Wonderful Walks: Afternoon Strolls & Epic Tramps

It's my dad's birthday today. He does a lot of walking and this summer, just before I leave for the Grand Tour, he's taking on the Three Peaks Challenge. So I got thinking about which walks I love and which walks I'd love to try. Here's a few.

Tried & Tested

For which read: I, my dad or someone else I know and trust has walked it and liked it. As such, these are mostly in the UK. Naught wrong with loving your home country!

Viking Way, Lincolnshire & Rutland

I'd have liked to have picked just one part of this long-distance footpath which runs from Barton-upon-Humber in the north to Oakham in the south, but there's just too many nice bits. Try out the northern end for a nice stroll from the Humber bank or head a bit further south to the extent of my Viking Way experience and take a ramble through the rural Lincolnshire villages of Donington-on-Bain, Goulceby and Scamblesby. My favourite part though is the tramp over the hill between Walesby and Tealby - you can see for miles from up there and you might even catch sight of some Lincolnshire Long Wool sheep. Funny critters.

Snowdon, Gwynedd

The highest peak in Wales (and second highest in the UK) and yet a surprisingly easy climb. Now, you could cheat and take the train either up or down, but where's the fun in that? I'm told the easiest climb is the one I took with my family a few years back and that starts in the little town of Llanberis. From here the path follows the railway most of the way to the top. Be warned, the first section up out of the town is possibly the steepest! Don't let it put you off. You'll be rewarded with amazing views, providing the weather holds out.

Be aware that, as with most mountainous areas, the weather up Snowdon can change quickly. Be prepared.

Flamborough Head, Yorkshire

This headland sticks out into the North Sea and as such can get a bit wild, but catch it on a good day and it makes for a beautiful walk. Start at any car park and just go for a stroll. It's very hard to get lost - just follow the cliff edge round!

If the tide is out, head down to the beach at North Landing and do some exploring. It's a long time since I went down there, but I'm pretty sure there's a couple of small caves. Just be careful and don't go getting cut off by the tide.

Lyke Wake Walk, Yorkshire

Enjoyment isn't necessarily a factor in this challenging walk. While the others above can be done in any timescale, this 40 mile tramp across the North Yorkshire Moors must be completed in 24 hours to really count. My sister managed it with a group from school a few years ago and while she was tired and aching by the time she finished, I'm sure she was pretty proud of herself for managing it.

Uluru Base Walk, Northern Territory, Australia

Uluru (also: Ayers Rock) is a magical place. A huge lump of rock rearing out of the desert, cast in beautiful light by the setting sun...

Yeah, so we know Uluru is awesome and you should see it yourself. If you do, don't just stick around for sunset/sunrise. Take a walk around the base to get a better grasp of just how special the area is. It's sacred to the traditional owners, the Anangu and every nook and cranny of this massive rock is rich with stories from the Dreamtime. I'd suggest going with a guide to make the most of the myths - there are, if I recall, some info boards, but a guide will go into so much more detail.

Just be aware that it gets very hot in Australia's Red Centre. Temperatures regularly hit the high 30s (Celsius, not Fahrenheit) and it's very dry. Take plenty of water and wear a hat.

Daydreams

For which read: long tramps in (mostly) foreign climes that I haven't done.

Tongariro Alpine Crossing, New Zealand

When I found out Dad was going to do the Three Peaks Challenge, I decided I needed to do some sort of challenge walk while on my Grand Tour around the world. Now, I enjoy walking, but I'm a bit out of practice so I'm not about to leap into the Inca Trail. The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, on the other hand, is a one day tramp across New Zealand's Tongariro National Park and is about 12 miles in total. Of course, it's up and down over weird volcanic landscapes, but I figure I could do that. Just have to hope that the weather is better than when I first visited Tongariro...

Overland Track, Tasmania, Australia

One of Australia's great walks, this trail winds through Tasmania's western wilderness, from Cradle Mountain to Lake St Clair. Here's Cradle Mountain, hiding in the cloud.

Of course, that was in winter and the track is most popular in the summer when the weather's a bit better. That said, I've seen how quickly the weather changes in Tasmania and I wouldn't trust it to stay nice. I'm considering doing it though - Tasmania's such a beautiful place and this seems like a great way to do a bit more exploring.

