Yet Another Cycling Forum
General Category => Rides and Touring => Topic started by: Wowbagger on 01 February, 2018, 01:00:21 pm
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Loadsabikes and I are in the planning stages of a trip to walk the Pembs Coast path. We have pretty well decided on 2 weeks in late June, but precise dates are yet to be discussed. We wondered if there were any other takers for this little jaunt - no bikes involved, but walking boots, tents & rucksacks. We plan to wild-camp where we can.
You do not have to be old and being a bugger is not compulsory either.
Comments, helpful and less so, are always welcome on a thread of this type. Kit recommendations are always useful.
We plan to go S to N. We hit more sixes when the sun is on our backs. It's 186 miles, allegedly, so that is about 14 miles a day if it takes us 2 weeks.
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If I hadn't booked to amble around the Tarn et Garonne I'd have been up for it. If it slips to late July let me know!
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I may be looking to do something else in late July... possibly involving a bike, a tent and France...
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Enjoy! We spent many childhood holidays in the vicinity of the Coastal Path.
I think it's meddyg's home territory.
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Tips. Erm, let me think.
Newgale campsite has a pub right next to it.
Just sayin'
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The Mariner in Nolton Have has a a real dead stuffed albatross on the wall. Its wings have had to be folded into an absolutely impossible contortion in order to make it fit.
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That sounds quite a challenge.
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Don't think my feet are currently up to such a hike although the idea is attractive. Having trouble with metatarsals. (Sp?). Be warned, Loadsabikes is made by the same firm that built Stonehenge. Can recommend staying overnight at Penbryn behind Llanborth farmhouse as has ready access to NT wcs and cafe, is a beautiful location and is directly on the path. Has lots of links with Arthurian legend. Don't know the current farmer though, after the disgraceful treatment of the former tenant farmer by the NT caused him to vacate. Have known 3 farmers at this site over many years. Ring the cafe for enquiries.
Would be interested in France in July tho' but, albeit high season.
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Join us for the middle weekend Bob?
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Now that is definitely worth a look at. Basil...........
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Now that is definitely worth a look at. Basil...........
Erm......?
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Akturly, I'd be up for a couple of days of this. (Just a couple, mind)
June is it?
I have a mental dental appointment on 11th and tickets for Patti Smith in Cardiff on 12th.
Once you've worked out your itinerary, I'll figure out where I can bus to and from.
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If I could park at or near yours then we can get the coastal bus together.
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Parking at my place is not a problem. Getting to the coast by PT might be.
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Ok, so the proposed dates are 14th--30th June.
All being well, this should put Peter and I around Little Haven for the middle weekend for anyone wishing to join us for a couple of days.
I have no doubt that Peter will post the occasional progress report during the walk.
Proposed kit list to follow for anyone interested.
Simon
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Thread title updated.
I have been playing with the "trails" app on my Iphone, with a view to not taking a Garmin, with its associated required supply of AA batteries. I will have a look at the GPS board in "The Knowledge" for advice from The Panel.
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Garmin? Bloody hell. When my son and I did it we had no need for such. We just followed the path, signs, not walking into the sea, not moving too far from it. We didn't even have maps for a large part.
If in doubt, keep left. :thumbsup:
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Yes Baz, navigation is not a drama on this trip, map and compass will do me.
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The Mariner in Nolton Have has a a real dead stuffed albatross on the wall.
D'you get wafers with it?
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Garmin? Bloody hell. When my son and I did it we had no need for such. We just followed the path, signs, not walking into the sea, not moving too far from it. We didn't even have maps for a large part.
If in doubt, keep left. :thumbsup:
I like to record a little dotted line on the map. Keeping the sea on our left is all we need to do, but being a social meeja whore, I do like to let my entourage know where I am. :D
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Garmin? Bloody hell. When my son and I did it we had no need for such. We just followed the path, signs, not walking into the sea, not moving too far from it. We didn't even have maps for a large part.
If in doubt, keep left. :thumbsup:
I like to record a little dotted line on the map. Keeping the sea on our left is all we need to do, but being a social meeja whore, I do like to let my entourage know where I am. :D
AKA the "Strava or it didn't happen" principle. ;D
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Garmin? Bloody hell. When my son and I did it we had no need for such. We just followed the path, signs, not walking into the sea, not moving too far from it. We didn't even have maps for a large part.
If in doubt, keep left. :thumbsup:
I like to record a little dotted line on the map. Keeping the sea on our left is all we need to do, but being a social meeja whore, I do like to let my entourage know where I am. :D
AKA the "Strava or it didn't happen" principle. ;D
Well, if you are doing a daily walk report, a map showing where you went is pretty important, I reckon.
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I mentioned this to my pal Mel, who has expressed an interest. He doubts that he will get the entire fortnight, but fancies some if it.
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A train to and from the start/finish? Walking from 15th - 29th June with the 14th and 30th for the train journeys?
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That is indeed the plan.
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I have now obtained the Harvey map of the entire route.
There appears to be no shortage of campsites, all reasonably close to the path.
