that, speeding away. Just out there. Best ever. Best day of my life. That was tremendous. Cooled my core temperature down there. And just washed all the dust off me. It's quite a dusty trail, this. Just washing all the dust off my feet. Off my skin and my hair. What it did do, though, it's... My compeds came off. And I wasn't able to get any more on because my skin's gone all wet. And soft and that. Even when I dried it out, it wouldn't stick on. And it showed up. You sort of couldn't... It basically showed my feet up for what they were because it washed all dirt off them. And got quite a lot of blisters. Which is a lull. They're in between toes as well. I've got a couple in between toes. One at bottom at foot and one at back at heel. But that's how it is, isn't it? That's how it is. They're... They're alright. It's only a bit of surface damage. For now, they're just doing the thing sloshing around like balloons. Like water balloons in between my toes. It doesn't feel that bad to be fair. If you just block it out your mind. But yeah, that was a lovely little stop that. A much needed break. Salt water as well. It is mafting. Absolutely mafting. I was a station here. I feel my water because it's not a station with anything that you can have. Is this car look? I'll just keep doing this while the car goes past. It waved look. Fair enough. What's he doing? Doesn't matter what I'm doing. You do you in your little red car and I'll do me talking to this camera about blisters. Alright. This station doesn't look like it's got nothing. I made the right choice to fill my water bottle when I did. I'm heading up there to the top. Hopefully that'll afford me some more views of that sea again and get more perspective as to where I am and how far I've got to go. Train's going. That's what I look like. I'm aware we've got battery issues. Trying to just get to end with batteries but that was a good stop at the youth hostel. Orange and poppy seed cake cup of coffee sparkling fizzy watery, raspberry thing. Good. Filling my water bottles up to the brims. We're good to go. 16 miles left. I'm feeling refreshed now. I had a cold swim and then a cake stop ofs. Feeling good. Going to crunch out some miles looking forward to getting back on top and see. She's a wham. It's windy but the wind is like having a hairdryer on you. That's the river I was in, the bridge down there. And all across these tops you can see where I've come. I was contemplating having an easy one and then camping on the outskirts of Eastbourne and then finishing tomorrow during the day but sack it mate. We're going for it. Going for a big finish. Feet are a mess. I'm going to take shoes off and toes are going to come off with shoes. Trigman Freud. I've just dropped down and I think we've stayed out now. Stay down. Everybody stay down. Whatever. And I think we we sort of lump of a thing there. I think we skirt around the bottom of it I think. Going off the map and then there's Eastbourne in distance. Eastbourne identity. So I'm estimated to get there around 9 o'clock. I don't know if I've said that already. Can't remember. My brain's off frazzly. So now much to report. My chat has gone. I'm afraid. I've got no banter at all. I see a little butterfly. Is it a moth? Zombie butterfly. I see a good gate and I can't even I can't even muster the energy to get camera out for the gate if it's a good one as well. So I'm like oh battery's low. My battery's low. The banter's just not there so I was doing what I can to keep you informed and hopefully I'll save a little bit ink tank for when we get to end. I thought this car was going to choke me out without dust. Quite an affluent little area. As you can see by this rolls rolling down there. That then didn't even wave at me. Didn't even acknowledge me. Rich boy. If I was on top's mate I'd give some of my water. Is that me? With walking poles I what? Isn't it? Just stood still worrying about his blisters. Come on. I'm hurting but I saw it from afar. The counterweight on here. Nice action. Can't even breath. Watch this. Still got it. Why is it telling me to go down that way which looks like I'm going backwards. Seven miles to go. Meh. Meh dick. Seven miles to go. Three hours. Let's get that. He's celebrating for me. Is that a Mehdy? Mehdy. Clutching at straws. There haven't been many hasn't there? Three hours. That's maybe around about nine o'clock finish. Still be light up for me. I still have chance to get into a warehouse to bend the elbow and call it as they say. Whatever they do. Anyway my banter is shit and I'm seven miles away from finish. Maybe the banter will return with gusto with bells on. Just better than ever before when I'm like seven meters away from finish because then I'll be buzzing. Until then my feet hurt a little bit. I can cry. There's a robin sat on the the I'll just struggling coming down the elbow. I can't do it. I can't do it. There it is. I can do it. Yes. Look at this. I really like these flint covered churches. Even I'm struggling it's worth. I'll stop for church. Let you have a look. That's a beauty. That is a beauty. Glorious. Look at that Benchman. I could just I could just bivvy next to that Benchman. It would be so good. I'll get lynched by a villager's owner. Four miles. These are nice houses aren't they? Four miles to go. The final sunset. There it is. He's born. Today's been a tough one like. I'm I'm feet and I'm nodding. It's been hard. There it is. There's a trick point up here. Let's go touch it. I'll tell you what, it's them rocks man. It's the way that the flint and the rocks and the uneven ground just shoes up against your feet. I've got the most blisters now than more blisters than I've ever had on any hike I think. Both my feet are just mainly blisters more than feet. Here we go. Chuck these down there. A little bit of me wants to just stay up here and keep out of the way. I'll maybe do that. We'll have to think about that actually because that is a good point in it. I could keep up here and then go and tap out at morning but we can say I've pretty much done it and I've pretty much done it. They've ended there. This should be ended. So you don't have to dip into it. Right. Executive decision has been made not to go into Eastbourne now quarter nine nine o'clock by the time I get to the actual finish point over there. And then I'm stuck because I've got nowhere to stay here. I'm not supposed to be staying. I'm supposed to be getting here tomorrow and meeting my friend so I would just be homeless in the middle of Eastbourne and it doesn't look very good for wild camping. So although it would be good to finish now I