North Wales Pilgrims Way – Day 6

We awoke in all the blissful comfort of normal human life. A bed, Eric lying diagonally across it,l clamping down the duvet leaving my skin half covered in duvet and half exposed. Lovely.

We packed up and applied new clean clothes to our new clean bodies, strapped our bruised and scraped feet where needed and descended to fresh coffee, orange juice and toast. We donned our DRY boots, (our boots have been wet since day 0.5). Karen loaded us up and dropped us right back where she found us before going for a dip in Llyn Padarn, she said she’ll stay in for 1 minute per degree.

Karen, the absolute wonder host. Thank you so much.

Our day began at 8.10 up a steep hill and back on to the low tops, passing ruined stone cottages, sheepfolds and crumbing walls. The day was gloriously warm and windless (for this time of year) . I felt extremely lucky.

We dipped down and back up to skirt around Moėl Smytho. We were deep in slate country and hefty ‘tips’ or spoil heaps were high around us, abandoned machinery, cart tracks and metal works left, probably right where they were last used. It was very still and quiet and perfect.

We wove in and out of high mine tracks once off the squelchy moors, now being very careful not to get our newly dry boots wet , we descended to a small village. Here, in the most unexpected place, a few benches laid outside a barn with a the frequent smell of hot toast cooking, was a coffee roasters. Poke your head through a small door to request an expertly made hot beverage and cake.

We had 7.5 miles left of the day, and they were easy ones. We took our time wandering through yet more forgotten slate mountains and weaving between disused quarry lakes, into yet another small Welsh town. Halloween decorations were up on every other small cottage window. Not many people about but those we saw were all smiles and friendliness. Poodles with Halloween bibs on will melt the hardest of hearts.

Down and along a forgotten path by the river and, through the flat grazing fields by the sea. We all slumped by a wall for a final sit down before the last push to camp. A village where we hoped we could sleep in a a church on Halloween.

We then found ourselves out into our final road march of the day. Here Snakes noticed our second helpless bramble rapped sheep.

The field with the poor little helpless sheep lay 5 feet above the sunken road, once this had been summited there was a perfect Bambi sized hole to crawl through before attending to the entangled little 4 legged cloud. All she needed was the threat that I might touch her, and before long she’d uncomfortably wriggled her way out of her pitiful situation, and back away to the road I went.

2 more kilometres to the tiny village of Clynnog Fawr where I had messaged a woman who’d messaged a women who’d messaged the vicar to see if we could stay in the church.

I’d heard nothing from Vicar Rosie so we walked to the surprisingly massive church to find it locked. The first locked church of the trail, but, to be fair it was massive and probably housed some Welsh jewels. We found no key hidden either.

Plan B was to walk to the village hall where I had it on good authority that there was to be a Halloween party this evening. It was desolate (we were unfashionably early for the 6.30 party) Just as we were contemplating setting up camp on the playing field and attending said party as scary hiker ghosts, Rosie the vicar rang. She said she’d be 10 minutes and would meet us in the Lych gate. The trail provides.

Before long we’d met Barbra who stood and chatted with us, she was expecting our arrival, as was, I imagine , most of the village by now.

After a happy introduction to Rosie , who shook all our hands (brave) we were welcomed into the church where we had all we could wish for (well, almost).

We set up camp, ate , played cards and contemplated whether we were making the most of Halloween in a church…. Lou’s was desperate to play hide and seek but was also not desperate to scare herself to the point she couldn’t sleep. We all decided against the idea on account of Winnie likely being too scared (yeah right)