In the Shadow of the Sunset. DimExcuses Mid Winter Walk 2016.

Last year we started a new tradition, the DimExcuses Winter Walk. You can see all the photos from 2015’s winter walk here. It is the sister walk to the DimExcuses End of Summer Walk, which you can read about here.

Starting where the summer walk ends, in the Joiners Arms in Bishopston, we headed down to Pwll Du Bay, Gower. We got onto the Wales Coastal Path at Pwll Du just after half past two, which gave us two hours of low winter sun to walk the Wales Coast Path all the way to Mumbles.

It was a fantastic afternoon, cool crisp and sunny. Eight of us and two dogs made the walk with the low sun at our backs.

We were soon in Brandy Cove, and on our way to Caswell Bay.

With a low tide and low sun, lots of people were walking off their Christmas mince pies on Caswell beach. In the shadow of the sunset behind us it was important now to get around to Langland Bay while we still had the light.

With a four thirty sunset, we didn’t have much time. The sun was rapidly setting behind us as we made our way passed Langland Bay, Rotherslade Bay and on to Limeslade Bay.

The light was incredible as the sun set behind us as we finally reached Mumbles.

The walk was about 12km, and as we regrouped for a pint by the fire in the Park Inn, Mumbles, we had one very big, very tired dog on our hands.  Oakley has a few DimExcuses Gower walks under his belt now.

And we also had one little dog who really didn’t know what to make of the one big dog!

It was a great walk, that proved that the Gower Coast is for life not just Christmas Summer. We will definitely going again next year, DimExcuses.

Stop, Eject, Reset. Pwll Du Bay, Gower 2nd July 2016.

There is only so much negativity you can take, until you just have to press stop, eject the program and just reset yourself by getting out in the sun and down the beach.

So with the sun shining on the first weekend of July 2016, Molly, the french bulldog and I headed out down Pwll Du Bay, Gower to get some photos to cheer everyone up.

We went the cliff route out to Brandy Cove, and then along the Wales Coast path back to Pwll Du. This gave us a great view of Caswell Bay.

Molly was really enjoying the Cliff Path, stopping for a drink in the the cattle’s water bath.

We spent some time of the beach among the pebbles and the waves.

With all that sun and sea, I did feel totally reset. The full gallery is below. Stop, eject and reset by having a look through, DimExcuses.

A New Tradition, The DimExcuses Christmas Coastal Walk, December 2015.

Happy new year! This is my forth year of blogging and sharing my enthusiasm for getting out and about in Wales and further a field.

Our DimExcuses Big Gower Walk in September is now a strong tradition, you can read about this year’s walk here. But I felt that we needed something similar for the winter holidays. Yet that brings challenges in terms of shorter days, wetter and colder weather. Challenges that Molly and Darren were happy to take on as we headed to our first Gower beach, Pwll Du.

We chose the Monday Bank Holiday (28/12/15), and started where we finish the DimExcuses Big Gower Walk at the Joiners Arms in Bishopston, Gower. From there it is a short walk to Pwll Du Bay. Setting off at 2 pm we had about two and a half hours of light before the winter sun set.

The weather has been so wet lately that we had all got new waterproofs and planned for the worst. On the bright side this winter has been very mild. Very, very mild and very wet, from a climate change point of view it is extremely concerning. So far this winter we have had only one frost. From a DimExcuses walkers point of view at least it wasn’t going to be cold.

Miraculously the rain held off for the whole walk, but it was windy! A strong wind blowing the Christmas cobwebs away. Wind in our faces we went from Pwll Du, around to Brandy Cove.

From Brandy Cove we continued on the Wales Coast Path to Caswell Bay. At Caswell Bay it was clear that the recent winter storms had taken their toll with bricks from the sea front strewn across the beach entrance.

Caswell allowed us a quick comfort break, before we pressed on against the setting sun towards Langland and Rotherslade Bay.

From Langland and Rotherslade there was just one last home stretch of the Wales Coastal Path to walk around to Limeslade and Bracelet Bay.

