Helvellyn - Lakes District

Weather - Cold, strong winds

Distance - 13kms 

Height of Mountain - 950m 

Time Departed - 9.50am

Time Arrived - 3.30pm

Accommodation - Thornthwaite Grange

Today Henk and I climbed England's third highest mountain, Helvellyn in the Lakes District. We have been wanting to climb this mountain for a number of years so we can now tick it off our "bucket list".

The forecast for the next two days was cloud down to 700 metres so when we set out we knew that we wouldn't be able to see very much when we got to Striding Edge and the summit of Helvellyn at 950 metres. 

We drove the thirty minute drive from our B&B at Thornthwaite to Glenridding which is the start of the walk. After buying lunch supplies we were soon on the path which quickly became quite steep. There were a number of walkers on the path and at the beginning of the climb we could see them way up high ahead of us. The last three hundred metres to the summit we could not see anyone because of the thick cloud but we could hear them in the distance. 

The walk can be divided into two sections - six kilometres of steep climbing and six kilometres of steep descending. 

The walk to Striding Edge before the summit was steep climbing over a rocky path. At 320 metres the wind started to become strong and cold but nothing like it was at the top. At 620 metres we started walking though cloud which became like thick pea soup at the top. The higher we climbed the colder it became. 

The final climb up to Striding Edge was relentless and steep and  at times we had to do some rock climbing. 

The challenge of Striding Edge is the very narrow long ridge path just before the summit. As the cloud was so thick we couldn't see how steep the drops were on either side which was a good thing. This is what it looks like on a sunny day. 

And this is what it looked like on our walk. I could barely stand with the strong winds. 

After completing the challenge of Striding Edge we needed to eat to keep up our energy. It was now 12.40pm and we had been going without a break since we started the climb. We found a spot out of the wind and had a fifteen minute break. We couldn't stay any longer as we were getting very cold.

After lunch we climbed higher over many rocky outcrops to get to the summit. It was freezing and the wind was fierce. A couple of guys climbing from Gracemere took our photo at the summit. We were very pleased to have made it.

We continued along the path to find the descent down Swirral Edge. We firstly missed the path but when we found it and descended about twenty metres we weren't sure we should do it. The conditions had deteriorated greatly and we decided to reclimb the twenty metres up the rugged rocks and go down the easier path to Gracemere. We would then catch a taxi back to Patterdale where our car was parked. We put on more layers of clothing to keep us warm. This took some time as our hands were very cold and we couldn't get them to work to do up the zips etc. 

As we were about to turn back some climbers came up Swirral Edge and confirmed we were on the right path and the path would soon become easier so we continued the steep descent down the rocky terrain through the thick cloud. 

After a couple of hundred metres of walking and descending the path did become easier and the wind decreased which made the walk a lot easier.

This was a challenging and exciting walk because of the steep rocky terrain, the cold, the thick cloud and windy conditions. We were very chuffed with ourselves that we had completed it and could tick it off our bucket list. 

Day 17 - Newport - St Dogmaels

Time Departed: 8.00am

Time Arrived: 4.10pm

Distance: 26kms 

Cumulative Distance: 285kms

Percentage Completed: 100%

Ascents and Descents: 950m

Cumulative Ascents and Descents: 6815m

Weather: Overcast, rain, windy - Max 13

Accommodation: Oriel Milgi B&B 

Feelings: Neil - Good, Henk - Prepared, Di - Apprehensive and Excited, John - Good 

We did it! Today, we completed our longest daily distance at 26kms, climbed the highest ascent at 176m and completed the Pembrokeshire Coast Path, a distance of 285kms. Our guide book said this last day was the toughest section of the entire walk. It was a big day! 

We organised breakfast for 7.30am and when we left the B&B at 8.00am Henk realised that he hadn't downloaded the day's maps. So John, Neil and I headed off to the Newport Spa to buy lunch supplies while Henk downloaded the day's walk. We finally left Newport at 8.30am crossing the iron bridge and walking along the northern side of the long estuary. 

We were soon on top of the cliffs again and there was some strenuous peaks and steep descents one after the other. 

