Pembrokeshire Coast Challenge 2011 - DAY ONE

 18th - 20th November 2011

A Marathon a Day for Three
Days along the Pembrokeshire Coast Path.

Event Organisers: 
www.votwo.co.uk

DAY - ONE

The opportunity to enter another votwo challenge was to good to miss, the Pembrokshire Coast Challenge (PCC) was of a similar format to the Atlantic Coast Challenge (ACC) that I had competed in at the begining of October, "A self navigation marathon a day for 3 days over tough coastal terrain".

My theory was that I had done the training for Atlantic Coast Challenge and with six weeks to recover I should still be fit enough to complete the Pembrokeshire Coast Challenge. 

As the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park (or Parc Cenedlaethol Arfordir Penfro as they say in Wales) is the only Coastal National Park in Great Britain the location sounded fantastic, and according to National Geographic magazine it is the second best coastal destination in the world, sharing second place with the Tutukaka coast in New Zealand and beating places like the Seychelles, Bermuda and Costa Rica, so what more could you wish for? Good weather perhaps!

St. Davids, the smallest city in Britain, was granted city status by Queen Elizabeth II because of the presence of the cathedral of St Davids. It is in reality a small attractive village and the city hall was to be headquarters for the votwo challenge event. St David's Cathederal is set in a stunning location hidden from view in the centre of the village and there has been a church on this site since the 6th century.



St David's Cathedral

The morning starts in City Hall with breakfast, registration and race briefing before been bussed-out to the start at Dale. Ben Mason Race Director read out the obligatory safety briefing highlighting the dangers of running along the cliff edge and giving tips on route navigation. The weather forecast was for wind speeds of 25mph with gusts of up to 40mph so with lots of cliff top running this was of concern to both the organisers and competitors alike, the only consolation was that the direction would be either a tailwind or an on-shore wind.


The exposed Dale peninsula in south-west Pembrokeshire is the sunniest place in Wales, as if 'the sunniest place in Wales' is anything to brag about, actually it does average over 1,800 hours of sunshine a year. However it's also the windiest, with speeds of over 100 mph having been recorded. Today's forecast was set for both, with strong winds and possibly sunny intervals later in the day.
  

Last Minute Preparations

Challenge Start - Only 78 Miles to Go!

While everybody else is doing their last minute preparations and 'dibbing-out' (registering your electronic timing chip in a recorder) and setting off running I'm busy taking photos of them and the village of Dale, and before I've dibbed everybody has gone and I'm left behind watching the last few runners disappear behind the cottages and into the trees, the flip side of being last is that it simplifies navigation. 'Lead from the rear'!




The Small Village of Dale

Dale is an unspoilt village, its claim to fame is that it is the spot where in 1485 Henry Tudor landed on his return from exile in France en route to his defeat of Richard lll at Bosworth Field. Bosworth Field was the penultimate battle of the Wars of the Roses, historians consider this battle to mark the end of the Plantagenet Dynasty, making it one of the defining moments of English history. Spurred on with knowledge that the Lancastrians won I set off running eager to chase down any Yorkist’s.

St Ann's Head at the foot of the Dale peninsula is the entrance to Milford Haven Port one of Britain's deep water harbours. It is the third largest in the UK handling over 65 million gross tons of shipping, including Oil, Liquid Petroleum Gas, and Liquid Natural Gas tankers which are some of the largest in the world. LNG is a liquid that forms when natural gas is cooled to around -160ºC. This shrinks the volume of the gas 600 times, making it easier to store and transport. With 25 per cent of the petrol and diesel as well as 30 per cent of the UK's gas requirements these are very busy waterways. 



Watwick Point Beacon

Watwick Point Beacon is a type of lighthouse known as a leading light. Leading lights are light beacons used in navigation designed to lead ships into Milford Haven past dangerous reefs. It also serves as an handy aid to navigation on the PCC,  at 159 feet high and with a light that is visible for 15 miles you can't really miss it!
Interestingly Block-houses were built here in the reign of Elizabeth 1, and a chain is said to have been drawn across the mouth of the haven, from St. Anne's to Nangle Point on the opposite side, to obstruct the passage of the Spanish Armada.

Mill Bay with St. Anne's Head in the Distance and the Undulations of the Coast Path Begin.

                         St Ann's Head Lighthouse 'New'                               St. Ann's Head Lighthouse 'Old'

There are two lighthouses at St Ann's Head overlooking the entrance to Milford Haven, the new lighthouse was completed in 1841, the old lighthouse built in 1796 is now a holiday 'cottage' complete with swimming pool, sauna, 5 bedrooms and a lounge at the very top with unrivalled sea views. Cost £2,000 - £3,500/week. The occupants cosseted in luxury look on with bewilderment as we run past, ah well at least I look like I am running well even if it is due to the 30mph tailwind.

Looking good! (I hope so I've only run just over 3 miles!) must remember to tuck the shirt in next time!

Time to concentrate on getting to Checkpoint 1 (CP1) at Westdale Bay. On arrival, CP1 is just a remote exposed very windswept empty car park near the cliffs, I thank the volunteers feeling sorry for them but I don't stop just dib-in and carry on. It's about 8 miles to CP2 and it's right round the other side of the headland and it will be more sheltered there.

Looking Back Westdale Bay & Great Castle Head

The seas give some indication as to what it must be like manning CP1.

Marloes Sands from Hooper's Point

Looking Back at Hooper's Point

Stormy seas & skies, no sign yet of the sunshine promised for later in the day.

Marloes Sands & Gateholme Island (Island of Goats)

Gateholm & Skokholm Island in the Distance

Skomer Island in the distance

Albion Sands & Gateholm Island

Albion Sands are named after the "Albion" a paddle steamer wrecked here in 1837, apparently at low tide a small part of the ship is still visible.


It is a further 5 miles round the headland known as Deer Park to CP2 at St Brides.

Check Point 2 at St Brides Church.

According to legend St. Bride arrived here from Ireland about AD 500. Just to the north of the church and on the beach there used to be the remains of a small chapel now lost to the sea. Here fishermen prayed to Bridget for a good catch and protection while out at sea. Around the 13th century the chapel fell into decay and was used as a salt house for curing herring. In anger Bridget is said to have withdrawn her protection and there is an old rhyme that says:

 When St. Bride's chapel a salt house was made,

St. Bride's lost the herring trade.

St Brides Church and the Flag at CP2.

The old graveyard at St Brides contained cist burials (a small stone-built coffin-like box) some of which have been carbon dated to the 10th century.

Its very busy at CP2 so I grab some water a handful of jelly-babies, dib-in and I am off leap frogging over about a dozen or so other runners who are still busy fuelling-up.



St Brides Haven

Leaving CP2 it's straight across the small beach at St Brides Haven towards the cottages, the footpath then just sneaks round the left-hand side of the last cottage. Next check-point is Broad Haven in 6-7 miles.



There is a cave in the headland and Stacks Rocks are offshore.

Along the coast today it's been very muddy and I have noticed that the mud is red this I assume to be from the red sandstone that is visible on this photo. The diversity of geology on just this short stretch of coastline is fascinating and Pembrokeshire as a whole has a greater variety of geological features than any other equivalent area in the British Isles one of the reasons for its designation as a National Park.



Bridge at Mill Haven

As I arrive at the tiny cove of Mill Haven I notice that some of the runners that I passed at CP2 are now in hot pursuit. They chase me down one side of the cove, then back up the other.



Runners in hot pursuit.



Before we arrive at Little Haven I am hunted down and caught, so I tag along with these guys and chat for a while. The first one I talk to after he has offered to take my photo (shirt tucked in this time!) is from a group who have come over from Vancouver just to do the PCC (he is in the red top in the photo above) and the guy in front of him is from London and is training for the Marathon des Sables in 2012.

We drop down off the cliffs and into Little Haven, it looks more like a Cornish Fishing Village then a Welsh one.

The very sleepy village of Little Haven

The Little Streets of Little Haven

In Little Haven we are immediately lost, well not actually lost but we can't find the Coast Path out of town. it's full of tiny streets all leading up 1:4 climbs and no signs for the Coast Path. We look at the map and look around for someone to ask but the village seems deserted, so following Ben's advice on 'lost' - "keep the sea on your left and if your running uphill your probably going in the right direction" we set off out of town up a very steep road. I dig deep determined that I will live up to the promise I made to myself at the start of the challenge of running all the way. By the time I get to the top the only guy left with me is the one training for the Marathon des Sables (MDS), he has got all his food & clothing for the three days in his rucksack along with his stove, pan and sleeping bag and is doing a full dress rehearsal for the MDS. He dispels my theory about 'southern shandies/softies' but he likes my pace judgement and determination and immediately bonds by glancing at his GPS and announcing that it if we stick at this pace we will finish in under 5.1/2 hours. I try to explain that I am doing my own thing and taking photos as I go along and trying not to run for a 'time' but we're off in pursuit of CP2 at Broad Haven.


