The walk to Rossili was short and lovely, and, due to my 6:30 a.m. it-is-time-to-set-out-time, I arrived at 9:15, which is ridiculous. So I walked around a bit, met a real nut case lady, who, thank God, was headed back to her car, and contemplated Worm's Head, a three-section peninsula that is connected to the mainland by a causeway, which can be crossed only for two and a half hours on either side of low tide. The beginning crossing time for that day was 12:20, so, with the lady gone, and (lot's of) time to spare, I continued on the coastal path, which circled around in such a way that you could keep walking and get back to the town further up. And a gorgeous walk it was!
Meet Worm's Head. This big section kind of looks like Mwnt!
To get to Worm's Head, you have to cross a very wide causeway that has no paths or indicators, you just make your way while thinking that this may be like walking on the moon:
At 12:20, with backpack and all, I headed out out over sharp rocks interlaced with pools of water. You did not know where to put your foot next. After about fifteen minutes of trying one thing and another, I decided I AM NOT GOING TO TO THIS! Bought a drink and walked on dry land until, at 2:00 I could go to the B and B, where Alison, the owner, encouraged me to try again. So after a cup of tea and a banana with peanut butter, and after changing into the lightweight boots and leaving the pack behind, I raced the mile to the causeway to begin the trek again. I must have been in a different spot because it was much easier:
Coming to those pebbly places is like finding oases in a desert. By the way, the water in those pools is often quite deep:
But I had a plan, as I often do. Would do the next day's walk to Penmaen REALLY FAST, catch a bus back to Rossili and be ready for the day's later tide time and a third attempt. Oh...the walk to Penmaen was the best section of the Coast Path to date. A splendid mixture of cliffs, dunes, woods, and, although a few drops of rain did fall, it was, essentially, a rainless day.
The third crossing started out very easily, but then somehow reached some horrendous rocks. Once there, there was no alternate route. The rocks below are not the horrendous rocks because I would never have stopped to take a picture of them. In fact, I was scared to death. Other people were crossing there, too, but for me, it was daunting. I really thought I might have to be rescued. But after about a half hour of terror, the section came to an end.
Not THE horrible rocks. Just normal rocks though which you have to find your way:
I will cease describing the literal ups and downs, the scariness, and all this after a thirteen mile race completed in five hours so that I could experience this experience, but I will confess that I did turn back at the final section, which is usually closed until the end of August because of nesting birds, but had opened August 15, because it contained yet more treachery and I feared that that awful section from hell might need repeating.
Good fortune was with me. I saw a man looking out over a fearsome section that links two parts of Worm's Head—it is not called The Devil's Bridge for nothing– in a figuring-it-out sort of way; I said to the man, "I am going to follow you." Turns out he was very nice, and he, too, had turned back from the final section. (This made me feel so much better!) Not only did I follow him across The Devil's Bridge, but he took a way back—knowingly or unknowingly—that held none of the terrors of the way out route. It was, in fact, an enjoyable crossing. By the way, I don't know about Suzie, but I do think that Jay, Ellie and Max, and in a couple of years, Stella, would LOVE the Worm's Head experience!
Barnacled covered rocks:
Two sensible ladies and dog in view of Worm's Head.
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