30th May day 450

The long days and late nights were really beginning to take its toll on me. Waking around 9am i still felt extremely tired.  In fact i felt like i could sleep the whole day away.  I couldn't rest though i was on a mission i was on a schedule. I'd been given the rare opportunity to visit the place where the most successful lifeboat of the rnli fleet was originally developed and built. It was Atlantic college.

My rarions were now rapidly dwindling. Over the recent weeks in order to try and make what little i had left last I'd instructed joanne to only send half a weeks worth at a time. I was then attempting to subsidise my food intake with what ever i found along the way.  Such as chip butties. I'd had the last of my breakfast rations the day before which left me with two mains and a packet of custard. It would have to be custard. I also knew joanne only had half a weeks worth if freeze dried loveliness left back in Wareham  so my next supply drop would probably be my last and with a good 800 miles still to go I'd need a small miracle to help keep me going.

Putting all that aside i set off  to hike over the cliffs. Coming down on the other side i could see the tide was a fair way out and continuing to head out. A zigzag path led down to the shore below. Looking ahead into the distance i wondered how far I'd be able to get before either having to turn back or the tide cutting me off.

As i hiked along the shore over different layered bedrock i gazed at the cliffs. They were made up from hundreds of layers of thinnly compressed rock. Again I wish I knew more about geology but regardlessof that i still find it fascinating. I then began to notice fossilised shells and ammonites embedded in the rock. A few meters further and i found what looked like and eventually was confirmed,  a dinosaur footprint.

Quite literally the Atlantic college at st donats was around the corner.  The Atlantic college was where the ridged inflatable boat or RIB was first concieved and subsequently developed becoming the rnlis most successful lifeboat. The patent was bought by the rnli in 1974 for £1 however the cheque was never actually cashed.

The college hadn't had much more involvement with rib design for 30 years until now. They were currently developing a new jet powered rib which was being designed to hopefully provide assistance in tsunami disasters in Japan. The lightweight design based on the original protype would be light enough to be carried to incident zones and launched in the worse possible conditions even being sent out to sea as a tsunami wave approached. As before the project was being driven by the students.

It was a fascinating and welcome break from the trek but time was as always passing i soon had to be on my way heading for barry.

Coming across what i guess was a power station i was sure it wouldn't be long before i finally reached barry. It had been a long hike already and after the past few days i was beginning to feel tired as well as hungry. It has always been a problem eating enough food to sustain the distances I'd covered.

I hadn't been aware at the time but i was soon to reach a very special point in the challenge. Rhoose point which was wales most southerly point allbeit by only a few yards. Dusk was beginning to fall and with thick clouds rolling in the light began to fade. I was starting to feel really tired now but i continued on to barry where i was to seek out the penultimate welsh lifeboat station. Approaching barry i knew i would still have a good few more miles before i reached the port which was located on the far side of barry island. Thankfully the tide was out which allowed me to cross the causeway on the sand near the breakwater which saved at least a two mile detour.

It was gone 9pm when i eventually arrived at the station. I knew it was late and i wouldn't get to meet the crew or see the boat as it was moored out on a pontoon but unlike all the other stations i felt a little unwelcome and wasn't even offered a mug of coffee which i had gotten used to. Being directed to a public park i was left to pitch up in the rain. Tired and thirsty i settled in hoping the following day would at least be dry.

29th May day 449

The wind had been so strong during the night that a couple of pegs had pulled loose. Rain water had somehow breached the outer fly and my ground sheet and trousers were wet. I had a small indoor swimming pool.  No bother though i had breakfast in the hope it would pass before i packed up and set off for Porthcawl some 12 miles away.

While just packing the last of my gear away the lifeguard team pulled up and immediately saw to my needs, they put the kettle on. A lovely bunch of guys and a slightly different breed to the crews of the lifeboats. As we were chatting and sipping on a hot brew the clouds began to settle and it was time for me to negotiate the steel works.

Leaving the station i set off following the promenade as far as i could before continuing along the coastal path which led to a complex of roads. I soon found myself away from the coastal route and simply making it up as i went along. Unable to persuade the security guards to let me walk through the steel works i assured them I'd improvise a way.

Quite frankly it was a total ball ache but i followed the main bypass eventually finding a low fence which meant i could come off the road with the dangers of the oncoming traffic. I was then faced with having to negotiate a electricty substation but managed to squeeze around its permiter and picked up a disused track. This took me back to the coast path and across a dozen rail tracks heading towards the coast. I was getting closer however the coastal path had other ideas and i was soon redirected along a narrow trail. It was getting a little frustrating.

I did however eventually find a way down to the beach and was able to hike along it pretty much all the way to Porthcawl. Smelling the inviting odur of chip shop chip my stomach grumbled and although I'd walked passed i turned back. The overwhelming desire to eat a chip buttie minus the butter. I simply don't like the taste of butter. The lifeboat station wasn't much further  and upon arrival let alison know so that one of the crew could meet up and show me round the station and the boat, an Atlantic rib.

Once again the kettle was immediately put on to boil while i discussed the trek and my plans ahead. I was also offered the use of their shower but alas with time quickly passing and evening drawing close i found i soon ran out of time and had to press on in order to get to the days final destination, Ogmore which was almost directly across the bay a further 7 miles away.

Leaving the station i quickly hiked passed the pleasure beach with its fair ground rides and crowds of tourists eating candyfloss and munching on burgers. Escaping the flurry of screaming children and annoyed parents it was some relief that i broke free and soon found myself back hiking a sandy beach with only the sound of the sea once again lapping the shore. The tide was now on its way out but darkness would soon befall.

The beach was several miles long and a fast flowing river would pose my next challenge. It had been suggested by one of the Porthcawl crew to use a bridge that led from a nearby Penybont treatment works to the other side of the river warning me that i would probably need to scale a security fence in order to get on to it. It was certainly worth a look.

Reaching the estuary i turned inland prepared to get hoolley out if necessary. Reaching the bridge though i noticed that other people had also used the bridge to cross.  Probably locals. The security fence had by the look of it been breached several times and on a small section the barbed wire had been removed. I scrambled up the bank towards the treatment works and located the breach. Ok so there was a little climb but compared to the deer fencing I'd tackled in Scotland this was no big feat.

The sun was beginning to set just as i left the bridge and turned to head towards Ogmore. My plan was to hike to the village via the coastal path and then continue on to the heritage centre situated about two miles further on. Again the Porthcawl crew had suggested a quiet camping spot nearby which sounded ideal. It was dark when i finally arrived at the centre at the bottom of a small valley. The long grass was particularly inviting and as i lay on it and stretched my legs. It was around 11:30pm by the time I'd had my evening meal and eventually settled in.

27th - 28th may

27th May day 447

I was still tired when I finally woke but with good weather overhead i didn't want to waste the day although I was tempted by a lie in. Frankly speaking a lie in was never going to happen no matter how badly i wanted one. Camp was quickly collapsed and i soon found myself walking the clifftops once more. Its possibly hard to believe but again the views i experienced were beautiful and with occasional  woodland walks i found the hike relatively easy going.

After several miles i arrived in cadwell cove and met sone of the rnli lifeguards. Whilst chatting about what it was the lifeguards did a young mother ran over holding her little girl asking if they had any wet wipes or plasters. While the lifeguards rummaged through their medipacks i dropped my rucksack and immediately pulled out my wet wipes and began cleaning the young ladies wound. It was a team effort, with the cut now clean of sand the lifeguards applied a plaster and taped it up to be sure. The little girl had bern playing on the rocks and slipped. She was very brave though and all ended well.

Before continuing my journey to mumbles i stopped at a small coffee shop in the cove for a mocha. Mumbles wasn't far away now and it only took me a little over an hour before i was looking down over the pier. The mumbles all weather lifeboat station was located at the end of what can only be described as a rickety old death trap waiting to happen, the pier had seen better days. I headed down and made contact with tim the lom for the station. The pier had seen better times and i wondered if it had been such a good idea to build the new station at the end of it. I headed across the rickety planks towards the boathouse and as i did stared across the bay. All i could see for miles were buildings, a metropolis, a nightmare concrete jungle i simply was not looking forward to passing. An unusual tourist attraction though was an unusual ape shaped swing. The ape had once been kidnapped by students and transported around Britain to various landmarks where its photo had been taken. The one day it was mysteriously returned to the pier with one small modification. A red bikini had been painted on.