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If there are no objections I'd like to join you for the full two weeks. ;D
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That would be splendid, Del!
I had a natter to my brother the other day. He knows a thing or two - certainly more than I do - about long-distance walking. He is a very fit 72 and is planning a walk around the same time as we are, but a different bit of Wales.
He considers that the sort of daily distance we are proposing, with backpack, to be “ambitious”
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He considers that the sort of daily distance we are proposing, with backpack, to be “ambitious”
If that's the case there are occasional buses that, AIUI, run up and down parts, if not the whole, of the route. If buses are not what we want to do then we could cut it short and complete it another time.
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6 or 7 year old knowledge. There was a little bus that runs the whole route. (Or more likely, 2 buses that converge on St David's from opposite ends)
Be aware that your English Old Bugger's bus passes will not be valid in Wales.
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We English old buggers are not old enough for bus passes yet.
When we were there last year, at about the same time of year, there was a bus called the Puffin Shuttle or some such, which seemed to follow the coast road all along its journey.
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Ah yes. That's the one.
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Buses, what is this talk of buses :facepalm:
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Just a navigational aid, cap’n. ..
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In other news, I have ordered a pair of Altberg Tetheras in a size 13. I am finding it a lot more difficult to find a pair of “trainer-style” walking shoes in a 13 to replace the Salomons I am currently wearing out.
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Time to start some "full kit training" me thinks.
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Do you just ballast your rucksack and go for a walk or will you pack it with as much of the year that you intend to use as possible? A few nights out as well perhaps?
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I tend to pack with all the kit that I would usually carry.
It gives me the opportunity to fine tune the routine for convenient access.
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I watch this with interest.
Anecdata alert.
Around 20 years ago myself and an old school friend planned a circular walk in the Brecon Beacons.
Over a weekend we planned to cover around 20 miles, carrying the food we needed as well as the kit for one night's camping before returning to my car the following day.
To be fair, unlike your costal path walk, we weren't following a path, but were going cross-country using OS maps and a compass.
What we hadn't counted on was how difficult and challenging the terrain would be underfoot. Really, really difficult to make any progress on what, in skiing terms, would be described as mini-moguls, of which there was no evidence on the contour lines of a map.
Added to which, the weather turned on us, delivering torrential rain courtesy of a howling gale, and although we were well equipped and protected from the weather, it exacerbated the already difficult time we were having with the terrain.
When it became obvious that we weren't going to make our planned bivouac site by nightfall, the map came out and we started to consider a plan B.
We figured that if we were to descend the mountain immediately from our current location, we had a chance of making it to a small lake we'd spotted, where there would be a supply of water, and some flat terrain on which to pitch our tent.
The descent was perilous, with the weather not really letting up until we reached the lake, where we pitched the tent, cooked and ate some food and promptly fell asleep exhausted. We'd very obviously had enough that day.
The following morning, we returned to where I'd left my car parked. We were surprised how little time it took us to get there, given that we'd spent the best part of the previous day walking.
When we checked the map, it turned out that by the time we'd reached our plan B lakeside camping spot, we'd walked a grand total of just under four miles.
Less than half of the mileage we had planned for the first day.
The point of this story?
I think we were both quite shocked as to how badly we'd underestimated our capabilities. Neither of us were inexperienced hill-walkers or campers, although it was the first time that we'd combined the two, and also the first time that we'd gone cross-country rather than follow a trodden path.
I'm familiar with bits of the Pembrokshire coastal path, and have camped along it a couple of times when returning from Ireland.
If the weather holds up for you, I'm sure you'll have a cracking time.
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Garmin? Bloody hell. When my son and I did it we had no need for such. We just followed the path, signs, not walking into the sea, not moving too far from it. We didn't even have maps for a large part.
If in doubt, keep left. :thumbsup:
I like to record a little dotted line on the map. Keeping the sea on our left is all we need to do, but being a social meeja whore, I do like to let my entourage know where I am. :D
There was a bloke who planned to circumnavigate Great Britain in a Small Boat using the "keep the coast on the right/starboard" method. He managed a Several of laps of the Isle of Sheppey before he was told to stop/gave up.
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Garmin? Bloody hell. When my son and I did it we had no need for such. We just followed the path, signs, not walking into the sea, not moving too far from it. We didn't even have maps for a large part.
If in doubt, keep left. :thumbsup:
I like to record a little dotted line on the map. Keeping the sea on our left is all we need to do, but being a social meeja whore, I do like to let my entourage know where I am. :D
There was a bloke who planned to circumnavigate Great Britain in a Small Boat using the "keep the coast on the right/starboard" method. He managed a Several of laps of the Isle of Sheppey before he was told to stop/gave up.
Passing under the road bridge the second time should've really been his clue-bat. No?
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I tend to pack with all the kit that I would usually carry.
It gives me the opportunity to fine tune the routine for convenient access.
I'd be very interested to see what kit you use and how it all packs.
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I am nowhere near walking with kit. I am just going out for walks. I have had a couple of 9 mile days recently, in which the main walk was about 6 miles and the rest just bits and pieces. I really need to start walking in the Danbury area, where there are lots of steepish footpaths in the vicinity of The Mighty North Hill.
