Total ascent, 687m (2254ft).
Tuesday, 30th July.
I once played a gig in Llanwrtyd Wells, many years ago, though I have no idea which pub it was in. I had to drive home after we finished, finally getting home at 2 in the morning, and I got paid less than the fuel cost to get there and back. Over the years I think this has clouded my judgement of the place, as I pictured a long straight road with slate grey terraced streets heading off it and the most miserable people the world had ever known. I suspect these negative images were created by someone in a bad mood.
Llanwrtyd was in fact one of the prettiest towns so far, and we'd had a fabulous meal last night (a homemade tagine each and crumble to follow) in a big, old, not fabulous pub. I was sad to leave for 3 reasons. One: the B&B, Ardwyn House, was fantastic (thank you Katie and Roger) and the bed was the comfiest of the trip by a mile. Two: Jen was heading home, though this shouldn't really count because if I'd stayed there I'd have been on my own anyway. Three: it was pissing down.
I'm unlikely to get much sympathy about the weather seeing as I'd had no rain for an entire week, but I'll moan about it regardless. This morning I had every possible type of rain in existence - pissing down, pouring down, cats and dogs, drizzle (briefly as respite), chucking it down, heavy, very heavy, torrential and, for the most part, hammering it down.
I walked up a hillside in the rain and down it again further along. I crossed the A483 and a level crossing in the rain, looking defiantly at motorists who were probably openly mocking me. I walked up another, much higher hillside in the rain. I entered a wood in the rain, but everything was sodden and dripping so it made no difference. I slithered along a forest path in the rain, dodging newborn lakes. I descended a steep zigzag path in the rain and re-crossed the A483, looking pathetically at motorists who were probably about to call an ambulance.
Having said all that the paths were excellent throughout (apart from the lakes), so why at this point I felt like taking a short detour I've no idea. The main route headed northwards before looping round to the west, but I'd spotted a more direct route, though it looked like it was on much less distinct paths. And so it proved, as in fact the paths were so much less distinct that they didn't exist, and I now had some accompaniment to the rain in the form of head high bracken (again), barbed wire fences (again) and a scramble. I usually love scrambling, but not as a rule up mud banks. The day, however, was about to provide a glorious interlude. Not in the weather, though in this case the rain actually stopping for a while was pretty glorious, but in the Cynghordy Viaduct.
Viaduct(!) and gravestones.
Viaduct!
I love viaducts, and as I now love railways too I couldn't have been happier to see it. I'd known it was on today's route but it still took my breath away (as the Ribblehead Viaduct always does). I spent quite a long time wandering around at its base, then walked beyond it to get a view of the whole span. It then dawned on me to check the time, it was 12:35, and the time the next train was due, it was at the last station at 12:37. I couldn't believe my luck, as long as it was on time. I also couldn't believe how much I've got into the whole railway aspect of the walk, and the funny noise I made when I heard it tooting!
Viaduct and train! I repeat, viaduct and train!!!
The train actually looked tiny as it crossed the viaduct but it made a huge impact on the day. This was helped by a change for the better in the weather, and the afternoon was no worse than cloudy with some drizzly bits. I stopped for lunch at Cynghordy Station nearby, knowing that it would have a shelter (the seats had cushions on them!) and a nice, well maintained plant display to look at despite being miles from anywhere.
I'd considered getting new boots before this walk, but wouldn't have had time to give them enough of a run out so decided to wait. After four years, and therefore well over 1000 miles of use, the tread was starting to wear thin. But until today they'd never leaked, and once the water had found a way in I was sloshing around in them in no time. This was not good at all, and the logical next step was to get blisters. So I spent quite a long time in the station shelter wringing out socks, and hoping that everything will dry out tonight.
The walk was easy from then on, either on good paths or lanes (now with added views!), and aside from a set to with a farm dog (not my first and it won't be my last) it was uneventful. Because I'd had my head down for long parts of the morning I was in Llandovery by 4pm and sticking a hairdryer inside my boots by 4:30.
I knew the wall mounted TV would come in handy.
Boots drying nicely.
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