Across Wales - May 2008
Most of us have dreamed of doing an epic ride and imagined ourselves following in the footsteps of people like Amie Tchiffeney ... and for those of us with our own horses; they are normally included in the dream. Last month, Abee (my mare) and I rode with two friends across Wales - from the English borders to the Irish Sea. Whilst it wasn't in the 10000 miles league, the 90 odd miles filled a week's vacation to perfection.
The ride started at Brandy House Farm, which is close to Knighton on the English border. Medina, who owns and runs the Brandy House with her husband Richard, was to be one of my companions on the ride along with a friend of ours called Karen.
The first day dawned fair and we set off along quiet country lanes, edged by magnificent flowering hedgerows. We had chosen to give our horses a chance to get used to each other before hitting the open moorland, although we could have ridden straight out on to the hills from Brandy House if we had so wished. Leaving the lanes behind we climbed onto the open hills, and rode over the moors and through rolling farmland before joining up with a section of the Glyndwr's Ways, a national trail that follows the route taken by Owain Glyndwr as he fought for Welsh independence in the 1400s.
The next day saw us back on the trail early, as this was to be one of our longest rides. Along bridleways, lanes, over open moorland, up hill and down dale, across one of the three main roads that intersect the ride and on through the Hafren Forest, it was a day of ever changing scenery and nev
er ending vistas. Our stop that night was as Cwmbiga, a fabulous B&B run by a great couple who serve outstanding food.
After a leisurely breakfast we took to the road again. We continued through the Hafren forest with Llyn Clywelg sparking in the distance. We left the forest and followed a beautiful mountain stream along a valley before joining a quiet lane that led us back on to the mountains, where we rejoined the Glendwr's Way. After stopping for a picnic lunch by a small pond we continued, with magnificent views of Snowdonia in the distance, before dismounting to descend a steep track into the village of Aberhosan. From here it was a relatively short ride on to our next overnight stop at Brynllwydwyd Farm.
The weather which had held fair for the first three days of the ride appeared to have turned. Whilst we breakfasted the skies opened and it poured with rain. However as we finished tacking up and walked our horses out of the yard the sun started to creep from behind the clouds and by the time we were climbing towards Bryn Coch Bach the sun was shining. We continued along forest tracks and over moorland, with buzzards and red kites circling overhead, before dropping down into the village of Talybont and our next overnight stop at a small livery yard.
That evening as I changed for dinner I could see the sea in the distance, we had almost completed the ride. The following morning we woke to cloudy skies. This was to be our shortest ride, with the time of departure dictated by the tide - one can only get past the breakwaters 3 hours either side of low water. After a very leisurely breakfast we set off on our last leg of the journey. Our ride took us across fields, through woods and into the village of Borth... we had reached the coast! We rode on to the beach and after negotiating the breakwaters; we let the horses have their heads and galloped towards Ynyslas.
The planning of the ride had taken months. In 2006 I had set out on a similar ride but this had been a disaster, as we had come across bogs, locked gates, badly maintained paddocks and indifferent B&Bs. This time, following months of research, receeing on mountain bikes and foot, visiting B&Bs and farmhouses, knocking on doors and checking paddocks, the ride was a huge success and Equine Adventures are now proud to offer their first Your Horse Adventure - a trail ride for you and your horse across Wales!
It is of course perfectly possible to ride the bridleways of Wales without Equine Adventure - after all, that's what I did in 06! The BHS have developed a long distance bridle-route across Wales - the Prince Llewellyn Ride. However, the ride is linear (e.g. where you finish some 90 miles from where you started) which can make it difficult for transport, the bridleways are often poorly marked, if at all, and the recommended accommodation some distance from your route!
The ride we offer (and did) is without doubt the best ride you can do across Wales. It is the ultimate riding experience - a true long distance ride. It follows sections of the Glydwr's Way, parts of the BHS's Prince Llewellyn Ride and sections discovered by us. It uses permissive rights of way, old Drovers Trails, bridleways, open moorland, quiet country lanes, and forest tracks and crosses 3 main roads. It takes out all the hassle of planning the ride and includes all luggage transfers, transportation for both horse and rider back to Brandy House where your final night is spent, all accommodation (including grazing for your horse - stables are possible at some of the B&Bs) all meals, carefully marked OS maps and detailed route directions. You do still need to be able to read a map... but if you aren't certain you can cope, you can always opt for a guided ride! The Across Wales Ride provides 5 and a half days riding and 6 nights' accommodation and the programme runs from Sunday to Saturday. Prices start from £715 per person based on 4 people riding.