Offa's Dyke Path (part 1)

I injured my back sledging in January, and then managed to tear my gluteus maximus by limping about for a few days without a walking stick, a mistake which left me more or less bedridden for a month while the muscle tried to stitch itself back together. But being stuck in a flat and unable to hobble any farther than the corner shop without insufferable pain did at least remind me that having fully mobility is, after all, a very Good Thing not to be taken for granted.

So during my temporary crippledom I decided to set myself a target for recovery, and a lengthy hike seemed a nice idea. I needed one which would fall neatly within the two-week window between finishing in Vienna and starting a new job in York; it couldn't be too harsh, and somewhere close to home would be best.

Offa's Dyke Path fit the bill: 182 miles from Prestatyn on the north Welsh coast to the Bristol Channel, roughly following the border through the hills and valleys of the Welsh Marches. Best of all, Offa's Dyke is an early medieval earthwork built by the Mercian King Offa to keep out (or at least annoy) the Welsh, so I would gain medieval nerd points by walking along its length.

On the Mayday bank holiday weekend, a few days after I returned from Vienna, I went up to Prestatyn with Moogdroog and a few siblings and together we rambled the first 27 miles. On the third day Gem and I continued south with Fin the Dog (who had to go home on the fourth day, sadly), reaching Knighton, just over halfway, on the sixth.

Here's a musical slideshow thing...