Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

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Verena
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Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Verena »

Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it in 7 easy steps:

1) Book some time off work either side of a weekend, carefully timed so that, riding anticlockwise round Pembrokeshire, there is a good chance of spotting some PanCeltic racers.
2) Arrange something during that time, so as to make sure that in your remaining window a) you will have missed the majority of PCR riders, and b) you catch the rainiest two days.
3) When packing, listen to some last minute advice from your spouse telling you that there's no need to bring a tent or tarp (the forecast is good (where?!?), and it's summer!).
4) Arrange to leave your car at your lovely lovely friends' place, let them question your sanity for ever choosing to sleep outside in a glorified binbag, and make you an offer too tempting, kind, and too rude not to accept, of coming to pick you up wherever your end up after two days of cycling.
5) Put your route onto your etrex, and be so confident it worked that you don't double check it's actually there before you leave the house.
6) Enjoy the wonderful opportunity to admire the scenery as you constantly stop to check your route on your phone.
7) Dress for summer – it is the middle of July after all

Result: 2 nice long days of cycling through beautiful Pembrokeshire (about 225km, 3618m climbing)
Nights spent away from home = 3
Nights spent outside = 0

More detailed report below (picture heavy) if you’re interested:

After a pleasant evening with my friends, being stuffed full of pizza and chocolate, I awoke to this at about 5.30. I don't know for long it had been sat there staring at me, but I had heard it licking its balls through much of the night.
ImageIMG_20210711_055607 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
I left the village of Pentrecagal, which means something like village of the clump of animal fur caked in dung (not a joke, something about it being on a drovers road), and on to Cilgerran castle, then Cardigan and an early morning shag (please don't spoil it by telling me it's a cormorant...), before finding the seat at Poppit Sands.
ImageIMG_20210711_083442 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210711_085744 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210711_085759 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210711_092046 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
It drizzled then rained then drizzled then rained again, and every time I took out my phone to check my route I wondered how much wetness it would be able to survive...
I got to Newport at what would have been a nice time for breakfast, but I was so wet and it was still so early that I worried that if I stopped, I might never start again. The valley around and behind Carn Ingli was just lovely, and when I got to Fishguard it brightened up just long enough for a little spot of early lunch and a photo.
ImageIMG_20210711_122821 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Finally a little detour to Abermawr presented itself, to justify taking the gravel bike. Amusingly, the bridleway got gradually wetter and wetter until it looked like this. There was a perfectly groomed path just above me to the left, of course :lol: , which I scrambled up to to walk to the beach, abandoning my bike at the bottom.
ImageIMG_20210711_134830 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210711_135048 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
I got to St Davids, dripping like a soaked rat, at mid afternoon. I stopped at a cafe, got a table outside, realized too late that I could and should have sat inside to stay warm, had some tea and bara brith, checked the weather forecast (heavy rain for the rest of the day and evening/night), and considered my options.
ImageIMG_20210711_153143 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
The youth hostel at Broad Haven was full. The thought of riding on for another four or five hours in the rain and then climbing into just a bivvy bag did not appeal. So I thought sod it and booked a room at the pub in Newgale.
ImageIMG_20210711_170924 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
They let me take my bike into the room, and that pint went straight to my head. My face covering made me laugh, it was soaked right through and the smell :shock: ! Not sure who would have been protected from what by that, but hey I followed the rules. After some food I had a little walk on the beach then retired to my room. What a waste! It's not even as though there was anything interesting to watch on the telly (this was Sunday night)!
Next morning I went on in just light drizzle, via Nolton Haven which I really liked, to Broadhaven, where I was quite pleased with my haul for breakfast.
ImageIMG_20210712_073304 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210712_081243 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210712_081754 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Pembroke Castle is always lovely, and this time I didn't get as frustrated as last time trying to find my way through. Here is also the closest I got to any PanCeltic action, when a lady asked me outside tescos if I was one of the riders. We had a great chat, her and her son had been avidly dotwatching, and she's just got herself a gravel bike, is doing Lon Las later this year, and was definitely tempted to give PCR a go one year :-bd
ImageIMG_20210712_112448 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
I headed out west to Freshwater West, where in my dreams I would have spent the night in my bivvy. Having spent the morning playing cat and mouse with the rain (rain starts - coat on- rain stops - coat off - rain starts - repeat) I managed to cheat it by quickly taking coat off then putting it straight back on, so my sandwiches almost stayed dry if a little moistened.
ImageIMG_20210712_121947 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Dropping down to Stackpole Quay and Barafundle bay was definitely worth it, and it's a lovely NT tea room which reminded me of Watersmeet in Devon many many years ago - and I made it back up the hill afterwards without pushing!
ImageIMG_20210712_134110 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210712_135557 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Nearly there folks, promise! Nice view over Caldey Island, then through Tenby, where an old lady threw herself down onto the pavement in front of me, and for a brief moment us first on the scene were horrified when a puddle of dark red liquid poured out around her, which turned out to be a broken bottle of red wine :lol:
ImageIMG_20210712_152917 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210712_224521 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Saundersfoot was packed, and the fish and chips I had hoped for only took cash, so I had to make do with a pasty
ImageIMG_20210712_165230 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210712_174934 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
Nice bit of coast path, and then from Amroth I headed inland to Narberth, where I phoned a friend who picked me up and gave me a lift in style.
Bit of slate porn to finish for Reg and those others of you similarly afflicted ones. Something to do with the Landsker line, slate from Blaenau Ffestiniog, not sure about the connection....
ImageIMG_20210712_204735 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
ImageIMG_20210712_202651 by Verena Zimmer, on Flickr
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RIP
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by RIP »

