Another year draws towards its close and so ends another chapter in my ongoing collection of travel adventures.
It’s sometimes all too easy to feel that we may not have achieved even half of what we set out to do at the start of the year, trips that fell through, weather blighted days in the hills and mountains, places that did not live up to expectations etc, etc.
If you’re a regular reader of my blog you’ll know that it’s not long now until I set off for Iceland to have a crack at The Laugavegur Icelandic Trek.
In preparation for this multi-day trek across the highlands of Iceland I have tasked myself with completing a series of mini treks and microadventures to toughen me up a bit and to help me get used to the routine of multi-day camping and hiking. Continue reading “Microadventure – Iceland Trek Training #1 2013”
“But there are men for whom the unattainable has a special attraction. Usually they are not experts: their ambitions and fantasies are strong enough to brush aside the doubts which more cautious men might have. Determination and faith are their strongest weapons. At best such men are regarded as eccentric; at worst, mad…” Legendary Mountaineer – Walt Unsworth
I can particularly relate to this quote of late having suffered from my own amateurism during a little microadventure during which having hiked 15km to my wild camp spot of choice in the mountains to only then realised that my tent had dislodged itself from my backpack and was nowhere to be seen! Not a good scenario when confronted with only one hour of daylight and temperatures of no higher than -4°C to -6°C predicted for the night ahead.
Having to bail after 5-6 hours of walking and embarrassingly have to hitch a lift back to my start point and then drive back home to London with my tail between my legs I understand very clearly where good old Walt is coming from with this snippet of wisdom.
But the ‘unattainable has a special attraction’ to me so I will return and hike the same route again and take a new tent with me, and get it right this time.
People think I’m mad and probably quite eccentric but I have ambitions and fantasies that are strong enough to brush aside the doubts which more cautious men might have.
All power to the eccentric amateur adventurer I say!
The Route: Neuadd Horseshoe
Distance: 22.00 km (13.6 miles) | Time: 9 hours | Ascent: 1330m (4363ft)
Start: SO062170 | Map: OL12 | Date: 19th June – 20th June 2010
Billed as ‘The most essential hike in the Brecon Beacons‘ this route has been calling out to me for ages. Over the past couple of years I had done various elements of the hike, but had never combined all the different elements into one grand all-dayer. The route encompassed all that is so glorious about this part of the Welsh mountains. It would have fantastic scenery, amazing views, plenty of height, some real mountains, beautiful valleys, dense woods and plunging waterfalls, all that was required to make it happen would be a sunny weekend. Continue reading “Neuadd Horseshoe (Brecon Beacons)”
JAMES HANDLON 