One of the unique aspects of the mumbles rnli was the fact it not only had the all weather station but also an inshore lifeboat station not too far away. Having been show round both stations i was taken to the near by yacht club to meet some of the crew.

The mumbles lifeboat crew are quite simply not like other crews i have met. Joking and laughing aside their commeradary made them a tight and unusual bunch. As the beer flowed the games started. Playing pool but making up our own rules to fit we alternated between the pool table and dart board. Winner stays on.

When lifeboat crew start trying to stick darts into each others chests you know its probably time to go home. I was dropped off back at the inshore boathouse classed as a casualty and made it no further.

28th May day 448

Having eventually fallen asleep around 3am i woke despite my best efforts to stay asleep around 8am. Soon after i was joined by the mechanic and shortly after the coxswain only to discover that an attempted suicide had triggered a shout at 4am. Thankfully the person wishing to leave this mortal realm was talked down and the shout cancelled.

After two coffees and a good banter i was treated to a full fry up at the tram cafe before setting off to find port talbot. The mumbles crew are indeed a lively and humorous bunch and once again i wished i could have hung around to get to know them better.

I followed beach around to harbour which is where things became a little difficult. The coastal path signs had been vandalised so navigating Swansea was somewhat of a challenge. In fact i got lost unable to take bearings from the waterfront. I checked the gps on my phone but it was convinced i was still in mumbles. This i knew was wrong and despite  a short one sided argument the phone still refused to change its mind.

Luckily i spotted disguarded mcdonalds wrappers and even though i couldn't locate my position on my phone i knew a mcdonalds was ahead of me so all i had to do was follow the litter trail until i found it. From there I'd at least have my position. A cunning plan.

Having located mcdonalds i stopped for a banana milkshake before following the only road in or out of Swansea. It was a long and hot hike the traffic polluting the air and tranquillity i was used to. I was at least heading in the right direction though.

It was several miles before I reached the motorway bridges that crossed the estuary towards port talbot where i found another mcdonalds. It was turning into a relay between the fast food restaurants. Deciding to stop for lunch i grabbed some chicken select pieces and fries. I'd then be able to save my rations which were rapidly dwindling for when i really needed them.

The coastal path, now relocated, took me round the front of some kind of industrial plant and down to a gorgeous beach. The sand was particularly firm almost like brittle concrete and i soon arrived outside the port talbot lifeboat station. The crew hadn't been expecting me for another day so they were completely caught out.

Chatting with the crew i was to find out that the weather was expected to worsen during the night and while pitched in my tent sheltered by the boathouse I was to experience this first hand. The winds picked up and the rain came down. It didn't let up all night.

26th May day 446

Camped among the remains of an iron age fort i woke feeling awful despite having a good nights sleep. The cocodamol had obviously worn off. It was easy to rectify, a couple more pills popped and i knew I'd be good for the rest of the day.

After packing up my kit i set off towards worms head where I'd been told by roger to call in at the coastguard lookout and say hi. Arriving at the small white hut right at the point of worms head i introduced myself to Penny and roger the volunteer coastguards who were lovely and invited me in to have a natter. Whilst chatting they pointed out to me that i could see the Devonshire coastline from there. It seemed so close yet at the same time so far.

Leaving the hut i followed a combination of trails some forming the coastal path others worn into the bedrock by walkers and sheep. My knee wasn't as bad as it was the day before but i was still very conscious not to over do it so i took regular stops along the way to rest both knees. I didn't want my right knee to get any worse and at the same time I didn't want to put extra pressure on my left.

The coast was still very spectacular with many ups and downs or more precisely downs before having to make the steep climbs back up onto the clifftops.

It was late afternoon by the time i arrived at Horton and coming across a cafe i decided to stop for a chip buttie and treated myself to a tub of ice cream. The Horton lifeboat station wasn't too much further on and i was lucky to catch steve the mechanic who had been expecting me. With a smile and a hand shake steve immediately offered me a coffee and as i put batteries on charge we began to chat. Steve had recently received the mbe from the queen for his services to the rnli. He took pride in his efforts with the school parties he'd educated and talked to over the years. Before leaving Horton steve handed me about a kilo of kitkats. Although not very nutritious it was a lovely thought and would actually prove to be a welcome break over the next few days as my rations slowly dwindled.

Time as always was moving on and stopped for no man. I wanted to try and clock up a good few more miles that day before pitching up for the night. I hadn't walked very far in deed before i was distracted. Passing an elderly fella sat in his garden enjoying the views i did my usual by saying hello and complimenting him on his choice of view. John replied by inviting me to take a break and join him. Why not i thought.  It was a lovely evening and it would of course be rude to just pass by.

John was a curious fella. He wore a dainty ladies watch and as i later observed had shaved his legs and wore imitation pearl and sapphire ear rings. He'd lived in the village for many years with his wife but had recently had a shock when his wife was rushed into hospital and diagnosed with cancer. The shock hit john so hard he'd suffered a little memory loss but was himself beginning to recover. As we chatted john began to tell me stories about his mother during the war. Whether or not the stories were true i could not judge but none the less they were fascinating and john told them with great conviction.

During the war johns mother had been recruited by the army for her fluent french and her long history of living in France when she was a  child. She was the perfect choice for being what john called a sleeper. To you and i a spy. John recalled in great detail how his mother was sent behind enemy lines and how she had been given a cover story, money and french clothes. Parachuting beyond her rendezvous point she avoided potential capture and after a few weeks of wild camping gradually blended in with the locals collecting intelligence information from sympathisers and helping evacuate pilots using fishing trawlers who'd also been recruited. I wished I'd had a small dicta phone with me to record the encounter with john but alas i did not.

From Horton the coastal views and walk became absolutely stunning. So much so that  i felt i needed to stop, relax and enjoy the moment. The skies were blue, the grass was green and the cliffs towered above me from behind. The waters were calm and the waves made a soothing sounds as they lapped against the rocky shores below. Words fail to describe the moment but it would be one I'm sure I'd look back on in times to come. The Devonshire coast was noe clearly visible in the evening light, England was witin sight and the trek would soon draw to its final conclusion with me crossing that concrete bridge in the middle of Southampton.

I carried on although where I'd been sitting would have been a lovely place to pitch and call it a day. The coastal path from there was easy going and i soon ended up walking among the trees with ramsons lining the way. Emerging from the woods i found myself self looking across a long sandy beach, people had several fires going with music playing from their cars and mobile phones. The sun was setting and it was soon to be dark. Seeing a woodland on the far side i set off in hope of finding somewhere quiet and concealed. It was a while though before i settled on a small pitch beneath some trees.

25th May day 445

I'd had a bit of a restless nights sleep with my left knee aching, right thigh aching and a rat rummaging through the trash for titbits. Getting up around 7:30am i had breakfast and set about getting ready to take action and rethink my plan. I'd already missed the low tide but felt sure i would be able to paddle from the village back to the mouth of the estuary and navigate across to the other side.

By the time I'd had breakfast and packed up the tide was coming in which is not good when you have to paddle against it but i figured by the time i reached thr estuary the tide would have turned and I'd be able to use it to assist with the remainder of the journey.

Paddling against the tide was hard going and my progress slow but i was heading in the right direction which was the important thing. It was surprising how quickly the tide was coming in and how quickly the sand banks submerged and disappeared from view. The river had gone from being a narrow channel to a mass expanse of water in a very short time and i was now no longer paddling along the banks but found myself in the middle. My left foot had also lost all feeling and gone to sleep but worse than that i was wishing i hadn't had that last mug of coffee before setting off.

I'd paddled about half way along when Ferryside independent lifeboat pulled up alongside. Alison and  chief coxswain anthony had brewed up a surprise for me the day before,  a mid paddle rescue excercise. In short i would have to transfer my pack and myself from hoolley into the rib without falling in and going for a morning dip. This was an unexpected challenge and something I'd never actually practiced before setting off from Southampton. Leaning over the side of the lifeboat anthony cut the paracord holding my pack to the front of the pack raft and hauled it on board.  Then it was my turn, i pulled the spraydeck release and handed over my paddles. With one hand on the side of the rib i stood up from the cockpit and carefully climbed aboard. It all went very well, hoolley was pulled on board and i didn't get wet. It was a great experience and very educational.

