Their story, in their words…
We hiked the Offa’s Dyke trail along the old English–Welsh border, over 13 days, from Chepstow to Prestatyn covering 177 miles whilst camping during the nights.
Some highlights included our Day 3 walk over the beautiful black mountains, our Day 12 walk over the Clwydian range in northern Wales with expansive views over a valley, and in the distance Snowdonia, and finally our arrival on day 13 in the seaside town of Prestatyn. And, of course, playing stump cricket at many of the campsites added a bit of fun to our evenings.
While 13 days often felt like a long time, the route and campsites were well planned and easy to follow, which helped the trip run smoothly. By the second week, we had settled into the rhythm of the trail, becoming far more efficient with campsite routines—allowing us to arrive at each destination between 4 and 6 PM, with plenty time to set up camp, cook dinner, and relax. All this resulted in the trip working out very well as a whole.
Despite blisters, a few uncomfortable and outdated campsites, and even a close encounter with some cows, we all felt an immense sense of pride in completing the trail. This was the longest and toughest expedition any of us had done, and overcoming the early fatigue of a few long days to start felt like a big achievement as we all started to get into the walking and enjoying it.
Over the course of our trip, we became much more confident with the use of our equipment, especially our tents and camping stoves. We also learnt the importance of packing light and carrying good equipment for any future trips. Most importantly we rediscovered the joy of being immersed in nature, particularly during our days in the Welsh mountains, and we feel inspired to do trips like this one in the future.
