Following my trip across the South-west Peninsula Isthmus in 2016, I had the thought, once COVID restrictions were eased, of walking across Wales – from the point where the English border lies at it’s most westwards to the point where the coastline curves most inwards – in a single day.
There are a couple of similar established routes, although none join up my chosen start and finish points. There is an event called the “Across Wales Walk” which is in it’s sixtieth year, and the similarly named “Rotary Across Wales Walk” which has also been around for a long time. Both routes, like mine, are roughly 46 miles in length. Runners have also done the distance, including someone called Harry Morgan whose video gives a good impression of the countryside and difficulties that can crop up, such as when trying to navigate Forestry Commission land (minute 14 of his video).
My route is a work in progress. I’m writing this because I tried to complete the task a few days ago, but had to quit after 48 miles, because of wayfinding and blister problems, the latter meaning that for several days afterwards I couldn’t walk (or run) even a short distance with any comfort.
I’ve attempted my route three times – May 2021, June 2022 and June 2023 – plus a small exploratory trip in early June 2022 to establish exactly where the border was.
In May 2021 I tried the route starting at the Borth end, reaching as far inland as just across the Afon Rheidol. Some open mountain land I’d chosen turned out to be difficult walking and my slow progress and lack of physical fitness was going to necessitate bivying*, but I didn’t fancy waking up in the rain which was forecast, so took roads via Ponterwyd, including an amazingly quiet A44, to Aberystwyth instead and then buses and trains back home to Warwickshire. 30 miles walked.
[* A ‘bivy’ is a simple bag which one crawls inside, preferably with a sleeping bag, to shelter from the elements. The better ones are made of a breathable but still rainproof fabric which reduces interior condensation. The advantage is that they are small and light to carry. The main disadvantage is that interior condensation can mean waking up damp].
In June 2022 I made an exploratory journey to the eastern end to work out exactly where the border point was. The little stream on the border is at the bottom of a grassy field. There’a a path through the woodland behind it which allows access to the point, although I confess to doing some gate hopping and technically, I suppose, a trespass, although a harmless one.
A few days later I set off to Newtown again to walk my route heading westwards instead. Starting at the railway station does add an additional 7¾-miles to the walk, but I didn’t really mind. On this occasion it was memorable for an abandoned child’s toy – a Piglet – lying in a tree cavity along the way. I sat the thing up in a better position so that it could see and be seen by passers-by.
The westwards walk had to be abandoned because of route difficulties. A hillside I chose to walk over turned out to be swamped in tall bracken and a forestry track I’d planned to take was too difficult to access. In spite of being a map-marked bridle path, the way was heavily overgrown and marshy – bike wheels had cut through the fragile peat in places leaving expanding, water-filled gashes that made passage difficult. I did manage to bypass this section eventually, but to whole business was time consuming and tiring. On reaching Llanidloes, having walked 25 miles, I called it a day and returned home by bus and train. This had been a sponsored walk, and in spite of not completing the intended route the donors remained generous.
My latest effort was one week ago (June 21-22, 2023). Setting off again from Newtown, the first few miles went easily on this now familiar section. Piglet was sadly gone. However, as the hours went by problems began to set in. Most importantly, the footwear I’d chosen – expensive Gore-Tex hiking shoes – turned out not to be up to the job. Water from dew-soaked grass and vegetation got in quickly, and in these wet shoes (and not the best choice of socks) blisters developed – I could feel them under my toes.
I persevered for forty miles to reach the Hafren Forest, but here the route-finding was more difficult than I expected, and I simply couldn’t find a viable way through – taking wrong turns a couple of times added to the miles. Even with sore and aching feet, I had still intended to carry on and looked forward to the reward of a paddle in the waves at Borth. However, the forest defeated me. One possible track may have allowed me to exit the trees, but being low on water and having taken other false leads, didn’t want to risk another costly traipse, so turned and walked the nine miles back to Llanidloes. At the point I turned around there was a broken bolt lying on the ground – I picked it up as a souvenir, with the idea of returning it on my next expedition.
With hindsight, having to stop was a good thing. My blisters turned out to be quite bad, including large ones that I hadn’t realised were developing on the insides of my heels, and the skin was being rubbed off the top of my left big toe. While walking one is partially numbed to the pain, making one think things aren’t quite so bad. My feet would have been in an awful mess if I had carried on to Borth.
Total distance walked: 48 miles, with 5,560 feet (1700 m) of climb. (Strava data.)
I arrived too late in the evening to catch the last bus, so made myself as comfortable as I could in the bus shelter and passed the night listening to an audiobook, taking a couple of very brief naps and going for short walks. Next morning got the 06:30 bus to Welshpool, trains to Leamington Spa and a final bus home.
Uncomfortable and cold in the bus shelter and with aching feet, I had firmly decided that I would never attempt such a walk again. On getting home, after studying maps and thinking about problems encountered, I immediately made plans to return! First there will be one or two exploratory walks to sort out the problem sections, then (2024?) the whole thing in one go, and finally having that paddle in the sea at Borth.
Postscript …. re.: JOURNAL OF A WOULD-BE RUNNER. Still wary of the patella tendonitis I experienced, so holding back until 16 July to give the cartilage a good amount of time to settle and strengthen.
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