Nefyn Again: 72 miles of Caernarfon to Porthmadog with a bit missing in the middle

It was going to be a daunting prospect from the outset. Our initial plan was to try and walk 110 miles which would be the longest we had ever walked in our summer week on the Coastal Path. Factor in Covid, neither of us had done much training, a complete lack of familiarity with the area and we were taking on Terra Incognita. The only serious walking I'd done, other than the permitted local walking, had been the two days where we had filled in the gap in the Ceredigion walk as soon as the Covid restrictions were lifted. So were were badly prepared but I was holding our great things for my new boots and rucksack. I was sure that they would make all the difference and that the miles would just fly by. Same here - I had lost a toenail already from our weekend walks in July but my new Goretex trainers were going, I was convinced, to change the walking experience for my feet, which have basically lived in flip-flops since April.

We were staying in a very nice chalet near Caernarfon and both of us figured that because the Llyn isn't that long driving to start and end points wouldn't be too difficult. This was our first mistake. Well, second, if we consider that we thought new kit would make it easy. Well, maybe the third if we thought that the weather in Wales would be kind to us.

The first day was marvellous. The weather was perfect for walking, sunshine and a cooling breeze. We had wonderful views and as soon as we started to walk I felt amazing. There is something about the simplicity of just putting one foot in front of the other that frees up the mind from worries. We also had the great satisfaction of looking across to the Snowdonia side and know that we had walked it all the previous year. We ate up the miles and soon got to the end point and were amazed to see that we had walked over 12 miles. This week was just going to be SO EASY. Hubris, my friends, hubris.

Lloyd George's house which was sadly shut. He know my father, you know....and quite a lot of people's mothers, so it would seem.

We got up the next day rested and refreshed after our wholesome and abstemious evening (ahem...Helen had arrived with a variety of beers, lagers, cans of ready made gin and tonic, wine and champagne and we necked back quite a lot of it that first night. Please do not be fooled by Helen's "butter wouldn't melt" language here. We celebrated a successful start to the week with crisps, dip, alcohol with our supper and more alcohol after that) and set up the cars for the first full day of walking, this time on the North side of the peninsula, from Caernarfon to Trefor, a whopping 17 miler. We were confident. I would even go so far as to say ebullient and excited for the challenge. The previous day had been easy and my feet were in good shape for once. Plus the path was flat all the way and the vast majority of it was paved. Granted the weather was a bit iffy but we would be fine.

We set off and made good progress and then it started to rain. Proper Welsh rain that manages to hit you from all sides at once and in no time we were soaked. But the wind blew the worst of the rain clouds away and we dried off, popped in to see St Beuno's Well but neither of us felt the need for divine intervention and while we were tired we ended the day in good shape.

We were so proud of this. When we started this walking lark 5 years ago we thought 5 miles was a long way. And we were right, 5 miles is a long way. But we had smashed it out of the park and celebrated that night, on wholesome food and soft drinks and slept the sleep of the just.

Yeah, right. Who do you think you are fooling, Bracey?

The next day we drove back to Trefor and round to Nefyn, the end point for the day. Then back to Trefor. This was quite a detour inland as there was a bloody great big range of mountains that they sensibly didn't put a road through. So round we went and back again. and then started the walk. The first part was flat bit then we had to climb over this.

You can just see the path we had to walk up to get to the saddle between the mountain on the right and the centre in this photograph. It was hard, really hard but with many stops along the way we managed it and were treated with some jaw dropping views from the top. We only got lost the once. Rhian was very brave with a field of sheep (I'm not scared of sheep!) and even brave with a field of cows and we went home very smug to a healthful supper and an early night. Ha-di-ha-ha.

The next morning we woke to some bad weather but for the moment we were focused on the first activity of the day. We were going to be interviewed on Radio 4's Woman's Hour. the camp site manager let us unto the bar to use their free Wi-Fi. It was very trusting of us as the bar was unlocked but he must have realised that we are practically teetotal (!) and that his optics would be safe in our hands. The interview was great fun and I think we only said that we thought each other strange on first meeting the once. Jane Garvey wished us well because she had seen the weather forecast "and it is looking really, REALLY bad", she said.

