Day five- out of the Beacons

Shouldering a now heavy pack we hit the roads out of Crickhowell to Llangenny, with plenty of blackberries to boost us up hill we quickly found a sharp descent into the village, as with all descents there follows an ascent, this one up sugar loaf (mountain?) Which I nearly diverted around as it wasn't essential to the route, glad I didn't as although it was a tough climb with a very full pack the view east was stunning with visibility to the Malvern hills two and a half days walk away! The furthest we've seen so far?.the decent was so much easier to forest coal pit (village name?) Following a track around the hill with pleasant sunny (still !) Views we turned south east onto a road near Stanton, lovely easy going to Llanvihangle Crucorney which boasted Wales's oldest Inn, impolite not visit at lunch so we stopped for dinner :).......yes and beer!.
A quick walk to Pandy and we reached a planned stop for the route, early in the afternoon but stopping at this time helped with synchronising all the remaining planned stops, so making use of the bunkhouse at the old Pandy Inn, which I can't recommend enough for Offas dyke Walkers (john!)

Day four- bright thing blue stuff too!

Stopping by the stream proved a good plan, not only did we not get washed away in the night but with the rise of the sun blue patches appeared in the sky and the clouds finally broke!.
The push up to Pen y fan was hard going with stiff legs but we did overtake some pensioners.......ahem!, the views behind were great though the old lady(The hill) still wore her veil, wind battering the top we sheltered for a brief snack and were passed by a chap named Michael (has a dog called Alfie !) Who was walking the Beacons way too, quickly lost him in the cloud we left the top and started to see our surroundings at last....stunning!..I'd forgotten how nice this area is!
The view left to brecon was past the shear cliffs of Craig cwm sare with a ridge to the left I've previously walked, I followed that old route south easterly below Tor glas in lovely warm sunshine with the top of Pen y  fan now visible this kept my camera busy!.
Around to the left on a b road and off onto a forestry commission track around Talybont reservoir with more stunning views and blackberries too!
Up onto the ridge south east of the reservoir we meet some lost German mountain bikers, I think I managed to pass on the correct directions it was difficult to tell if they understood or not!.
Heading east down a pretty little farm track with lush green pastoral views we descended into Llangynidr where the path now follows the Monmouth shire and brecon canal all the way to Crickhowell, pretty and easy walking with yet more lush blackberries!.
Entering town we restocked our empty provision bag and found a campsite right next to a dog friendly pub "the bridge end" fed and watered sleep next :)

Day three -heads in the clouds

Leaving a soggy Glyntawe behind us have the inevitable slog uphill out of the valley, straight into the clouds and following on the rain that didn't stop all day! Of immediate interest was the abandoned Penwyllt mine and caving centre, with the mine came access to the abandoned railway line which shadowed our route and with a change of mind became our route, much easier! This linked directly onto forestry commission trails which passed through an area of pillow mounds, but by now the rain was so bad it was a case of heads down and march,a quick break under a convenient Hawthorn bush and a path led us down to a stream then uphill passed a monolith called Maen Madoc (picture to follow), interesting script down one side...no idea the language!.
Through woodland to afon llia and up the hill Fan Llia with the inevitable non existent path, passing two equally bemused doe groups coming downhill, with the wind battering the rain into our backs we were pushed uphill (some consolation!) And with no view we passed over fan dringarth and Rhos Dringarth cutting left and down past Craig Cerrig gleisiad a cliff side nature reserve where we escaped the wind for a coffee, opting to follow an a road for a bit we  reached a just closed tea waggon who kindly supplied us bedraggled Walkers with tea and mars bars! needed!.
ongoing we eventually reached the path up to Pen y fan but with worsening weather I called a halt and wild camped by the stream in a very soggy tent!.

Day two- or where's the bloody path!

