A clever friend of mine, suggested that we go on a hiking holiday right after the school holidays to Wales. He's not much of a social animal and large crowds annoy him. So, off we went to Swansea last weekend for one of the most scenic coastal hikes that I have been on. The timing of it meant that the beaches were relatively crowd free and we didn't have to queue up for anything anywhere.
Day 1: Our trip started quite early on Saturday morning. A four hour drive later, we were in Swansea, a small, trendy coastal city that has plenty going for it. Our hotel was bang in the middle of the city centre. Not going to mention the name of the hotel given how tired, noisy and messy it was but its location was perfect for a great weekend in the city. Speaking of which, it's amazing how location changes the perspective of a city. While I thought Swansea was vibrant with a great night life, a friend of mine, who was staying at Premier Inn just a few minutes' walk away thought it was a terrible city calling it dirty and unruly. There you go, a mixed review there but regardless, there's something for everyone in Swansea whether its night clubs, bars or restaurants. Why, I even saw an Albanian restaurant which so far, I have not seen in London and the ruins of a castle right in the centre of town. By the way, I have to mention that of the 3 countries in the UK I have been to, Wales is the most friendliest of them. People are nicer and chattier and it only gets better as you go further north. (More about that in another post).
Day 1: Our first adventure in Gower starts at Rhossili Beach on a sunny Saturday afternoon. The site is managed by the National Trust, so that means its popular, has toilet facilities and quite a few cafes, pubs and restaurants. Rhossili Beach not only had wind surfers, kite surfers and lazy sun bathers dotting its shores but also plenty of hikers like myself who were out to check out Worm's Head, a tiny little island just off the southern end of the beach. Although an island with no bridge connecting it to the mainland, you can hike over to it when the tide is low. Isn't nature fascinating?
On to practical stuff: the NCI had a notice posted that the tide was out and that we had time beween 1.30pm - 6.20pm to make it to Worm's Head and back by foot. Armed with this information, we set off at 2pm towards the Island which looked like a giant worm crawling out into the sea with its head held high and on the lookout. Now, wikipeida will have you beleive that Worm's head got its name from 'Wurm', a Viking word for Dragon but don't be fooled. That's just a drunk sailor's tale. Or even an old wife's one. Neither the Island or its headland looks like a Dragon. A worm? Oh yes!
The hike across to the Island was a fascinating one. We walked over pointy rocks that were covered in sharp corals, millions of tiny mussels and many tiny pools. Contrary to what I expected the rocks were not slippery at all. The sharpness and size of them offered good grips, so unless someone was trying stupid stunt, there was little cause for a fall. Having said that, I do admit that I was wearing a pair of heavy-duty boots that were built for such terrain and my confidence in them did help with the steady pace and speed with which I crossed the Causeway. I was also pleasantly surprised to note the number of families with young children and dogs crossing the route. I have to mention a kid who was poking around in one of the rock pools. He looked up at me, I was the only adult who was closest to him at the time, and said that he was trying to save a fish from dying by picking it up and putting it into the water but it had bit him instead. Looking down into the tiny pool, I saw a tiny mud-skipper, resting in the sand quite contently and very much alive. It brought a smile to my face. There's still hope for the kids of this generation. I told him he can push it slightly into the water if he wants but it will survive either way. He happily pushed it in and skipped off to his parents to report of his encounter with the fish.
We made it across to the Island in good time and within half hour. The walk then goes uphill with scenic views on either side. Being experienced hikers and not stopping for photos, our enthusiastic hike up to Worm' Head, amongst other friendly hikers took only an hour. A quick picnic later we made our way back happy and inspired both by the landscape and the friendly hikers.
1) The Worm's Head in the distant
3) Closeup of the mussel-covered rocks
Day 2: Oxwich Bay to Mumbles via the Three Cliffs Bay.
If I were to pick a favourite place in the whole of Gower Peninsula, it would be the Three Cliffs Bay. Remote unpopulated beach, castle ruins and dramatic rock formations make this a beautiful place to spend time at. Although this was a hiking trip with a 12 mile strech in front of us, the hike from Oxwich car park had to be paused at the Three Cliff Bay because of its sheer beauty.
Day 3: Waterfall Country.
Saving the toughest hike to the last day of the hiking holiday, we set off to the Vale of Neath. The walk begins behind a hikers-friendly pub in a little village called Gleneath. Used to the unnecessarily exaggerated adjectives used by the English to describe anything, I was a little skeptical about the naming of the area and kept my expectations low. However, if done correctly, this 15km circular walk will take you through 8 Waterfalls out of which 4 of them are quite spectacular. I had done the 4-Waterfall Walk about 2 years ago and now back for the 8-Waterfall Walk.
My favourite ofcourse is the Sgwd yr Eira
