Episode 122 -Walking another 24 miles of the Wales Coast Path on the Llyn Peninsular from Mount Pleasant to Porth Ceriad in brilliant March Sunshine

Map by courtesy of Ordnance Survey with my completed walking route superimposed in crimson. To date I have now walked 4,081 miles round the coast of England and Wales, including Hadrian’s Wall and Offa’s Dyke boundaries.

Also by courtesy of Ordnance Survey highlighting (black pin) my recent movement along the sheltered underbelly of the Llyn Peninsular, with St Tudwalds Islands coming into view, north of Cardigan Bay. More specifically I will start off again next visit to North Wales Coast Path, from Nant y Big, landside; or Porth Ceriad , sea side.
In reality Nant y Big is probably a bit previous. There is a planned trip next to the white pin currently becalmed at St Ismael near Haverfordwest
The gap between black and white pins (approximately Abersoch to St Ismael or Cardigan Bay plus St Brides Bay) is about 270 miles. To be completed by the end of July. 2019 ?
That’s nine adventures at 30 miles per trip.
Come on in.
The water’s getting warmer.

Dear Rosie Lauren, Stan, Jake, Rowan and Maisie,

Last weekend Nanny and I took a good look at the weather forecast and believed the impending high temperatures expected imminently for The Llyn Peninsular. Totally unplanned, we jumped into Car no 66* and arrived at Mount Pleasant to find clear blue skies and unseasonably high temperatures, which lasted for the whole of our two day visit. Even the prevailing wind was with us. Only the up inclines were against us , but for every up there was a down.

The plan was to complete The North Wales Coast Path from Bryn Mawr near Cyndyn Isaf to the top of Mynydd Mawr with classic views over Bardsey Island. Then follow the coast path for two days or until we got to overlook the St Tudwalds Islands, some 24 miles in total. Nanny joined in and made the walk complete

The tracks were damp but only slightly muddy; although I did forgo an inspection of National Trust’s Plas y Rhiw because of the state of my footwear. Nanny carried on her visit while I went in search of the mobile coast path last seen sliding down the hillside towards the Porth Neigwl or Hell’s Mouth,

I eschewed ( good word but forsook would be better) the inland route of the Wales Coast Path because it was through farmland, and I already had had a contretemp with a field full of dairy cattle. Instead I scrambled down the collapsing cliff face just after high tide and followed the expanding beach, as the tide receded, to Mynydd Cilan at the other end of Hell’s Mouth. This was pure coastwalking – no way out except at the end, and maybe the sand did seem a little soft in places and the crumbly cliffs very unstable above me. Dodging the washed up jelly fish was another necessary past time.

I had arranged a rendezvous with Nanny and Car No 66 at Ysgbor Hen.- Correct Pronunciation courtesy of a very pleasant Welsh Lady who mistook me for Richard (?) in need of an Airb&b . Obviously all Coast Path Walkers look the same. Anyway she assured me my rendezvous with Nanny and Car no 66* was perfectly possible at Ysgbor Hen because that’s where she lived.

What she didn’t mention -or perhaps even know – was that the Wales Coast Path had decided to part company with the map and go nowhere near the lane to Ysgbor Hen, instead follow its own devices along the cliff edge. All new post and wire fencing and appropriate waymarkers convinced me they’d changed the route, which is all very well but I was now well beyond the rendezvous heading for the cliff edge at Trwyn yr Wylfa. A few frantic phone calls to halt me heading off into the sunset, and a bit of trespassing and fence climbing returned me to the previous route of the Wales Coast Path .

No contest for the next stage of the journey.

Home.

*You deserve an explanation about Car No 66*. Remember back up cars Vera and Vicky and now ZUD? Well we feel you are all much too old to be naming things anymore – except pets, teddy bears and Bobl. So when our car downsizing programme crashed, and we became in need of another second vehicle, as ZUD was accumulating mileage frantically, we happened on Car No 66*.

Never any doubt!

1966 was a glorious year in many ways, and it all fitted. Even down to the ugliness – difficult to say which of the two is the most gruesome, ZUD or Car No 66* AKA Nobby.

It’s obvious!

Of course you wouldn’t remember Nobby Stiles, bereft of teeth, dancing with the WORLD CUP IN 1966 but you’ll immediately recognise and understand why we chose this car… look at the number plate!

So here’s the trip in photos – but remember Eric Morcambe……he knew all the right notes but not necessarily in the right order. That’s my walk! Nanny always manages to find me – so far?

Must be very tempting…..

Day one Sunday Start – Mount Pleasant cairn overlooking north, the Bryn Mawr rendezvous where I left off last time out – Nanny is down there somewhere with Nobby aka Car no 66.

Starting the trek from Mynydd Mawr to Aberdaron with Bardsey Island bathed in sunshine

Aberdaron Bay getting towards the end of day one

Sunset over Aberdaron/Rhiw. Getting to the end of Sunday walking. Good night.

Monday Day two.

Sunrise day two Monday – we were joined by the sun all day.

This was the Wales Coast Path filled with dairy cattle. I hopped the fence heading for the path from the farm behind, but didn’t like the attention of the protective mothers. so for a while I walked the gorse bank to the left until I could make a run for it! I met the farmeress at the end of my ordeal who was quite amused by my tactics and was certain they wouldn’t harm me – as I said to her – I don’t know that! At least she put me back on the right trail.

The walk so far had been along reasonably strong cliff tops or farmland inland since leaving Aberdaron. I was searching for a safe way down to the beach – but I eventually found an unsafe way after visiting Plas Y Rhiw. I denied myself entry to this 17th century house rescued by the Keating sisters because of the muddy state of my boots. But Nanny started to tour the property while I further muddied my boots clambering down the shifting cliff.