The lifeboat then went on to complete a waypoint excercise before landing on the shores outside the Ferryside lifeboat station. While we were out flying around, i must say the boat was extremely quick, we chatted about the history of the station. A few months prior to my arrival the crew had been called out to search for an 11 year old who'd gone missing after falling in to the river Towie. The  search continued for several days but unfortunately the body was never found. Back in the station hoolley got treated to a wash down while i posed for a photo and chatted with the crew who were entirely voluntary. They consisted of astro physicists, lecturers, marketing gurus, builders to name just a few trades.

The day was going to be quite an extraordinary one although at this stage i wasn't aware of this. Leaving Ferryside i followed the coastal path once more towards Kidwelly. Crossing a field which by all accounts is not a difficult or treacherous task was where the day was about to become painful. Whilst fiddling with my mp3 player i stumbled on a tree root that was arched out of the ground. My foot had caught underneath and i fell forward loosing my balance and crashed to the ground my pack landing full force down on top of me. Rolling on to my back i realised I'd hurt my knee and cut my arm. Blood was trickling down, quite alot of blood, and my knee was stabbing with pain. I picked myself up and carried on using a wet wipe to clean my arm. Thankfully it had looked worse than it actually was. Wiping the blood away revealed three small scratches but the bleeding didn't seem to stop so i let the sun do its business and waited for the blood to clot and dry. My knee though was a different matter. Every step sent a numbing pain up my thigh. Every few meters i had to stop to take the weight off.

In Kidwelly i stopped at coop to get a bite to eat, whilst sat on my pack munching on some mini cheddars and resting my knee two very young lads ran over and told me about an adventure they'd been on. They then ran over to their older sister and while pointing back to where i was sat called out "we've just seen bear grylls". I had to chuckle.

Progress was slow after my pitstop and the further I hiked the more painful my injury became. I had now rejoined the coastal path but decided to call alison to let her know what had happened and to let roger from the Burry port lifeboat station know i was running late. I didn't want anyone to worry. No sooner had i put the phone down i received an incoming call. It was roger, he was a little concerned about my knee and offered to come out to collect me and get somebody to take a look. It was a tough decision but in all the time I'd been hiking round Britain I'd never hurt myself quite so badly. Reluctantly I accepted but while i waited i delved into my first aid kit and pulled out some cocodamol painkillers.

It wasn't long before roger found me, I'd back tracked to the nearest road to wait for him. He took my pack and put it in the boot of his car and reassuringly told me he'd have someone take a look back at the station in Burry port. We were only a couple of miles away so it only took a few minutes before i was greeted by the crew who had turned up to meet me. I was taken to the crew room and whilst chatting had my knee looked at. Roger was also concerned that I would get cold camping out at night and had rummaged around looking for a new tshirt to replace the one I'd left in tenby and an rnli jumper. I assured him that my craghoppers clothing was more than adequate and i really did know how to look after myself. After a thorough examination it was determined that I'd probably pulled a muscle so i was bandaged up and given the all clear but it was recommended that i took the following day off to rest up, like that was going to happen.

Impressed by my stories of misadventure and more to the point, hoolley, the crew had kitted up in dry suits eager to get in their d-class rib to run an excercise. An excercise which unbeknownst to me would involve hoolley. They wanted to see how a pack raft would behave if they were to tow it should they ever get a shout from a pack rafter in trouble. Well i was game and the cocodamol had now begun to kick in.

While i was getting ready, climbing into one of the crews drysuits for safety, the crew were in the boathouse preparing hoolley for her trip. My kit was put on board the little rib and i was invited to take a short ride in the tooltrak, a small tracked vehicle used to launch the lifeboat. It was a neat little piece of kit. The tide was out but had turned however the water was a fair way from the boathouse. Arriving at our launch point the guys got in the lifeboat and i climbed into hoolley to begin my paddle across the estuary. It didn't take long before I  was about halfway across and when i felt comfortable to start the excercise i signalled across to the crew.

They brought the lifeboat over and came along side. Attaching the tow line to the rib we began the little experiment. It was an odd feeling as i sat there and the rib took up the strain. Everything felt fine in hoolley and i sat back relaxing. The crew then called back to ask if they could open the engine up a little more, i couldn't see a problem with that and gave them the all clear. As they increased the speed something quite unexpected happened. Kayaks generally have a habit of nose diving when being pulled but hoolley did quite the opposite. Her nose went up and the back went down. I could feel the water slapping against the bottom.  She still felt very stable but I still leaned forward and prepared myself to provide additional stabilisation with the paddles should she need it. She didn't.

Everything was going well and the experiment was providing me with an unusual experience while also teaching the guys how a pack raft reacts under tow. Signalling everything was ok we continued with the test. I then noticed something a little alarming. Hoolley was beginning to feel a little deflated, something wasn't quite right so i called out to the crew to let them know i had my concerns. They brought the lifeboat to a full stop and i drifted along side. Having a little chat to explain that hoolley was beginning to feel soft it was decided i should board the rib, something I'd been able to do with Ferryside lifeboat earlier that day, and bring hoolley up onto one of the tubes. The rib is really quite small especially with three crew members on board, myself and a pack raft. With very little room to inspect hoolley we agreed to come  up on shore where they were able to practice their beach landing in surf. It was great to see the guys working together, as the rib drew in to the shore two crew members both leapt out of the front and turned the rib around facing the breaking waves.

When i was given a signal i jumped out and headed for the beach. The guys joined me along with hoolley and my pack. On the beach i began to inspect hoolley to see if i could spot a puncture but everything looked fine. I then checked the main valve and found it to be tight. Checking the mouth piece of the secondary valve i discovered it hadn't been properly tightened and decided it was probably leaking slowly. I should have double checked hoolley before setting off but i guess as we'd had many crossings I'd gotten a little complacent. Satisfied we'd found the leak and happy that it wasn't too serious the crew took hoolley for a wash in the sea and rolled her up ready to be put in my backpack while i climbed out of the drysuit to hand back to them. It was a great experiment and i would imagine an unusual excercise for the crew. I would also imagine that based on our findings should they be called out to a pack rafter in difficulty the procesd would be to get the paddler on board, deflate the raft and take both back to shore in the lifeboat.

Waving goodbye to the guys and a little high on the cocodamol i slung my pack on and headed up the beach towards worms head, a headland which would mark the turning point of my welsh leg of the trek. The sun was setting by the time i reached the far end and i set about looking for a place to camp up on the cliffs near to the site of an iron age fort looking back over the beach towards burry port.

21st - 24th May

21st May day 441

It was a lovely sunny morning when carol and i finally woke from our slumber. The birds were chirping amongst themselves and we were able to fully appreciate the beauty of the ivy blanket and patches of blue bells growing amongst the woodland with trees forming a broken ceiling above us letting patches of sunlight break through.

We had once again over slept a little but that was ok, in the wild time has very little meaning. We cleared up camp and set off to visit the angle lifeboat station to meet the crew ans have a sneaky coffee. While chatting away to the lads it transpired that not far away we would pass an old tunnel system cur into the rocks.

My zest for exploration and a yearning to share a real adventure was insatiable and i couldn't wait to make the small detour to experience the distraction with my new friend. Following the directions we'd been given we easily found what appeared to be an old war time gunnery position which i would imagine was established to protect shipping and docks from enemy attack. Looking around the main complex first we then began following a clifftop trench to discover other gunnery positions and the entrance to an underground tunnel system.  Unfortunately the ladder down to the tunnels was corroded and after a quick wobble i decided further exploration was too dangerous. In fact with out my climbing gear there would be no way down or more importantly  no way back up. A little further along we came upon chapel bay fort which was closed but had in recent years been turned into a museum which i had no doubt would have shed light on our discovery.

I was really pleased that I had been able to show carol exactly what the trek was all about. Educational, adventurous with exploration and the sense of mystery.

Leaving the fort behind we continued to follow the coastal path and finally reached the coast much to carols delight. Taking our packs off we prepared ourselves for a small coffee break but chatting with a man who was looking around we discovered that a little further on we'd come across a small cafe so we gathered ourselves together and set off.

Thr café was ideally located near a gorgeous little sandy bay it was a lovely day so we stopped for a bite to eat, carol treating me to a panini. I  was tempted to suggest an ice cream but feeling full kept it to myself and we once again set off  eager to hike beyond a nearby firing range which unfortunately was live. The thunder of heavy artillery and machine gun fire ringing through the air. We did get a few miles hiking the cliffs towards the range though and on the way spent a few minutes exploring another old war time relic a strategically located heavy artillery position guarding the entrance to the estuary we'd spent a day and a half hiking round. I noticed a small entrance in one of the positions which when lit by my head torch revealed another underground complex, more tunnels. But without ropes to gain access was beyond further investigation.