After a far to restful night at the wild camp I oversleep until 7.30...oops should be on the trail by now!
Was a lovely morning though and walking away from the pitch and uphill the view back to the castle seemed to improve with each step, really must go back here one day.
Uphill steps just killed me today with food for three days in the pack for two the weight was not good!
Also I'm not hill fit as expected.
Losing the path for a bit worked in my favour as upon reaching a tiny b road my GPS showed the brecon beacons way heading uphill slightly to our left. finding it was another matter and as I was to discover later signs and path are pretty much non existent for this Welsh trail....hmmn!
With the path invisible I took a short cut from Pant Nant fforchog (great name!) To blaenpadol then foel fawr......wish I hadn't as the road section I had avoided had a tea and hot rolls waggon in a layby! Oh well. On to the top of moel gornach and the clouds came right down visibility was 15 yards and with an invisible path the going was to say the least difficult! We saw nothing of foel fraith coming down the other side we played dodge the sink hole...an interesting pursuit in these conditions!
Turning sharply north to go up Towyn swnd the rock formations (pic) gave an excellent pathway to the highest point of today then down and south east to Esgair Ddu where sheep tracks led us a bit too high, the "proper" path when we got to it was boggy all the way to Banwen Gwyn still the going was fine all the way to Glyntawe where we are currently camping at the Dan yr Ogof caves campsite were for once we're water rich......and I don't just mean the rain that's now coming down! ;)
All things considered it was a good day though reading this may suggest otherwise!

Day one, going backwards again!

After a very quick decision was made last Monday we (me and Alfie) are back on the backwards east west way starting from Ffairfach (pic) near Carmarthen we're walking home to Kettering a total of 192 miles (which probably needs checking!) In just under two weeks.
Kick off for this walk has been eventful with the first cockup happening before I'd even left the house, like a right Muppet I left my boots in the hall at home! Didn't notice until we were miles down the road :( glad I was wearing some old goretex boots, which incidently I was wearing for the first leg of this walk last year! So worked out ok in the end :)......so far anyway!.
Under way from Ffairfach our rout was uphill mostly on road, until we took a very indistinct footpath through boggy ground to the top of the southern range of hills, slightly down and past the imposing Carreg Cennan castle and we find a nicely sheltered spot by a stream to wild camp for the night.pics to follow!

Day six, or a short walk for breakfast!

Not a great deal to write today but......
Up in no great rush with an amazing sunrise glancing through our oaken roof! And the fresh cut crop beautiful in the morning light, the simple beauty today really explains the point of these ventures, to escape the pointless pressures of day to day life and just be.......happy!
Back to the trail!
A simple route along the coast through field,woodland and the last marsh land of Newtown estuary  with the mainland to our right and Yarmouth an easy five miles ahead we soon ate up the distance in time to reach Yarmouth for breakfast at the gossips cafe, with a full English consumed and a wander around the port,the ferry far to quickly carried us back to the mainland a quick coffee then the train to Lymington. where we parted company with john until next years big adventure........ details to follow ;)

Day five

<p>Up with the rain this morning, I suppose you can't have it good every morning ;)<br>
Into Wootton bridge just down the hill and the resident coffee bloodhound (john) found a spar that served coffee, also a bench within ten yards!.<br>
Refreshed we hit the b road to Cowes , pleasantly wandering through woodland and field to Whippingham where we passed St Mildreds church (pic) where Queen Victoria prayed when she visited the isle. Now the resting place of her daughter Beatrice and husband.
Into Cowes and over the river Medina via the free chain driven ferry (most impressed its free!) we enter the twisty roads of Cowes centre a pretty shopping area.
Back to the sea front for lunch, then around to Gunard bay where the path follows cliff tops until we veer inland through a holiday camp to avoid an army training area and the Newtown river inlets, Newtown itself is tiny and has a greatly distorted old town hall, either down to subsidence or bad construction, hard to say!.
A bit further and we get to the new inn at Shalfleet where a slap up meal of belly I of pork was had, sharing the table with another coastal walker named Eric from Nottingham.
Off into the setting sun we walk through Nunneys wood and around to the main inlet of Newton river where we set up camp under an oak tree in soft grass with lovely views around.

