St Dogmaels-Pen Dinas (PCP, day 1)

After enjoying Offa's Dyke so much last year, I decided more or less on a whim to do the best half of the Pembrokeshire coast path 'fastpacking' in a forecast heatwave, and combine it with a long overdue visit to Stee and Jenny in Trefin (around half way). I arrived in St Dogmaels in the early afternoon, and set off for what is considered the hardest and most committing stretch of the entire coast path around 1pm, carrying a muesli bar and half a litre of water. 'Fastpacking' is a horrible neologism, but it does encapsulate my approach, using my lightweight mountain marathon kit and moving quickly - sac reduced now to 3.8kg or so, not including food or water. A steep tarmac climb above Poppit Sands and the mouth of the Teifi eventually gains Cemaes Head. Turning the corner, the entire coastline down to Stumble Head stretches out in front, an enticing prospect. The weather was superb - hot but with a cooling breeze along the cliffs, a sea that was almost purple, and a deep blue cloudless sky. That weather stayed exactly like that for the 72 hours I spent on my route down to Broadhaven. As with OD, the trick is to embrace the spirit, the philosophy of the route, to reset the 'mindset'. In the case of the PCP, it is necessary to appreciate the basic point that the path religiously hugs the coastline throughout, and that coastline is of course complex. So, nothing is direct, nothing is quick. From Cemaes, the highpoint of the route is reached, hundreds of feet above the sea and the impressive cliffs of Pen yr Afr. The heather was in full bloom, adding another colour note to the beautiful scenery. The twisted rocks of Pwllygranant follow, stunning views throughout, superb cliff scenery with the path often close to the edge and lots of steepish ascents. These never last too long, however, and soon the haven of Ceibwr Bay is reached, a hidden, tranquil inlet. Later on comes Pwll y Wrach (witches cauldron), a classic blow-hole caused by the collapse of a sea arch, appearing to be an isolated lagoon. Then comes the final 10k stretch to Newport, right out along the edge of the cliffs again with Pen Dinas and Strumble coming visibly closer. Round the final headland, dehydrated now and ready for a feed and drink in Newport. It took a long time to reach, however, and the path detours to cross the Nevern. By now I was 16 miles into the route but had made decent time - I had fish and chips in mind, but Newport is more highbrow than that (I was last here for the Preseli Beast race a few years ago). Instead, a basic feed and a lot of fluid from the spar had to suffice before I embarked on the final section as the sun dropped. This was still delightful, albeit less spectacular, through Parrog as the sun dropped in front of me, the more twists and turns towards Cwm yr Eglwys after passing numerous hidden coves. I improvised a route up the hillside, more or less guessing the line towards the campsite I'd seen from below. I pitched in an empty corner (the rest of the site was occupied by big camper vans) and enjoyed my inadequate pasta salad after a walk to see if the pub at Pwllgwaelod was open (it wasn't): 32km/1100m.