I was really beginning to wish i had brought my climbing gear now but decided to make a note of the location to maybe revisit some other time. The way ahead was gradually becoming more demanding and i was discovering that although I'd hiked over 5000 miles i still wasn't prepared for the terrain the welsh coast consisted of. In fact with carol racing up the climbs leaving me behind i was beginning to feel unfit.

Approaching the ranges the explosions became louder and louder and on occasion we were able to see plumes of dust where the shells were hitting targets. Getting closer we could make out tracers being fired by the heavy machine guns mounted on the tanks. It was like being in the middle of a war zone. In fact at some points and now diverted away from the coast i began to wonder if we would at some point fibd ourselves between the tanks and their targets.

The coastal path diversion did in fact take us just inside the boundaries of the range but far enough away from the boys and their deadly toys. The evening was beginning to draw in and as we hiked along a small lane near to the base we were both startled when a badger appeared from a hedge and darted across in front of us. Although i had seen plenty of badgers in the past this was the first time I'd seen a live one and to be so close was absolutely magical.

Eventually the lane began heading back towards the coast and with the booms of the canons behind us we began to make plans to camp up in a nature reserve ahead. Stopping in a country pub for a quick phone charge and a drink we checked satellite images and maps carol had downloaded to her phone to identify potential camp sites. Leaving the pub it was dark and we knew we wouldn't get much further that day.

Finding a nice patch of long grass near sone trees and before a field full of sheep we decided to call it a day and settled in for the night. Just as we finished pitching up it began to rain and as we relaxed i hoped it would pass before morning.

22nd May day 442

Waking up at a reasonable time and quickly having breakfast carol and i were dead set on making tenby by the evening. It was a misty start to the day but i felt confident the mist would eventually get burnt off by the sun later that day. We packed up and left the field and headed towards the national park not too far away to rejoin the coastal path back on the coast and  away from the tanks which we could hear had started firing once again.

Standing on top of the cliffs we paused to take in the breathtaking views surrounding us. A forest a little way in surrounded two lakes which filtered out to a gorgeous sandy bay. The secluded park was stunning and most definitely a place I'd revisit one day to explore further and spend some time in.

As we made our way i noticed the rock that formed the cliffs were different from the day before in fact the formations were very different to any that I'd come across during the entire journey since I'd started. Coming across a headland we left the path and headed off towards the point to watch birds diving for food and carol noticed large jelly fish below. Some were enormous just floating beneath the surface.

The mist was slowly clearing but the skies  were overcast with fluffy clouds. We left the point and continued along the path and were faced with lots of hills which would mean lots of climbs. As time passed the clouds passed over and the sun came out, so did my legs.

Carol put her shorts on and while we were taking a little break a heavy mist rolled in from the sea. It was really quite unexpected. The mist was so thick and low we lost sight of sea, the path we'd hiked and the route ahead. Carrying on the coastal path with still very challenging with so many steps but we were nearing tenby and i think that drove us both on.

Reaching Penally point we passed through some mod land which I'd been looking forward to since the beginning.  It was the site where trench warfare was researched during ww1. There wasn't much to see from the ground as nature had done her best to reclaim the area but small trenches were still visible. An aerial photo displayed on a small information board showed the trench formations much more clearly zigzagging and winding through the grass.

Finally making it round the headland we could see tenby. A huge relief we were both feeling tired, our feet aching, our hips aching. The trek was trying to claim our souls but we wouldn't give up without a fight.

Hiking the beach from the headland with the town in sight we marched on but the town didn't seem to get any closer. Taking a short break carol disappeared up a sandy path to look for somewhere we could camp and ditch our packs so we could carry on into town and get fish n chips.

23rd May day 433

At 5:30am i was woken by the noise of the golf course workers driving some kind of contraption to the gate just a little way from where carol and i had camped. We weren't so stealth afterall. When we were discovered i heard them chatting, one stating when they spotted our tents how impressed they were that we'd managed to pitch the tents in the sand. As we emerged the workers returned and carol got a friendly wave.

Quickly we packed our tents away and began the  mile long hike back to town in search of a cafe to get some breakfast.  Unfortunately it was still early and nothing other than tesco was open. I got a couple of things to take with me while we waited for greggs to open next door grabbing a bacon and sausage roll when it did.

I'd been told that at 9am the station would be open so after filling our bellies carol and i meandered down to meet the mechanic and have a look at the station and their tamar class all weather lifeboat, charge my batteries and wait to be met by janet from the local save the children branch.

After getting a quick photo in front of the station i said goodbye to carol, getting a sad selfie and a hug before sending her on her way to the station to catch her train. Shortly after carol left i was met by janet from save the children who whisked me away for a full breakfast at her favourite cafe on the beach. Carolyn, head of the local save the children branch then joined us and arrangements were made to get me a new save the children tshirt to replace my now rather tattered and faded looking rnli one I'd gained whilst visiting the silloth station. Carolyn then left us while i finished my breakfast but soon returned to inform me that she had arranged a haircut at Christopher and Christines hair design.

Janet took me and after offered to wash the clothes i was wearing and allow me to take a lovely shower. Feeling clean again and treated to coffee and cake i went back to the station to cram rationd joanne had sent into my pack ready to set off and clock up a few miles before making camp a few miles away. As i was about to leave i realised I'd been locked in and the lovely lady who ran the shop had forgotten about me. I wasn't sure what to do.

24th May day 434

Despite my incarceration i had a good nights sleep. Thankfully the weather forecast which had predicted rain was wrong and outside a thick mist was all i would have to contend with. I gathered my kit together,  had breakfast and began hatching a plan for my escape.

Opening the fire escape i was able to get on to the platform that ran around the stilted boathouse but the stairs leading up to the clifftop was locked. Not so good for an exit strategy and even less useful should there have been s fire. I headed back inside.   Leaving the station was actually a lot simpler than I'd anticipated a simple turn of a knob and the door was open. I couldn't lock it behind me but i felt sure a volunteer would soon be down and the station would be safe.

After hiking through the town i picked up the coastal path quite quickly. The next few miles would consist of gorgeous woodland walks with plenty of descents to small bays and endless climbs with steps continuing out of sight taking me towards the heavens.

Although there was a heavy mist and a little drizzle i found myself getting quite hot and sweaty. In fact Scotland was now starting to seem easy in comparison and as for the pyrenees that was beginning to feel like a breeze. I did however notice my pace had picked up during the climbs despite my pack  now fully loaded with rations. As carol had pointed out, i wasn't doing bad for an old man.

As i approached Saundersfoot i began passing more and more hikers and a few runners. They were making it look easy. Both tenby and Saundersfoot are both tourist mekkas. The streets lined with bars, souvenir shops and chippies a hustle and bustle of activity. It had been a while since I'd experienced such a mass of bodies.

After stopping for a breakfast bap and coffee i grabbed a packet of tesco donuts and headed on with Swansea now so close i knew the english border wasn't far away. The coastal path was now following the promenade and took me through a series of tunnels linking Saundersfoot with the next coastal village, a holiday makers retreat. As i followed the promenade dodging the on coming hordes of tourists i could see a small section of coast that appeared to pass in front of the cliffs. A preferable route than going up and over. Sure it was rocky and the tide was still in but i felt sure the risk would be worthy of the challenge.

Back in my comfort zone i made good time bouncing from boulder to boulder and soon passed in front of the cliffs arriving at Amroth marking  the end of the Pembrokeshire coastal path. Ahead now i was unsure whether or not I'd be able to continue along the shore and felt fairly sure I'd soon be back hiking the clifftops. Stopping to finish my donuts i checked the satellite images which confirmed my fears.

The sun  was now managing to break through the clouds and it looked like the remainder of the day would turn out lovely. To celebrate the end of this section of the coastal path i stopped at a nearby pub for a refreshing orange juice and lemonade which was paid for by a lovely gentleman i had started chatting to at the bar whilst waiting to be served.