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How do you get fit for hill walking when you live in flat East Anglia?
Some hints and tips here...
http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=36060.0 (http://www.walkingforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=36060.0)
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http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=580056&Y=186163&A=Y&Z=120
That's pretty steep around Hadleigh Country Park. If it's steep enough for Olympic mountain biking, then I reckon it's steep enough for me!
The hills in Pembrokeshire are not high (unless you go inland to the Preselly Mountains). On the coast I doubt that we will ever be more than 300' up. A lot of the roads are 1 in 6. I know this as I have cycled them with full camping kit.
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http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=580056&Y=186163&A=Y&Z=120
That's pretty steep around Hadleigh Country Park. If it's steep enough for Olympic mountain biking, then I reckon it's steep enough for me!
I'd recommend the Parkrun course there. It's tough!
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/hadleigh/course/
Plenty of up and down and very little in the way of flat and easy to turn into a loop and repeat it. :demon:
After you Wow...
I'll be heading that way after the snow and before Easter.
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It will be a lot tougher than you are thinking. The Newgale to Fishguard section was the toughest 5 days of walking I have ever done and that includes the Eiger Trail. Lovely scenery especially around Stumble but so many ups and downs that sap legs towards the end of the day.
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http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=580056&Y=186163&A=Y&Z=120
That's pretty steep around Hadleigh Country Park. If it's steep enough for Olympic mountain biking, then I reckon it's steep enough for me!
I'd recommend the Parkrun course there. It's tough!
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/hadleigh/course/
Plenty of up and down and very little in the way of flat and easy to turn into a loop and repeat it. :demon:
After you Wow...
I'll be heading that way after the snow and before Easter.
I don't think I will be running anywhere. But I am perfectly happy to walk the route a few times.
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Have you taken delivery of your new boots yet Wow.
I am just about to go and play in the snow, 10kms of Nordic walking around the local lanes.
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No - another 2 to 4 weeks yet.
I have been walking about in my "old" boots. They are quite comfortable and not that old, but they were cheap "Higear" ones - Go Outdoors' own brand. That was all they had in my size when I needed some.
I am gradually upping my distance and, as Del suggests, will be adding hills once this sodding weather improves. Notwithstanding Bikepacker's dire warning of the fate that awaits us, there is no shortage of short, steep hills in Hadleigh Castle Park. They rise from sea level to about 200' very abruptly, without actually being cliffs. That's the best I can do without travelling huge distances by car, and if I manage 3 or 4 6-mile walks a week in the month leading up to our departure then that's the best I will be able to do.
http://streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?X=580040&Y=186245&A=Y&Z=120
Park near Leigh Station and head along the footpath up to the castle and then do half a dozen circumnavigations of the bit where the arrow is. Lots of contours there.
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Little and often works well.
A few walks with full gear are also beneficial.
Interesting walking conditions this morning with some very pretty snow formations.
Snow shows would have been useful!
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Interesting walking conditions this morning with some very pretty snow formations.
Snow shows would have been useful!
Freezing rain here made walking across snow covered fields like walking across crème brûlée and my jacket had a front of sheet ice!
Are snow shoes good for crème brûlée? :P
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Are snow shoes good for crème brûlée? :P
[/quote
Excellent, you won't go through the sugar crust!
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I waited until the freezing rain had turned to frozen rain - ie was in effect diminutive hailstones.
Sounds as though you had a good walk, Simon! Like Del, I enjoyed the crunchiness of walking on snow that, yesterday, was totally silent. I'm going out again in a tick to get a few more paces in.
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Once more into the slush, dear friends, once more...
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Indeed, Mrs Miggins and I braved the still extremely icy conditions for a trip around the Rutland countryside.
I do have to be very careful to keep to a sensible pace to ensure that we do not exceed the parameters set on Mrs Miggins ICD.
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Good work! How is the dear lady?
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Thanks Wow.
Joyce continues to recover although she does get very tired.
It's a bit of a balancing act, knowing how much effort to put in without overdoing it.
It will also take some time to recover from the bout of pneumonia which brought the DCM to light.
We will be out again today, the snow is finally beginning to melt.
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I was up early because of arthritic pain and because it was lovely and sunny I did 4 miles before breakfast. All urban miles so not very exciting, but not taking the dog meant I walked faster. I definitely felt as though I had earned my porridge!
I went out again later with the dog. Total walking 6 miles in 120 minutes.
I might give the Hadleigh Castle Park a try later in the week, but I reckon it will be very muddy. It was on a (solo) walk near there that my pal Mel broke his leg when negotiating a ploughed field a few years back. He was rescued by helicopter but had to crawl, with his leg in an inflatable splint, 50 yards or so to where it landed. The ground was too rough and wet for anyone to be able to carry him on a stretcher.
