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| The coastline of Wales in all its summer glory |
Day four: Pen Is'Arlon to Aberdaron
It was a glorious morning and I was up soon after first light, taking a stroll on the Wales Coast Path along the cliffs. I could make out a rickety track that I was sure would lead down to the beach but it was steep and rugged and I thought it would take up too much time getting down and back up again.
I took my time packing up and around 10.30am headed off to explore the Lleyn Peninsular coastline by bicycle. I was looking forward to this day. For me this day was what the trip was all about.
In Morfa Nefyn there was quite a crowd building at the cafe and down towards the beach. Retracing my wheels brought me out into free spirited country lanes and connected me up to NCN43 which was one of those surprises that the ride kept springing on me, the pay-off for not doing too much research!
I passed a young mum pushing her little one in a pram. As I passed I could hear the Welsh language being spoken. This north-west corner of Wales is one of the last strongholds of that enigmatic tongue. I heard more of it being spoken on this trip than ever before and that inspired me to entitle these blog posts in the Welsh language, even though I am not even slightly fluent myself (computers for you!). May I take this opportunity to apologize if my literal translations are grammatically incorrect!
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Ancient proverb: The juciest blackberries are always found on the prickliest of thorns!
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| The way to the Whistling Sand (Porthor) |
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Quiet Lleyns, blue skies, prickly hedgerows, tranquil seas, 90's MTB's on NCN43!
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I followed my nose along peaceful rolling country lanes, the deep turquoise blue sea visible above the hedgerows.
My road map of Wales remained tucked away as I explored those coastal lanes discovering mini-fishing harbours, idyllic coastal campsites and the incredible beach at Porthor (aka Whistling Sand). These were mostly dead end routes and typically required an uphill ride to get back out onto the through route.
I tried to get to the Lleyn' Peninsular's answer to Lands End near Mynydd Mawr, but the track beyond the car park was closed due to erosion. There were foot trails through the dunes that were open but it was getting late in the afternoon and I had to find a campground.
Aberdaron is picturesque beyond words; off the scale pretty. The compact village is tucked down in a small valley and it seems that roads from across the peninsular intersect there. I tucked into some delicious Welsh cakes at the cafe over the bridge next to the river.
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| Welsh cakes hit the spot at Aberdaron |
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I took the long way around the coast
After stocking up at the small supermarket I headed up the steep hill towards the campsite that is just out of town on the road to Pwhelli (B4413). I don't remember the name of the site. It catered mostly for caravans and motor homes but they had a large tent field down the hill and I could pitch up in the bottom corner (£10 + 50p for the shower). A gale was blowing diagonally down the field, straight into that bottom corner!
Pitching a tarp tent in a gale was a new experience for me. It was fun. Slow, but fun. When I say slow, I mean getting a soundly structured shelter took a long time; I spent about two hours tinkering and adjusting. The bungee chords I had with me were invaluable and I scavenged a rusty old tent pole from a hedge. Eventually I had a unique pitch that did not flap about too much in the prevailing conditions.
 | A few ripples but no serious flapping. I left the opening pointing to the east to catch the morning Sun
My DIY alcohol burner, made out of an energy drinks can I found (no bull!), was set up behind the tarp and some rocks. Normally I leave it to boil the water, using just the right amount of fuel, while I get on with other things. By then the lads from up the field were playing football and frisby and every thirty seconds the ball or frisby would end up down by me following the gale. So this time I stayed with it until it was boiled up for my green tea. I also cooked up some rice and lentils to go along with the veg I bought in Aberdaron.
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 | | Bungees were used inside and out to reduce flapping |
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| Rusty old tent pole, bungee and web netting secured the back. A novel arrangement that worked very well. |
Later in the evening the wind dropped right off, but I left the tarp as it was for the night. There was just enough room to set up my sleeping bag diagonally across the shelter.
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