The light was now fading and we were relying on street lights as we finished the walk in the village of Mumbles. It was then just a case of finding a (bull) dog friendly pub and having a real ale and tall stories with friends old and new. The Park was happy to accommodate us and even lit the fireplace to warm up us weary walkers.

A great success and now a new tradition, we will be undertaking the DimExcuses Christmas Coastal Walk again next year. You should come, DimExcuses.

Darth Mannion 2015 Part 3, Return of the Jedi.

Just like the for the runners themselves it has been a long hard haul to get to the end of my original trilogy of posts on the Darth Mannion 2015 Beach & Swamp Run Challenge. You can read part 1 here and part 2 here. But all things must come to an end and I better press on or be caught up by the dreaded Silent Sweeper, the official back marker.

The Silent Sweeper wasn’t catching these runners as they took the coast path from Pwll Du to Brandy Cove.

Chris Kent was looking relieved to be nearing the finish as he climbed the final hill out of Brandy Cove.

Pausing to only take the wonder of nature under a massive tree.

Robin Benton was also in good spirits bringing his peloton home.

From the climb out of Brandy Cove it is a quick and much needed flat run across Pwll Du Head under the watchful eye of the hardworking volunteer Marshals and official Darth Mannion Saftey Lead Chris Bidder. Spectators were few and far between, but their cheering support was welcome relief. After cheering everyone in, one spectator was a little horse.

It was all smiles coming in, and the runners were now starting to enjoy the race.

With the stunning scenery of South Gower behind them, runners finish in South Gower Rugby Club for a heroes welcome and a lap around the field over hay bails before crossing the prestigious finish line.

So the 6th year of the Darth Mannion was a massive success. A full gallery of the final stages of the race is below (click on images to open), and with over a hundred runners getting involved it can only be bigger and better next year.  Maybe you should enter, DimExcuses.

Gower Spring Walks 1. Pwll Du Bay & Brandy Cove March 2013.

Sorry for taking so long to blog, it is hard keeping up with this thing.  Spring is upon us in Gower.  I am an equinox seasons person, so spring in my opinion started on March 21^st.  Which is a good thing, seeing as we have had an unseasonably cold March?  Finally on the Easter weekend we had some nice weather.  So I took the opportunity to walk down one of the best beaches in Gower and also one of the best kept secrets, Pwll Du.

Parking in Bishopston, South Gower here is a GPX map of the route I took.

Pwll Du Bay Walk, Easter Sunday

EveryTrail – Find hiking trails in California and beyond

Heading from Bishopston I took Pwll Du Lane to Pwll Du head.  Pwll Du is Blackpool in Welsh by the way.  Once at Pwll Du head I took the rocky road into the bay itself.  This is a very rough road and probably not one for wheelchairs or pushchairs.  Bear in mind though that both picturesque white houses in the bay need to bring all their furniture and shopping in on this road.  As soon as you get to the first real bend in the track you find yourself at a vantage point to take in the whole bay.

It is an incredible view (probably one of the best in Gower) and the bay is quite unique due to its oversized pebble storm beach.  This is a relic from when the bay was used as a quarry and the storm beach is well over twice the size it should be naturally.

From this view point we followed the road down into and then behind the bay before stopping at the ford across the river.  There is no need to walk across this ford, if you follow the path there is a bridge over the river further on.

Once across the bridge, the path passes between the two white cottages in the middle of the bay.  This path leads to the furthest west corner of the pebble storm beach and allows you to get on the beach itself.

It is best to walk across the beach and cross the river in the east corner of the bay.  The way the river passes through the pebble storm beach varies with the seasons and the tide and sometimes can be a challenge to cross.  Once across the river there is a bit of a scramble over the rocks to get back to the cliff path.  You are then presented with the choice of walking a path back up to Pwll Du Head or walking the cliff path around to the next bay, Brandy Cove.  I chose the Brandy Cove route which was lined with a spring blossom of primroses.  From Brandy Cove there is a path back up to where I had parked in Bishopston.

That completes my first Gower Spring Walk.  With spring brightening up I will be doing more walks, and with summer on the way you have dimexcuses to get out walking on Gower too!