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I am also looking at rucksacks. I have a Vango Sherpa, 75 litres, which weights almost 2.5kg. I used that in the Beacons for a week's walking - although food and drink was so hard to come by that when we found a campsite where the owner gave us the run of his veg patch and also sold us meat (home produced) from his freezer, we travelled light thereafter.
I really don't know how big a rucksack I am going to need. Tent, downmat, quilt, clothes, cooking stuff...
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I was thinking of this thread today simply because for the last couple of days I've been wearing my walking boots. They must be about 20 years old and don't really get used much except in snow, ice and slush, so they're still in pretty good nick. But they are strange to walk in; such huge heels! It feels like normal shoes at the toe end but with gurt wedges of wood under the heels!
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Cudzo wears stiletto heel walking boots! :o
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No, stilettos are for cycling in.
(https://i.pinimg.com/236x/8a/46/84/8a4684e985c524491b507dcf9a9e444c--bike-shoes-cycling-shoes.jpg)
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I have a ULA Circuit rucsac.
It is 60ltr and weighs under a kilo.
I am really pleased with it, having used it on the Yorkshire Dales section of the Pennine Way last summer.
It held all my kit including tent, stove, sleeping mat and bag and all the other bits and bobs that are required for multi day trips.
On this trip, I do not intend carrying much in the way of food as we should have no problem finding sustenance on route.
On summer trips, I carry the minimum of clothes as I can wash them as I go. Footwear is just my walking boots and a pair of Zero sandals for the evening.
I am undecided whether to use trekking poles or nordic poles, I am erring towards nordic but will see as training progresses.
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I have been looking at the map (OS) and I think that there are some stretches where we will be quite a long way from any food/water supplies. The first stretch - from Amroth to Manorbier - will be no problem. The next bit, from Manorbier, or Freshwater East, there isn't a lot very close to the path. Pembroke, Pembroke Dock, Neyland and Milford Haven will all have food shops and eateries, and Little Haven to Newgale are all well catered for.
I reckon that quite a lot of the time, trips to food shops etc. will mean an extra mile or two onto each day, and that all adds up.
This guy makes the following comment:
13-14 days- Pembrokeshire
This has been a national trail for some time now. The fact it is the only coastal National Park in the UK says enough about its beauty. It is quite tough ‘up and down’ walking in parts and shops for restocking are harder to come by…lots and lots of pubs tucked into the charming coves though.
from https://willwalkswales.wordpress.com/2013/07/05/diy-welsh-adventure/
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I've just looked at the ULA rucksack.
'Ow much?</canardly>
(Sorry, Bob, couldn't resist...) ;D
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I've just looked at the ULA rucksack.
'Ow much?</canardly>
(Sorry, Bob, couldn't resist...) ;D
:D
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Yes, they are a tad pricey. I consider mine to be money very well spent.
A comfortable carry makes so much difference on a long trip.
If you fancy a weekend camping and walking when you get your new tent we could have a trial run and testing session.
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Strewth!
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It's only pricey if you buy it and only use it a couple of times. If you walk/hike lots* then the "buy once cry once" rule makes it a good choice.
*Lots = > a few ::-)
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I agree with this ^^^^^
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Have you had to lie down in a darkened room Bob ;D
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:-D
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And I have found a wonderful website for quick-drying underpants!
https://www.onebagger.com/best-quick-drying-traveling-underwear-for-men/
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www.onebagger.com
Any relation?
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Who knows?
If you fancy a weekend camping and walking when you get your new tent we could have a trial run and testing session.
That is a splendid idea! So much so that I have already had an idea. How about a walking weekend in the Chilterns? I have started plotting a route from Tring Station. There are quite a few campsites and no shortage of hills...
Oh, and the tent has arrived. I haven't unwrapped it yet.
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How about this - or something like this?
http://www.bikehike.co.uk/mapview.php?lnk=http://peter.chesspod.com/routes/tringwalk.gpx
I was reckoning a train to Tring on a Friday with the following campsites:-
http://www.cornerfarmkingsash.co.uk/
http://www.bellavistacamping.co.uk/home/
http://www.whitemarkfarm.co.uk/
and walk to Princes Risborough station on the Monday for the purposes of buggering off home.
That's a total of 37 miles. About 7 miles on the Friday afternoon, about 11 on the Saturday, about 9 on the Saturday and about 10 on the Monday. There are pubs in the vicinity of each campsite.
Edit: from my point of view a Wendover start would be better than Tring. I have just realised that it costs about half the amount in train fares if I use the Chiltern line in each direction.
This may well deserve a thread of its own...
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I reckon that quite a lot of the time, trips to food shops etc. will mean an extra mile or two onto each day, and that all adds up.
Can't recall the exact location but one was just after St Davids Head, there were a couple of campsite shops near the path where we stocked up. The one we brought up there whole stock of Cadbury's chocolate (about 12 bars) as emergency rations.
Café at Whitesands Bay serves very nice coffee.
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That looks good Peter.
My only issue is that Joyce has had to put back her cardio rehab to an April start (she now has Shingles, yes,I know.)
This ties me up for fridays as she is unable to drive.
If you put it out in a new thread, see who is up for it and I may be able to join in on a sat/sun.
