2.65 Mile Challenge to summit of Carn Llidi Mountain
Whilst on holiday in St David's, I decide to explore some more of Pembrokeshire's stunning scenery. Carn Llidi mountain is calling my name this morning. All 594 feet of it! This craggy mountain on looks Whitesand's Bay - a gorgeous, sandy beach about a mile from St David's. Apparently this is one of Wales' best beaches for surfing. I NEED to get to the summit of this mountain! Apparently, the views are absolutely breath-taking!
I begin my run just up the road from Whitesand's Bay
and take the turning for the youth hostel.
The road soon turns into a lane......
I can soon see that this is going to be a real challenge!
Look how tiny the white house looks at it's base! Gulp!
The road forks and I take a left.......
The track narrows and is quite gravelly here.
In the field ahead are a herd of highland cattle. These cows have the biggest horns I have EVER seen! You really wouldn't want to cross one!
I run past the youth hostel and up a grassy path until I get to a gate.
I decide to take a right.
The fern-lined track becomes very narrow..
...The mountain is to my left and many fields to the right full of grazing animals.....
The view behind me.......
The track begins to slowly rise.....
The view down the coast towards Pen Beri (the summit in the distance)......
Getting a little steeper......
The track hugs this lichen-covered dry stone wall before forking.......
I take a left........
The views are stunning!
Amongst the ferns now I can see spiky green gorse and deep purple heather!
Every step I take, the path gets more narrow.
I am now heading towards the craggy rocks ahead...
It's getting quite rocky now. I need to land carefully......
Wow! I just have to stop for a minute to soak up that view!
So colourful!
It's getting steeper and steeper......
There's the summit!
There's hardly any room for my feet on this path now.
It's lined with heather and spiky gorse - ouch!
It's gone from running over small rocks to clambering over boulders!
The sea is deep blue!
Some more boulders to negotiate. The pace slows.
The summit is in sight. I can't wait to reach it!
Last few feet........Can't run this bit! Lol!
Well - that was a false peak - of course! Onwards and upwards I go!
And then, I hit a solid wall of vertical rock! Oh dear!
Time for a spot of real rock climbing! Wasn't expecting that! Lol!
I get to the top and then.......there's some more!
Then I realise that I am at the summit!" Yo Adrian, I did it!", as Rocky would say!
I literally feel on top of the world! I stop for a spell.The views really are breath-taking! Here you can see Whitesand's Bay and in the distance, Ramsey Island.
Apparently it's possible to see Ireland from this summit on a clear day.......
I can see the campsite I am staying at far below me and decide to phone my family who are waiting there to see if they can spot me on the summit..........
........they could, and they took a photo. Can you spy me? A tiny speck up there! Lol!
I tried to take a photo of me with the backdrop in.......
Ok, now it's time to climb back down the other side! It's a slow, careful,
clinging on for dear life climb down!
I reach the bottom of the wall of rock and look back....
..That really WAS quite a climb down!
The paths are narrow and very rocky here.....
I felt compelled to run up these steps to see the view from the edge of the mountain.....
The view behind me......
I discover a cairn - an ancient burial chamber. Wonder who was buried here??
To my right, I can see St David's Head. There's another burial chamber here too.
May explore that one tomorrow....
Time to make my way down off the mountain now, I think....
I follow the path, which becomes wider and quite gravelly, down and around to the left.....
I then go over the stile, through a farm and follow the path until I reach the main road....
I could take a right and visit Whitesand's Bay, but I think I might need a shower
and a change first!Lol! Pretty stinky! So, I go left and back up this long drag of a hill
back up towards the campsite!
I take a left before the golf course.......
.........and I'm back where I began!
Well, is was only a 2.65 mile route, but I must say - that was the hardest
30 minutes I have ever run!I'd definitely do it again tough!
Difficult terrain, crazy elevations,
but well worth it for the stunning views!
Hope you enjoyed
:o)
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