7th - 9th May

7th may day 427

It was a sunny start to the day as i peered out across the bay. I packed away my kit and as i had the days before i followed the coastal path to Aberystwyth. There wasn't much of a challenge here and very little to really see. As for it being hard going it simply wasn't.

8th May day 428

It was a wet start to the day and with a thick mist shrouding the area the view was dire. Sticking to the coastal path i kept my head down and ploughed on.

The highlight of the day was to be the discovery of several kilns hidden away amongst the flora and fauna about half way through the day. It was like stumbling on to a set from tomb raider. The kilns were in fantastic condition considering and they also served as a good 5 minute shelter from the rain.

It was nearly early evening by the time I arrived in New quay wet and cold. Thankfully one of the trek followers, claire, was expecting me. She picked me up by the lifeboat station and took me back to hers where i was able to dry off and relax.

9th May day 429

Claire very kindly woke me with a coffee. Unlike the previous day it was sunny and the skies clear. Today was a bit special, the raf rescue helicopter was to perform excercises with the new quay lifeboat.  These were to be the last excercises the crew of the helicopter would perform before the service was closed down and handed over to a private company.

Dressed and washed we headed to the lifeboat station to see the  helicopter excercise. There was a full turn out with the crew and although I'd hoped to blag a seat on one of the boats there were none available. The excercises were performed in the harbour without a glitch and afterwards we were all invited back to the crew room for pie and chips.

That evening claire took me into town for a few too many drinks and after staggered back to hers which wasn't too far out of town where i quickly dropped off although the hangover I had the following morning was legendary.

5th - 6th May

5th May day 425

It was a wet and windy night and a little restless. Sitting in my tent i had breakfast and waited for the rain to pass. Sure enough half an hour passed and the rain stopped. Giving the tent a good shake i packed up and followed the shore until i rejoined the coastal path once more.

It was a fairly uneventful hike with very little other than the usual to look at. Not making many stops i eventually arrived at Barmouth where i met the crew of the local lifeboat station.

6th May day 426

It was blowing a force 8 outside. I had a long 20 mile hike ahead of me to Aberdovey. Fully suited up in my wet weather gear i set off from the Barmouth boathouse and followed the promenade towards the railway bridge that would carry me across the estuary and help expediate my journey all though I'd be exposed to the elements.

Sticking to the coastal path i continued on with my journey. Again the hike was fairly uneventful with the views much the same as the dsy before. Ahead i was to come upon a small river which i was expecting to have to hike along to reach the road bridge a little way inland but much to my surprise the council had built a nice shiny new bridge which was not shown on the satellite images.

Crossing the bridge saved me a couple of miles and i arrived in Aberdovey much sooner than I'd anticipated especially fighting against the weather as i had done.

2nd May day 422

Having been offered an extra night at Criccieth lifeboat station i decided to accept the kind offer and let my body recover before setting off again. The weather had turned bad so I think all the signs were there to support my decision.

9th - 10th April

Catch up

9th April day 399

I packed up camp and set off to find hoylake rnli station. I was feeling battered but determined to make progress regardless. Walking to the end of the promenade i headed along the beach to the headland at west kirby promenade stopping at the lifeboat station for a quick tour and coffee.

It was still early and i wanted to get a good few more miles in before stopping for the day so i followed the promenade until it joined the wirral way and continued on to follow the river dee to the bridge that would carry me across to wales. It was a long and to be honest an uninteresting hike with very little to look at or get distracted by.

I was entering another built up area. Finding somewhere suitable to camp was difficult. I continued to follow the wirral way eventually coming upon a field that appeared to be common ground. It was slightly off the trail and i hoped i wouldn't be disturbed.

10th April day 400

To be woken up by 4 horses nibbling away at the outerfly was simply not what I was expecting. It was going to be another hot summers day. Going through the motions of packing up i still hadn't worked out the best way to fold the tent. I'd discovered that no matter what i did condensation formed on the inside of the fly when packed saturated the ground sheet. That meant that every night when i set up camp I'd climb into a wet shelter. It was far from ideal and often wondered if I'd have been better off keeping the tarp.

With everything crammed away i set off. There was a crisp feel to the air and it most definitely felt like a summers morning. Continuing to hike the wirral way i hobbled on nursing two blisters that had formed over the previous weeks long marches.