Our first break was at the nine kilometre mark and we were feeling strong. We only stopped for fifteen minutes because we began to get very cold. Our strategy then was to walk another eight kilometres to the 17kms point and have lunch. When we arrived at 17kms it was at the bottom of a very steep climb. We had to climb it before lunch as we were limbered up and it would have been too difficult to climb after lunch when we were cold. Luckily we found a rare place below the cliff path where we could shelter from the strong, cold wind. 

We only rested for twenty minutes as we could feel we were being chilled to the bone. We had to put on our rain gear at 13kms and had to keep it on until we arrived at our B&B.

In the lead up to lunch we had some very steep, slippery descents and some very steep climbs. After lunch we had nine kilometres left and we continued to feel strong despite the difficult terrain. Thankfully, the strong wind when it came was on our backs and at times pushed us along. 

The cliffs today were high, dramatic and often barren. Many of the cliffs had layers of folded rock. 

After we rounded the final headland, Cemaes Head, we had views through the rain to the long, wide estuary leading up to St Dogmael. We thought it would be downhill all the way but it wasn't the case and the path threw a few more ascents until we reached the finish line. 

As we had made such good time we had a twenty minute break at the warm cafe at Poppit Sands which was two kilometres from the end and three kilometres from our B&B. It was good to have a cuppa before launching ourselves back into the rain and cold.

At the finish line we took photos of each other in the rain as there was no one around to ask to take a photo of us as a group. 

When we arrived at our B&B Anne gave us a wonderfully warm welcome. We soon had our dripping outer gear and boots off and Anne served cups of tea with Welsh tea cakes. It was good to be inside in a warm house and dry. We all had hot showers so we could raise our core temperature. 

Anne booked us into a local pub, The white Hart which specialises in seafood. It was a delicious meal and to celebrate we had dessert as well.

The Pembrokeshire Coast Path is a lovely walk. We saw it at its best with mostly sunny and dry weather with spectacular wild flowers. We enjoyed the contrast of the sandy beaches, the little harbours, the estuaries, the tiny villages and the high cliffs. We didn't climb the equivalent of Mt Everest as the guide book suggested we would but there were certainly some taxing areas. 

Tomorrow morning we all catch a taxi back to Fishguard. John is hiring a car to return to Manchester for his flight home, Neil is catching a train to London to go onto Iceland and Henk and I are taking a ferry to Ireland. Despite being four very different people we made a cohesive group and enjoyed each other's company.

This is the last posting for the Pembrokeshire Coast Path blog. 

Max height 176m

Day 16 - Newport

Rest Day

Weather - Sunny, Cool - Max 15

Accommodation: Carningli House B&B

Feelings: Neil - Relaxed, Henk - Relaxed, Di - Relaxed, John - Comatose! 

This was the second rest day of our walk. Our last one was on Day Nine at Marloes when we visited Skomer Island so it wasn't exactly a rest day as we walked over the island looking at the birds. Today gave us the first chance to go to a laundrette and this was our first job of the day after a later breakfast. It was good to have clean smelling clothes again. 

We revisited the Newport Estuary which was looking very different in the sun today compared to overcast and rainy weather of yesterday.  The tide was very low. 

Newport is a small village which seems popular with walkers and tourists. The Main Street is very narrow and takes a lot of traffic to and fro from Fishguard to Cardigan. We watched as large tractors drove through forcing oncoming cars onto the footpath. We had a morning coffee break in one of Newport's side streets. 

Neil, Henk and I decided to visit Cardigan in the afternoon using the new bus service linking the little towns on the Pembrokeshire Coast. It was a twenty-five minute bus ride between Newport and Cardigan. Cardigan sits about three kilometres further along from our final walking destination of St Dogmael but we wouldn't be visiting there unless we visited it this afternoon. It's a bigger and busier town than we expected sitting above the River Teifi and its estuary and has a population of about 4000. As with the many other places we have been whilst in Wales we found that there was a high incidence of the Welsh language being spoken. 

Tomorrow is our last day on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path and it is a long walk at 26kms before reaching St Dogmael. It is apparently the toughest day of the whole walk so we will be leaving early. The walk has gone very quickly and we have enjoyed it greatly. 

Day 15 - Goodwick - Newport

Time Departed: 9.00am

Time Arrived: 3.15pm

Distance: 22kms 

Cumulative Distance: 259kms

Percentage Completed: 89%

Ascents and Descents: 737m

Cumulative Ascents and Descents: 5865m

Weather: Sunny then overcast, cool, rain. Max 16

Accommodation: Carningli House B&B

Feelings: Neil - Great, Henk - Great, Di - Not great!, John - Wanna feel great! 

