comment Bryan Clover at the finish line
Monday February 5 2018 THE NATIONAL MOTORCYCLE MUSEUM, BIRMINGHAM
Meeting a coastal challenge
On May 3, Rainy Day Trust ceoBryan Clover set out to walk the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in 10 days, to raise funds for the industry charity. The trek was not without its tribulations, as Bryan explains
“ T
he aim of my 186-mile walk along the Pembrokeshire Coastal Path in Wales was not only to raise funds
for the Rainy Day Trust (RDT), but also to raise awareness of the work that the industry charity does in Wales, and to encourage more applications. I pledged to complete the journey in 10 days
[the recommended time is 15 days]. Bridgend- based supplier Addis Housewares agreed to sponsor the expedition and provide back-up in terms of PR and marketing assistance, as well as a £3,000 donation to kick things off. The Path hugs the coastline of the county
through some of the most beautiful scenery in the country - but also has some considerable climbs and descents. In all, I could expect over 35,000 feet of hills, some of which are incredibly steep and the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest. I chose to use a holiday home as a base for
the walk and did most of the trek alone and unsupported. The house was donated to keep costs down, and the usual daily routine was to drop the car at the planned end point for the day, then get back to the start point and walk the 20 miles for that day’s route. I set off from St Dogmaels on Wednesday
May 3 with the steepest section of the coastline, involving over 7,200 feet of climbs and descents in just 19 miles. Only five miles into the walk, I twisted my
knee in a rabbit hole, which was to cause difficulties for the remaining route and required strapping to be worn for the next nine days. The second day (Thursday May 4) saw the
walk begin at Dinas Head and work its way across the north of the county to Strumble Head. Good weather and easier going than the first day meant I was able to make up some time, and extend the route by two and a half miles to shorten day three. With my knee injury playing up, I decided to
shorten my day three (Friday May 5) journey to Abereiddy to just 14 miles, to give my knee time to rest and recover. Two long days followed (the weekend of
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housewareslive.net To make sure I arrived at Dale at 11am for
low tide on the final day of the trip (Friday May 12), I started my walk on Monday (May 8) early. This meant that I could cross the estuary there on the mud flats, and avoid an additional three mile detour along the roads. Tuesday (May 9) brought my first day of wet
feet. While the weather was still warm and sunny, cold overnight temperatures had led to heavy dew on the overgrown paths, which soon soaked my boots and feet. Having stopped for 20 minutes to change
socks and attempt to dry out my boots, I continued. But I soon had to stop again to repeat the process. Blisters started to form as my boots rubbed against my wet feet. Tuesday proved to be the longest day’s walk
at 22.76 miles. As the days progressed, the combination of blisters and a twisted knee led to slower progress, but a determination to
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HousewaresLive.net
On day five Bryan was joined by supporters from Addis Housewares
May 6-7), routing round the tip of the county near St David’s, and then on through Solva and Newgale to Martin’s Haven. These two days were in excess of 20 miles each and involved narrow paths and scree-covered slopes. My walking poles proved invaluable as I scrambled down 60 degree slopes on rough terrain. Throughout my walk I was monitoring the
number of steps taken and calories burned. The daily average was 38-40,000 steps and about 4,600 calories. Moreover, because of the warm weather, I was drinking three to four litres of water each day (all of which had to be carried).
finish all 186 miles. As my knee injury played up again, I put in another short day on Wednesday (May 10) of 14.5 miles to aid recovery. The route on Thursday (May 11) had to be
replanned almost from the start, because the army range at Castlemartin was active! This pushed me onto the roads for the first three miles, before I could rejoin the cliff path at St Govan’s Head. Cooler weather and easier going meant that
not only was I able to make up for the shorter day on Wednesday, but also eat into part of Friday’s planned route to make for an easier final day, when I would be joined by Aaron Frogley from garden landscaping products supplier Pavestone. A torrential downpour around lunchtime
soaked me through, but by that point the end was in sight, so pressing on wasn’t a problem! After starting the final day (Friday May 12)
south of Tenby, I crossed the finish line at Amroth at 11.30am, having walked all 186 miles in nine and half days - a full half day ahead of schedule! The walk has so far raised over £6,500
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(including Gift Aid) for the charity and has gone a long way to raise awareness of RDT’s work. I have been asked several times if I would do it again – the answer is ‘maybe!’”
The Rainy Day Trust is the UK’s only charity supporting the
home improvement workforce and their families in times of need. To make a donation or for more information, please visit
https://www.rainydaytrust.org.uk/events/rdts- pembrokeshire-costal-path-challenge/
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May 2017
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