I was still following the river dee although from a distance. A lack of signage pointing me towards wales was disappointing to say the least. Finding the bridge i crossed into wales. I'd hoped to see a nice large sign welcoming me to the third country on my trip but there was none to see. In fact the only reason i knew i had reached wales was because signs were now in both English and Welsh. Keeping the river dee to my right i followed the road to flint where I'd find my first welsh  lifeboat station.

1st May day 421

Not wanting to get up i forced myself off the bench in the crew room and made breakfast and coffee. It was overcast outside and the wind had changed direction.  It would once again be against me.

Having left the boathouse i had to negotiate the marina taking me along the outskirts of the town and back to a long sweeping sandy beach which again stretched way off into the distance ending up with a small headland that this time i would have no choice but to clamber over.

At the top i did however pick up the coastal path which I'll be honest is considerably easier to hike on than sandy beaches. Keeping morale up and remaining determined on a daily basis is tough but somehow I've managed to muster the strength and determination from somewhere deep inside. It had been weeks since i had taken any time out and it was beginning to show. My body was exhausted and my mental strength dwindling.

I could now see Criccieth castle in the distance sat high in a rock at the end of another long beach. I carried on passing a holiday camp to my left occasionally coming upon outdoor excercise areas scattered along the clifftop.

After a mile or so i found a way down to the stony beach and headed towards the firmer shoreline near to the water.

A couple of miles short of Criccieth came upon a river i had been expecting all day. I'd wondered if hoolley would be needed to aid the crossing but as i drew nearer and with the tide out i decided to select a shallow section and simply walk across. Water did get into my boots as I'd slightly mis judged the depth. They may be waterproof but not if the water is above ankle height.

The village was now within spitting distance and i could more clearly see the castle towering above me, two welsh flags patriotically fluttering in the breeze. The lifeboat station wasn't much further, the last stop of the day.

28th - 30th April

28th April day 418

Leaving my pack behind to be taken on to Aberdaron i left the crew house to rejoin the coastal path. It was to be a 20 mile hike to catch up with the pack and would take me most of the day.

From golf course i followed the coastal path often heading down to the beaches or bouncing across the rocks where possible. As the day progressed it didn't seem like i was really covering the milage, the coastline was crinkly with lots of ins and outs and up and downs. Every corner i turned i could see more ahead.

Although it was a lovely sunny day the winds were strong and head on and even without my pack which ken had kindly offered to take ahead of me to Aberdaron i struggled to stay on my feet. Even before lunch time i felt knackered.

Eventually approaching the point i could see a small mountain I'd have to climb, i had to be near the turning point, my destination couldn't be much further. Stood at the bottom and without the weight of my pack and although I'd hiked over 14 miles already i decided to have a go at running up the steep slope. To my surprise i did it, i almost died once I'd stopped but the feeling of great achievement was awesome. I'd never have been able to do that before i left Southampton. I simply didn't believe in running anywhere. Catching my breath back i turned to see what lay ahead. It was two more summits. I couldn't believe it, i still had a fair hike before I'd reach the point.

The weather had held out all day which had been fantastic but the sky was darkening and heading towards me i could see rain falling hard from a black cloud. Either side was clear though and judging the wind direction i calculated that if i stopped where i was for a few minutes the localised down pour would simply pass me by and I'd be able to nip around behind it. Sure enough as i watched the rain cloud it soon passed me by and although beneath the cloud you could see everything getting drenched i only felt a few light dropplets on my face. A similar situation had happened to me while hiking round one of Scotlands peninsulas, i remembered it so vividly.

The coastline didn't seem to end, even making it to the top of the last peek i still had a long hike to get to the days final destination, Aberdaron. In fact i still had a fair hike to get to the point. I headed down but every time i thought my turning point was in grasp the land would drop down further out of sight.

Ultimately it did end eventually and i was able to pick up the coastal path again right on the cliff edge. I was really getting tired now and for sone weird inexplicable reason a craving for chips. A huge bowl of golden chips.

I kept going though, i wasn't willing to give up, i never did. Head down i carried on as did time. My mind blanked i ignored the aches and followed the coastal path where ever it took me. With Aberdaron now in sight i mustered strength from within although i was feeling exhausted.