By the time I'd finished my drink and climbed over the headland the tide had gone a fair way out so i descended down to the long beach on the other side and hiked along it til i reached a huge pile of boulders marking the beginning of another headland. Like a tigger i bounced from one to the next carefully negotiating my route emerging into a small bay. Ahead was another headland but on closer inspection and checking Google earth i decided this time I'd have to once again go over instead of around. Thankfully though i knew that once I'd climbed over it I'd reach Pendine.

Pendine is a small village with a very long and  flat beach.  It is also where land speed records are set and broken in Britain. After a quick stop at the first cafe i came to i set off along the famous beach towards the estuary. My plan was simple,  at low tide cross in hoolley and save a few days hiking round. It was a good plan. The beach however was deceptively long and although flat and firm took considerably more time to hike than i had anticipated. Arriving at the place i thought would be the best to cross, the narrowest section i could see the tide was now on its way back in. The mouth of the estuary was very quickly getting wider and with unpredictable currents joining from three tributaries i decided a crossing that time in the evening would be too dangerous.

I had to adapt my plans. I'd have to head back towards land and locate fresh water and set up camp and wait. The sun was setting which meant I wouldn't have long before things would get that bit more difficult. Following the river back along for a few miles without finding any water I'd consider safe for drinking i eventually came upon Laugharne a quaint village with the ruins of an enormous castle. Thankfully it also boasted three pubs. I went into the first,  ordered a coffee and rested my legs which had taken a bit of a pounding during the day. I only managed the one coffee before closing time but with my water bottles filled i headed towards the castle to pitch up just out of sight of the locals in a picnic area overlooking the river.

19th - 20th May

19th May day 439

It was like sleeping in a plastic bag during the night the flysheet rattled constantly with the wind blowing across the field. Needless to say I didn't get a very good nights rest.

My priorities for the day were firstly to get more gas, i was running particularly low. Secondly was to meet up with carol smithard a friend of sue kent who had previously undertaken an epic challenge of her own and was planning on spending the rest of the week hiking and camping with me on the trek.

Leaving the field i rejoined the coastal path and merrily continued with my journey. The path on the east side of the peninsula was very different to that of the west. There were no trees and other than gorse and heather not many plants. This side was a flurry of colour with trees standing tall and plenty of greenery. Tunnelled between the flora and fauna i felt at peace, the birds chirping above me and the waves crashing against the shore.

One thing i had particularly noticed about the welsh coast was just how many lime kilns I'd stumbled upon. It seemed that for every bay there was at least one kiln. I'd certainly seen more in wales than in Scotland. Some were really quite ruined and dilapidated where as others were in extremely good condition.

The lime stone was brought in by boat to the bays and the lime powder extracted using the kilns. Once processed the powder was then often loaded back onto boats or into carts and taken away to use in the fields or added to mortar for building. A majority of the kilns dated back to the 1800's and were still in use during the early 20th century.

Arriving in dale i passing multitudes of hikers and twitchers but coming across a cafe at the dale yacht club i decided to stop for a quick mocha and bacon roll before setting off to meet carol 8 miles away.

Due to fortunate timing and certainly not planned the tide was low. Leaving the harbour at dale i set off along its beach towards my first estuary of the day. Being able to simply walk across the flowing river saved me a few miles hiking round and i was able to carry on along the beach on the far side rejoining the coastal path which took me through a picturesque woodland walk.

The trek is always full of surprises and coming across the remains of a castle hidden away in a small valley butting up to a small bay and when I say remains i literally mean a single wall which seemed undamaged although i could see some of the footings beneath an ivy blanket. Although i wanted to take a good look around to see what i could find i carried on excited about meeting carol who had a few years earlier gone on a wee 1700 miles walk herself from lands end to john o groats climbing all the main peaks in between.

Carrying on along the path i continued to follow the clifftops eventually reaching another estuary. It was quite wide but again i was lucky and the tide was far enough out that as long as i could get down to I'd be able to once again simply walk across avoiding a 4 mile detour. The question was how was i going to get down from the cliffs to the sandy floor of the estuary. Luckily a local out walking his dog whom I'd spotted on the shore was about to pass me. I stopped him and asked. He replied with two options. The first envolved a 4 mile hike following the coastal path but the second more dirty option was to climb an old stile into a woodland, walk through brambles and stinging nettles and finally clamber down a small rock face onto the shore. Naturally the dirty option was the one i was to favour.

The detour was right up my street and satisfied a yearning I'd been feeling for a while. Reaching the shore i picked a place to cross the shallows of the river and hiked across the estuary towards a small valley where i felt sure I'd find the coastal path once again. Getting closer to my exit route i met two lovely ladies collecting rubbish from the shore. After a lovely chat i continued on with the days mission to meet up with carol in milford haven.

The coastal path was becoming more and more physically demanding with steep climbs becoming more frequent something i would have to get used to. From the valley it was a long and hot hike to the town but i did after a couple of hours finally reach the outskirts, a small bay. As i walked along heading towards the town centre i spotted another backpacker coming towards me. I took out my phone and called the number carol had sent. As I'd suspected the backpacker reached into their pocket and pulled out a phone. "I think i can see you" a voice said. "If you're coming down a hill then yes you can" i replied.

It was an unusual meeting to say the least and the start of an interesting couple of days. Together we headed into town to grab a juice at a pub although we had to visit two before we found one that was open and then off following our noses to satisfy my pizza cravings.

Now early evening we headed off to find somewhere to camp up. We followed the coastal path out ftom the town before deciding to head away from the path and head for a derelict industrial estate. This was carols first true trek experience,  something that for me was common and happened often.

I was used to urban exploration but this was carols first time. As we wandered around the various buildings looking at how they had been left to decay and how plants and ivy had begun to spread and slowly take over. Nature had moved in to residence. Moving between the buildings i saw a couple of men also exploring the area. They looked like urbexers too but it turned out that Richard was s Paranormal investigator and Gavin was a local historian ( Paranormal chronicles, Pembrokeshire beyond ). They were investigating unusual markings that had been scrawled on sone of the walls. Apparently the warehouses and nearby mines had been used by the military to store munitions that were eventually used during the Falklands conflict during the 90s.

The scrawlings were a more recent addition and in my opinion were that of a street artists and resembled a certain finese I'd seen at other urban locations. As we continued to chat to richard and gavin we were shown more unusual artistic pieces including a representation of the tree of life made from dirt gathered on the floor.

It was fast approaching time to find camp but before we left to head into the woods richard warned us that there had been sightings of 10' tall green man. I certainly did not believe the story and niether did carol but richard also gave us directions to a suitable place where we could camp in peace and quiet without being disturbed.

We followed richards directions following  along a concrete stream to clearing where we would found a camp fire. With plenty of dead wood around and an open space carol set about getting kindling whike i chopped branches down to size. We set up our tents and using my bushcraft skills i got the fire started. It was nearing 11:30pm by ghe time we'd finished chatting and eventually got to sleep.

20th May day 440

Having overslept and undisturbed by any green men 10' or otherwise we had coffee and collapsed camp. Leaving the woods carol and i picked up the coastal path together and set off to cross the toll bridge and truly begin an adventure i hoped she wouldn't forget.

Arriving in Pembroke we located mc donalds and grabbed lunch although i was now getting cravings for egg mc muffins s chicken legend sufficed. I was running low on gas so our next port of call was a local outdoors store to get more before continuing our little adventure.

Together we carried on along to the next village passing castle where filming was taking place for some film. I didn't recognise any of the stars but apparently they were famous.

We soon beyond the boundaries of the town and heading towards a power station which is where we met razzy a real character. He had had an accident and was now dependent on a mobility  scooter with him he had an energetic dog who took a shine to carol. After a brief chat he darted off at great speed away from us but we soon bumped into him again. This time we chatted for much longer listening to his stories past and present. I'll be honest i wish I'd dropped my pack to listen and I'm sure carol would agree.

After a good while my pack was beginning to feel heavy so saying goodbye to razzy who was a real doer, even building his own shed,  carol and i continued towards and around an oil treatment works via a forgotten reed pond behind an old church.

Before becoming a dive instructor carol had been an ecologist.  As we walked together her knowledge of wildlife slowly returned and before long she was teaching me bird identification and explaining the importance of bio diversity in the wilderness. It was fascinating. I  didn't know this but the unicorn was the official creature mascot of Scotland and not the stag as I'd previously thought.

With the oil refinery now behind us we came to the edge of a bay which we estimated was about 2 miles across and could see the lifeboat house ahead. We'd covered a good distance since the morning around 20 miles. Not bad for a first day on the trek.

