Holyhead to Dover
Day 0 – Getting there
August 5th 2019. I take the ferry from Calais (France) to Dover (England). On the ferry I meet another bicycle tourist. After landing at port Dover he shows me the way to Dovers train station. I follow him criss-cross along the red line out of the port area. Just following him makes adjusting to left-hand traffic a lot easier. But still, it feels weird.
I miss my train anyway and buy a new ticket to London. In London I realize my smartphone’s internet doesn’t work properly. Actually I wanted to go sightseeing for a few hours. After my phone’s navigation makes me run in circles I just head over to the other train station where I’ll have to take the following train to Holyhead (Wales).
At the train station I buy some sandwiches and wait for the announcement of the departure track – exactly 12 minutes before departure it was announced.
After an exhausting getting there I arrive in Holyhead at 10 pm. I mount my light and bags on my bicycle and leave the town.
On google maps I picked out a spot for the first night. But because my internet still troubles me, and the fact that it’s pitch-black outside, I can’t find the place.
Leaving the ferry to Dover
Stopover in London
Arriving at Caergybi/Holyead at 10 pm
First campsite - a little windy here on the coast
Campsite view
I land on a different meadow and try to find the least windy and from the street least viewable spot – which both is impossible. I camp next to the coast, just 10 m away from the cliff. The wind is crazy and I have to be extremely cautious not to have anything blown away. My cap flies away, but I manage to get it back.
Day 1 – Climbing into Snowdonia
Within my tent it is super loud due to the wind and therefore I barely catch any sleep. Already before 6 am on August 6th I sit on my bike again.
It is cloudy and drizzling. Around 6 am I arrive at Porth Dafarch, where I actually planned to stay last night. I wander around a little and eat a snack. The small beach is a popular entry point for kayakers and canoeists.
I continue cycling with the typical headwind and leave Holy Island over the Four Mile Bridge. Now I confuse a sign of the NCN5 with the NCN8 and cycle a few km in the wrong direction. After 5 km I am back on track and stop at a village shop to restock my supplies. I buy buns, toast, canned food, cola and water and after chatting with the shop assistant I eat breakfast on the bench outside.
I continue my ride over the with trees lined country roads. The pavement is decent but the road is narrow and one can’t see behind curves.
Breakfast at Porth Dafarch
Bridge Menai
Breakfast time
Kayakers struggling against the current under the Four Mile Bridge
Lunchtime on a gravel beach
Castle Caernarfon and a steam locomotive
Discovering the first mountains
House fitting into the landscape
Clouds are gathering
Climbing the first mountain
Ocean view
Arrived at Campsite - Not my tent > Need to set up mine fast
The landscape is shaped by meadows and stays quite flat. I pass the Menai-Bridge and continue cycling near the water towards Caernarfon. While cycling next to the Castle I suddenly see rising smoke ahead. But when I turn around the corner I catch sight of a nice old english steam locomotive.
Slowly the landscape changes and I overcome the first meters of altitude. Luckily the mountains are in the east while I cycle southwards. Several nice cycle paths lead me off the streets over fine gravel towards Porthmadog. Many gates prevent my free ride. At one little crossing with two gates (one on each side of the street) I meet a kind, blind man, who seems to be willing to continue his walk without his dog – or maybe not?
I tell him to wait, park my bike on the side and help his dog through the gates. He is genuinely interested in what I’m doing and we chat for a while.
I’m not sure about which way to choose, so I head over to the street. On arrival I see signs out of both directions pointing towards the way I come from. So I turn around and continue where I left. I further stay away from much used roads and fight my way through steep roads with miserable conditions.
After some time I hit decent roads again and cycle through a little section of an astonishing natural park. In Criccieth I take a break on the gravel beach before I arrive at Porthmadog.
Now I can see the first mountains I’ll be climbing later. I hit the main road multiple times but stay with the official NCN8 route and aim for the Merthyr Farm Campsite. The last 7 km are really challenging – I need roughly 2.5 hours, but finally arrive at my first destination.
