Trailblazer Guide Books

Trailblazer Guides are produced by people who know exactly what information is needed - not just to get from A to B but to be entertaining as well as informative.
 - The Great Outdoors

HISTORY
It was in 1952 that the Pembrokeshire coast received National Park status. At the same time naturalist Ronald Lockley proposed a long-distance footpath that would provide an uninterrupted walking route through the length of the park. But it was not until 1970 that the coast path was finally opened.
    A number of problems arose when choosing the best route for the path, particularly around the, quite frankly, ugly industrial stretches among the power stations and oil refineries on either side of the Milford Haven estuary. It is hard to avoid these eyesores, but the path designers have done a good job in choosing a route that keeps the chimneys and towers out of sight for as long as possible. In many places trees and shrubs have been planted alongside the perimeter fences to act as a screen. At times it is only by looking at the map or sensing the acrid smell that you realise you are walking right next to a major refinery. Nevertheless many walkers quite justifiably choose to leave out this uninspiring section between Angle and Milford Haven. For the rest of its length the path hugs the coastline where possible but inland diversions are inevitable to avoid private land, geographical obstacles and the artillery range at Castlemartin.
    The official length of the path has changed over the years. It presently stands at 186 miles (299km) but the distance that any one person walks really depends on how many detours or shortcuts they choose to take.

HOW DIFFICULT IS THE PEMBROKESHIRE COAST PATH?
This is not a technically difficult walk and most reasonably fit people should be able to tackle it without any problems. However, the distance should not be underestimated; although it is not a mountainous path there are many steep up-and-down sections. On completion you will have ascended more than the height of Everest.
    The southern section is tamer than the northern stretch with its mighty cliffs where the sense of exposure is more marked and the distances between villages are greater. Always be aware of the ever-present danger of the cliff edge. Accidents often happen late in the day when fatigue sets in and people lose their footing. Be aware of your capabilities and limitations and plan each day accordingly. Don’t try to do too much in one day: taking it slowly allows you to relax, see a lot more and you’ll enjoy the walk without becoming exhausted or fed up.

Route finding
This should not be a problem since the path is well trodden and obvious. The entire length is waymarked with ‘finger-posts’ bearing an acorn symbol.
    For the most part the path hugs the coastline, although detours are sometimes necessary due to erosion of the cliff. Every year at least one large cliff section gives way but the park authorities are usually very quick to realign the path.
    Check the tide times (see p56) to avoid lengthy detours around bays and estuaries. You will need to carefully plan crossing the river mouths at Sandy Haven and The Gann, just to the north of Dale, as they are flooded at high tide. If you time it right you will be able to cross them both on the same day (see box p136 for further details). One other area for confusion is the Castlemartin MoD range. When firing is taking place a detour must be taken along the road (see p100).

GPS
Whilst modern Wainwrights will scoff, more open-minded walkers will accept that GPS technology can be an inexpensive, well-established if non-essential, navigational aid. In no time at all a GPS receiver, given a clear view of the sky, will establish your position and altitude in a variety of formats, including the British OS grid system (see p38), to within a few metres. However, you must not treat a GPS unit as a replacement for a map and compass. Although modern units are robust and durable it takes only a flat battery to render them useless. GPS should be viewed as a navigational aid or back-up, to be used in tandem with more traditional tools. In almost all cases it is best used in conjunction with a paper map and traditional navigational techniques. What a GPS will do is prevent you from making exaggerated navigational errors and will reduce the time taken to correct them if you do stray off the path.
    Using GPS with this book is an option. Without it you might find yourself ambling confidently along the wrong path. With it you can quickly establish your position or work out how far and in what direction is a known point on the trail.

Using GPS with this book
It is not expected that you will walk along checking off the GPS waypoints found throughout the book since the detailed maps and route descriptions are more than sufficient most of the time. Only when you are unsure of your position or need reassurance as to which way to go might you feel the need to reach for your GPS for confirmation.
    Most of the maps throughout the book include numbered waypoints from Amroth to St Dogmaels. These correlate to the list on pp217-220 which gives the longitude/latitude position in a decimal minute format as well as a description. You’ll find more waypoints where the path is indistinct or there are several options as to which way to go. Typically significant landmarks, cairns and other obvious features are also marked. Waypoints are less common in towns or villages but can still be found so as to pin down the path ahead or identify an unsigned alleyway.
    You can manually key the nearest presumed waypoint from the list into your GPS as and when the need arises. Alternatively, with less room for error when inputting the co-ordinates, download the complete list for free as a GPS-readable file (that doesn’t include the text descriptions) from the Trailblazer website. You’ll need the correct cable and adequate memory in your unit (typically the ability to store 500 waypoints or more). The file as well as instructions on how to interpret an OS grid reference can be found on the Trailblazer website: : www.trailblazer-guides.com.
    It’s also possible to buy state-of-the-art digital mapping to import into your GPS unit, assuming you’ve sufficient memory capacity, but it’s not the most reliable way of navigating and the small screen on your pocket-sized unit will invariably fail to put places into context or give you the ‘big picture’. This is also a far more expensive option than buying the traditional OS paper maps which, whilst bulkier, are always preferable.
    Bear in mind that the vast majority of people who tackle the Pembrokeshire Coast Path do so perfectly successfully without a GPS unit. Instead of rushing out to invest in one, consider putting the money towards good-quality waterproofs or footwear instead. That said, using a GPS unit may assist in the odd dicey decision, and if used correctly in tandem with this book’s waypoints might just see you safely to the next pub or overnight stop that much more quickly.

HOW LONG DO YOU NEED?
This depends on your fitness and experience. Do not try to do too much in one day if you are new to long-distance walking. Most people find that two weeks is enough to complete the walk and still have time to look around the villages and enjoy the views along the way. Alternatively the entire path can be done in eleven days or less if you are fit enough.
    If you’re camping don’t underestimate how much a heavy pack laden with camping gear will slow you down. It is also worth bearing in mind that those who take it easy on the path tend to see a lot more than those who sweat out long days and only ever see the path in front of them. When deciding how long you need remember to allow a few extra days for side trips or simply to rest. On pp30-2 there are some suggested itineraries covering different walking speeds.
    If you have only a few days available concentrate on the best parts of the coast path; there is a list of recommended day and weekend walks on p33.