Surf, Silence, and Mountains: A Spontaneous Weekend in Wales
Chasing the Sunset and Surf
5 p.m. sharp on Friday was the time when we left work, ready to escape the grind of the 40-hour workweek (who actually works just 40 hours, right?). The plan? Well, we didn’t really have one-just some money in our pockets and a desire to head west in search of waves and adventure for the 48hour weekend. With no fixed destination, we drove through England and into Wales, following the setting sun, hoping to find a good spot to park for the night and maybe, just maybe, catch some surf in the morning.
Night One: Camping in the Shadows
After hours on the road, we stumbled upon what seemed like the perfect place to stop for the night: a car park near Colby Lodge. It wasn’t a campsite-far from it-but after the drive, we were too tired to care. We set up our pop-up tent on a small patch of grass, close enough to the beach to check the surf at dawn. While camping solo feels like an adventure; camping in a car park with three people? That’s a different story. We joked about what would happen if the police showed up, but luckily, they didn’t. The night passed with only minor scares-mostly from random cars pulling into the lot and turning around in the early hours. We all laid there in silence, wondering if anyone would get out and spot our tent. They didn’t. In the end, the only real nightmares were the ones we made up in our heads.
Surfing and Hiking in Pembrokeshire
Morning brought relief, along with the realisation that we had survived our rogue car park camping. We were all grateful that we had left London the night before and hadn’t waited until 4 a.m. to make the drive.
The waves were modest-just enough for our skill level as amateur surfers-and that was perfect for us. Pembrokeshire is stunning, and even though the surf wasn’t epic, it didn’t matter. We spent the morning playing in the water, soaking in the beauty of the coastline. Once the tides changed, we decided to hit the trails for a day hike.
After hours of walking, we found a proper campsite just outside of the Brecon Beacons, where we planned to spend the night. Our goal for the weekend was simple: enjoy the time off, get outdoors, and explore without too much structure. it was perfect and so our evening activity consisted of a solid pub dinner, a few stories over a a few more beers.
The next morning, we decided to hike Pen y Fan, the tallest mountain in the Brecon Beacons. I can imagine that when the weather is good, the views are breathtaking. However, the weather that day was cloudy but fair, so the views were a bit average. Still, the hike itself was enjoyable and offered just enough of a challenge to raise our heart rates into zone 4, especially considering the lack of sleep, increased beer consumption, and poor nutrition over the past 24 hours. i guess boys will be boys and the rush of adventures will always sustain you.