My pack and post was waiting for me at a hotel in the village,  Hotel Gwesty Ty Newydd. The lovely guys at the hotel happily accepted the post which consisted of a new pack, 2 season sleeping bag and new zip off trousers. I was getting ready for the summer months ahead.

Garry the barman was awesome and had arranged a breakfast for me in the morning and was later to take me to a sheltered spot where i could camp undisturbed.

29th April day 419

As soon as I'd erected the tent the wind roared and the heavens opened. It took me several hours before i eventually drifted off to sleep. 7am came round all to quickly but knowing a full breakfast would be waiting i quickly packed up and headed back to the hotel.

It was a good start to the day and with another long hike ahead of me i hoped the weather would remain clear and dry. I was also counting on the wind being at my back. After visiting the post office to post my old kit back to joanne i followed the coastal path out of the village as i was unable to follow the coastline.

I hadn't hiked many miles before I came across a cave. I simply couldn't resist despite knowing i still had a very long day ahead of me. The cave turned out to be the entrance to an old manganese mine. Grabbing my head torch i headed in and followed the tunnel back as far as i could. At a junction i was faced with the decision to carry on or turn left. I decided to keep heading deeper but soon found a dead end. I turned back to explore the other tunnel. Again I followed it as far as possible but again it ended, this time at a black hole, a bottomless pit.

I could see some light to one side though so decided to scout around for another way in. It didn't take long before I discovered what i was looking for. Again i grabbed my head torch and headed in. This time  a short way down the tunnel it opened up into a huge cavern. Looking around i found rail tracks leading into a tunnel but water had seeped in and the further i went the deeper the water became so i turned back. I spent a fair amount of time exploring the mine before heading back to the surface and back to the trek.

Following the coastal path I hiked the clifftops which led me to a road and then through a farm. Crossing fields and a gorgeous woodland i was eventually guided towards hells mouth. A 3 mile beach. Unfortunately due to coastal erosion i was unable to get down to it immediately.

Fortune favours the brave, i thought so taking a little risk i eventually managed to climb down. As i set foot on the sand i felt the wind pick up and turned to see a dark rain cloud coming my way. Getting my wet weather gear on i slowed my pace as i had the day before to allow the shower to pass me by although i knew I'd catch the tail end.

Sure enough i missed the main downpour and the shower soon passed. As i reached the far end of the hells mouth i headed up to rejoin the coastal path and followed it along the cliff top trail.  It was a long hike with plenty of hills to climb. Again i was feeling tired and in need for a break but i continued anyway.

I'd walked mile upon mile but coming over the last hill and seeing abersoch ahead of me i headed down and sat on my pack to taje a break.  I was knackered and in front of me saw some fiddle head ferns. I was feeling hungry again so i nibbled on the fresh leaves.

By the time I'd hiked the last few miles along the beach to the boathouse it was 8:30pm. I'd had a full day again and covered another marathon  amount of miles.

30th April day 420

Leaving abersoch i was grateful for the short day i would have ahead of me. I left the station and headed down to the beach determined to stick on the shoreline the whole way and with low tide at 1pm i felt confident I'd be able to get round the bottom of the headland a couple of miles away. It was a lovely sunny morning with a nice calm breeze. I was still feeling tired but had the luxury of taking it a little easier than the days before.

Approaching the headland a little earlier than anticipated i had to clamber across the rocks that lay at the bottom of the cliffs below a disused quarry. I was tempted to go and explore the quarry but decided against it in favour of arriving at the Pwllheli lifeboat station early afternoon and then taking a rest to try and give my knees and back the afternoon off.

The beach from the quarry to the town was long and seemed to stretch on continuously but i soon hiked it and found the boathouse where i was able to meet the coxswain and mechanic. The boat was out on its trailer having the radar checked and as had become a custom i was offered a coffee although they had run out of biscuits.

27th April day 417

Waking up to the dawn chorus of the nearby sheep i was pleasantly surprised when I poked my head from beneath the flysheet to see relatively clear skies. I'd been expecting poor weather again but was hoping that it would stay clear at least during my ascent of the mountain waiting for me on my door step.

