Bike Route: Cradoc to Garnant 34mi 2800ft of climb
Accommodation: A Welsh Cottage on a Rural Road (Airbnb); host Alex. A 180+ year old cottage restored by myself since 2013. Placed at the foot of the Black Mountains and Brecon National Park, wonderful views of mountains and countryside from the back garden. Close to the market town Ammanford, Llanelli, and Swansea. Traditional cottage with beams, interior stone walls, and fire place. Bedroom includes king-size memory foam mattress, wardrobe, and drawers. Guest room and (shared) bathroom, shared living room when empty or by request to join, kitchen, dining area and garden. Paid washer; ask to use.
Dinner: Uncle Bob's Smokehouse in Ammanford. Ken had BBQ ribs, I had grilled chicken with sauce. The ribs were excellent, the chicken okay.
Our host in Cradoc was up and helped us get started on a self-serve breakfast before heading out for his morning walk. We helped ourselves to coffee, juice, fruit, cereal, yogurt--all the staple Continental-style breakfast fixings that we are finding here in Wales. By the time Edward returned, we were washing up the dishes and preparing to leave. He shooed me out of the kitchen, accompanied us to the garage to collect the bikes, and wished us a good day.
And we were off again. This was a shorter day and should have been easier, but the hills were steep and we got a bit tired from the climbing. The weather was still a huge gift. Wales is never sunny, according to the locals, but the forecast is for up to week without rain. Everything is wayyyy easier in the sun.
During the day, we got a message from our host in Garnant, saying he would not be at the cottage that day and we should make ourselves at home and enjoy full use of the common areas. The cottage was neat and clean and comfortable. We were even able to use the washer, which is always nice. After getting a load of bike clothes started, we hiked back to Ammanford about a mile along a path, and had dinner at Uncle Bob's Smokehouse. A stop at a little Co-op after dinner gave us breakfast and lunch supplies for the next day.
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| The steep hills lead to stunning vistas that are truly worth the effort. |
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| So many sheep. |
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| Fresh eggs for breakfast! |
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| From the trail, we were able to see the ruins of the medieval Carreg Cennen Castle. |
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| Many of the old red telephone booths have been turned into little lending libraries. |
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| Ken pulls ahead on the final stretch up our tallest summit for the day. The higher we go, the fewer trees we see. |
