49 pages 1 hour read

Raynor Winn

The Salt Path

Nonfiction | Autobiography / Memoir | Adult | Published in 2018

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Part 6

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 6: “Edgelanders”

Part 6, Chapter 18 Summary: “Alive”

Moth and Raynor arrive in Poole, the endpoint of the South West Coast Path, with plans to hike the rest of the trail backward. Moth struggles with his back and seems confused. They pass through a World Heritage Site, where rocks expose deep geological history with many fossils. They agree that they made the right decision. The path is easier in the opposite direction. They pass between two deer, admire the sunset and the boats on the water, and cross paths with a badger.

At a spring, they admire the easy movements of some young people. They recognize that the path they are walking is more populated than from the other direction; they yearn for more rugged terrain. They meet two fellow backpackers, Dave and Julie, and eat popsicles with them before parting ways. They struggle to find a spot to camp, and strange noises keep Raynor awake. In the morning, they run into Dave and Julie again, who tell them there were a lot of deer around their tent the night before.

They pass through wild terrain, including a village that was requisitioned by the military during World War II. On steep decline, they pass a family complaining about the hike.