2009-07-05 51 -4

Participants

Just me

Expedition

Today was the day of the Gower Bike Ride, an annual event where thousands of cyclist cycle around the Gower peninsula in aid of the British Heart Foundation. Since this meant that lots of cyclists would be going around wearing red T-shirts with paper numbers on their back, I thought I'd blend in with a red (G&D's) T-shirt and a piece of paper reading 'xkcd'.

Set off just before 4 in moderate rain. It brightened up after I reached the cycle track I was taking. Reached the end of that and started exploring new territory. Through some narrow side-roads (and under the dinkiest bridge you'll ever see - only 6'3" clearance, going under the rail line to West Wales I think), reached within 200m of the hashpoint (just after 4:30) but was stopped by the entrance gate to a steelworks (eerily quiet) and a fence blocking access to the presumed farmland that the hashpoint seemed to be on.

Turned around, and headed back, taking some photos along the way. Was stopped by some folks drinking outside a pub who asked how long I'd taken; I confused them when I said I hadn't done it and that I'd tried to reach a random point picked by the internet. They wondered why I hadn't climbed over the fence. It started to rain again just as I reached the home stretch.

Tracklog

Approximate map since OpenStreetMap doesn't yet cover Waunarlwydd fully. That's a project for when I get a GPS receiver!

Photos

(To follow once I get the Bluetooth working)

The map showing the hashpoint and my position; hashpoint was somewhere in the background, probably above the frame of the shot
Fence prevented access to the hashpoint :-(
Gate prevented me carrying on along the footpath
Tiniest bridge you ever saw! Forward approach…
…inside…
reverse approach
The (not-terribly-) infamous xkcd sign (in trademark Lucida Sans)
Me on my return, slightly wet.


Sun 5 Jul 2009 in 51,-4: 51.3518423, -4.1062209 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox