Well my classroom's sorted ready for next term, the garden's tickety boo and I'm on the train to Llandeilo. And yes I am doing ANOTHER Welsh walk. Why? Well I really can't look further afield until I've completed the monster that is the Cambrian Way. So I'm starting from EXACTLY where I finished last year and making my way north through the remotest of remote Wales, and on into more mountainous but not as remote Wales. Remote tends to incorporate phone signals, so intermittent blogs could result, though the wonder that is wi-fi should be available at certain places I stay, though probably not tomorrow.
Which brings me onto my choice of accommodation. After two years of lugging the tent around I have taken the luxury option this year. Chiefly because the days will be long and hard, and I would like the walk to feel like a holiday rather than some Sisyphus-like endurance exercise. AND I'm 50 this year so give me a break! The upshot is I'm staying almost entirely in pubs.
I'm also having my now customary day off. Jen and Liz will be joining me for four nights at Dolgellau (I'll explain the logistics when the time comes), so a brief rest seems in order. Hopefully I'll also be joined for a couple of days at the end by Mike, aka Fatman, who is visiting from Perth, Australia and wants to squeeze a bit of walking into his itinerary.
I enjoy doing these blogs, but have been a bit taken aback by how many people are remotely interested. Whilst setting up this year's blog I noticed that, for example, my Glyndwr's Way blog from 2010 has been viewed by people from France, Germany, Ukraine and Alaska! Presumably they were hoping to find something useful. Never mind.
Needless to say as my train nears my destination it is raining. The forecast for this afternoon is a bit grim but tomorrow looks better. I would probably take a 50/50 split!
Several hours later.....
I love it when the weather turns out better than expected. Well, who doesn't? The first 3 hours were a nuisance but the next 3 were great. The 'great' was because it was at least pleasant, and at times I was able to bask in unexpected sunshine. The 'nuisance' part is more complicated. During this time it hardly rained, but constantly looked like it might, and it was very warm. This requires careful clothing selection. Should I wear full waterproofs and ensure dryness and constant sweating (which, er, isn't dry)? Should I risk getting soaked (the waterproofing process takes about 2 minutes) and wear nothing (you know what I mean)? Or should I go for a 50% option? Oooooooh tricky. In the end I waterproofed the bottom half (the boots MUST stay dry inside) and bagged the jacket. When I reached Llandovery, the half way point, I went into a cafe for a coffee and removed the waterproof trousers. This caused the girl behind the counter to gasp before she realised what was happening. Then she burst into a fit of giggles. I wondered whether she would have giggled even more had I not had shorts on underneath, but didn't ask.
Llandovery is a lovely market town, despite the useless castle. Jennie got a book out of the library the other day called 'Wales: 100 places to see before you die.' I looked through it and realised I've been to about 80 of them, which doesn't bode well. Llandovery isn't in it which seems a shame, especially as Blaenau Ffestiniog is ('Wales: 100 places to avoid before you die.'), as is Wrexham ('Wales: 100 places to die.'). Anyway I had my coffee in a superb craft centre cafe, bought a dog and left.
A superb craft centre earlier. Strangely, everyone left as I arrived.
There was too much road walking today, though this was partly due to my planning, so it felt like a prelude for things to come (the next 2 days are 20 miles each. Eek!). I basically (because I'm a pathetic completist) HAD to start from EXACTLY where I finished last year, the end of the Beacons Way, which meant an 8 mile road walk to rejoin the Cambrian Way at Llandovery, even though I'd been through it on the train earlier. Duh. So the roads were mostly my fault.
New, slightly smaller rucksack, EXACTLY where I finished last year / started this year, in the stunning village of Bethlehem (for pic see last years blog at http://kevdownes6.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1 )
Let's change the subject.
With age comes experience, and ailments. My ailments were fine today but they have come about almost entirely as a result of exercise, which does sometimes cause me to question why I bother doing anything at all, but I'm sure there are couch potato ailments too. This year I contacted William Hill for an ailment analysis:
1. Right ankle - repeated sprains, original cause playing football, last went in about 2005. Odds of serious injury 50:1 (I have excellent boots).
2. Left calf - repeated strains, original cause running, last went in January 2013. Odds of serious injury 30:1 (I have never injured it walking, only running).
3. Right knee - twinges, original cause running, last twinged in 2011. Odds of serious injury 30:1 (could have been a phase I was going through, or it could have simply moved over to my...).
4. Left knee - twinges, original cause unknown, last twinged yesterday. Odds of serious injury 5:1 (still getting to know it).
5. Left elbow - pains, original cause no idea, last pain 2 minutes ago. Odds of serious injury 1000:1 (it's not my drinking arm).
6. Lower back - stiffness, aches, spasms, occasional agony, original cause falling out of a bunk bed, stiffness and aches ongoing, last spasm and agony a couple of months ago. Odds of serious injury absolutely no idea (walking and carrying a rucksack are usually fine, but sleeping in strange beds may not be). William Hill have stopped taking bets.
6. Eyesight - shortening, original cause being nearly 50, last went at precisely 5:47pm. Odds of serious injury incredibly high (if I don't start putting my glasses on when I try to read the map).
So to finish I'm now somewhere remote (but not as remote as tomorrow, so it might be 2 days to the next posts). I've just eaten a delicious meal at the remote Royal Oak, Welsh beef strips in a ginger and black bean sauce. My room is very nice and the landlord has informed me that I'm the only person staying in this remote pub. So why is it full? It's full because there's a campsite nearby and it's chucking it down outside. Do I feel a fraud? Absolutely not. In fact I feel as smug as .
-- Posted from Kev's iPhone
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