Day 161: Aberystwyth to Borth

A glance through the dark window confirms the ominous weather forecast — raging winds and torrential rain — not the time to catch a speculative bus south to fill in the last gap between New Quay and Llanrhystud. I pad through to the communal kitchen, brew a cuppa and crawl back into my cosy bed. I’ll check the weather later for a short walk north.

The rain is still falling as I head into town, hunkering down in Starbucks until it eases off. A fellow hiker recommended A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson, his account of attempting to walk the 2,200-mile Appalachian Trail. It’s hilarious, transforming me into one of those strange people, sitting alone in a public space, laughing to themselves. Well, when you get past a certain age, who cares?

There’s a break in the rain, so I sit down next to the door and put on my muddy wet weather gear, which is never a speedy operation. After a little while, the manager comes across to ask if I’m ok, code for “You’re scaring my customers away!”.

Homeless people are sheltering from the foul weather against a rather poignant backdrop.

The Royal Pier, the first pier to open in Wales in 1865, is losing the battle against the sea.

Beneath the dark clouds, I follow the local tradition of “kicking the bar” — now fashionably darn-bombed — for good luck.

A tough climb up Constitution Hill provides great views over the town.

This section packs several steep climbs into a short distance. Cresting another hill, the magnificent landscape opens up; one of those perfect moments that take your breath away. A ribbon of houses in Borth holding the line against the surging sea beneath a snow-capped Cadair Idris. Despite the howling wind, I sit and let it all wash over me.

One final climb.

Borth has character but is a ghost village at the moment, with a single high street battered by the wind and sea.

There’s an hour before the train back to Aberystwyth. I’d hoped to explore the ancient submerged forest, circa 1500 BC, but the tide is in. There are worse places to while away the time than the attractive station platform, with sweeping views across the marshes and the river plain.