Day 3 Pandy to Hay on Wye or ‘Take me to the ridge’

Me and Mary

Get on up was very much the objective of today’s walk. The first hour was a hard climb up to 450 metres. The gradient then eased up and it was fantastic walking along the top.

This was made easier by the fact that I had the best cooked breakfast of the week. Mary talked me into cooking it… well, I thought it was the least I could do after she dropped me off and picked me up from the pub the previous evening.

I also had the best night’s sleep I had had in ages. No light pollution and deathly silent. The beauty of the middle of nowhere!

After gaining the first level, the gradient eased and for the next three hours it was a ridge walk, eventually topping out at just over 700.

I thought of a poem extolling the virtues of the region:

The Lakes, I wouldn’t give two shakes

Snowdonia, don’t want to know you

But Black Mountains …

I couldn’t think of anything to rhyme with that though.

As it was a bit ‘one dimensional’ today I’ll let the pictures do more of the talking.

Wild ponies

Tryg point

A couple of miles outside of Hay on Wye I stopped to chat to a couple who were coming up the track as I was going down it. They told me they were trying to get back to their campsite before tea time. I explained that I was hoping to make Hay while the sun shined.

Well I liked it.

Hay itself seems to be a victim of its reputation. I have spotted about six obviously recent pubs that have now changed purpose. The result being that there are only about three proper pubs left.

Tomorrow promises to be an easier day. Not as far as the last three days and less ascent. Back to fields and stiles and woods after the excitement of the ridge walk today!