Day 3/4 : To Kington and beyond

Coffee wasn't my highest priority as I awoke from a deep slumber of about three hours duration: IBUPROFEN was the first necessary fix of the day! The legs were fine after the first day's walk but my shoulders and back were loudly protesting after my night spent on the rocks. There were also quite a few insects buzzing nearby and at least one of them was a mosquito! In addition, a heavy dew had drenched everything! 'Camp Chaos' was living up to its reputation: but it didn't take long to brew some coffee, make some instant porridge and hang everything on a nearby fence to drip dry. I was away by 6 am, continuing along the narrow path through woodland that was slowly climbing out of the valley around Rushock Hill. I rested for a while on a log bench that told me to "Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better." There was a lovely view down in to the next valley and I had a pretty good look but I still didn't really understand why I was doing this!

It was only a couple of miles more into Kington, (confusing isn't it, adjacent towns Kington/Knighton whose names differ only in the order of a couple of letters?) In Kington the shops were just opening and I was able to purchase chocolate milk and a 1.5 litres of water. Experience had already told me that I was going to need to carry more water. And the litre of chocolate milk was fantastic!

The route climbed steeply out of Kington onto Hergest Ridge. Now here's a question for all you music lovers out there (and over the age of 60?): In what musical context have you almost certainly heard of Hergest Ridge before? (Answer below) It was a steady 250 metre (800 foot) climb up to the top of the ridge, which isn't really a ridge at all, more of an extended plateau. As a viewpoint it was excellent with extended views into Wales and England which were dominated by a distant Pen y Fan in the Brecon Beacons. As I began the descent, I crossed back into Wales again, my short sojourn in England was over for that day.

I descended to the village of Gladestry and rapidly came upon the Royal Oak, which was open with Dave the friendly landlord behind the bar. And excellent ale, "Butty Bach" was on tap. Food was available and the conversation was good. There was a campsite just up the road. It did not take too long for me to decide that today would be reduced to  a half walking day and later in the afternoon I settled down with the newspaper. Thankfully the pub was not open Sunday evenings! I crawled into my tent, onto the deflated sleeping mat (which I had failed to repair); it was getting dark and the sounds of swifts and the distant hoot of a Tawny Owl helped me to drift quickly off to sleep. I was beginning to remember why I loved doing these walks so much. "Come back soon!" said Dave the landlord, counting the cash I had left behind. He divides walkers into two categories, "the box tickers" who just want to get it done and may call in for a quick pint of orange squash and "the real walkers", who want to enjoy the entire experience. 

I don't think there was ever much doubt as to which category he had placed me in!(https://www.theroyaloakgladestry.co.uk )

I was up and breakfasted by seven having slept quite well on the spongy grass.  I was feeling good with a spring in my step as I set off along the road to Hay on Wye. As I climbed out of the village, over Dysgwylfa Hill, it was beginning to warm up; today was going to be hot but I had over 2 litres(Kgs!) of extra water and some "Jack Link's Beef Jerky" for salt and sustenance, as well as a tin of sardines and some salami. As I opened the packet of jerky I found it was a 'Product of New Zealand!' And excellent it was too!

Over the top of the hill, a steady descent into the pretty village of Newchurch /began, which was followed by a slight climb before I began the long descent to the River Wye and Hay. I 'flip-flopped' in and out of England, crossing one road I was able to experience a foot in both countries, which pleased me in a childish sort of way! I placed Sticky on the road, noticing that he had lost the bit I had glued back on! So Sticky is no longer a 'Thumbstick" but is reduced to being a stick! But he still works pretty well.

 

It was pretty hot by now, easily into the low thirties and, a bit like the air in my sleeping mat, which was escaping faster than I could pump it in, I was losing more sweat than I could drink! I kept plodding gamely on, knowing that the River Wye was only a mile or so ahead. As I approached the River I met Dan. I saw him in the distance wearing stubby shorts and a black woolen singlet and thought "KIWI"! But it turned out he was a Welshman who had lived in NZ for six months. He has developed a camping site on the banks of the Wye, and is also a tree surgeon. He was happy to fill my water bottles and direct me to a good swimming hole nearby, which I where I spent the rest of the afternoon. There was a small pool full of young trout who came and nibbled at my feet (hopefully they all survived!) People pay a fortune for this in Thailand! ( https://www.bythewye.uk )

 I had planned to get a bus back to Knighton to pick up my Trusty Rusty Van and more food supplies but all the buses were cancelled because it was too hot! Imagine if public transport in NZ stopped every time the temperature tipped over 30C! Several shops in Hay were also closed!

Hergest Ridge is the second studio album by English musician and songwriter Mike Oldfield, released on 28 August 1974 by Virgin Records. The unexpected commercial and critical success of his debut album Tubular Bells (1973) affected Oldfield, who decided against touring and avoided the press with his newfound fame. Instead, he retreated to Hergest Ridge on the England–Wales border and wrote the follow-up, which he recorded in 1974 at The Manor in Oxfordshire, with Tom Newman returning as co-producer. Similar to Oldfield's first, the album is a single composition split into two parts covering different moods and musical styles.  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hergest_Ridge_(album)

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