The plan was to have five nights/six days and a nice slow plod out to the bothy gear heavy with good food, something nice to drink and a legitimate reason to be packing the axe. Sadly it was not to be, if it's not one thing it's a mother and one phonecall later my free time was more or less cut in half. After some swearing followed by several frantic repacks late into the night I figured it could be done but the axe would have to stay home along with most of the brandy and the rat pack pouches.
Overslept missing the early train out of Carmarthen and forgot the Royal Welsh show was on. So ended up crammed onto the 9 o'clock with what smelt like every day tripper between Pembroke Dock and Llanwrtyd Wells. Not surprisingly the train was also running late being almost noon before I finally stepped off the tarmac onto the bridleway and was gifted dappled sunshine, a cool breeze and hedge full of wild raspberries by the forest sprites. Either that or heatstroke was getting to me.
Despite having the light pack loadout it was way to hot to get any real pace going, stopping at every stream to refill my canteen over the course of four miles I drank three litres of water. Waves of warm air rolled up the valley sides as I climbed higher and when they lulled for a moment it felt like your skin would blister despite dripping with sweat from the waist up and covered in dew from the waist down by wet grass. Not being able to see the path didn't exactly help either!
Several wheeze breaks and some hours later made it to the reservoir only to find my favourite shore-side spot occupied by two car loads of teenagers staying the night so disappeared into the woods to perform the required rites of the brew ceremony, ritual drowning of smelly socks and burnt offerings. The climax of evening being the leap of faith into the hammock.
Midnight the kids were still partying hard so quieted them down by howling at the moon for ten minutes and let their paranoia do the rest. I guess I must of started snoring at some point in the night and that noise would scare a grizzly as it resonated across the valley, come first light they sure left in hurry.
Nine relatively easy miles and a bit of exploring later wandered up to the bothy to find the kettle already on and two lads on motorbikes drying out in the afternoon sunshine. The loan of my cookset solved the impending argument of who got to eat the pasta boiling in the kettle first and recieved two tins of cold lager in return. As the day cooled off they headed home, I grabbed the bow-saw and went looking for a tree. Thankfully did not need to go far having found half a one previous visitors had started. I would of taken the resident felling axe but some swine had used the handle for kindling.
Thursday was a rest day of sorts, it's tempting to just sit by the fire relaxing but if my ankle seized up I'd be somewhat screwed getting back to civilisation so after breakfast left my pack and set off to explore the hill behind the bothy with just the belt kit. Came back with a shemagh full of dry kindling on my shoulder and was going back for another load when a guy in cycle gear but no bike comes out of the woods onto the track..
"Oh! umm Hello.. is there a bothy around here?"
According to the guest book the place has been pretty busy the last couple of months, a convoy of 4x4's, a family of five and a half drowned DofE group to mention just a few. There's also a rumour that the Loch Ness monster is holidaying in one of the fords and has a taste for land rover tyres.
Friday an early start at the crack of dawn and the run home. Fourteen miles with only enough supplies left for two coffees and a cold lunch of cheese & crackers. On the plus side it's mostly down hill well sort of and my pack was a bit lighter. The weather held somewhere between overcast & fine drizzle, cool but not cold and the miles just kept rolling by without the need to keep tanking up. Stopped at the bottom end of the reservoir by the sheep pen and finished off the last of the food before heading up over the moor in search of ham roll from the local café. Half three I was sated in the train station taking a nap waiting for the train. Had the weather gone either way it would of been a different story catching the later train with my stomach growling loud enough to scare people.
Saturday I was paying heavily for my stupidity with my ankle taped up and limping around the house trying to discover where SWMBO has hidden the painkillers this time around between raiding the fridge and waiting for my third bacon butty to cook.
Would of posted this sooner but been zonked out.
Overslept missing the early train out of Carmarthen and forgot the Royal Welsh show was on. So ended up crammed onto the 9 o'clock with what smelt like every day tripper between Pembroke Dock and Llanwrtyd Wells. Not surprisingly the train was also running late being almost noon before I finally stepped off the tarmac onto the bridleway and was gifted dappled sunshine, a cool breeze and hedge full of wild raspberries by the forest sprites. Either that or heatstroke was getting to me.
Despite having the light pack loadout it was way to hot to get any real pace going, stopping at every stream to refill my canteen over the course of four miles I drank three litres of water. Waves of warm air rolled up the valley sides as I climbed higher and when they lulled for a moment it felt like your skin would blister despite dripping with sweat from the waist up and covered in dew from the waist down by wet grass. Not being able to see the path didn't exactly help either!
Several wheeze breaks and some hours later made it to the reservoir only to find my favourite shore-side spot occupied by two car loads of teenagers staying the night so disappeared into the woods to perform the required rites of the brew ceremony, ritual drowning of smelly socks and burnt offerings. The climax of evening being the leap of faith into the hammock.
Midnight the kids were still partying hard so quieted them down by howling at the moon for ten minutes and let their paranoia do the rest. I guess I must of started snoring at some point in the night and that noise would scare a grizzly as it resonated across the valley, come first light they sure left in hurry.
Nine relatively easy miles and a bit of exploring later wandered up to the bothy to find the kettle already on and two lads on motorbikes drying out in the afternoon sunshine. The loan of my cookset solved the impending argument of who got to eat the pasta boiling in the kettle first and recieved two tins of cold lager in return. As the day cooled off they headed home, I grabbed the bow-saw and went looking for a tree. Thankfully did not need to go far having found half a one previous visitors had started. I would of taken the resident felling axe but some swine had used the handle for kindling.
Thursday was a rest day of sorts, it's tempting to just sit by the fire relaxing but if my ankle seized up I'd be somewhat screwed getting back to civilisation so after breakfast left my pack and set off to explore the hill behind the bothy with just the belt kit. Came back with a shemagh full of dry kindling on my shoulder and was going back for another load when a guy in cycle gear but no bike comes out of the woods onto the track..
"Oh! umm Hello.. is there a bothy around here?"
According to the guest book the place has been pretty busy the last couple of months, a convoy of 4x4's, a family of five and a half drowned DofE group to mention just a few. There's also a rumour that the Loch Ness monster is holidaying in one of the fords and has a taste for land rover tyres.
Friday an early start at the crack of dawn and the run home. Fourteen miles with only enough supplies left for two coffees and a cold lunch of cheese & crackers. On the plus side it's mostly down hill well sort of and my pack was a bit lighter. The weather held somewhere between overcast & fine drizzle, cool but not cold and the miles just kept rolling by without the need to keep tanking up. Stopped at the bottom end of the reservoir by the sheep pen and finished off the last of the food before heading up over the moor in search of ham roll from the local café. Half three I was sated in the train station taking a nap waiting for the train. Had the weather gone either way it would of been a different story catching the later train with my stomach growling loud enough to scare people.
Saturday I was paying heavily for my stupidity with my ankle taped up and limping around the house trying to discover where SWMBO has hidden the painkillers this time around between raiding the fridge and waiting for my third bacon butty to cook.
Would of posted this sooner but been zonked out.