Little is known of the history of Broad Haven but by the 1800’s it had become a popular coastal village and by 1937 it was a thriving seaside resort, it’s prime industry however was coal. Interestingly, during the 1970's Broad Haven made its name known by becoming a prime spot for UFO sightings. It earned the name 'Broad Haven Triangle' after the Bermuda Triangle. 

In February 1977 it is reported that 14 schoolchildren saw a UFO craft in the field beside their school and when asked by the headmaster to draw the craft, the pictures all looked strikingly similar. 

The oddest of all would have to be the apparent sighting of a 7ft creature in a silver suit late one night in April 1977 it was concluded however that this was probably a prankster wearing a fire proof suit from one of the oil refineries in Milford Haven. 

However a local hotelier described a sighting from her window 'like the moon falling down, it landed in the field and  two very tall, faceless 'humanoids' got out of this object (about the size of a mini bus) and appeared to 'take measurements or gather things'." 

After local people campaigned their MP the MOD & RAF undertook an investigation but "could offer no further explanation" it is however very unusual for the MOD to conduct investigations into UFO sightings.



Broad Haven Sands  (The truth is still out there!)

We fly through Broad Haven & CP3 "there's no time to stop, you don't need anything do you" orders my new buddy. So there is no time to sight-see or spot UFOs, its right along the promenade and climb back up on to the cliffs. I do however spot a warning sign to add to my collection, about the hazards of cliff diving, and I thought my sport was odd. I had hoped for a warning about the dangers of 'Flying Saucers' since I was in the Welsh equivalent to 'Area 51', that would have been collectable. Seriously however it does focus ones mind on the danger of slippy/muddy paths, strong winds and cliff top running. It's now only 6-7 miles to the finish which is at Newgale but that's about 1.1/2 hours of running on this type of terrain and there is still a few 'Haven's' to bag.

Druidston Haven

Nolton Haven



Afternoon Sun Over Nolton Haven

Come On, Not Far To Go.

By now my new running partner has got used to the idea that I stop frequently to admire the view and take photos and he even offers to take one of me but by the time I've reviewed it and pointed my camera at him he's disappearing up the trail again. The wind has finally eased and the promised sunshine is trying to break through the grey skies.

Late Afternoon Sun on Calmer Seas.

Newgale Sands and The Finish of Day One

Finally Newgale Sands and the finish comes into view. It's just a case of dropping off the cliffs (not literally like the hazard sign) and then a short road section to a car park just past the headland in the middle of the photograph.

As I finish and dib-in, or is it dib-out, hand in my number and dibber for the day I quickly collect my kit bag with some warm clothes, change tops, down two mugs of Mrs. Mason's home made hot, spicy, pea & ham soup along with several slices of dry bread, food doesn't taste any better than this. Before I have chance to saviour the finish and swap stories with the others of today's endeavours I'm squashed on to a mini-bus and whisked off back to St. Davids. Well that suits me fine because I have a party to attend.

Finsh Time 5:12:18
Position 23/103

Party time, cakes with candle, prezis and a card, fitting end to a great Birthday, well Barbara did ask me what I wanted to do on my Birthday. The day before we set off for Wales Kristin sprang a surprise Birthday Dinner on me, she thought normal people would opt for the pub on their birthday rather than a run a marathon or two, or three, it takes all sorts I suppose!

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Epilogue:

I was saw impressed with the coastal scenery, especially around Marloes Sands & Gateholm Island, Barbara & I went back a few days later to explore. Late one afternoon I took some good photos on the beach, I have included two. (National Geographic magazine did say that it is the second best coastal destination in the world, all I can say is the the first must be very impressive).

Marloes Sands & Gateholm Island - The wind blows sand & surf across the beach.

Marloes Sands & Gateholm Island. (Sunsets 'R' Us)