Day 22- Pandy to Hay on Wye 17 miles

View from Crucorney

 Today was probably the best so far, easy walking, every climb rewarded by a spectacular view. From Pandy it's a rather nasty climb up to the Black Mountains,

Bit of art on the way
up the Beacon Way

Crucorney, via the Beacon Way. It's about 300 metres ascent in a few kilometres with little warm up before hand. As I'd already faced the coastal path and Exmoor I attacked it with vigour... and failed, pausing every ten metres to whine, pant, retie my shoe laces, eat and pretend I've stopped to enjoy the view. Luckily no one seemed near enough to see. The upside is once your up your up and the next 300 metres ascent are over 13 or so miles.

  The moor land here is nothing like the Pennines' boggy good-natured embrace, the path is drained and firm leaving your boots dry and on your feet. The sun was high and it wasn't long before I'd peeled off my gaiters as well as my raincoat. It was just gloriously mindless walking with wild ponies rambling over the landscape. These ponies are wonderful, not at all scared of you but also completely uninterested, at one point as I approached Hay Bluff I had a herd walking around me and I felt like I was on a safari. It was magical.

  The decent down from Hay Bluff was far from magic and hurt every bit of my legs, knees and feet. The new boots were handling well but they hurt my big toes badly, the bone rather than blisters. Still, looking at the poor devils trying to climb the bugger, I was glad I was heading down not up. From here it's a steady decent into Hay on Wye through Tack woods and through farm land.

Looking back up towards Hay Bluff

I reached Hay on Wye ravenous but wondering round found not a chain store in sight, a wonderful thing until all you want is a wrap from Tescos. The place was also heaving because of the festival, Hay on Wye literary Festival and as I headed towards the river felt utterly drained by it and the blazing sun. Across the river there is another festival as well as a massive campsite. It's the most crowded campsite I've ever been in and I disliked it straight away but too tired to even care about paying £10 for the place set up camp.

Hay on Wye appearing bellow

  It was still early and having stuffed myself with the greasiest, mushiest chips ever (which were grose but exactly what I wanted) I searched for a cafe with internet to try to contact my parents. Yet again no signal and I was planning to meet them tomorrow but had yet to fix on a place or time. I also saw my two boys from the other day and stopped to talk to them. Finally a pair of hikers with backpacks heavier than mine.