An hour later we were on the other side and not far from angle village. Deciding to set up camp in a small wood which was possibly on private grounds but we couldn't be sure we found a secluded spot and erected our tents. With no water in our packs carol and i headed for the nearest pub, grabbed a couple of pints which I'll be honest went straight to my head. Then as darkness began to fall headed back to our home for the night and settled in.

4th May day 424

The great thing about stopping in b and bs is that in the morning you get a great breakfast,  cereal, orange juice,  coffee and a fry up.  It was then a case of getting back to the trek which meant a long drive back to Porthmadog where the girls wanted a quick wander round to look in the tat shops for some souvenirs to take home. Before i set off again though we stopped for pie n chips.

Leaving shazza and crissie i left to walk across the long viaduct and back along the estuary towards the sea.

I wasn't on the coast for very long before it was a case of heading up along and back down a second estuary ending up on shell island where i camped among the dunes.

3rd May day 423

The first thing i did when i woke from my slumber was to look outside at the weather.  It was still uninviting but better than the day before. I could also see the tide was high and still coming in looking along the beach i knew i wouldn't be able to pass in front of the headland a mile or so away which meant I'd need to find another way over or around it.

As i got nearer i could see a track leading around the back so headed up to it confident that it was the only way I'd be able to get round. It didn't take long beforeI was able to once again rejoin the coastal path which subsequently took me along a long sandy beach. The wind was strong and the weather  far from perfect but as i carried on further up the estuary i found shelter and was able to enjoy the hike that much more. It was quite a nice little walk to Porthmadog and it didn't take as long as I'd expected.

Eventually i emerged at the harbour which was really quite full with boats of all shapes and sizes. This was where i was to meet shazza and crissie who'd visited me whilst on the trek twice before.

When they arrived they bundled my pack into their car and took me on to Barmouth which was a fair way along the coast and a place i would be passing through a few days later. They'd arranged a room for me at a small b and b opposite the beach and brought with them a rather large picnic.

It was a lovely surprise. After I'd munched on their titbits and pampered myself in a bath we headed into Barmouth to grab a couple of drinks followed by a lush kebab and chips.

18th May day 438

I woke to rain bouncing off the skylights and really didn't fancy heading out so i gradually got myself together and waited for a break in the weather. I wanted to get to deadmans bay by the evening a mere 12 miles away by the coastal path.

As soon as the rain stopped the skies cleared. It was still very windy out but i seized the opportunity to make tracks and left little haven in search of the coastal path once more. Climbing the hill away from the village i soon found a sign post directing me back to the cliff walk through a small picturesque footpath. Along the way i met a lady out on a walk to st brides. She'd once ridden from lands end to john o groats but what made her story that much more interesting was the fact she'd done it on a tandem. I had met many people on my journey who'd done the cycle route from one end of the country to the other but I'd never met anyone who'd done it on a bicycle made for two. Apparently the hardest part of the challenge was getting the bike back home once they'd reached their goal.

From the woods i was soon exposed to the wind again having had a lovely sheltered  hike among the trees. I could see a fair way ahead but my destination was still out of view. From here on i would be lucky to get any shelter from the elements but as long as it didn't rain i knew I'd be happy.

Making my way along the cliffs was considerably easier than the day before, considerably less uppy and downy. The weather stayed surprisingly consistent too although the strong winds did make it a little tough to stay on my feet at times. The views also remained stunning no matter how far i hiked.

By late afternoon i arrived at the farthest point overlooking skomer island and began heading for deadmans bay. As i got closer it became apparent I'd have to keep going as there simply wasn't anywhere to set up camp. I still had a few hours of light left so i continued to follow the coast in hope of finding somewhere sheltered from the wind further up.

As i made my way along the cliffs i could see dale less than quarter of a mile away, the light catching the walls of its castle. The far coast was so close and although it was tempting to cross over in seek of somewhere to camp i was determined to keep going on to st Anne's point a few miles ahead.

As the evening drew in and the sun gradually began to set the winds picked up its force battering me from side to side. It  was getting increasingly difficult to stand up straight  let alone walk in a straight line.

Seeing the old lighthouse ahead filled me with great satisfaction it would mean i was nearing the top of st Anne's point and i would soon be heading round to the far side of the peninsula where i was hoping to get shelter from the wind and find a suitable place to camp. Continuing to follow the path the light was fading fast. It was approaching 9:30pm and it had been a very long day. Considering i hadn't set off from little haven til almost midday I'd covered alot of miles. Something to be proud of. Finding a place to camp was still eluding me though.

Passing an old gunnery emplacement the strength of the wind dropped immensely but i was still exposed and wanted to find somewhere more suitable so I carried on for about another mile when i came across a field with very long grass. A small hedge row provided a little shelter. It was almost dark so i decided it would have to do. Quickly pitching up i settled in and decided to have a celebratory custard before getting to bed.

15th - 17th may

15th May day 435

Leaving Fishguard i headed up to higher ground and began the days hike over the cliffs. It was a reasonably warm and calm start to the day which i hoped  would continue contrary to the weather forecasts.

With good weather comes great views and definitely helps with self motivation. I always try to keep a positive mental attitude and embrace all situations with at least a smile and on occasion a giggle. It was going to be a long day with my anticipated destination a small village along the coast called Trefin a good 19 miles ahead.

As with the majority of the walking I'd done in Pembrokeshire and in fact wales i knew at least the going should be relatively easy following the path and at the same time i also knew it would be physically demanding with plenty of steep slopes to climb.

After about 9 miles i reached strumble head, a large headland and psychologically my first challenge. From here i could see the coast stretching off beyond the horizon. I was still a long way off from reaching the turning point that would direct me back towards England and my final leg.

A short way after I'd left strumble i met a couple heading the opposite direction. They were extremely chatty and as we discussed the beauties of the coast i discovered that the husband had once set himself the challenge of motorbiking around on a 1920s bike in aid of macmillan nurses. It was quite fascinating.

The coastal path was now beginning to get really quite interesting with the landscape turning more rugged. I was actually quite surprised. I'd always thought that wales north coast would be outstanding but it was the southern peninsula that was stealing the show and it was here that i was to come across three friends off on a little hiking adventure of their own.

Mary, Andrew  and seb were all in their early twenties. Andrew and seb had lived in the same residence while at university and had been introduced to mary by friends. Still keeping in touch they had decided to take a camping trip along the Pembrokeshire coastline. I met them just as they were about to begin the first day of their adventure starting from strumble head and aiming to get to the beach at Trevine by that evening. It was blatantly obvious to me that they had never done anything quite like this before judging by the size of their packs and amount of kit they had hanging off them.

After a short introduction and chat we all set off in the same direction following the same path all with the same goal in mind. I kinda tagged along although i don't think they really minded that.

Trefin was about 9 miles away,  a fair distance to hike for any newbie. As we slowly clocked up the miles we chatted, joked and laughed, i introduced the guys to common sorrel and we exchanged stories. After about 5 miles we reached a long stony beach with a small woodland behind and a nice field of grass which would have been a good place to pitch up and make camp. Mary wanted to already call it a day but we all continued on together leaving the beach to climb a high and steep slope back to the cliffs.

As we ascended the path i was bringing up the rear and reaching the top i found the intrepid explorers sitting on the ground catching their breaths and taking a break. It wasn't a bad idea.

Having allowed our muscles to kool down we all got up and again set off for our destination. Clouds had now begun to roll in, the temperature began to drop and the wind was beginning to pick up. Gradually the miles clocked up and the chatter slowed down. I was feeling fine but it was obvious that the guys were now beginning to feel tired so i decided to take point and set a manageable pace spurring them on by letting them know we didn't have much further to go before we'd be able to make camp and relax for the evening.

Sure enough the next few miles went by and seeing Trefin in sight we all soldiered on eventually descending towards Trefin bay where we were expecting to see a quaint little beach to pitch up by. Unfortunately as we got closer it became apparent the beach would be uninhabitable. Instead of lush soft sand we were greeted by large pebbles and stones. Certainly not suitable for camping on. There was also a distinct lack of level ground and grass upon which we'd be able to build camp.

