Log No 207. Sun 15th Dec 2013 - Porthmadog to Penrhyndeudraeth, 5 miles (3184 miles walked)

The public transport for today should not have presented a problem with the railway line following the coast but the rail bridge over the Afon Dwyryd was having work done on it and there were no trains going across.

A minor road (a toll road) crossed the river at the same point but a 2 ton weight limit meant buses and the camper couldn't use it.

It was only an 8 mile detour round but the bus links took well over 2 hours.

I planned to walk to the bridge get the bus back, drive round to the other side of the bridge and continue walking from the bridge.

I left Porthmadog at 09.00 walking along the Ffestiniog Railway line across the causeway over the Afon Glaslyn.

It's a pity the weather wasn't great as I'm sure the views of the hills would have been spectacular.

I found a good working torch by the railway line, that will help out with the head torch until I can get the camper plugged in somewhere.

After passing by the Engineering Works at the end of the causeway the Wales Coast Path signs led me south over the railway line.

The creators of the WCP must have had some fun designing the route round here as the footpath wandered all over the place.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of logic in the actual route, sometimes it goes as close to the coast as it can yet other times it heads off inland when there is a perfectly good public footpath along the coast that it could use.

After getting to the bridge I walked back to get the bus at Penrhyndeudraeth back to the camper at Porthmadog, it had now started to rain.

Driving round to the other side of the bridge I stopped in a parking area and had my lunch while the rain csme down heavy and the wind increased to gale force.

It is a bad idea being able to get back to the camper part way through the day because when the weather is bad I don't want to get out if it again.

Sitting in it today listening to the weather I thought that, for the sake of 2 days, I would head back home for xmas now. I wasn't actually going to get home any sooner since the ferries from Aberdeen to Orkney only run on a Thursday, Saturday and Sunday in the winter.

I had planned on spending a couple of days at Fiona & David's to see the grandchildren on the way back down after xmas but now decided to go and stay with them before xmas instead.

So that's the end of the walking for this year.

I'm booked back on the ferry on the 3rd Jan and will call in at Andrew & Rosie's on the 4th then go and see mam & dad for a couple of days before heading back to Wales.

Have a good xmas & new year everyone.