Day 6: Radnorshire hills

Start: Kington

End: Knighton

Distance: 15 miles

Last night was incredible. I seemed to have stumbled on the best campsite where everyone was so kind and welcoming. It was different to regular campsites, as the majority of people I met live here permanently in their caravans, so it almost felt like a little village with a strong sense of community. They are used to welcoming people on adventures as their location is perfect for many hiking or cycling routes. Usually I'm sprawled out on the ground but I spent the evening in the comfort of a chair, chatting to the people here. I was given a beer by one man and some homemade bread and dips by a lady who helps grow vegetables on the site. Dave, who I met yesterday, staggered back up the field and shouted over to me "Good evening Amy?", then tapped his stomach and said "I had 4 pints, but thought I better come home before I get in trouble with the Mrs!" I slept easily and peacefully, waking up to the sound of the river and the birds.

It took me a while to get going this morning. Sue and Paul made me a cup of tea and they called over to a couple of residents I didn't meet yesterday. "Have you met Amy yet?" "She walks really far!" I had some more chats and eventually got on my way. I told everyone that I would come back in the future and I added it to my ever growing list of places to re-visit. Everyone wished me luck and I shouldered my pack to continue pushing northwards. I smiled as I left, this was by far the most lovely and welcoming place I've ever stayed.

The morning's route began with easy farm tracks and paths adjacent to crop fields. My main companions were the sheep that darted off the path as I passed through. It was a dry morning and the route was quiet so I made relatively quick progress. Come late morning the route became a little more challenging as I ascended a series of steps, which made my calves burn. The views of the Welsh countryside were beautiful, rolling green fields with an abundance of wild flower borders. I chatted with a couple out on a day walk, they were completing the route on separate trips over long weekends so I asked them about the Northern sections I had ahead of me.

I've travelled just over 80 miles so far and have fully adjusted to this nomadic lifestyle. When completing long challenges, for me one of the most important aspects for my success is routine. The stereotypical long-distance hiker is an individual that seeks freedom, wanders between different horizons in an attempt to abandon worldly obligations and shun societal expectations to pursue careers and traditional life paths. Surely someone who is willing to sleep in a different location everyday for a month and survive with what they can carry on their back is carefree? While aspects of this are true, behind every long-distance hiker’s carefree exterior is a collective of deeply ingrained, personal routines that are repeated daily to both serve as a comfort and a factor that allows you to exercise an element of control. On adventures like these, you have no control of the chaos of nature – how long the rainstorm will last or the strength of the wind that sways your tent. So, you seek comfort in controlling the controllables. I start each morning with organising my gear; stuffing my sleeping bag away, organising my snacks, folding up my sleeping mat. Each morning the same tasks. In the same order. Methodically. Having control over these mundane tasks somehow gives you a mental strength to tackle the unpredictable nature of a long-distance hike. 

Eventually the route led downhill into the town of Knighton where I ate and resupplied my food for the coming remote days. I'll push a little beyond town to camp. Up ahead lies some steep ascents as the route crosses the border into Shropshire. My guidebook tells me that tomorrow is the toughest section of the entire route, coupled with the forecast of heavy showers and thunderstorms - I'm in for a tough day. But that's tomorrow's problem. All that needs to happen now is rest, food and sleep.