Mary looked somewhat disappointed and i could see her moral had taken a beating. I went over a calmly assured her that everything would be fine and that something would present itself. Sure enough as i scouted around i noticed a small sheltered patch of grass next to the old mill just large enough for the guys to pitch up on. Inside the walls of the ruins i found another very small patch of grass i felt sure I'd be able to camp on. It all worked out in the end and before too long camp was made, gin and tonis poured and evening meals were prepared.

With morale restored and smiles returned to faces the guys invited me to join them at the local pub for a couple of beers. Seb had brought a packet of cards and the evenings frolics commenced. Jokes began to flow once more as we played a couple of hands of shithead followed by a game of bullshit and somehow whilst discussing what we'd each packed into our bags, got onto the subject of the benefits of gstrings, mary had packed 15 and boasted that they didn't take up hardly any room in her pack stating how comfortable they were. It was just gone midnight when we left the pub to return to camp to get a nights rest.

16th May day 436

With yet another hangover albeit a minor one i woke and made myself a coffee allowing my temporary expedition party to lie in a little longer. It was sunny outside but there appeared to be a bit of wind, not that I'd poked my head out at this time to face the world.

With my head now slightly more aligned and after making another coffee and rehydrating breakfast i decided it was time to get the others up. Grabbing my saucepan and lid i went over to their tents and began banging loudly. There was a certain amount of self gratification as i clanged loudly above them. It only took a few seconds before mary kindly thanked me and slowly but surely they each emerged and the mornings camp activities began.

With canned food consumed and the contents of glass bottles transferred to plastic the guys lightened their packs and collapsed camp. I was already to go so i sat back in silent amusement watching the comedy slowly unfold before me.

Adopting the position of expedition leader i took point and led the way from the old mill to rejoin the coastal path. A couple of miles away we would take a quick break at Porthgain where the guys could fill their bottles with drinking water and re-adjust their kit and footwear. Porthgain was once a huge quarry and supplied the majority of the UK with stone chippings for use on the roads. It was a steep climb up from the port back to the clifftops and off towards a wilderness much like that of some of Scotlands coast.

Not far from Porthgain we would come upon blue lagoon, another small abandoned  quarry the guys had previously visited and where red bull had held cliff diving championships. Although i was tempted to make a splash there i didn't have any swimming shorts with me so reluctantly decided I'd have to revisit again another time.

We did however spot an ice cream van and mutually decided it would be a great place to stop for a welsh ice cream waffle with flake. Seb had rum and raisin, i had toffee and fudge, andrew had vanilla and mary had a callypo ice popsicle. From here it would be a long way before we would reach whitesands which was where i was to part company with my new friends and continue on to find the st davids lifeboat station.

A few miles passed blue lagoon we came across a fresh water spring set in a beautiful bay. Not really sure if we'd find any more water ahead i suggested we stopped for lunch and utilised the fresh water. I don't think mary really wanted to go any further as she seemed to settle in laying on her pack but being overruled by everyone we grabbed our packs and set off again.

The terrain was now getting more wild with steeper climbs. mary and andrew were both beginning to look tired and slightly distressed. Descending from our highest ascent i noticed mary lagging behind, her face was no longer beaming but contorting with every step she took. She had been worried about getting blisters and had borrowed some trainers from andrews mum. I dropped back to see if she was ok and called out to the boys ahead to let them know we'd be stopping once we got to the bottom.

Reaching the bottom i opened adams mobile blister clinic, sat mary down and placed her feet on my pack. They were a bit ripe which although i think embarrassed mary lightened the spirits a little while i searched for some cocodamol, a needle, thread and plasters. Treating two large blisters on each of marys big toes i turned to andrew to see if i could help with his problems.

Andrew had bought his hiking boots several years earlier but never worn them. The result of not breaking his boots in before meant that with the long hikes his ankles were now hurting and with every step the pains were getting worse. Applying sone arnica gave andrew temporary relief and as his needs were greater than mine i put the cream into his daysack to take with him advising that it be applied regularly for the rest of their holiday.

With another 5 miles to go i decided to take the lead and set a manageable pace pausing regularly to allow everyone to catch up and take short breathers before continuing. As we gradually approached the st davids point i thought I'd call out motivational quotes such as 'suck it up ladies' and 'pain is the first stage to becoming a champion'. They were met with a forced smile but seemed to keep the spirits up. Blatantly lieing about how far we still had to go also seemed to work spurring the guys on. Seb was doing  well though and walking at his own pace brought up the rear.

Eventually I could see whitesands a mile or so away and to give the guys obe last push pointed it out. You could see the relief in their eyes and we all headed along the clifftop path towards the bay. Andrew was very much scared of heights but his determination drove him on.

Reaching the bay i made sure everyone was ok as this would be where we would part company. The guys would stop there for the night and i would continue on to the st davids lifeboat station at st justinians another three miles further. As i walked away leaving the guys behind i knew I'd miss their company immensely and hoped we'd stay in touch and maybe have another hiking trip sometime in the future.

Arriving at the remote station around 7pm it was no surprise nobody was there but unable to pick up a mobile signal or any wifi i was unable to make contact so i decided to seek out some water and continue on as far as i could before finding a perch on the cliffs to make camp and settle in.

Whilst making up my evening meal i realised i was running short on supplies and would run out before next pickup. It was cause for concern as it would mean I'd probably have to go without for at least two days.

17th May day 437

During the early hours of the morning the wind had picked up and buffeted the tent quite violently. As i lay trying to get back to sleep i couldn't help but wonder if perching camp on the edge of a cliff was such a good idea. Doing my best to ignore what was going on outside i eventually managed to drop off again, poor choice of words.

The following morning i woke again around 8:30 am feeling a little tired. I boiled up some water to have my last breakfast and my attention turned to what i food i had left in my pack. Two main meals, a noodle mug shot and a packet of freeze dried custard. This would have to last me until at the very least Tuesday, four days away.

Making my way round the headland I reminisced about the time I'd spent in Scotland, the scenery was very similar. The only real difference was that in Scotland i hadn't seen many people, today however the coastal path was becoming a highway for weekend walkers with a steady stream passing me as i gradually made my way along.

Passing porthcais i carried on along the coast  the sun was breaking through the clouds and the colours of the wild flowers brightened my path ahead. The landscape was truly stunning. I was beginning to feel hungry though as I found myself approaching Solva. With limited supplies i thought it best to save my noodle mug shot for breakfast on Monday hoping I'd find a shop somewhere ahead where I'd be able to spend the remaining  £2 i had in my wallet on something small but filling.

Although I'd wanted to get as far as broad haven by the evening i was beginning to wonder if I'd have the energy to hike the next 10 miles which would take me all that way. As long as i managed another 6 though i thought I'd be happy.

Getting closer to solva i was able to pick up a mobile signal and send a text to alison and joanne informing them of my ration situation.  I was delighted when i got the message back saying a parcel had already been sent and it would be waiting for me in little haven. A few worms had just had a lucky escape.

Reaching the lime kilns in the solva harbour i decided to collect some water and indulge in a mug shot before continuing on towards little haven another 12 odd miles away. The views were still spectacular and the weather although a little windy was perfect for hiking. With plenty of valleys to hike round and just as many ascents and descents i was gradually finding myself feeling exhausted, my muscles aching and the temptation to stop and set up camp overwhelming. I refused to be beaten though and regardless of what time i arrived i remained determined to make it before nightfall.

Eventually broad haven came in to sight which meant little haven would be a short hike further. I arrived in little haven soon after and found the st brides inn shortly after where andrew the LOM for the little haven lifeboat station was waiting with my supplies. Somehow everything had worked out nicely. I was prepared to pitch up on the village green but was kindly allowed to use the crew room to crash for the night.

14th May day 434

Although my supplies were supposed to have been waiting for me at the station they weren't thankfully i was offered the use of the stations sofa bed for the night and with poor weather being predicted for the day i was invited to stay the day and take a break while i waited for the parcel. A lie in was most definitely in order but unfortunately around 7am pagers were triggered and the crew mustered, a man had set off from Fishguard in a small inflatable to retrieve clothes from his yacht moored up but engine failure, wind direction and bad weather had meant he'd found himself in trouble and in need of assistance. I found myself on tea making duties, my first unofficial role in the team.

Once all the excitement had died off and the crew were back safely slowly everyone headed off and either went home or on to work. I was again left in the boathouse alone and allowed to relax.

12th May day 432

Although the day started with clear blue skies as i got myself ready and prepared myself for the hike ahead clouds rolled in. It was still very warm though and i anticipated another lovely hike along the coastal path. Cliff the lom of poppin sands rnli had offered to take my pack on to new port where i was planning to aim for that day.

