Siriol

Gear – Tent

16th May 2016 Siriol Comments 0 Comment

Choosing a tent turned out to be a bit more complicated than I had expected. A tent for a ten week expedition requires a bit more thought than a weekend in Glastonbury or a three day surfing trip to the Gower.

Walking Wales requires something that packs up small, and is light, inconspicuous and rugged. I’m going to be wild camping in all weathers and terrains so a barely-waterproof, neon pop-up tent with a packed size larger than my rucksack just wouldn’t do.

So after hunting around the internet, I had my eye on a few suitable candidates. But ultimately it really did come down to weight, size, and of course, price.

I have chosen the Snugpak Ionosphere ™ (yes it really does have a ™ in the title) as my home for the journey.

It’s light, takes a couple of minutes to pitch, packs up small and is waterproof. It was £129.00 from Outdoor GB, which I think is a bargain compared with other ultralight tents in the same category.

What more could a hiker want? A shorter name perhaps? Snugpak Ionosphere ™ is a bit of a mouthful so instead I’m christening him Clark Tent. I’m sure Clark and I will have many happy hours together in the driving rain come June 1st.

Gear – Footwear

13th May 2016 Siriol Comments 1 comment

After a suitable and well-fitting rucksack, my next major consideration was what to wear on my feet.

Last year I took some advice on trail and mountaineering footwear. I made the foolish mistake of listening and trusting someone else’s views instead of listening and trusting what my feet were telling me. The boots I bought as a result turned out to be a hellish nightmare. They pained my feet, made the soles burn and generally made me feel as though I was dragging a couple of lead clumps around on the bottom of my legs. They also altered my gait which led to me dislocating my left knee and further damaging my broken back (more on that delight another time). But for some bizarre reason, I soldiered on in them, up and down mountains here and there before finally giving up on them before Christmas.

The offending boots - Mammut Advanced GTX — The offenders – Mammut Advanced GTX (£150)

I have nothing against Mammut, which is a brand that makes great mountaineering clothing and gear. I’m sure that these boots have worked well for thousands of other feet. But that’s the point… those thousands of others feet are not my feet.

So, for Walking Wales I have been markedly more sensible when it has come to choosing footwear. I went with a make of shoe which took me around Wales and the Inca Trail for hundreds and hundreds of miles in 2013 and 2014. They were so comfortable, I wore them until the soles were dangling off. Not a single blister or hot spot or sore point were suffered in these and frankly, I was a fool to not get another pair sooner. Better late than never though.

Hi Tec Penrith = foot love — Hi Tec Penrith (£29)

For £121 cheaper than the Mammuts, I present the Hi Tec Penrith. It’s not always about the brand or the attached price tag. Never again will I let anybody tell me that more expensive means better. Yes, the Mammuts are Gore-Tex and they have this feature and that. But who cares if they tear your tootsies to shreds?? I’ll take my £29 set of Hi Tecs, thanks all the same. They may not be Gore-Tex and come with all the bells and whistles but my feet couldn’t be happier inside them, and ultimately, that’s all that counts.

(Since writing this post, I’ve since bought another two pairs of glorious Hi Tec Penriths in a fit of worry that they were going out of production!)

Gear – The Rucksack

11th May 2016 Siriol Comments 1 comment

My biggest consideration when I started to put the kit list together for this trek was undoubtedly the rucksack. Never before have I undertaken an expedition such as this, where I’d be trekking long distances daily for weeks on end; and also travelling alone, I might add. Previously, I’ve only mountaineered or hiked, at high altitude and in groups, meaning I’ve only ever had to carry a light pack. So Walking Wales is an entirely different beast.

A good quality rucksack is designed to distribute weight evenly, and also in the right places. A decent pack will minimise stress on the back and shoulders.

Being a small woman meant that my choice of appropriate rucksack was cut right down. Yes, there were plenty of female-specific packs about, but were there ones catering for us shorties too? Not really, no. My choice, after looking through scores of reviews by short female backpackers, eventually came down to two 65L packs, both by Osprey: the Aura AG 65 or the Ariel 65.

After reading up on the pros and cons of both, my heart was set on the Ariel – it had top and front access, a hydration chamber which loaded at the rear (thus avoiding my pet hate of having to stuff a bladder in through the main section of the pack), and was basically perfect and the pack for me. Going to fetch it from the shop was merely a formality.

But when I got to Cotswold Outdoor I thought I’d give them both a try.

So the assistant kindly measured me and fitted the Ariel pack specifically to my size (he diplomatically remarked that I was the most petite person he’d fitted). Then he started loading weight into it. 5…10….15….20…25 kilos went into the rucksack. And yes it felt a bit uncomfortable. It just didn’t sit right somehow. So out came the weights and off went the pack.

We then did exactly the same with the Aura AG 65, and oh my! Putting the Aura on was like getting a warm hug and gliding over a cloud at the same time. The weight inside it – half my own body weight – felt like nothing! Suddenly I could see why AG stood for “anti gravity”. All thoughts of getting the Ariel went out of the window immediately and I was sold on the Aura. To hell with carrying a bladder anyway, I’d carry a water bottle instead.

The Aura and I have a few long hikes under our belt already, and I have christened him Buddy because of the very friendly hip hugs he gives me. I can’t wait to hit the trail on June 1st with him on my back.

When Walking Wales is finished, I’ll write a review of how the pack held up after more than a 1000 miles worth of use.

Publicity! Cyhoeddusrwydd!

9th May 2016 Siriol Comments 0 Comment

Behold the first piece of publicity about my walk! It’s courtesy of “Y Dinesydd”, Cardiff’s Welsh language magazine.

Diolch yn fawr i’r Dinesydd am yr erthygl. Rwy’n gwerthfawrogi pob gair!

Erthygl Y Dinesydd

Why?

7th May 2016 Siriol Comments 0 Comment

The question I get asked more than any other when I tell people what I’m going to be doing come the 1st of June is – “why?”

And it’s a fair question.

Well, the idea first popped into my head on a Wednesday evening in early April. I had been needing a goal, something new to aim for. But what? I just didn’t know. And I had stopped thinking about it since before Christmas.

Then it came to me, BANG! I should walk around Wales. Wait, what? Yes, I really should walk around Wales! YES! From then on, the idea snowballed and snowballed until it became a reality.

The fact that I can use the walk to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer, just makes the journey truly purposeful.

Croeso – Welcome

1st May 2016 Siriol Comments 0 Comment

On the 1st of June 2016, I will be setting off on rather a long stroll: a complete anti-clockwise circumnavigation of Wales. The route will take in the entire Wales Coast Path and Offa’s Dyke Path. In total it’s a journey of around 1047 miles, give or take a few. It’s not about getting around the route as quickly as possible; I think it’ll take me between eight to ten weeks to finish it though.

My walk is dedicated to those with pancreatic cancer, and my father, who died from the disease in 2012. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to raise money and awareness of this little known yet deadly cancer. All donations are going to the charity Pancreatic Cancer UK.

Walking Wales is a pilgrimage.