Diwrnod tri: Tro gan Gogledd Cymru; Arfordir a Chefn Gwlad ar Gefn Beic (2021)



Sunset over The Lleyn Peninsular at Pen Is'Arlon near Morfa Nefyn


Day three: Bangor to Pen Is'Arlon


Dew, dew and thrice dew. It was a damp morning as the sun rose gradually over Snowdonia. The washing I had strung out on the guy lines and fencing overnight had not progressed with drying much. Before long one of my neighbours from the other end of the field appeared, she was brandishing a washing line and half a dozen clothes pegs. The kindness of strangers strikes again!

That I wasn't in any particular hurry was a good job. By mid-day I was all but dried out and ready to go. I had tried calling my lost phone but there was no response. After returning the washing line  I set off in the sunshine along NCN8 towards Caernarfon at 12.30pm. It had been a long and lazy twenty two hour stay at Treborth Farm.

There were some roadworks to contend with but eventually I got onto the rail trail that took me most of the way to Caernarfon. The main square in front of the castle was heaving with al fresco tourists. Through the square I found a quieter part of town and had lunch in the cafe at the Wales Mountain Railway, locking my bike to the railings at the quayside opposite. Before setting off again I walked the bike along the quayside behind the castle, stopping on the footbridge to smell the roses.


Heading out of town on the road, you soon pick up the trail again running alongside the actual railway for a few kilometres. The Lleyn Peninsular now beckoned and I just needed to keep following NCN8 before eventually making a right turn. The route kept me on cycle lanes or quiet back lanes running parallel to the A487 most of the time.

More stunning beaches had me resting up and snapping away in admiration. The shimmering shingley coastline gave me an ominous clear view of the three mountain peaks guarding the Lleyn Peninsular, known collectively as The Rivals.


Stunning pebble beach near Trefor on the way to The Lleyn

I took a short lumpy detour through the village of Trefor, that gave me another steep hill to climb over before I reached The Rivals! At least my legs got warmed up. There is a less hilly way onto The Lleyn  by following NCN8 further along and making the right turn after the steeper hills, but there are no flat routes.

Taking the lumpy route onto The Lleyn Peninsular in North Wales

I took the most direct path on the northwest side and had to push up a couple of the steeper sections. It was reasonably quiet but one or two big trucks did pass by, I was no longer on NCN8. The high route gave me a great view across to the other side of the peninsular towards  Aberdaron, Abersoch and Pwhelli.


Once over the summit the coast was back in view and I could tell that there was a spectacular sunset brewing as my brakes smouldered towards Morfa Nefyn. A few miles before Morfa I came across Penisarlon Farm Campsite, perched on a hillside above the cliffs. It looked busy with caravans in the top field but I could see green spaces in the tent camp ground below. 

After a brief conversion with the proprietor at the lodge he agreed that I could stay on one of the two spare pitches in the bottom corner (cost £10 including hot shower).


Sunset over The Lleyn Peninsular at Pen Is'Arlon near Morfa Nefyn

It was a very picturesque spot. I pitched the tarp with the back to the stiff breeze blowing in from the sea, using the fencing to tie the back up. There was quite a downward slope but I chose the shallowest position I could find. My tarp building efforts kept a couple of children from up the field highly entertained and the donkeys in the adjoining field commented on how very impressed they were  with the configuration. Maybe I was in need of sustenance.


Sunset at Pen Is'Arlon


The sunset was as perfect as it gets and I settled in after another hot sunny afternoon a-wheel. Early in the morning, around 1am, I woke up freezing cold. The onshore wind had done a full one eighty and was now barreling under the front end of the tarp. Not quite chilling me to the bone, but getting there.

I went out to see if I could block it off without success, but oh what a starry starry august night it was and I stayed out long enough to observe one or two shooting stars as they streaked across the sky. 

Luckily I did have a bivvy bag with me. A waterproof and windproof sleeping bag cover, the type with a zip down the front. I put this to good use and all was well after that. 

I recommend all cycle tourists and backpackers carry a bivvy bag with them if using a tarp shelter in northern climes! Even in summer months.

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