Three Peaks Challenge, UK

This exists in a few forms in the UK. There's the National Three Peaks, where walkers climb the three highest mountains in the country - Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike and Snowdon. The challenge here is to walk it (including transport between the mountains) in 24 hours. Sounds like a spoiled walk to me.

There's also the Yorkshire Three Peaks, which includes roughly the same distance walking, but less climbing and takes in the mountains of Whernside, Ingleborough and Pen-y-ghent in the Yorkshire Dales. The challenge is to complete it in 12 hours. This is the one my dad's going to do in the summer and I'm sure it'll be fantastic.

However, I'm rather inclined to agree with the great Alfred Wainwright:

Some people have chosen to regard the walk as a race, and this is to be greatly regretted. Walking is a pleasure to be enjoyed in comfort

Looks like a really nice walk, though. I'll have to try it myself one day.

Appalachian Trail, USA

Perhaps the queen of long distance tramps and certainly one of the best known, this trail runs from Maine all the way to Georgia, a total of about 2,200 miles. I can't begin to imagine the challenge of walking this all in one go but it's been done and must rank as one of the ultimate walking challenges. As for me, I wouldn't mind trying out a few sections. After all, it looks to pass through some really beautiful country.

Inca Trail, Peru

Famous for leading to the magnificent ruins of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes, the Inca Trail runs through beautiful wilderness and in places follows the original Inca routes through the mountains and forests. It's incredibly popular, so numbers are limited to protect the track. I'd really like to do this one day, but I think for now I'll settle for just seeing Machu Picchu. I don't fancy the idea of getting partway down the trail and falling ill with altitude sickness. Much better to have that happen when I'm nearer civilisation. Say, Cuzco?

So, there's a few options there - shorter walks in the UK to multi-day hikes across the world. I'd love to know if any of my readers has done any of the longer treks!

Where are your favourite hiking destinations? Do you dream of undertaking one of the world's great walks or have you already done it? Share in the comments below.

Wales: Buzzy Baldrick and Stingy Steve

Our final 2 days in Wales began with drizzle on the Thursday. We made first for Hay-on-Wye for a second visit in order to check out the market there. All sorts of local produce on offer, including some lovely preserves that my sister brought back as presents. With the rain seemingly persistent and the dogs not really enjoying it we popped into the Secret Garden Tea Room for a nice warming hot chocolate and slice of bara brith, a Welsh fruit bread that's most delicious.

Suitably warmed up, we had a further wander round the market and then we headed into one of the bookshops, dogs in tow. The dogs loved the fact they were allowed into the bookshops. Henry took me on a tour of this particular one, though what he was looking for I'm not sure. Probably his big sister, who had gone upstairs with my mum.

Books bought, we left Hay with the weather clearing slightly. Drove back to Talgarth, the little village we were staying near to have a look around. Initially, we set out for a walk, seeing as the clouds were breaking up a bit. Unfortunately we couldn't find the path and looking back towards the village we noticed the clouds coming back in and settling in the valley. Indeed, they seemed to have settled right down between the hills, hiding the upper part of the village.

We decided trying to find the path wasn't worth getting soaked for, so we headed back to the village and had a look around a couple of the shops. Lovely little deli there which has flavoured oils and vinegars on tap, plus a lovely selection of local produce. Bought my dad some local honey, plus some cake for tea. Mmm.

We also checked out Talgarth Mill which was recently renovated and re-opened to the public. We didn't go around the mill itself, but there's a nice little cafe and a shop selling flour from the mill. Sat outside with a nice cuppa. My sister had some sort of juice which attracted the inevitable wasps. She nicknamed them Buzzy Baldrick, Stingy Steve and Evil Ed. Oh dear.

Mum and sister checked out the little shop while I kept an eye on the dogs - later turned out sister had bought me a bread kit complete with flour from the mill. Can't wait to test it out.

And then yet another nice lazy evening. The cake I bought from the little deli was delicious.

Our final day in Wales was the wettest yet, to the point that we spent the entire morning lounging in the cottage. The dogs weren't bothered and I have to admit it was quite nice to have a morning of nothing - the first I've had in quite a while.

When the rain finally stopped we headed back to Brecon and this time managed to take a walk along the Monmouthshire & Brecon canal as we'd planned earlier in the week. Kinda muddy, but the path is well maintained so you could avoid the puddles. The dogs hate getting wet so it was funny watching them trying to pick their way through the less wet bits of the path.

