At risk of missing my stop, I’m desperately trying to stay awake on the early morning bus to Cardigan and the official start of the Ceredigion Coast Path. On arrival, several men are ambling round town in shorts despite the freezing cold. I must be getting soft, betraying my Geordie roots.
The initial roadside walk is a little dull, with the exception of a fine viewpoint over the bay. Turning across the headland, cows have churned up the path, so I slip and slide through the claggy mud.
Approaching Mwnt, the iconic hill, beautiful sheltered beach and pretty whitewashed Church of the Holy Cross dispel my doubts about this section.
I can’t resist pushing open the heavy doors and peering into the old churches I pass; it’s lovely.
Another walker appears on the opposite edge of a valley. He’s tall, long-limbed, around my age, but moving quickly, easily covering the ground. This is his local coastline.
“You’ll have no problem with the path ahead. Well, there are a few climbs” he tells me, with a mischievous twinkle in his eye.
Yeah, right. That’s all very well coming from a gazelle.
The path is forced inland at Parcllyn as the MOD has appropriated the majestic headland for the testing of air-launched weapons and drones.
Aberporth and Tresaith are both pretty villages. The tide is in, but I manage to scramble across the rocks to enjoy the tumbling waterfall at Tresaith.
Dusk is approaching. I speed up to reach Penbryn, before turning inland to Sarnau for the bus back to Aberystwyth. There’s maintenance work planned on the toilets in our block, so I’m upgraded to a double room. Luxury!
Walk distance: 16 miles.
Total distance: 2,564 miles.
😎🤗