Day four

Out of the campsite by six thirty and road walking to Bembridge, a quick stop at a shop and johns ability to locate an early morning coffee works well yet again!
Suitably invigorated by caffeine we head for the coast arriving where the Bembridge coast guard pier juts out to sea, following the coast around we enter Bembridge harbour, walking around we passed a multitude of house boats in many states of repair either floating or run aground but very picturesque!
Into saint Helens briefly then over a slim spit of land bisecting the harbour to a great cafe looking out to sea where the full English was of very high quality.
Further north we pass a ruined church which was standing when Nelson sailed from nearby to fight the battle of Trafalgar,a little further on we had our own battle where the path wended through very muddy paths to a private beach which we walked regardless, heading inland we passed the hotel the beach belonged to called "the priory" I always knew my addiction for walking would get me here one day! ;).
Into nettlestone we thread our way through twisting Allys just as the heavy grey skies opened up and started a prolonged rainy part of the day.
Into a pub at Puckpool point then along to Ryde watching as we went the hover craft zipping over to Portsmouth and back, going into a soggy Ryde we find the hover craft terminal (pic).
Out of town the path goes through a golf course then past the ruins of old Quarr Abby, with the rain finally abating we pass the more recent Abby with its little pig farm, Alfie was very interested in the pigs,we were more interested in drying out at the nearby pub externally at least!
Finally on to our camp site at kite hill for tonight.

Day three

From or cracking little camp site at the orchard (pic), we hit the road for St Lawrence walking below the cliff to path through lush woodland with various paths with closed signs due to erosion which became the standard for many parts of todays route including many changes of route for the coastal path. Including little mistakes in navigation for instance taking the road through the majority of St Lawrence until we found a path by the botanical gardens which carried us close to the cliff with stunning views along to Ventnor.
An early breakfast here fortified us all for the day ahead, coming out of ventnor we again walked below the cliff but this time following the correct path through seemingly jungle like woodland with vine hanging everywhere (no Tarzan tho!), what we did find was plenty of rare moths and butterfly, much to johns pleasure and out amazement at him naming them all!, further along we found the lesser spotted home made preserves stand! Blackberry jam in rucksack we wandered out of Luccombe village and into the flesh pots of Shankling and Sandown where the great white beached whale was in great evidence! ;),  pleasant beaches to fair and much bank holiday merriment was taking place.
The final push of the day was over Culver down past the Marlborough monument and taking a confusing side route to get to our campsite near Bembridge airstrip.packs of food sleep......

Day two

After a great but windy night on Tennyson down we wake to a lovely sunrise, walking in the suns direction we pass the Tennyson monument, (a big Celtic cross).
Then on beautifully smooth grass (thanks sheep!) We head down to the pretty fresh water bay village where a tiny gift shop supplied us with a nice coffee, spending ten minutes to drink this in a prettily mosaiced shelter looking over the bay with fort redoubt built into the chalk cliffs to our right.
Now with a grey sky over us we head up hill along the side of Compton down, descending and progressing along the now crumbling clay cliffs we pass Compton, Shippards and Chilton chine's (little gully in the cliff) until we reach the pearl centre with its cafe where tea and bacon rolls were eaten in its cafe. :)
Coming back to the cost we pass more chine , (grange, Shepards,whale and black gang) with a stop at the white mouse inn at chale for dinner (bangers and mash for me and Alfie).
Moving onto St Catherines point we have a long view back to todays start point (pic) and down to the light house we could see blinking last night.
Down from the point and into pretty Niton village we follow the road out of town to the orchard camp site, a very basic but pretty site set in woodland.....now sleep yawn! :)

End of day one

<p>Had a lovely lazy sunny morning wandering around Yarmouth (not great Yarmouth) and just on time at midday johns ferry arrives, and after a quick cuppa we hit the trail. wandering past the marinar and over the river Yar we then hit the coast walking anti clockwise on a varying gradient with Hurst fort on a promontory of shale from England to our right.following the coast around we come to the village of Totland with its tiny sea front, cheesy chips were had by all ;)
Wandering on we head uphill into beautiful heath land and around to the less than amazing Arum bay and on to the needles with its cold war rocket facility.
We're now camped up on Tennyson down for the night with lights twinkling at us from the main land.

Isle of wight coastal path.New forage!

Our first newly identified (for us) plant, sea parslane, as with most coastal edible plants this is just salty to the taste, but as I've not packed any salt that can only be useful!