This entry is divided into two parts as John and I didn't walk today. I woke up with a bad headache which is unusual for me and decided that walking was not an option. Henk thinks I'm still a bit dehydrated from yesterday. After breakfast we met Ron who was staying at the nearby B&B. I hitched a ride with Ron to the Main Street of Fishguard which is a short distance from Goodwick. It was on Ron's way to returning to Manchester. It was a bit chilly walking down the Main Street when I realised I had left my jacket in Ron's car. Next thing Ron was tooting his horn coming back up the street and I had my jacket again. Thank you, Ron!

I decided to walk down to Lower Town which was a ten minute steep walk down to the harbour where the Coast Path goes around. The tide was out in the lovely harbour and I enjoyed sitting on a bench watching the comings and goings. 

I thought I might catch the guys as they walked through Lower Town. I waited for about twenty minutes thinking I had missed them when they arrived. John decided that due to his "walker's rash" he would not enjoy today's walk so he joined me and we spent the day together at Fishguard and Newport. We had a really enjoyable day. 

From Lower Harbour we walked up the steep path to go to Fishguard's Town Hall in the main square to visit "The Last Invasion Tapestry". It was magnificent and designed on a similar style as the Bayeux Tapestry and commemorates the last invasion on UK soil at Fishguard in 1797. 

To commemorate the 200th Anniversary 77 local people helped make the thirty metre tapestry over four years using embroidery stitches the same as those used by medieval embroiderers. John and I watched a documentary on the making of the tapestry and it was fascinating.

In the early afternoon we caught the bus from Fishguard to Newtown and this took about fifteen minutes. We called into The Royal Oak Inn and the lady at the bar directed us down to the cafe on the esplanade. We thought it would be a good place to meet Neil and Henk but the cafe was closed and it had begun to rain. We walked back up to the town and ensconced ourselves in the warm pub and had a late lunch and waited for Neil and Henk to arrive. 

Neil and Henk's Day: 

We set out without Di and after going to Tesco's for lunch supplies we were on our way. We came across Di at Lower Town which was a nice surprise and John decided to join her and not continue walking to Newport. 

At the 12kms mark we took our first break at 11.45am at The Old Sailor's Inn. The sign said the inn was closed so we ate our lunch at a picnic able outside the pub and it was very cold. It was only then that we realised that the place was open and the lady came out and put the sign up which said "No Picnics". We went inside and had a hot coffee before getting underway again.

It was misty rain most of the day however the path was good. We climbed our highest peak at 150m and took photos of each other at the Trig Point.  

Despite the weather the walk was an enjoyable one and was mostly easy. Many times we walked alongside hedgerows which protected us. The views over the cliffs were spectacular again.

When we reached the estuary at Newtown the tide was out. 

It was good to get inside The Royal Oak at Newtown and meet up with Di and John. 

We booked a table for seven o'clock at The Royal Oak for dinner. 

Tomorrow is a rest day before completing our last walking day the following day. 

Day 14 - Aber Mawr - Goodwick

Time Departed: 9.30am

Time Arrived: 4.15pm

Distance: 21kms 

Cumulative Distance: 237kms

Percentage Completed: 82%

Ascents and Descents: 684m

Cumulative Ascents and Descents: 5128m

Weather: Sunny, haze, warm. Max 16

Accommodation: Fernvilla B&B, Goodwick

Feelings: Neil - Great, Henk - Great, John - Good, Di - Good

We had excellent weather for walking. It was sunny with no breeze and there were quite a number of walkers and birdwatchers along the path. With the haze it was hard to tell where the horizon was. 

We did our highest number of ascents and also climbed our highest peak. 

Our B&B host drove us back to the beach where we left the path yesterday. This took us about twenty minutes in the car and it took us seven hours to walk back. We had to walk across the very stony sea defence at Aber Mawr before climbing our first cliff on the far side. 

After three kilometres my little toe started to become painful again despite having a bandage on it. I soldiered on until morning tea at six kilometres and removed my boots and replaced my wet socks (due to perspiration). It didn't make any difference so the next six kilometres to lunch at 1.15pm was quite painful walking although I managed to mostly keep up with the guys. At lunch I redid my bandage, replaced another set of wet socks and put on my green sandals. The last nine kilometres were then fine and my foot was comfortable again. Thank goodness I carried my green sandals in my backpack.

Yesterday we could see a lighthouse in the distance and today we walked passed it at Strumble Head. We also saw the large Irish ferry moving through calm seas and going in and out of the Fishguard port. 

We did discuss the strategy of making a shortcut to reduce the distance in the afternoon but I was reluctant to take it as it was the last headland going back to Goodwick and I was keen to see the harbour from the cliff. We had a good view over the harbour with the town's of Goodwick and Fishguard side by side. 

We will return on Friday to Fishguard to catch the ferry to Ireland.

When we arrived back at Goodwick Henk and I were very thirsty as we had run out of our water about five kilometres from the end. It had been a warm day and we drank more water than usual. 

It's now only three more days on the path - two walking days and one rest day. Tomorrow we walk to Newport where we will have a rest day and then our last day will be to St Dogmael which will be a distance of 26kms. 

We farewelled Ron and Clifford and Mylo tonight. We returned to the Mathry pub for our meal and recounted our day's activities. 

They will be returning to their homes up north tomorrow. It was lovely having them around for the past four days. We'll be catching up with them again when we return to the Lakes District in early June to do some further walking and in Manchester where we catch the plane back to Australia. 

Day 13 - Abereiddy - Abermawr

Time Departed: 10.00am

Time Arrived: 3.40pm

Distance: 15kms 

Cumulative Distance: 216kms

Percentage Completed: 74%

Ascents and Descents: 329m

Cumulative Ascents and Descents: 5128m

Weather: Sunny, cold. Max 13

Accommodation: Fernvilla B&B, Goodwick

Feelings: Neil - Good, Henk - Good, John - Good, Di - Good

After two nights at St David's we moved onto another B&B for two nights and will be taken to and from our accommodation by our B&B host. We need to do this due to the lack of accommodation close to the path. This morning our taxi driver picked us up from our B&B at 9.15am to take us back to Abereiddy where we left our walk yesterday. Ron joined us today and organised with Cliff to leave his car at the beach of our destination of Abermawr. Cliff then dropped Ron off at Abereiddy. Cliff and Mylo spent the day touring. 

We had a lovely day's walk as it was sunny and we had extensive views of the coastline. We didn't rush as we only had 15kms to walk today. When we climbed the cliff above Abereiddy we overlooked The Blue Lagoon which is a flooded quarry. The sea was very calm. 

After only three kilometres of easy walking on the cliff tops past old quarry buildings, slate slag heaps and evidence of an old tramway we arrived at the pretty little harbour village of Porthgain. 

It was easy to see how the place was popular with tourists. We decided it was time for a coffee and walked up the narrow street from the harbour to The Sloop Inn which dates back to 1743. We sat in the sun for quite some time before heading off again. 

We had lunch about 1.15pm on top of a cliff near a dry stone wall. It was an ideal location as it gave us some shelter from the cold breeze. 

After lunch which was prepared by our accommodation we had seven kilometres to reach Abermawr. I was keen to get to a nearby woollen mill where our next B&B host had arranged to pick us up at 5.00pm. There were stunning views all along the coastline. Ron had parked his car at our destination of Abermawr which was a good thing as we all piled into his car and went to the woollen mill. 

Our B&B host drove us to Goodwick which was about fifteen minutes away. Ron is staying at the B&B only one house up the road which was a coincidence but worked out well. Ron picked us up in his car at seven o'clock and we drove to a pub at Mathry half way between St David's and Goodwick. It was a good choice for dinner as Clifford and Mylo  are still staying in St David's. 

Day 12. - St David's - Abereiddy

Time Departed: 7.50am

Time Arrived: 3.45pm

Distance: 25kms 

Cumulative Distance: 201kms

Percentage Completed: 69%

Ascents and Descents: 634m

Cumulative Ascents and Descents: 4799m

Weather: Overcast in the morning, sunny in the afternoon. Cold. Max 13.