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OK!
Sorry to hear of Joyce's tribulations.
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That looks good Peter.
My only issue is that Joyce has had to put back her cardio rehab to an April start (she now has Shingles, yes,I know.)
This ties me up for fridays as she is unable to drive.
If you put it out in a new thread, see who is up for it and I may be able to join in on a sat/sun.
Oh poor Joyce! Send her our love and I hope she gets well soon xxx
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And I have found a wonderful website for quick-drying underpants!
https://www.onebagger.com/best-quick-drying-traveling-underwear-for-men/
Rohan do some pretty good quick drying pants. A bit cheaper, but very comfortable, are the decathlon ones. At the budget end of the spectrum, some from peacocks or primark are good too. Almost all my pants are decathlon ones, they are the best.
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Ah! decathlon pants, great for leaping, bounding and throwing ;D
Talking of pants, that's just how Joyce feels at present but she will rally.
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And I have found a wonderful website for quick-drying underpants!
https://www.onebagger.com/best-quick-drying-traveling-underwear-for-men/
Rohan do some pretty good quick drying pants. A bit cheaper, but very comfortable, are the decathlon ones. At the budget end of the spectrum, some from peacocks or primark are good too. Almost all my pants are decathlon ones, they are the best.
OK. As a finely honed athlete, I will have a look at Decathlon. It's just that "Onebagger" was such a good name for a website. Onebagger to rule them all and in the darkness bind them... quite appropriate for underpants really.
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I only ever carry one bag around in my pants (snigger)!
The Shed Bistro at Porthgain do fine fish & chips, on certain days they do a reduced rate for "senior" types. I can recommend tucking into a portion on the bench by path leading up the north side of the harbour. Some interesting industrial archeology opposite.
The Coast Path is great but in parts the constant ups and downs as you climb in and out of coves can be wearing, there is little chance to develop a rhythm.
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I have new panties but I am still awaiting the boots...
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I have new panties but I am still awaiting the boots...
That'll be lost on a number of readers I'm sure, what a waste ...
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I have new panties but I am still awaiting the boots...
That'll be lost on a number of readers I'm sure, what a waste ...
Oh that's very good indeed
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I have new panties but I am still awaiting the boots...
That'll be lost on a number of readers I'm sure, what a waste ...
Oh that's very good indeed
We live in a large house. I wanted to tell my wife about the development of this thread but first I had to rendez-vous with Janet.
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Photographs required,..........only of the boots!
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I have new panties but I am still awaiting the boots...
That'll be lost on a number of readers I'm sure, what a waste ...
Oh that's very good indeed
First single I ever bought. Top tune. Top musician. As a memorial to him, there is a bench in Richmond Park with a built-in solar-powered MP3 player.
ETA - Although I understand that it has fallen into a state of disrepair :(
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(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29388691_1970960973223102_1682562715337359360_n.jpg?oh=aa65197e7a74d8053b363a17ad612035&oe=5B38E39E)
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There will be no stopping you now!!
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There will be no stopping you now!!
Except that Wow's new boots and pants are way too loose and he just steps out of them! :facepalm:
May I suggest doing up the laces and a smaller size budgie smuggler. :thumbsup:
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More training!
http://gentlemancyclist.org.uk/2018/03/23/getting-into-training/
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(https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/29388691_1970960973223102_1682562715337359360_n.jpg?oh=aa65197e7a74d8053b363a17ad612035&oe=5B38E39E)
Is that the under door shot from the outhouse?
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I have new panties but I am still awaiting the boots...
That'll be lost on a number of readers I'm sure, what a waste ...
I googled this at the time, but swiftly aborted.
Am relieved to say that I am now up to speed thanks to a comment just made on Radio 6. Phew!
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Well, I am from Billericay...
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OK, back on topic for a tick.
Tickets are now on sale for 14th June from SE England to Kilgetty (nearest station to Amroth, the start of the Pembs coastal path). With the OBRC they are £20.45 for the outward journey. The earliest Paddington train I can get which earns me the full discount is the 12.45. That involves leaving Prittlewell no later than 10.52, although I would probably get the 10.32 just to give a little leeway. That would get into Swansea at 15.43 in time for the 16.00 and arrive at Kilgetty at 17.24.
I'm going to buy one with a reservation for the 12.45 from Paddington. It will seem strange buying a ticket without a cycle reservation.
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It seems that cheap tickets for our proposed return date are not yet available.
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I have been doing a bit of research re "cheap" return tickets. I am hoping that some will become available but the fairly random set of dates I have so far put into the machine haven't found any. I can buy a walk-on ticket from Haverfordwest to Southend Central for £65.50, including the Old Buggers' Rail Card reduction. That's about £99 without the OBRC. However, Haverfordwest to Swansea can be purchased fo £10.85, Swansea to Paddington for £32.35 and Paddington to Southend Central for £11.50, a total of £54.70 and therefore a saving of £10.80 simply by asking the ticket office bod the right questions.
FFS renationalise them!