Walked the 2 miles from the head of the canal in Brecon down to the Brynich Lock, the first out from Brecon. Timed it right to catch a narrow boat going through the lock. Reminded us of the time we took a canal holiday. More than a decade ago, that was. Jeez...

Anyhoo, we'd done 2 miles by that point and with it still being a bit damp we turned back to Brecon to save the dogs getting too cold. Grabbed a cuppa at the Coracle cafe in the town centre and then headed back to Talgarth. Stopped off at the Castle Hotel to grab some takeaway for tea. Delicious sausage and chips, fresh out of the fryer since they'd only just opened when we got through the door. Good stuff and pretty reasonably priced - I always expected this sort of thing to be expensive because it's relatively cheap in Grimsby.

And then it rained some more and we had a final lazy evening.

A lovely week in Wales, despite the occasional issue with the weather. And proof that going on holiday with dogs shouldn't limit your options.

For part 1 of the trip, go here: Cake, Sun & Travelling with Dogs
For part 2, go here: Sunburn and Hill Forts

Wales: Sunburn and hill forts

Back on with the Wales recap! If you're interested in the first one (which covers Brecon and Hay-on-Wye) you can find it HERE.

Tuesday, our third day in the Brecon Beacons, started with a bit of a mishap in misreading the map and heading towards Abergavenny instead of the Brecon Beacons National Park Visitor Centre. A very scenic detour it was, though, and we got there eventually.

The Visitor Centre is located at Mynydd Illtyd, an area of common land with great views of Pen y Fan, the tallest mountain in the Beacons. Grabbed a drink and a slice of millionaires shortbread from the cafe and basked in the sunshine for a bit before getting some tips from the very helpful ladies in the shop regarding good walks.

We were pointed in the direction of the Twyn y Gaer hill fort at the northern end of the common with the promise of brilliant 360 degree views. It had, by this point, turned into quite a hot, clear day and the dogs were already struggling a bit in the heat. Kept pouring water on them to keep them a bit cooler.

It was an easy walk up to the fort, of which there is very little left. You can see why it was chosen though - the views, as promised, are amazing. Pen y Fan, off to the east.

Views north up the valley towards Brecon.

And more of the Beacons to the west.

The dogs loved it. Indeed, Henry was so relaxed (and maybe just a little bit tired and warm) that he laid down for a quick snooze.

Oh, and there were some sheep. I really want to get a shot of the sheep that seemed to be creeping up on us through the bracken, but she ran away before I could get my camera out. Here they are enjoying the shade under this old tree instead.

Anyways, we lounged around at the fort for an hour, forgetting how clear it was and then headed back down to the Visitor Centre, where we ate our packed lunch outside the cafe. My sister treated us to ice cream and even the dogs got a little bit - licking out the empty tubs. It must have been good - they were giving me the gooey eyes even after they'd had their faces in my tub.

Then it was back to the cottage for a nice relaxed evening and the realisation that we'd all got sunburnt. Oops.

The next day dawned with tender shoulders where we'd all caught the sun and another directional mishap on our way to the Waterfalls Centre on the southern edge of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Turns out the mishap wasn't much of a mishap and probably took us a much more scenic route than the one my mum had planned on taking.

It took us up over the top of the Beacons towards Penderyn, through beautiful uplands dotted with sheep and the occasional mountain pony. I also spotted some sort of bird of prey, but I'm still struggling to identify what it was - grey, possibly with a black tipped tail. I think I've got it down to a peregrine, goshawk or (highly unlikely) hen harrier. Will never know.

Brief stop at Penderyn to check we were heading the right way (which we were) and then onwards to Pontneddfechan and the Waterfall Centre. Ended up not going into the centre, but headed straight up the River Neath to see the waterfalls. After the hot sun the day before, it was lovely to be able to walk in the shade for a while. Really peaceful and occasionally hilarious watching the dogs trying to avoid the puddles.

First of the falls was Sgwd Gwladys. Plenty of people enjoying the water, but I imagine it must be amazing when it's quieter.

And then onwards up a narrowing path to the next set of falls. The path up to Sgwd Gwladys is a bit uneven but probably accessible with a pushchair. After that, the path gets riddled with tree roots, narrow and quite steep and/or muddy in places. Very pretty though.