Very nice that V. Bet the red wine episode was a bit of a worry though.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

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Bearlegged
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Bearlegged »

It certainly horrified me.
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Verena
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Verena »

She was fine, if that's what you meant. Bit of a sit down and rearranging her pride and she went on her way, declining all offers of assistance.

If it's my trip report that horrified you, then I'm sorry :wink:
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

All seems perfectly in keeping - good work. :-bd

I shall do my best not to keep you awake by licking my balls next week.
May the bridges you burn light your way
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psling
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by psling »

:-bd :wink:
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
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Verena
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Verena »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 7:40 am All seems perfectly in keeping - good work. :-bd

I shall do my best not to keep you awake by licking my balls next week.
I'll bring earplugs then and sleep upwind from you :wink:
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by RIP »

Verena wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 11:10 pm If it's my trip report that horrified you, then I'm sorry :wink:
:grin:

I'm seriously impressed that Stu can lick his own balls. Must be very supple or double-jointed. A good party trick I feel.
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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benp1
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by benp1 »

:-bd
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Bearbonesnorm
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Bearbonesnorm »

I'm seriously impressed that Stu can lick his own balls. Must be very supple or double-jointed. A good party trick I feel.
I keep them in my pocket. It's not as impressive as it first sounds.

Image
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psling
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by psling »

Pembrokeshire is a stunningly beautiful county, isn't it. I'm pleased you managed to get to ride it.
If it makes you feel better V, I spent one afternoon and night between Fishguard and St. Davids in continuous heavy rain and force 10 winds :shock:
Great photos above, brings back great memories; it's surprising how many are taken from very similar spots to some I have :cool:
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
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psling
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by psling »

Bearbonesnorm wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 9:35 am
I'm seriously impressed that Stu can lick his own balls. Must be very supple or double-jointed. A good party trick I feel.
I keep them in my pocket. It's not as impressive as it first sounds.

Image
Well, Uncle Joe seems happy with the arrangement.... :lol:
We go out into the hills to lose ourselves, not to get lost. You are only lost if you need to be somewhere else and if you really need to be somewhere else then you're probably in the wrong place to begin with.
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Verena
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Verena »

...and off my mind wanders....

https://youtu.be/sjrdanK4LSY
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by RIP »

psling wrote: Thu Jul 15, 2021 9:45 am Well, Uncle Joe seems happy with the arrangement.... :lol:
I'd prefer it if we could see where his hands were. (which begs the question: "happy with the arrangement" of his... what?)

Poor old Verena, a lovely report sabotaged by the BBB Digression Pixie :smile: .
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Verena
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Verena »

I'm just glad we've lowered the tone to set the mood right for the Gower weekend, can't wait :-bd
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by fatbikephil »

Good trip Verena, seems to have all the elements barring a washout bivvy which I think was well avoided. Good grumpy cat pic to boot :-bd
darbeze
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by darbeze »

I was in Pembrokeshire last week and enjoyed the area, including Barafundle Bay. I did keep seeing gravel type bikepackers around and wondered what they were up to. A quick Google told me about the PCR, which I had never heard of. Sounds good. May be tempted one day.

Si
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by RIP »

Verena wrote: Wed Jul 14, 2021 9:04 pm ImageIMG_20210711_122821
I knew that photo reminded me of something but couldn't quite put my finger on it. My viewing pleasures this evening have been an episode of Ripping Yarns, and the whole of Under Milk Wood (including the "documentary" Dylan On Dylan, which was excellent). Of course! Milk Wood was filmed in Old Fishguard! Captain Cat's "boat" house was in the line of houses in the far right of your photo Verena. I can feel yet another pilgrimage coming on.

Image
"My God, Ponsonby, I'm two-thirds of the way to the grave and what have I done?" - RIP

The sign outside the asylum is the wrong way round.....

"At least you got some stories" - James Acaster
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Charliecres
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Charliecres »

Another great report Verena. :-bd

I love Pembrokeshire
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Verena
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Re: Pembrokeshire - how (not) to do it

Post by Verena »

Charliecres wrote: Sun Jul 18, 2021 10:51 am Another great report Verena. :-bd

I love Pembrokeshire
Thank you
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