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I am going to Peterborough next week. If I buy a straight through ticket I pay over double the cost of two tickets. I have to change trains at Nuneaton regardless.
I simply don't understand why the ticket system doesn't give you the best deal.
Oh, perhaps I do...
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My brother had exactly the same issue when he had a regular journey from Shrewsbury to Bangor for a weekly teaching appointment. If he bought a ticket straight through, it cost £7 more than if he "broke" the journey at Chester, even though he was on exactly the same trains for both.
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I have packed my rucksack with most of teh stuff off my checklist. I haven't put in my waterproof or a bottle of water yet. It comes to 11kg or thereabouts.
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Still no cheap tickets back from Haverfordwest for the dates we want. However, rather nice £19-odd tickets are available from Swansea to Southend in mid-June.
I shall probably buy a ticket for 1st July or thereabouts if and when the cheap ones become available. This will add a little extra time should we fall behind our schedule, but, importantly, if we do finish to time, will allow me a day or two at the West Hook campsite and with it a visit to Marloes Beach and/or Skomer Island.
I don't want to find myself time-constrained and abandoning the walk with only about 20 miles left to do, and therefore forced to come back later for unfinished business.
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I have a large and very good Lowe Alpine rucksack that can be borrowed. With the extending lid, it goes up to 90 litres, about 75 with the lid in normal position.
I don't know the north coast stretch, but the spectacular stuff is on the South IMHO. Make sure to pop inland at Bosherston by way of the lily ponds, as (a) it is gorgeous and (b) there is a pub there. The stretch by St Govan's has the chapel, the Castlemartin tank ranges (which can divert the path), the Green Bridge, Huntsman's Leap and an awful lot of seabirds. Much auking and a lot of choughs. Views out to Lundy.
Bosherston also usually has a lagoon , so that those fond of al fresco bathing can find a little warmer water. There is a campsite inland at St Petrox (don't know if it is still open) that has an old church tower one can ascend for ace views. Seaside cafe used to be by Traeth Mawr, campsite there now, and the ascent afterwards used to go past a mini 'Pentre Ifan', regularly used in dramatic photos but which is only about two feet high. Not to be confused with Coetan Arthur.
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Thanks, Steph. I think I'm OK in the rucksack dept. My Vango is pretty good.
Another walk today. I'm finding 10 miles walks pretty routine at the moment. I think I must sort out a longer one...
http://gentlemancyclist.org.uk/2018/04/13/a-flat-stroll/
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Impressive progress as well as interesting reading Wow. I admire your dedication to this.
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I have purchased a ticket for the return journey, leaving Manorbier at 9.29am. £20.45 with the OBRC. I'll just have to get to Manorbier from Cardigan! I'm sure there will be buses.
Manorbier was selected because a) there is a camp site less than half a mile from the station and b) my grandmother was born there. Her father was a freeman of Haverfordwest.
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I'll just have to get to Manorbier from Cardigan! I'm sure there will be buses.
My tickets have cost £62, advance tickets, no discount cards, for the two major journeys. Southend to Kilgetty and the return Manorbier to Southend. Same trains as Wow but maybe different coach on the return.
I guess a bus from St. Dogmaels (sp) to Cardigan and thence to Manorbier won't cost too much but why are we going to Cardigan? ???
Cardigan to Manorbier is a three bus journey according to google.
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Fair point indeed! If you aren't tied to specific Manorbier trains, why not bus it down to Abergwaun ("Fishguard") and hop a train to Whitland, picking up the line coming from Manorbier?
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Well, I hadn't checked any bus timetables so I assumed that Cardigan, which is very close to Poppit Sands (the official end of the walk) would be a good place to get the bus. It appears that St. Dogmaels is on that bus route.
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I climbed Pen-y-Ghent today. Not a long walk but a lot of up.
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For perfectly good reasons, my would-be companions are no longer in contention for this jaunt.
Quelle dommage!
Oh well, I shall have to struggle round on my own... unless there's anyone out there who has a bit of spare time? ;D
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I can no longer join Wow for this trip :( so I have train tickets, as above, free and gratis :thumbsup: for anyone who would like to join Wow. Let me know and I'll pass them on to Wow for distribution in time for the day of departure.
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I am starting to plot my daily routes and plan for meals.
I hit upon a brainwave for the first night: I found a B & B near Kilgety station offering a single room for £45. I can dump my luggage off, get a taxi to take me to Amroth, do 3 hours' walking to Tenby in daylight (sun sets at 9.38) and get a train back to Kilgety (21.53 or 22.55, 10 minute trip) and return to the station in the morning. I'll be passing through Saundersfoot & Tenby so there will be plenty of eateries.
My brothers and a sister spent last week at Nolton Haven and the consensus was that I should book B & Bs all round to keep the luggage down. Well, I've bought a tent for this and I know it's going to be tough. Also, lots of places simply are not anywhere near B & Bs. I will probably book the occasional one for convenience's sake but B & B timings will, in general, cramp my style. I will want to be starting earlier than most of them will do breakfast, and few of them will be close to the coastal path.
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I have just changed the thread title in respect of the singularity of this attempt.
I think I am now going to be without a tent. It's logistically quite difficult to book B & Bs at precisely the right places, and the lack of any sort of commerce on big chunks of this mean that I still might have to take cooking gear, and/or ask hosts for packed lunches. I am also considering bag drops - there's a company that does this for £8.50 a time, it seems.
I don't think I am up to the 16 mile stretch between Newport and St. Dogmaels in a single day so I have booked B & B at Moylegrove. Lucky to get in I think as it's a tiny place. It's looking as though I might well have a rest day at St. David's though. I haven't managed to book anywhere at Broadhaven (the one near St. Bride's Bay) so I have booked 2 nights at Solva and will rely on the Puffin Shuttle to get me to where I need to be that night and the following morning.
To be honest, I am finding the whole thing quite daunting at the moment.
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OK, I now have all my B & Bs booked and all the daily mileages plotted. At the moment, the only problem is that the daily mileages come to something like 20 miles short of the official length of the coastal path! I am assuming that this this because the gps track I have plotted is made up of short straight lines, of roughly 300 yards each, and this takes no account of bends in the path, either right/left or up/down.
My B & Bs are in:-
Kilgetty
Swanlake Bay
Bosherston
Angle
Herbrandston (4 nights)
Solva
St. Davids (2 nights)
Trefin (2 nights)
Fishguard
Newport
Moylgrove
Haverfordwest (2 nights)
Those places where I have more than one night will involved vehicle transfers to where I finished the previous day. The Taberna Inn in Herbrandston is an amazing place: £30 a night for the first night, £25 a night thereafter, and a free lift anywhere between Neyland and Newgale. Other transfers will be via the Puffin Shuttle/Strumble Shuttle or the Poppit Rocket.
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OK, I now have all my B & Bs booked and all the daily mileages plotted. At the moment, the only problem is that the daily mileages come to something like 20 miles short of the official length of the coastal path! I am assuming that this this because the gps track I have plotted is made up of short straight lines, of roughly 300 yards each, and this takes no account of bends in the path, either right/left or up/down.
Probably. The more accurately you map a coastline the longer it gets. They are fractal.
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I have noted that one of the bus services I might want to use is the 404. I hope I can find it...
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15 very hot miles with my pack today, in the company of my Coach*. We walked from Tonbridge to Edenbridge along the Eden Valley Trail. All very pretty.
If there's a choice, steer clear of the Porcupine Tea Room, Penshurst Place. Stupidly expensive for a very inadequate lunch. I had to have fish & chips when we got to the Henry VIII near Hever Castle. Much better value.
A disappointing lack of interesting wildlife on the walk. A fair bit of birdsong, but mostly the everyday stuff - blackcaps, song thrushes, wrens and blackbirds. When we were crossing the last field we heard two skylarks and two cuckoos so the best was saved up to the end.
*Her Welshness. Great company and makes these long walks look so easy.
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I have just done a very useful bit of research/preparation - and had a stroke of good luck.
There is a bit of the coastal path which is under the control of the military - the Castlemartin Ranges. Most of the time it isn't open to the public and I had resigned myself to not being able to walk it. I'm staying at Bosherston on Saturday night. That's lucky because the Eastern Ranges are open at evenings and weekends only. That means that I can drop my stuff off at the Bosherston pub when I approach from the east and then catch a bus to the Stack Rocks, which mark the western boundary of the eastern ranges, and walk "the wrong way" back to Bosherston.
The western ranges are not open to the public other than on a limited number of days per year when the walk is guided by a National Parks ranger. As luck would have it, there is one such walk on Sunday, which is my scheduled day for doing that stretch of coast. I have just spoken to one of the rangers and paid my £6 entry fee for the walk. Given that that stretch of coastland is rarely visited by humans, it is very wild and full of interesting wildlife. According to the guy I just spoke to "it's the prettiest bit of Pembrokeshire".
I'm really choughed about that! (sorry...)
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That's a lucky coincidence! Have fun :D
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Day 1
http://gentlemancyclist.org.uk/2018/06/14/amroth-to-tenby/
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Day 2: 11 miles or so. Deliberately very slow. Good b & b with a lousy signal. Blog report later. Zzzzz.
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http://gentlemancyclist.org.uk/2018/06/16/tenby-to-swanlake-bay/
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Day 3. Castlemartin East
http://gentlemancyclist.org.uk/2018/06/16/castlemartin-east/
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Day 4. Castlemartin West
http://gentlemancyclist.org.uk/2018/06/17/castlemartin-range-west/
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Day 5. Freshwater West to Angle.
http://gentlemancyclist.org.uk/2018/06/19/freshwater-west-to-west-angle-bay/
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All looks pretty.
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Bugger. Looks as though it’s all over. Just short of 8 miles today from Dale to Dale via St Ann’s Head. For the last 3 miles my right calf was becoming more and more painful and now it has seized up. I had another 4 orcso olanned back to Herbrandston, carefully timed to use causeways at low tide to cur several miles of roads.
Bugger.
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Bugger. Bad luck matey.
I was looking forward to photos from Dale (S) onwards as they would have brought back some good memories.
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Hope the leg sorts itself out Peter. You taking enough liquids on board?
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I took some today on the Dale peninsula but it was very foggy.
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Here's hoping for a miraculous overnight recovery.
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I would suggest teh BEER. It always helps.
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Can you have a good soak in a bath and drink plenty of non beer?
I hope it clears up.
It's looked like a fabulous place.
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http://gentlemancyclist.org.uk/2018/06/20/dale-circular/
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I took some today on the Dale peninsula but it was very foggy.
Foggy liquids? That would be scrumpy.
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This train has been diverted via Stroud! Apparently the track through the Severn Tunnel is being electrified. This is a very scenic route...
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My leg is still very tight so I am convinced that stopping for now was the right thing to do.
However, I saw the weather forecast for next week - heat wave all over the UK. I have booked a week in Newgale for Jan and me. Poor Jan suffers in the heat, and I reckon that if it's 25°C in St. Davids it's likely to be 30°C here. Also, the pollen count is likely to be a lot higher here than on the Atlantic coast of Wales.
Depending on how things are, I might to some short evening walks, but I don't fancy slogging my way up and down those slopes in searing heat.
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Coincidentally, my son had to bail out of his coast walk on Wednesday due to constant rain.
He and a mate are walking the entire Welsh Coast Path in 2, 3 or 4 day segments every now and then. They started from his home in Cardiff nearly 2 years ago, and I reckon they'll be in their 50s before the finish. Or in their 60s if they return via Offa's Dike as they now talking about.
This week's segment was supposed to be Burry Port to Saundersfoot but I got a call from a very fed up pair and drove down to Pendine to rescue them. I was quite surprised by their tale of woe as here, only a few miles away, the weather was fine.
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This train has been diverted via Stroud! Apparently the track through the Severn Tunnel is being electrified. This is a very scenic route...
You can wave to Alice and she'll give you Pimms! Slight correction though, the Severn Tunnel is not being electrified, work is being done to repair corrosion which has occurred to the electrification equipment that was installed last year. They haven't even turned on the current yet, so this does not seem to bode well for reliability. The Tunnel is a very damp, aggressive environment, with underground streams.
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Coincidentally, my son had to bail out of his coast walk on Wednesday due to constant rain.
He and a mate are walking the entire Welsh Coast Path in 2, 3 or 4 day segments every now and then.
My mate has been doing it with a friend for the past 3 or 4 years, non-continuous sections here and there as time has permitted. Their being based in Chester has been great for me because most of the south and west bits have been managed by the booking of cottages (St Davids, Saundersfoot, Stackpole, Parrog, Loughour) and invitations to other friends to stay, in return for the odd lift to the start or from the end. And the provision of alcohol for the evenings. I thought that was coming to an end, as they just have the Newport to Chester stretch left and the 'Jester's Hat' bit round where the Taf, Towy and Gwendraeth estuaries merge - for which they will stay at ours. But he announced last month that they'd accidentally done a bit of the Offa's Dyke path, so I can expect some more free cottage holidays in the Marches for the next couple of years.
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This train has been diverted via Stroud! Apparently the track through the Severn Tunnel is being electrified. This is a very scenic route...
You can wave to Alice and she'll give you Pimms! Slight correction though, the Severn Tunnel is not being electrified, work is being done to repair corrosion which has occurred to the electrification equipment that was installed last year. They haven't even turned on the current yet, so this does not seem to bode well for reliability. The Tunnel is a very damp, aggressive environment, with underground streams.
M'lud...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-44493847
Who could possibly doubt the veracity of the BBC?
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The BBC has avoided innacuracy by avoiding precision.
The closure is due to a £2.8bn project to electrify the south Wales main line for GWR's new electric trains.
True.
The track inside the four-mile Severn Tunnel is to be renewed, while "further electrification works" are planned. The track will also be lowered in the two Patchway tunnels.
I don't know about the track replacement, that sounds like work that has to be done in any case every so-many years, and I expect the track lowering at Patchway is to provide headroom for the OLE. But the OLE in the Severn Tunnel was installed last year – a conductor bar rather than the usual catenary wire, because there wouldn't be headroom for that. This work is to repair the effects of corrosion to that equipment (as well as the track work).
It's all "due to" the electrification project, just that some of it shouldn't have had to happen!
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A quick look at the history of the tunnel build reveals that they experienced all sorts of problems regarding water ingress.
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I have returned to Pembrokeshire, this time with my dear wife. We have taken rooms in Newgale for a week, partly because I didn’t want to miss out on the glorious weather, and partly because fresh Atlantic air will be a lot better for her dodgy lungs/nasal organ combo than the rancid Southend stuff. There may be some more sea wall walking but there will also be a good deal of beach-lounging. I have Speedeaux, or at least a French alternative purchased in Avignon last year.
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With hindsight, my pulled muscle was a blessing in disguise. The heat and unbroken sunshine for what would have been my final 5 days would have been unbearable.