85. Borth – Aberystwyth

85. Borth – Aberystwyth

 

Distance: 5.4 miles

Max Altitude: 99 m

Min Altitude: 3 m

Height Gain: 239 m

Height Loss: 264 m

A perfect night’s sleep was had at Pen y Graig. It’s not often I get uninterrupted sleep in camp but this was one of those rare occasions. Before I left, I had a ‘put the world to rights’ chat with Wendy and Dylan, the owners. They even donated to my Pancreatic Cancer UK fund too. I couldn’t have met nicer people. But it was then time to bid yet another sad farewell. 

I made my way out of Pen y Graig with Aberdyfi peeking out in the distance.

And from there it was a walk right on the cliff edge. 

A kestrel soared on the edge of the cliff, surveying its prey.

The terrain stretched out like a creased blanket ahead of me. It was the perfect weather to be experiencing the Wales Coast Path, with a blue sky to accompany it. 

 

The descents were brutal. I came down one particularly steep slope and two men were repairing the path. 

“You know this hill here is called The Beast, don’t you”, said one.

“I can see why”, I said.

I was thankful I was going down it rather than climbing up it, but my knees felt somewhat differently.

In a while I heard a noise. Two young mountain bikers were behind me itching to come past. Without so much as an ‘excuse me’ they streaked around me and down the next slope. Hmm.

Lunch and water was had at this spot, the location of an old lime kiln.

And then it was onwards. I could see Aberystwyth peeping out from beyond the headland, beckoning me.

Everywhere I looked was gorgeous. Nature at its best, unspoilt, raw.

But then…

I ended up next to the Clarach estuary, the location of a couple of holiday parks, including static caravans and amusements arcades and the like. Not my idea of a holiday but each to their own. 

Then I walked past this sign…

…because nothing says ‘Happy Holidays!’ more than a DNA tracking system, eh? 

So, I ascended out of 1984 and onto Constitution Hill where I could look at Aberystwyth in all its glory from above. What a view. 

I kicked the bar at the bottom of ‘Consti’ (this is something you must do in Aber, according to a text from my mum…a further Google search confirmed it to be true), and made a beeline for the nearest pub where I spoilt myself. 

The evening was spent mooching, writing and rehydrating. I think I had a slight heatstroke too. But one thing I couldn’t complain about was that view.

2 thoughts on “85. Borth – Aberystwyth

  1. I remenber this stretch as being challenging but gorgeous. Did you notice the causeway? Somewhere along there (by a white house in the middle of nowhere) it stretches all the way to Atlantis (possibly!).

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