I am pretty worn out already after the first day of cycling. I set up my tent fast before it starts raining and then take a well deserved shower. The sheeps start annoying me.
Day 2 – Exploring Snowdonia
I continue my way through Snowdonia National Park and enjoy paths like these along the Afon Mawddach. I won’t forget the man shouting ‘I want your legs’ when I pass him.
Hiking trails around Hafren Forest
The NCN8 leads me away from Afon Mawddach into the mountains. It seems that sheeps might actually be in charge here. I climb one hill after another. On one downhill section I get quite fast and my speedo says 73.83 km/h. Never have I been faster on two wheels. In hindsight it may have been a little foolish, going that fast on a single lane road with curves and not even wearing a helmet. Well I’m still alive, but I recommend you not to follow my lead in that case.
In the evening I arrive at a neat car park with benches and tables spread over the place and a little building with toilets inside. A few hiking trails start here but I don’t walk far since I already cycled all day and want to continue next morning. Also I’d have to leave my stuff behind and couldn’t continue if it got stolen.
In the middle of the parking area is a sign “camping forbidden” but it doesn’t make any sense to me. Why would I not honor this place with my presence? It’s just too nice and I definitely won’t find anything else before it gets dark.
As I expected, no one had a problem with me staying there for a night.
Day 3 – Just a little more climbing
Sunny day in Wales
Pavement could be better
A lonely tree
I get to see more of Wales’ beautiful mountainous landscape. It is a cloudy day but from time to time the sun reminds me of her power.
Without these limits I soon arrive at Brecon-Beacons and spend the night on Talybont Farm Campsite. I place my tent right next to a little shelter with a table and chairs. It soons starts raining heavily and I’m grateful for having this roof above me. I hang a few clothes to dry and prepare dinner before going to bed.
It’s kind of you farmers to offer campsites, but could you please sell your sheeps so that one can actually catch some sleep?
Day 4 – English weather in Wales
It rains all day. I make this my ‘rest-Day’ with about 80 km to go. After leaving the Brecon-Beacons it will be going downhill and then mostly flat.
I continue cycling through the Brecon-Beacons-Nationalpark. There aren’t many people outside today, but I hold conversation with some young local woman who is hiking there every now and then. She names a few places in the area I should see and I follow one of her recommendations closeby, but because of the rain I can’t enjoy it all that much.
It doesn't stop raining
One last climb
Water rushing down the mountains
Sleeping tree
For lunch I escape the rain and stop at an old restaurant ‘Red Cow Inn’ where I make use of the free wifi. (Although I figured out my internet problems in the meantime.)
In Cardiff I go sightseeing – okay actually I just cycle around the Castle and with my rest-day still in mind soon leave the city. I’m heading for a Campsite just a few kilometers outside of Cardiff.
In the evening I try to order Chinese food from the restaurant recommended by the campsite. Hungrily I am awaiting the delivery boy in front of the campsite. An hour passes and I call them. Without notifying me, they canceled my order – I didn’t fill in a landline number and they don’t accept orders from people with just a mobile number. Thanks a lot!
(Why is this recommended on the campsite, which camper has a local landline number?)
Alright, time to check out the campsite kitchen.
I spend a last night in Wales. I am really amazed by your beauty – I had no Idea.
Day 5 – Windy bridges
It’s incredibly windy again and I now cycle across the Severn Bridge. The wind blows with 100 km/h from every direction. I have zero control over my bike while crossing River Severn. Sometimes I get blown towards the fence, sometimes I go full speed and then I immediately get stopped. It’s wild, but I the ride.
I cycle through the Unesco world heritage Bath, a beautiful city with Roman-built baths. I have been here before and therefore don’t stay too long. Below Bath a 13 mile long walking and cycling tunnel. I happily use it for about 4-5 km.