Leaving camp i set off towards a track tthat ran along the base of the mountain towards a steep track which was once the entrance to the quarry situated about half way up. It was going to be a tough and gradual start to my day. Slowly making my way up the views behind me over looking Trefor and the coastline I'd spent the previous couple of days hiking were spectacular.

The old quarry hadn't been used for many years and the derelict buildings built into the rocks were not only impressive in size but also eerily quite. From below it looked like an enormous fortress. It was in fact where the stone was crushed and loaded into carts and eventually lorries ready to be shipped to Liverpool for export.

The track now began to zig zag the remainder of the way to the summit. The weather appeared to be holding out and with a slight breeze and fairly clear skies it seemed the weather reports had been wrong. Finally reaching the top i began the long but easy hike back down the far side. It was considerably cooler at the top and making my way down the wind increased, it was fresh to say the least.

As i made my way along the track from the top i looked downbto my right and wondered if i could have taken a more direct if not more exciting route back down.  I was uncertain at first but as i descended and had a better clearer view i could just make out a faint track that potentially would have been safe enough although extremely steep. I wasn't going back though to find out as i was halfway down already and heading towards where i thought would have been a nice walk if it hadn't been for mass deforestation.

Now at a lower altitude the air begun to warm, i still had a fair hike ahead of me before i would reach the coast again so i downed my pack and took a break. Whilst sat at the side of the road taking in the incredible change of scenery, it was like I'd passed through a wardrobe and stepped into a fictional fantasy land, an elderly gentleman was walking up the hill towards me.

We greeted each other and began to  chat. The gentleman was a local who as it transpires had lived in the area all his life and regularly went down the hill to the coast from his village a bit further up from where we met. He'd seen massive changes in his lifetime and recalled life around the quarry and how it impacted his childhood.

The forest that was being torn down around us had only been planted sone 60 years earlier. In his youth the gentleman recalled the landscape being very different, there were no trees just rock, heather and grass. The quarry was also running and as a child he often went down to the village below to play with the children, riding the empty quarry carts up the mountain with no health and safety to stop them.

During the war the area had also been mined to prevent the Germans from landing tanks there. These had long been removed and the area was now safe to enjoy. We continued to chat and stories of his youth recalled how he used to take a ride with the local postman down the old cart track to the bottom where he was often handed the key to the postbox, for him it was a privilege even though quite often there would be maybe only one letter to be delivered.

The gentleman's father was also a special constable during the war, it was a way of avoiding conscription and being sent away to the front line. One old war story he told me was of a fisherman who lived up on the hill in solitude. The villagers hardly saw him, one day his dad was called to a fire at the fishermans cottage which had burnt down to the ground. Whilst inspecting the remains he came across the bones of three dogs but no human remains. Locals had spoke if a red flashing light in the sea the same night and speculation began to flourish as to whether or not the fisherman had in fact been a german spy and if the red flashing light was in fact a beacon on a u boat to guide the spy to it for extraction.

As we said fairwell it began to briefly sleat and once again the air felt cold. I continued my descent down to what remained of the old quarry village stopping at a cafe near the beach for a hot chocolate. My chosen route would now drop me briefly onto the stony beach below before having to once again make an ascent up into a smaller quarry and up onto the cliffs above.

After passing through several fields i stopped for custard. I was feeling unusually hungry. Re energised i continued on following the signs of the coastal path where i hit the main road. The path headed inland but i continued along the road finding an overgrown foot path leading down  to a beach once more.

The beach was very stony and hard going and swept round to a small headland with a harbour and half a dozen houses and some huts. A set of steps cut into the cliffs took me back up to the top where once again i rejoined the coastal path that would take me passed ty coch inn, the worlds third best pub, I'd  been told. From the pub, which was closed, i carried on following an unusual footpath again cut into the cliffs until u reached the new Porth dinllaen lifeboat station, my destination for the day.

Whilst relaxing in the crew room i was joined by the local womens institute who were there for a tour of the station. Speaking predominantly in welsh, which i found very kool, they very politely translated their banter into English so that i could join in the laughter. I was being made extremely welcome. Once the tour had finished i was taken to the old crew quarters, a house in the village where i could rest up and prepare myself for the following day.