I'd heard about this from somebody who did it last year. It looks like a good walk and I'll probably do it at some point - I'd like to do it anyway. I'd probably take a few days over it, though.
Hi Mike,
it is a good walk. I have walked most of the sections albeit as part of circular walks. Reading the website for the challenge walk the route between checkpoints is a matter of taste and there are off RoW short cuts, which Mrs BWW and I have got away with by using the lie of the land, don't expect they would be too easy to pass unnoticed when a hoard is passing over the countryside.
Personally 'my challenge' would be a leisure route of 3 days starting at Bishops Castle. As a transport hub it has bus terminating from Shrewsbury and Ludlow, both with main line rail stations.
The Kerry ridgeway would be the most direct route towards the area of the Anchor start, and links into the triple watershed of the sources of the Mule, Ithon and Lugg. Adds 10 miles thereabout. If you are not racing the clock a slight drift south to Cilfaesty Hill and the ring will give you an unusual experience. I would be the tempted to head for Landinam as there is a pub to go with the Severn river crossing. I expect the challengers take the upriver bridge to the south.
The Llandinam crossing would take the route slightly north of the checkpoint but I would be tempted to walk by Llyn Ebyr again. This positions the route to take on Bryn y Fan from the blind side, so that you get the full effect and surprise of the Clywedog lakes as you make the summit. The best view point in the district according to a local walker I spoke to at bar of the pub in Trefeglas. There is a track to take you off the west side of the hill to the lake and back on track to the speed route.
Severn Break it's Neck falls is part of a posted walk, which might not be on the agenda of those eager to get to the Checkpoint in the Hafron forest, as the chance to walk another watershed might be, this is the divide between the source of the Severn and the Wye. Still on my to do list, as my LDW across Plynlimon took me to around the north of Nant y Moch.
Still the great feature of Clarach bay will be the same as you come of the high ground, either side, a very distinctive cleft in the sky line as you look across the coastal plain, beckoning you onward to the sea.
This is a good end goal to a non organised LDW as it is a short and spectacular walk around the cliff path to Aberystwyth after a soothing paddle in the sea with boots off. I finshed My LDW(Shrewsbury top of Pride hill to end of pier Aberystwyth, 90 miles) with a pint on the piers 48m short of my aim. This was the end of the pier which was unsafe to go on. Then only a short walk to the railway station.
As a shorter self designed LDW this has great potential IMO, will be looking at it myself. I have also talked to proprietors of farmhouse B&B's in that area who have told me that they would be happy to pick up and drop walkers off on their route line.