Saturday was great - clear skies, warm enough to walk in a T-shirt and dry. Our plan was to walk to the summit of Carningli in the morning, then follow part of the Pembroke Coastal Path in the afternoon. Pulling up just off of the main Newport Road we walked from the small Hamlet to the may bridleway. Now mum, as you know, has problems with her heart and knees and although properly kitted out this time with walking boots, trousers, fleece, poles and rucksack, I didn't really want to push her too far by taking her up the side of the mountain which is the treat I had in store for me and Will! I was aware that I may have to leave her to her own devices at some point and so we had two-way radios for easy and safe communication - but I don't think she was very impressed when I switched them on and we picked up the local taxi service! So off we set, heading for the top. Will and I were both in amateur photographer mode and stopped to take some atmospheric shots and that was it, I turned around and saw mother heading off into the distance trail blazing her way through the bilberries towards the rocky slopes of the ascent! Catching her up she seemed slightly surprised by the lack of path and huge rocks looming towards us. Well, there was nothing for it but to keep going as to back-track and try and get back onto the main path would have taken just as long and been just as precarious as going forward. And so, with the best laid plans for mum's safety and comfort disappearing faster than an arctic iceberg we found ourselves taking on a grade 1 scramble!! Fantastic! And actually, it wasn't that bad at all. I took the lead doing my would be mountain leader bit and mum and Will watched, listened, then went their own way - charming! But seriously, it wasn't that scary and we all had a really good time. Tackling the ascent in small stages and making sure we had good hand/foot holds we were up in in no time. Standing on the top rock was brilliant and mum was really chuffed that she'd done it - so was I. But where does Freud fit in....well, on the way up we discovered that Will had been walking along with his rucksack open and had been gradually depositing unintentional offerings to the angelic host said to inhabit Carningli in the way of water bottles, snacks and his waterproofs. We managed to reclaim most but the the waterproof trousers were nowhere to be seen. I'm sure Freud would have something interesting to say about a gentleman losing his trousers on a mountain!

Taking the easy path back down to the car we then headed over to the Coastal Path and enjoyed a couple of hours walking along the cliffs. Absolutely brilliant. Mum pushed herself but had to to quit before us and found a comfy bench to rest on for a while whilst Will and I carried on for a bit enjoying the late evening sun and the breathtaking views. The only thing missing was the lack of nesting seabirds!

If I'm honest I'd have to say that I didn't get in the walking I wanted to, but it was still fun and the most important thing is my companions enjoyed it too. My mum keeps saying I've turned into one of 'those walkers' - the route march obsessed type that I always said I'd never be. I don't think I have but my fitness levels are improving all the time and I do love to walk, so I guess I have to find walking chums who are as mad and energetic as me to explore our amazing countryside with on some occasions - to let rip and go for it, and balance it out with walking with my family and friends on gentle strolls other times. In fact, I went out for just such a walk last week in my home county of Essex and was gobsmacked at how stunning the scenery was. I had no idea the county could be that beautiful and as my friend and I watched the sun setting and the wildlife settling down for the night I was surprised to find myself feeling wistful about the place. It's made me want to explore more of my home county, which may be lacking in hills, but is so obviously rich in other attributes and which I had been taking for granted - or just not even considering existed at all.

Wonder what the weather is going to be up to this weekend? Hope to get out for at least one good walk - hope you manage to get out too.

All for now.