Accommodation: Y Glennydd Hotel

Feelings: Neil - Apprehensive, Henk - Good, John - Apprehensive, Di - Apprehensive 

We wanted an early start as this was our longest distance to cover on the path since we left Amroth and the guide book gave the impression that the walk was now becoming more difficult. We did well during the day and made good time. We didn't find it difficult even though we climbed our highest peak so far at 110m. We didn't pass through any towns so we organised the hotel to make a packed lunch. 

It took 2.5kms to walk from St David's back to the coastal path alongside farm land. When we rejoined the path at a small harbour we found the coast to be very calm and quiet. 

The cliffs were high and steeply going into the water. The path came quite close to the edge of the cliffs. 

We had good views of Ramsey Island close by and when we reached St Justinians there were people lining up to catch a boat to the island. St Justinians has a lifeboat station and we watched as the large orange lifeboat practised runs around the harbour. A new lifeboat station was being built alongside the old one. 

At 11.20am we had completed just over 12kms when we arrived at the sandy beach at Whitesands Bay. We found a picnic table which overlooked the beach where there were a number of families swimming. We soon got very cold and had to don our warm clothes whilst we watched the swimmers. Henk found a cafe further up the carpark and we quickly finished our lunch and made it to the warm cafe for a coffee.

When we left at noon the sun had started to come out and we had another 12kms to go. We climbed to St David's Head where there was rocky heathland and dry stonewalls. 

It was an interesting contrast from what we have been seeing. The path took us down to pretty little bays and the wild flowers were out in abundance.

We had arranged for a taxi to pick us up at our destination at 4.30pm to return to St David's. When we got mobile coverage Henk rang and left a message that we were ahead of time and if it was possible change the pickup time to 3.45pm. 

Only four kilometres from the end we caught up with Mylo, Clifford and Ron who started their walk at Whitesands Bay. We didn't have time to talk as we had to press on to make sure we got the taxi. 

Unfortunately, due to poor mobile coverage in the area the taxi driver didn't receive our message and we waited until 4.30pm. Although it was sunny it was cold waiting and we were beginning to stiffen up. Mylo, Clifford and Ron arrived at Abereiddy at 4.40pm just as our taxi arrived. We left them rewarding themselves with an icecream from the local van. 

It was good to get back to the hotel to have a hot shower and a cup of tea. Henk and I were feeling quite chilled. 

We met up with Cliff, Mylo and Ron at the Farmer's Arms again at 7.00pm and compared our day's walking stories and enjoyed some very different pub food. 

Day 11 - Newgale - St David's

Time Departed: 9.10am

Time Arrived: 3.20pm

Distance: 18.6kms 

Cumulative Distance: 176kms

Percentage Completed: 60%

Ascents and Descents: 561m

Cumulative Ascents and Descents: 4165m

Weather: Sunny and warm - max 19

Accommodation: Y Glennydd Hotel

Feelings: Neil - Fine, Henk - Good , John - Good, Di - Good 

We had a lovely day's walk with sunny skies and wonderful views. Our host, Paul along with his two energetic dogs took us on a circuitous route through meadows which led us into Newgale.  

This was to avoid the busy minor road which was a good thing. Unfortunately, it added 1.5kms to the day's walk. We were consequently late in meeting Ron who was was patiently waiting outside the Duke of Edinburgh Inn. Ron had caught the bus from St David's to Newgale. 

We had a very steep climb from Newgale to get onto the top of the cliffs. We had good views over the Newgale beach. 

The sea was very calm and the water was clear. It was a perfect day for walking. Unlike other days we saw many walkers making the most of the sunny weather. After our first steep climb the path quickly descended to a small, deep valley and climbed and descended with some more steep cliffs before we reached our lunch destination of Solva.

Solva was a complete surprise and is described as the prettiest village on the coast path. We had lovely views from the path over the harbour and to its colourful painted houses. We had lunch sitting in the sun outside the pub, Harbour Inn, in Lower Solva. We had good views over the boats. 

We had a steep climb from the harbour back up onto the cliffs again and once up there was the usual steep ascents and descents until we got to Trelerw which was about three kilometres from St David's and then it was mostly easy walking. We took countless photos of the coastline as it looked magnificent in the sun.

We went straight to our B&B to drop our packs. Neil, Henk and I were keen to make the most of the early arrival and visit St David's Cathedral. As we were about to leave our hotel Mylo and Clifford met us in the reception. It was lovely to see them again. We all headed down to the cathedral together. They took two days to drive from Guiseley in Yorkshire to St David's. 

