Day 27 - Three Cliffs Bay

Gower Peninsula

Sand ripples at Three Cliffs Bay, lit by the setting sun

Not feeling inclined to do much after the expedition weekend, I decided to pop down to the Gower, realising that I hadn't yet visited Threecliff Bay during the month, and there was some pleasant sunshine to be had.

Starting at Penmaen Burrows I first visited the small hill fort overlooking the bay, then made my way southwest through the dense foliage to descend to the beach near the isolated crag that juts out of the sand hereabouts. The tide was quite low in the late afternoon.

I'd never really paid much attention to this high pointy rock before, probably because it's somewhat overshadowed by nearby Threecliffs. I took a number of photographs of it, contrasting it with the smooth sand (a lot of which was ruined by footprints). Although the light seemed clear, the horizon was very indistinct, the sea blending smoothly with the sky. Some distant ships almost seemed to be floating above the horizon.

I decided to scramble up the crag, and started having second thoughts halfway up when I realised that the tread on my Hi-Tec trainers had now worn quite smooth and were giving virtually no grip at all. This problem was compounded by the sand which made them quite slippery, so I couldn't trust them on the rock. Looking back down it seemed more difficult to retreat than to advance, so I continued upwards, making sure I had very good handholds in case of a slip. The summit provided a good viewpoint, elevated above the beach, and the descent was much easier on the other side.

Strolling along the beach toward Threecliffs, the sand had loads of ripples, and this made a good foreground for Threecliffs, although again, finding a bit with no footprints was quite difficult (there were quite a lot of people down there). I'd planned to cross the stream to get closer to Threecliffs but then my digital camera started acting up with a low battery, so I made my way back.

A pleasant late afternoon stroll.