At the end of the interview we packed up our stuff and headed to Nefyn, going the long way round the mountains, and on to Porth Colmon, a tiny inlet on the coast with an even smaller car park. We were on a roll, this was going to be brilliant. Then Hubris bit us in the arse. Back we drove to Nefyn, parked the car and stepped outside. The wind nearly blew us off our feet. We took one look at each other and decided that, while we wanted to walk the next section we didn't want to die doing it, and cancelled the day. A restorative bacon sandwich at the caffi gave us the strength to drive back along that road once again, buffetted by wind and aquaplaning through huge roadside puddles. I was terrified, just driving through it. Had the wind caught my waterproof trousers I would have been a blimp sailing into the sea. 'Hammer Time' and a shipping hazard all at the same time.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000m108

All of this meant that the next day we had to do the same drive, which was starting to get old. The hair pin bends were just as scary. And it was taking us almost an hour each way. But at least this time we managed to do the walk and had some stunning views along the way. The walk went through a golf course which gave me a much enjoyed chance to make off colour remarks about golfers whacking their balls. And for me to get into trouble for picking up a golf ball from the path and throwing it carelessly into the rough. And then stay silent when two golfers turned up in their buggy looking for it. We managed to surpass ourselves in our idiocy and lost the coastal path ON A BEACH. We realised after a little while but it still added 3 miles to our daily total.

Smugly, we could look at the dip in the mountains and crow that we had walked it. Which we did, at every chance we got and to every person that we spoke to. And who could blame us, it had been a hell of a walk.

The next day was to turn out to be a tough one, Llanbedrog to Llanystumdwy. On paper it is an easy walk, flat and very pleasant, but once again the weather intervened. Storm Francis, this time. By lunchtime we reached Pwllheli utterly soaked through and dejected. Thank god for a fabulous burger and chips in the pub and the taxi back to Llanbedrog! We had managed half the walk. I stopped off in the local Spar to top up our supply of wine, crisps and dip... My waterproof, winter season boots were proving to be oddly sponge like. I was soaking up the rain like it was going out of style. Amazingly I was blister free at the end of the day. My guidebook was turning into papier-mâché . So was Rhian's and hers was in her rucksack, under a rain cover. You know that you have been totally soaked when you take your face mask out of your pocket you can wring it out! I didn't want the alcohol, obviously but joined her so she didn't have to drink alone.

We were stupidly happy and stupidly wet as we stood in the beach huts at Llanbedrog. They were infectiously jolly.

Our final walk, from Pwllheli to Llanystumdwy proved to be a fabulous experience despite my gammy ankle. A beautiful beach backed by the mountains in the distance, cetaceous creatures close in to shore putting on a wonderful display, and even a lime and soda in a beer garden to finish, then lunch overlooking the marina. What made the dolphin show even more wonderful was a group of tourists who must have been staying in the local campsite. Every time the dolphin leapt out of the water they whooped with excitement. It was all rather wonderful. They were so excited in a totally open hearted way. We hadn't quite managed our 110 mile target, but we had struggled womanfully through some awful weather and some tough walking. Our mantra, our belief that despite things looking rough there was always something at the end to cheer you up was once again proved correct. And a glass or two of champagne is a cure for many ills.

We decided to dedicate this series of walks to the memory of our dear friend Jeremy Williams who died earlier this year and to try and raise money for charity. Given our age we called the walks Crones for Crohn's. We have been overwhelmed by the generosity of people. One of the great joys of the internet and social media is that you get to meet some wonderful people and one such person is the irrepressible and talented Jean Latham Robinson. We have never met in real life but she is a wonderful person and while I was away she sent me this. Just plain fantastic! Thank you so much! If anyone is confused as to why I am dressed as a banana, you should read the Carmarthen walks. If anyone would like to donate to the charity, please click on the link below.

https://www.justgiving.com/team/Crones?invite=true