St David's is the smallest city in Britain and only qualifies for this because of its wonderful cathedral which sits low in a valley of the small town. It was established in the twelfth century. 

The high ceiling of the cathedral is impressive. 

We met at the Farmers Inn at six thirty for dinner and the seven of us had a good time catching up. When we walked back to our B&Bs the sunset was looking spectacular. 

Tomorrow is going to be a challenge being 25kms which will be the longest of our walk so far and there is going to be many steep ascents. We have organised a 7.15am breakfast so we can have an early start. Ron, Mylo and Clifford are organising an alternate route and we will meet them again tomorrow evening at the Farmers Inn. 

Day 10 - Marloes - Newgale

Time Departed: 8.50am

Time Arrived: 5.10pm

Distance: 24kms 

Cumulative Distance: 157.4kms

Percentage Completed: 54%

Ascents and Descents: 626m

Cumulative Ascents and Descents: 3604m

Weather: Overcast in the morning, sunny and warm in the afternoon - max 19

Accommodation: Southwood B&B

Feelings: Neil - Fine, Henk - Good , John - Eager, Di - Good

We enjoyed staying two nights at The Clockhouse B&B at Marloes. It was a comfortable and tasteful B&B with hosts who know the needs of walkers. They also served delicious, modern cuisine for breakfast and dinner. 

This was our longest walking day of the walk so far and it also had the most ascents. By the time we reached our B&B we were pleased to have arrived and get our boots off and have a hot shower. 

Today, we were joined by our friend, Ron at St Brides. Ron took the bus from St David's where he is staying and we timed our walk from Marloes to meet Ron at ten o'clock.  It was good to see Ron again and we were soon underway talking and catching up with all the news as we walked.

The walk up to lunchtime was mostly easy going on top of the cliffs. We had lovely views down to crystal clear waters.

At one o'clock we arrived at the lovely place of Little Haven. It is nestled between two steep cliffs and the pub overlooking the little harbour had picnic tables in the sun. We thought it was an ideal time to stop for lunch.

The walk after lunch became much more difficult. We had a steep climb out of Little Haven to the larger town of Broad Haven which was only ten minutes further on. From Broad Haven the cliffs rose higher and the ascents steeper. We reached some rocky outcrops known as Haroldston Chins and had a break looking over wonderful views. 

It was now 2.45pm and Ron realised that he would not make the 3.15pm Puffin Shuttle Bus at Newgale to get back to St David's. The next bus was scheduled for 7.15pm. 

We walked on further and reached the isolated area of Druidston Haven at 3.04pm. The timetable on the post said the Puffin Shuttle Bus was due at 3.05pm. It arrived on time and we farewelled Ron and no doubt he arrived at St David's at a much more suitable time. If I had known how steep the next part of the walk was I would have joined Ron on the bus and got off at Newgale! 

We had a further seven kilometres to walk and it now became a lot tougher. We had many steep ascents which made this day the highest we have climbed so far. One very steep ascent was the result of a cliff landslide and the path took us steeply up an edge to a higher cliff path. 

The Newgale beach was stunning from the high cliffs. Many were making the most of the late afternoon sun walking their dogs, flying kites and wind surfing. 

We had to divert off the coastal path just before Newgale to go to our B&B. We climbed a steep, long grassy meadow and then had to walk about 600m on the edge of a very busy narrow road. At 5.00pm it was peak hour on the only road leading in and out of Newgale. We were pleased to arrive safely at our B&B and we were warmly greeted by our hosts Jo and Paul. 

Our B&B is a National Trust house built in 1820. It was a substantial farm and the house is very large. Jo and Paul lease the house off the National Trust and the Trust is currently restoring the extensive farm buildings. A descendant of the original owners lives in Tasmania and visited the house last year.

Paul is a chef and he offered to cook us dinner. We agreed immediately as we didn't want to walk a further couple of kilometres into the village for a pub meal. Nor did we want to walk on the road again. Paul cooked a delicious chicken and mushroom dish with lots of vegetables. They served a large amount and we ate nearly the lot of it. A long walk with many steep ascents had sure given us an appetite. 

It was an early night for us after such a long day.