In late October, Mrs Sally Munro and Mrs Helen Nicholas undertook a self-supported multi-day run from Oxford to Swansea. They self-planned and navigated approximately 200 miles on almost exclusively off-road trails from Oxford to Swansea Museum. The elevation climbed was over 20,000 feet across some of the most beautiful and challenging terrains of the UK and they carried all their essentials on their backs.
Why did they embark on this adventure?
Their mission was to spotlight the campaign for the return of the Red Lady of Paviland to South Wales. This incredible feat of endurance and resilience celebrated human history, survival, and the immersive experience of ancient landscapes, reconnecting us with our Ice Age past.
The “Red Lady of Paviland,” is an ancient ceremonial burial from around 33,000 years ago, discovered in Paviland cave on Gower and currently held in Oxford. The journey embodied the essence of hunter-gatherer life, physically navigating harsh environments with limited resources, mirroring the endurance, adaptation, and spiritual lives of early humans.
Importantly the runners wanted to highlight the Paviland Futures campaign, a representative group who want to see a return of The Red Lady and an experiential education experience to South Wales. They also wanted to highlight the roles that other individuals played in the discovery, the Davies brothers, for example and the women from Penrice estate.
The Journey
The runners traversed diverse landscapes, each day echoing the resilience and determination of ancient hunter-gatherers. On average they covered around 25 miles a day, although the day’s total varied depending on how extreme and remote the terrain was.
Day 1: Oxford to Bourton-on-the-Water. This was the longest day of 35 miles and also the worst weather day! We were pummelled by heavy rain as we navigated through wet woodland and muddy farm fields and villages. We finished wearing head torches around an hour after dark, completely exhausted and in need of pizza!
Day 2: Bourton-on-the-Water to Gloucester. A day of around 21 miles of muddy and remote farm fields, including fighting our way through corn fields- well over head height, plus receiving shocks from electric fences whilst escaping herds of highly active and inquisitive cows! Yikes.
Day 3: Huntley to Hereford and Kenchester. This day was just over a marathon, again finishing in the dark in country lanes, looking for our remote accommodation. A low point was reaching Costa coffee shop in Hereford ten minutes after it shut – noooo!
Day 4: Kenchester to Hay-on-Wye. Today was an exciting day as we neared the Welsh border. Although we were aching and struggling with a few foot issues, we were so excited to reach the beautiful and bustling Hay-on-Wye. It was absolute bliss to sit in front of a roaring log fire in a local pub, to rest our feet. Mrs Nicholas’s trail shoes had reached the end of their busy life and Mrs Munro’s baby toe looked like a swollen chipolata, due to some cow poo bacteria. Some foot TLC was definitely needed!
Day 5: Black Mountains in mist and rain. Today took us into the stunning, yet moody and perilous Black Mountains- twenty of the most challenging miles of the journey and one of my favourite places in the world. After a giant breakfast in Hay on wye, we climbed Twmpa, or ‘Lord Hereford’s knob’ (2264ft), which forms part of the great northwest scarp of the Black Mountains. Our first Welsh mountain – YES!!!! A milestone and the point at which I think we both knew we were going to make it! From here we followed the ridge around in mist, high cross winds and rain to Waun Fach (2662ft) then Pen Allt-Mawr (2362ft) before a steep descent to the campsite in Cwmdu for the night.
Day 6: Pen y Fan and Beacons Day, including Cefn Moel. Today was the hilliest yet most sociable day of the challenge, as close friends met us for the Pen-y-fan section. The day started in the mizzle, curving onto the Beacons way and summiting Cefn Moel before linking up with the Usk Valley walk towards Talybont on Usk. Here we had time for a coffee with our friends before embarking on the sustained climb up past Talybont reservoir towards the incredible Cribyn (2608ft) then Pen y Fan. The photo of us atop Pen y Fan was a real moment to remember, and quite emotional too. It was freezing cold but the most spectacular sunset. When I am an old granny, I will definitely look back at this picture and be glad that I seized that day!
Day 7: Storey Arms to Abercraf, bogs, unmarked paths and ancient tracks. After a night stop in Brecon to recuperate, we embarked on the second half of the Beacons traverse. The section from storey arms across to the summit of Fan Nedd (2175ft) was like a sphagnum ice bath for the feet, which was surprisingly pleasant but tricky to navigate and we relied on our GPS to stay on the ‘invisible’ path. This part of the Beacons is much more remote with not a soul to be seen on this sunny, crisp morning.
Day 8: Ystradgynlais to Swansea across forestry and canal. The final day was about reflecting and keeping our legs turning over to avoid them seizing up. We climbed through gorgeous forestry up a hill called Mynydd March-Hywell (1372ft), then headed to the awesome Neath Abbey before connecting to the Neath Canal Walk to bring us home via Jersey Marine. It was so lovely to see so many friends and family at Swansea Museum and also a little bittersweet that the adventure was over.
Until the next time….