Made it up to the next falls, which are showing up as Horseshoe Falls on GoogleMaps, but I seem to recall them having a Welsh name too... Anyway, there were quite a few people enjoying the sun there too - there's a big chunk of bare rock next to the river that was catching all the heat.

Nice view up the river towards the next falls too. We decided against going up to those - the dogs were getting tired from all the scrambling their little legs were having to do and we were in need of a drink.

Headed instead back the way we came and then to the Angel Inn for a drink and something to eat. Lovely blueberry muffins that we then had to defend from some very persistent wasps. The dogs enjoyed themselves - they got fussed over by a couple of slightly tipsy Welshmen who seemed to be fascinated by them.

Refreshed, we started heading back to the cottage for the evening but found ourselves making a quick detour to Garwnant Visitor Centre for a cuppa. Some gorgeous views from there as well, none of which I managed to snap. So there's this one instead. Sun! In Wales! For the second day on the trot!

Yeah, I was impressed.

The day came to a glorious end with my first ever sighting of the Perseid meteor shower. The Brecon Beacons are a Dark Sky Reserve, so combined with the weather being clear and the moon being new, the views were amazing. Standing outside at 11pm staring at the sky shouldn't be so amazing, but seeing those meteors streak across the sky is one hell of an experience.

Find part 1 of my Wales trip here: Cake, sun and travelling with dogs

Wales: Cake, sun and travelling with dogs...

First holiday of the summer: Wales with my mum, sister and my mum's two adorable dachshunds.

It started... not badly, but, well, getting stuck at Hopwood Services for an hour while Mum was stuck in traffic on the M6 is not the ideal start to a holiday. Worse for Mum, bless her, trapped on the motorway with two fidgetty dogs in the back.

Got going eventually though and after a nice scenic drive into Wales, we made our way up the narrow winding road to our cottage at Berth Fedw Farm in the hills above Talgarth. Gorgeous views across the valley and some lovely sheep in the field at the back, which Poppy (the older dachshund) promptly tried to say hello to by squeezing through the fence. Good job I hadn't let her off the lead...

Holiday proper started with a super lazy morning and then a short drive to Brecon, a lovely little market town. It was rather damp, but having the dogs with us it was a bit difficult to find anywhere we could go inside. So instead, the rain having stopped, we sat outside Cariad Cakes and had a lovely cup of tea and a very yummy cupcake each.

Most delicious. The weather still wasn't looking great, but we decided to try for a walk along the Brecon-Monmouth Canal anyway.

Of course, at that point it decided to rain on us so we turned back towards the car park. Passed these lovely little canal-side cottages on the way.

Brightened up again, typically, as we reached the car park so we decided to brave it again and this time head out along the river. Turns out the riverside path opens out into a nice little parkland and the dogs got the chance to run around off the lead for a bit. Snapped this spooky looking old house while the pups made friends with another dog.

And then it was back to the cottage, up the winding roads for a lazy evening.

On the Monday we headed in the other direction to Hay-on-Wye, the town famous for its secondhand book shops. It piddled down for a large part of the morning, which we spent sheltering in the old Butter Market and Cheese Market Halls (recently restored, I'll have you know) and poking around in some of the lovely bookshops. This got even better when we found out the dogs were allowed in most of the bookshops as long as they behaved. Which they did, fortunately. Of course, Poppy then decided that since she was allowed in the bookshops, she must be allowed in all the shops...

Had lunch at Kilvert's pub - really nice, reasonably priced food. Drinks seemed a bit overpriced to me (£3.10 for a pint of Pepsi?!), but totally made up for with the grub. Plus the dogs were quite happy to sit outside with us and bark at anyone who went into the pub.

After lunch we had a little wander around the rest of the town centre and had a quick walk in the park behind Hay Castle.

Raided tourist information for a map and then toddled off down to the river for a nice little afternoon walk. Got a bit excited for a moment when I thought I'd seen a Red Kite, but it turned out to be a buzzard on closer inspection. Damnit. Gorgeous walk, though.

And then we returned to the cottage for the evening. Obviously.

Took the dogs out for a walk in the field and Poppy promptly rolled in some sort of shit. She loved it. Mum was not so impressed. Henry, the younger dog, was quite happy to just run around pretending he's still a puppy.

Must have been tired though, our Henry. He decided to play dead on the sofa when it was time to go to bed...