My first challenge was to follow a lane up a steep slope to pick up the coastal path once more. Reaching a rather confusing sign post which pointed in all directions i struggled to work out which way i was supposed to head.  Then i realised i was no longer following the coastal signs I'd gotten used to over the previous week or so, i was now about to begin the Pembrokeshire coastal path, a very popular and highly regarded route along the Pembrokeshire coast.

Strong winds continued throughout the day and i couldn't help but wonder how much harder the hike would have been had i been carrying my pack. The coast here was mostly cliffs with the odd valley or ravine thrown in for good measure. The steep slopes and high clifftops in my opinion were more physically challenging than what I'd encountered in Scotland and i was expecting it to get more challenging the closer to the end of the challenge i became.

Some individuals may think that long distance hikes are boring and monotonous, this really isn't so. It's amazing what you come across if you just keep your eyes peeled. Whilst reaching the top of another steep climb along the path i noticed the tail end of what appeared to be a snake similar to a grass snake, it was in fact the arse end of a slow worm or what I've been led to believe some call a smooth snake. I tried to grab it but unfortunately it managed to wriggle free and into a gorse bush. This got me quite excited though because if there was one then there was the chance I'd find more, or at least one more.

The days hike had taken on a  secondary purpose, to find me another slow worm. Slow worms can grow to quite a size and are absolutely no relationship to a common earth worm. For a start they have a head which looks very much like a snake. I haven't seen many in my life but have on occasion handled them. With one eye taking in the views i kept the other glued to the ground in hope that I'd spot one.

As i continued to tackle the strong winds along the clifftops and the tiresome hikes up the increasingly steepening slopes seeking my slithery prey i spotted an old friend, common sorrel. Common sorrel is a wild plant often found growing on cliffs among long grass. Its quite distinctive and easy to identify by its little red flowers and cupped leaves. The leaves are edible without any preparation and taste like apple peel. Whilst hiking the east coast I'd become extremely fond of munching them as i walked. I simply couldn't resist having a nibble now either.

Continuing with my search to find a slow worm i was pleased although I suppose at the same time also disappointed when I came upon the tail of another. Unfortunately thats all there was the rest of the reptile was no longer attached to it. I was still hopeful though that I would eventually find another whole one eventually even if it wasn't that day.

By 4pm i was almost at Newport and oddly craving pizza. I hadn't brought anything to eat or drink with me and there was a serious lack of any type if facilities along that stretch of the coastal path. This was something i knew before setting off that morning and i was prepared knowing that I'd still be fine by the time I reached my destination.

My pack I hoped would be waiting for me at the golf club which was the first thing I'd encounter when i approached the town. Sure enough cliff had kindly left it with reception. Having collected my pack my focus was turned from hunting slow worms to hunting pizza. I crossed the bridge over the estuary and headed up into the rustic town centre to see what i could find. Pizza hut was obviously out of the question but I was sure I'd find somewhere. Sure enough in the centre of the  town i came across a sign. Pizza takeaway, awesome, open Wednesday to Saturday, not awesome it was Tuesday and I wasn't willing to hang  around 24 hours for pizza.

Although my freeze dried rations are lovely and i genuinely mean that, shameless plug for mountain house, i really wanted something that wasn't rehydrated. I wanted something that had been cooked. Stopping at the Golden lion i decided to order a deluxe burger and pint of orange juice and lemonade. A small celebration if you like.

After thoroughly enjoying dinner, juicy beef with bacon, cheese, onion and a side of fries i set off back towards the river to find a  quiet spot to camp among the woods.

13th May day 433

Being rudely awaken at 5am by the dawn chorus of birds i buried my head under my sleeping bag in a futile attempt to get at least another hours rest. After accepting that no matter how determined i was to get some more shut eye in the birds would continue to natter calling out to one and other i decided to get breakfast made and take it slow to pack away before i set off to Fishguard.

Quickly picking up the coastal path i headed towards the mouth of the estuary passing the old cottages and harbour. It was a calm day which would eventually become one of the nicest days of the year so far. Continuing to follow the path i was led up onto the cliffs and as time passed slowly found myself removing layers and stuffing them into my pack, i even decided to zip off my trouser bottoms to expose my legs which until now hadn't really seen the light of day.

Carrying  on to Dinas point with a gradual climb up i had great views behind and ahead. The stunning scenery slowed my progresss and I found myself dawdling along enjoying the hike thinking to myself how much it reminded me of the north coast of Scotland. Reaching the summit i took my pack off and chilled with panoramic views reveling in the peace and quite taking it all in.

After a good 45 minute break i decided to continue on to Fishguard which i could clearly see and that didn't look too far away.  As i was coming l down i met a gentleman hiking up, he was from Shieldaig one of my favourite coastal villages on the west coast as we chatted it transpired that he too enjoyed long distance hiking having left his camper at a near by campsite to set off to see how far he could get over the next few days before having to return to collect his van. Getting quite excited he told me about a walk he'd undertaken in America called the Pacific coastal trail on the west coast and suggested that for my next hike i should seriously look into it myself.

Hiking down from dinas point was very easy going and finding a small cafe at the bottom was just what i needed so i decided to stop again for a chip baguette and lemonade. I was in no real rush.

Leaving the cafe I headed off to pick up the path again and continued to follow the cliffs,  this next section was more wild than the mornings hike and I'd say even more beautiful. It took a few hours to get to Fishguard but not because I was stopping to look at the views but because there were considerably more slopes and the coastline was becoming increasingly more rugged. I felt quite at home and the hot summery weather made the journey that much more enjoyable.

Around 7:15pm i arrived at the Fishguard port just in time to see the inshore and all weather lifeboats launch for there weekly excercise. If I'd arrived earlier i would have been able to go out with them which would have been quite an experience but alas my leisurely pace meant this was not meant to be.

After the excercise the crew invited me for a couple of beers at a nearby pub where i was able to mingle and chat and get to know the crew better. I was dropped off back at the station after closing time and settled in having a feeeze dried curry before bed.

11th May day 431

Although it was still raining when i woke by the time I'd had a coffee and breakfast the sun was shining and the tent rapidly dried  off. With everything packed i headed down to the small secluded beach a short way from where I'd camped and rejoined the coastal path with my goal set firmly on reaching the lifeboat station at cardigan.

It was a lovely hike through the woods up to the clifftops. Ok so it wasn't exactly taxing on the brain but the views were getting better and better the longer i followed the sign posts.

It wasn't long before I began heading down to Aberporth a quaint little bay with a gorgeous little bay. With the sun beaming even grandparents were stripping down to their speedos topping up their tans. After crossing the bay i had to head up back towards the clifftops. For the next couple of miles i had no choice but to follow the road around Aberporth military base. Rejoining the coastal path and back to cliffs i put the base behind me and focussed on clocking up some mileage. Along the way i met other walkers out enjoying the welsh coast and happy to chat, a distraction i was more than happy with.

Finding a clear running stream and feeling hungry i stopped to enjoy some custard in serene and peaceful surroundings before continuing on to mwnt pronounced munt with an emphasis on the u, a cross between uh and oo, i think.

Reaching mwnt i was faced with another climb to the top giving me a good view ahead to cardigan island and below a lovely little chapel. Going down was much easier than getting to the top but i was beginning to feel a little thirsty and wasn't expecting to come across any kind of cafe or bar until at least arriving Gwbert, pronounced gubert again with the emphasis on the u crossed with oo.

As began to head back towards the cliffs i came across a little cafe / gift shop, it was like a mirage at first but i knew my eyes couldn't be deceiving me. The coffee was great but after being given freshly nade welsh cakes to accompany the coffee i was made up and the last 5 or so miles went by quickly.

Unfortunately I was however directed inland as i approached the island, trespass laws and an uncooperative land owner who was refusing access to the public right of way was preventing me from negotiating britains entire coastline. In fact i was beginning to get sick and tired of seeing "private", "no trespass" signs.

None the less i did eventually make my way back to the coast at Gwbert and with the lifeboat station just across the estuary on the beach at poppit sands it was time to get hoolley ready for a quick crossing. The current was strong with the tides going out but it wasn't really that big a deal. Landing on the far shore saved me a good few miles hiking up to cardigan and back and meant that the following morning I'd be heading back to the clifftops.