h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Don't get me wrong, this is a lovely walk. But it's not classic coast path; beyond Seaton, you barely feel the sea air. Taken in isolation, the woods are sensational. The undercliff has created a unique, claustrophobic environment, and it is perhaps the one place you might go where you feel nature has the upper hand. Owls hoot in the daytime, and you feel that it's a place not really made for man. It is a truly incredible place, almost a British jungle.

People don't feel comfortable with this sort of thing. I've seen teachers flip out just from being in the woods at dusk; paranoid and terrified for their charges. I think this is quite natural. If we can see long distances, we can see predators from a long way away; if we can see ten metres, they could be anywhere. Our aversion to the woods at night is a self-defence mechanism. If you do this walk, just take it easy and rest when you can. The real danger isn't what might be out there, but what you could do to yourself in haste.

The greatest thing about this walk - and the reason why I would recommend it - is coming out of the Undercliff to the sight of Lyme Bay and Portland up ahead. I was very tired up to that point, but seeing Portland in the distance invigourated me, and by the end I could honestly have walked on much further - to Charmouth, or Seatown, or beyond. After a few beers, we walked down to the beach at Beer and saw Portland's lights twinking in the distance, and I felt then that this was what it's all about. See a distant challenge, and overcome it. What's next?