Leslie's 70th birthday walk
Here are the details of the walk I am doing to mark my 70th birthday. I plan to use Twitter (@LRFletcher43) to report on progress. Please sponsor me to support Christian Aid or Oxfam.
Two walking friends, Peter and Chandra, are doing the whole walk with me, our wives are planning to do some or all of it and I would be delighted if others were able to join us for any stage.
Walking schedule
Monday 15 July: Caernarfon to A499 @ SH450550 9 miles. Flat, mostly sea-shore - easy first day!
Miss out road section along A499
Tuesday 16 July: A499 @ SH404486 to Parking place @ SH352440 (Llithfaen) 8 miles. The most arduous section - lot of up and down. No early cut-off on this section
Wednesday 17 July: Parking place @ SH352440 to Edern 9 miles
Thursday 18 July: Edern to Porth Oer 11 miles
Friday 19 July: Porth Oer to Aberdaron 9 miles
Saturday 20 July: Aberdaron to Pentowyn (= Pont Towyn) 11 miles. Beach section depends on tide
Sunday 21 July: Pentowyn to Abersoch 9 miles
Monday 22 July: Abersoch to Pwllheli 9 miles. 70 miles reached on this section
Tuesday 23 July: Pwllheli to Criccieth 11 miles. Beach section depends on tide
Wednesday 24 July: Criccieth to Porthmadog 9 miles
All the stages have early cut-offs in case of over exertion apart from the one noted.
Accommodation
There is accommodation at Bryn Teg or can be arranged in Dolwyddelan at the beginning and end of the walk – that is, for the nights of 13/14 and 24/25 July. Three double rooms have been booked for the Chandras, the Fletchers and the Kellys as follows:
15 (evening) - 19 (morning) July at the Fairway Country Hotel, Nefyn
19 (evening) - 24 (morning) July at the Crown Hotel, Pwllheli
We have tentatively arranged a special end-of-walk dinner at the Elen's Castle Hotel in Dolwyddelan to celebrate the birthdays around then.
Logistics
The plan for the first day is to travel by cars to Caernarfon, do the walk and the catch a bus back to Caernarfon to pick up the cars and go to our hotel. The buses run roughly hourly to this timetable.
Thereafter, public transport is very sparse in the north coast section, SH404486 – Aberdaron. The only day that it would be possible to use buses would be the Llithfaen - Edern section and even this is not very practical. We will need to use taxis and/or car manoeuvres.
The south coast section - from Aberdaron onwards - is being done from four nights accommodation in Pwllheli. Pwllheli is the public transport hub for the Lleyn so getting to all the starting and finishing points, apart from Pentowyn, is practicable by bus or train. Pentowyn is a short distance (~3 miles) from Abersoch by road so taxi+bus is practicable.