Post by Dave on Jul 8, 2019 14:40:46 GMT
The Devils Armchair Paignton 8th July 2019
Last week on my day off (3rd July) I took my drone and camera to do a photo shoot of Oyster & Saltern Coves. I had walked around from Oyster Cove to Saltern Cove and then around to the Devils Armchair as the tide was low enough to do so.
It had meant having to walk up all those steps to the top of Sugar Hill and I knew I would have to do them all again today as I wanted to get some shots from the grassed area above the Devils Armchair. I parked up in Oyster Bends again and got today’s adventure underway.
It turned out far more of an adventure than I had bargained for and I got myself into a rather dangerous situation that I was not sure how I was going to get out from, more of that story later.
I got to the location and got the drone up and flew it around for about an hour sending it in many different directions. After taking all the shots I wanted I packed it away and got my camera out. Last week I watched a young lady walking her dog go through a gap at the far end of this grassed area. I walked up to the gap but saw it was so very overgrown that I did not fancy walking it myself.
That young lady did not come back that way so today I thought I would give it a try and that was my first big mistake. Just a short way in and I was getting stung by nettles and cut by thorns and it was at this point I really should have turned back. But I convinced myself the pathway would soon open up, but sadly it didn’t.
Concerned there might be adders in this dense jungle I walked as fast as I could and then saw an opening and nearly fell to my death down some steep steps on the side of the cliff face. I stopped just in time and looked down to the cove below and saw a section of the steps on the sand that must have fallen there.
Now I do not like heights or walking down steps with an open drop on one side and I was not going to go any further, but my curiously got the better of me and down I went very slowly. In one way I was so glad I went down as I got some great shots down there, but it soon dawned on me the only way back was the way I had come.
I imagine that young lady might have been able to walk from there along to Broadsands as the tide would have been out, but low tide today was another four hours away and I had water on both sides of me.
I looked back up those steps and noticed near the top of them was a gaping hole underneath where there must have been a mini cliff fall. I decided that walking back up the steps was a no no, so the only other way would be to go up them on my hands and knees.
I was doing ok holding onto the outside of the steps as I went up until I got halfway, then fear took over and I froze on the spot. I tried to turn around and go back down again, but that was proving to be an even more dangerous manoeuvre So I counted to ten and got moving up them again and was so glad to get to the final step.
I reached for my drink I had taken with me but it was not there, I looked back down over the steps and it was sitting on one of them halfway down. As much as I am against leaving waste anywhere, there was no way I was going back down to get it as I did not want to chance my luck for a second time.
I have lived to tell the tale and as I have the whole week off work, I will be looking for another adventure tomorrow.