Later today I meet another cyclist (if I remember right, your name was Jakob?!). Jakob has already been cycling through Scotland and will have to catch his ferry in Dover in the evening of August 12. We now cycle together.
My rear shifter has been struggling all day and now the cable breaks within the shifter. Stupidly none of us carry a spare cable and therefore we just cycle on a little (I am now in my highest gear and therefore have to walk my bike on steep hills.)
We raise camp on a meadow and since I need to try to get my bike repaired (it’s Saturday evening, not looking good) and I’d be slowing him down, we go separate ways next morning again.
I plan on getting up late since I won’t be able to do much this Sunday anyway. I just plan on getting close to some bicycle workshop for monday morning.
Day 6 – Getting back on the road
Jakob left and I hang out around camp. He sends me a message with a picture. He has only been cycling a few minutes until then.
I can’t believe it and try my luck. I ring the doorbell of the owner and he is just getting up, not even had his first coffee. He makes me some tea.
What a lucky person I am to be running right into a guy like him, right when I need it. Since I couldn’t find him through google maps before, I created an entry for him.
Two hours later I am on the road again and my bike shifts a lot smoother than before 🙂
When such complications happen I first feel pretty bad and start worrying, but so far it has always been solved without too much trouble and I look back on wonderful experiences. Right after such incidents I feel refreshed, free and just generally great.
I cycle until 7 pm and try finding a campsite, but none let in new arrivals anymore. (This is such a stupid idea, like campsites are just to stay for the night, get a shower, access to electricity, maybe wash clothes, having a toilet and maybe the luxury of a table with benches. Who has the idea not to let in arrivals before 10 pm?)
After stopping at some campsites and calling a few others I just cycle to one campsite which sounds a little different from their website. I just try my luck, unfortunately it too has been closed (it’s already past 10 pm) but I figure I’ll just go in and raise my tent (what else should I do? Cycle on until the next day?). It’s a big meadow and there are only few tents. I behave quietly and place my tent away from the others. I check out the sanitary which actually looks nice. I place my powerbank next to others and leave it to recharge over night (that was the actual reason I needed a campsite, I had no battery left).
Day 7 – The crowded south coast
I get up early and leave the campsite around 7 am.
I continue my way along the south coast with its gravel beaches.
Some parts on the cycle path are quite crowded. I see a group of parents with children. When passing them suddenly a girl from behind the group runs in front of me. There is no time to get to a full stop without hitting her anymore and she probably was shocked and didn’t move either. I hit her with probably 10 km/h. She starts crying and I check on her but it didn’t look like she was hurt other than maybe a tiny bruise. The woman she was with tells me it’s fine and that I could leave. I excuse myself and continue.
For the night I stay on a campsite between Hastings and Fairlight. It’s quite expensive and not my style of camping. I just wanted to wash my clothes because I didn’t get the opportunity the day before.
Day 8 – Back to Dover’s White Cliffs
I still see the impact of the previous storms. Some paths are still extremely muddy from all the rain and this is not the first tree I see that’s blocking the way.
Tree tired
Tree use bike as pillow
Back to the cliffs after 8 days
Last elevation gain
English Channel
Dover's promenade
Finished
Close look at the White Cliffs
Fields
I was faster than expected and now have some free time to chill out around dover. Honestly I get a little bored. I pass Dover and cycle to it’s Patrol Memorial. I could camp around here or on some hill directly in Dover I discovered earlier.
Actually I want to be as close as possible to the ferry, but I don’t know how many people will be at the spot I have in mind. Around 8 pm I decide to cycle back into Dover and stay at the meadow/park I had in mind. I am facing a pretty strong headwind and another local cyclist starts using my windshield. We change positions a few times and help each other out without having to talk about it. A few people walk their dogs on my campsite but no one bothers. While waiting for everyone to leave I enjoy the view over Dover’s castle and port. At 0 pm I set up my tent.
The ferries come and go all night, but I manage to get some sleep before I have to get up to catch my ferry.