will be then stuck there. I might have to come up with back up here. So I'm just going to keep somewhere around here on outskirts but we all know I did it in four days. Don't we guys? Come on. Come on. I've pretty much done it. I'm taking it. I'm taking it. So I'm going to go get me a down somewhere secret and then and then early rise go down. We'll tap out top out finish maybe getting to see and then Bob's your uncle in it. One more night under the stars. This is what I've been doing every night I don't know if I've shown you but I've just got a really light weight acclimat marina wool layer and then just some fresh socks every night and that's it. Airbed like a little protection mat underneath the airbed that is in there somewhere and the RAB Neutrino the RAB Neutrino 400 So this has been fine every night and then I have my Cetus Summit midgy head net I've seen a couple of red ants kicking about here so that's that will keep them from stinging me on the face because I've been done by that before and it isn't pleasant views from the Boudoir are pretty nice I don't have any water but I've just been foraging brambles for the last 10 minutes just getting loads of brambles into me because they've got liquid and sugars in them and that will see me through the night there's not much to report really just this is it this is the setup I'm tired the fern's dying I don't have any grub or any water or anything I can't even stay up drinking water but it's the sacrifices we make I tell you what lying down feels amazing not being on these feet they're so blistered look at that not bad eh not bad at all but I treat you don't I I treat you to some views don't I mate look, they're all stunning I'm not a million miles from Paffy you can hear people talking as they're going past I don't care anymore I didn't care at first place they're roughing it this isn't roughing it is it it's quite good oh look don't shit on me don't shit on me gullies right okay this is a glorious way to spend the last night actually I'm gonna put my head in it because I feel things are biting me I'm just gonna watch this sunset it's another big moon tonight as well I should pop it said out last night was unreal man I wish I could have time I wish I could have filmed some of the meet your shower I'll just wake up at night and just look up at the sky and it was just like it was like a film massive moon as well quality that was just for me on a noggin there right okay thanks for joining me I'll see you tomorrow anyway I'm gonna put a full stop on this trip unless something magical or tragical happens I shall see you on the morrow morning just doing some stretches it's five o'clock sunrise I want path look at that on the actual path that's where I kipped I was in that field over there and I was just getting smashed by I think I think I was in another red ants nest I just kept getting stung and then I think it was horse flies or mozzies were biting me through my clothes it was doing my head in and I was thirsty so I was like right let's move and I got my head torch on and went and had a good 10-15 minute brambling just to get some sort of moisture into my face walked up here and just kipped on path I'm doing a bit of yoga my morning routine I forgot to tell you CBD oil for the old joints before I got a bed someone in the morning support local Kent CBD I'll leave a link here I believe he's given me a discount code at some point so you can use that and thoroughly thoroughly sound bloat so a couple of them drops under the tongue carry on doing my yoga I've got like a tiny bit of battery left so we're going to make it I think should be down there for like 6 o'clock hopefully somewhere I'll be open where I can get some h2er and then I'm going to go meet my friend get in the sea wash away all these sweaty sins of the trail I've just been stuck in that built up area for the night and I would have had to sleep rough which I know I did I've been doing all this trip but there's a difference between sleeping rough out in the sticks and sleeping rough down there because especially on a Saturday night I've had to get on a part bench or on beach whatever it's also built up I'd have been pestered and bothered and mithed probably anyway sure as not to got a bit of shut-eye up here and away I go just to finish off the last little bit some beautiful scenery lovely sunrise coming up sun itself hasn't popped it's head up it will do soon it's bouncing off all the clouds and it's nice to be so close eastbourne is it? that was that hit you oh no my battery is flashing right so this won't be too clever because it will only be walking through the town and I'll save this little bit of juice on here so we can just touch the end thing job done tough slog that battery is going to tap out tough slog on trotters that one man my trotters are in bits but not a bad going we made good time on it good time on it and I recommend it I recommend it fully it won me over at first I was like oh it's each to be bland or whatever then it won me over with the rolling hills and the chalk and the flint and the people I met shout out everybody that I met it's got a little bit of juice left yeah especially thanks to the crew that hung out with for a bit and they were doing it for charity big up your all legends well done thanks to everyone who's watched this series there'll be another series coming soon for another long distance hike take care of yourselves much love bye for now this should just cut to a clip of me and say I think hopefully but if not cheers see ya and there it is time was it was pretty atrocious throughout so I do apologise for that and that's the south downs way completed another amazing journey in some pretty noggin bubbling conditions it was an impromptu adventure it was full of side quests and personal growth the skies were stunning throughout and the people I met along the way really did inspire me on my own journey after the finish I headed to a small village to the coast where I met up with Fern who was running a coastal coast I was looked after with some delightful foraged food and after my belly was full me, Fern and a couple of people from her course went for a dip in the sea and I'm sure those guys loved their swim but for me it symbolised the true end to my south downs word venture and as the cold salty water soothed my aching body I was washed over with a sense of pride and calm and a feeling of contentment because it felt like for now my noggin was happy and my noggin was quiet thanks very much for watching if you've blasted this far I send you nothing but love and I'll see you all again soon bye for now