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Today, I'm in beautiful mid-Wales, | 0:00:29 | 0:00:32 | |
land of music, song and mystery. | 0:00:32 | 0:00:35 | |
It's home to Celtic tradition, the odd dragon | 0:00:35 | 0:00:38 | |
and the UK's tallest single-drop waterfall, Pistyll Rhaeadr. | 0:00:38 | 0:00:42 | |
My journey begins at this mystical spot close to Llanrhaeadr... | 0:00:49 | 0:00:53 | |
..and then continues to Ponterwyd, | 0:00:55 | 0:00:58 | |
to walk a section of "the mountain connoisseur's route", | 0:00:58 | 0:01:01 | |
the Cambrian Way. | 0:01:01 | 0:01:03 | |
At Cwmystwyth, I'll learn to find my way in the wild | 0:01:05 | 0:01:07 | |
by looking at trees, | 0:01:07 | 0:01:09 | |
with the help of natural navigator, Tristan Gooley. | 0:01:09 | 0:01:12 | |
What I love about this beech tree is it's giving me great clues to direction. | 0:01:12 | 0:01:16 | |
Near Rhayader, I'll learn about a fearsome raptor | 0:01:16 | 0:01:20 | |
that has transformed its image | 0:01:20 | 0:01:22 | |
from persecuted pest to lucrative tourist attraction. | 0:01:22 | 0:01:26 | |
And my journey ends at Tregaron, where I'll trot against the clock | 0:01:26 | 0:01:30 | |
in a harnessed race against time. | 0:01:30 | 0:01:33 | |
-So they will go a little bit faster, then? -Yes, you can. -Go on! | 0:01:33 | 0:01:36 | |
Along the way, I'll be looking back | 0:01:38 | 0:01:40 | |
at some of the best of the BBC's programmes | 0:01:40 | 0:01:42 | |
from this part of the country. | 0:01:42 | 0:01:44 | |
Croeso i Gymru, and welcome to Country Tracks. | 0:01:44 | 0:01:47 | |
Wales is a culturally rich nation, | 0:01:54 | 0:01:58 | |
famous for its art, music and literature. | 0:01:58 | 0:02:01 | |
With a legacy of colourful mythology | 0:02:03 | 0:02:06 | |
influenced by Celtic folklore, traditions and legends. | 0:02:06 | 0:02:10 | |
Welsh is one of the oldest surviving languages in Europe | 0:02:12 | 0:02:16 | |
and the people of Wales | 0:02:16 | 0:02:18 | |
are passionate, expressive and creative. | 0:02:18 | 0:02:21 | |
No wonder then, that here at Pistyll Rhaeadr, | 0:02:23 | 0:02:26 | |
the waterfall is surrounded by myths and even tales of dragons. | 0:02:26 | 0:02:30 | |
The falls collect water from the heather and bog moors of the Berwyn Mountains, | 0:02:36 | 0:02:41 | |
which feed into the little river, Afon Disgynfa, | 0:02:41 | 0:02:45 | |
meaning descent, or landing place. | 0:02:45 | 0:02:47 | |
Powerful places, waterfalls, | 0:02:49 | 0:02:52 | |
and it's no surprise that they've long been associated | 0:02:52 | 0:02:55 | |
with prehistoric ritual and religion. | 0:02:55 | 0:02:58 | |
If you listen to the pounding, the thundering of that water, | 0:02:58 | 0:03:01 | |
it strips your emotions to their raw state. | 0:03:01 | 0:03:04 | |
After tumbling over a series of rapids | 0:03:06 | 0:03:09 | |
formed over bands of volcanic rock, the water eventually reaches | 0:03:09 | 0:03:13 | |
the 450 million year-old cliff | 0:03:13 | 0:03:16 | |
before plummeting down the 240-foot drop into the Afon Rhaeadr. | 0:03:16 | 0:03:20 | |
This dramatic waterfall is known as one of the seven wonders of Wales, | 0:03:32 | 0:03:37 | |
but it's also a spiritual place. | 0:03:37 | 0:03:39 | |
Phil Facey, who lives at its foot, is constantly inspired by it. | 0:03:39 | 0:03:43 | |
-Hello, Phil. -Hello, welcome. -What brought you to this place? | 0:03:45 | 0:03:50 | |
Well, I was living in Norwich | 0:03:50 | 0:03:51 | |
and I decided to come on a long weekend to do a bit of walking. | 0:03:51 | 0:03:55 | |
Came up the lane, never been before... | 0:03:55 | 0:03:59 | |
Eight weeks later, | 0:03:59 | 0:04:00 | |
I was living here. | 0:04:00 | 0:04:02 | |
The place has a very special gift. | 0:04:02 | 0:04:06 | |
When you enter into this little valley, | 0:04:06 | 0:04:09 | |
you begin to sense within yourself a quietening. | 0:04:09 | 0:04:14 | |
I'll use the word "sacredness", | 0:04:14 | 0:04:16 | |
it has touched thousands of people in their heart. | 0:04:16 | 0:04:21 | |
'In wintertime, the waterfall can freeze. | 0:04:26 | 0:04:29 | |
'This dramatic picture was taken in 1969, | 0:04:29 | 0:04:33 | |
'and local legend says images can be seen within, | 0:04:33 | 0:04:37 | |
'one of which is a dragon.' | 0:04:37 | 0:04:39 | |
You see where the bridge is, and the eye, | 0:04:39 | 0:04:42 | |
the whole of that is formed into the face, the side face, of a dragon. | 0:04:42 | 0:04:48 | |
'There's a story of how the dragon would attack local villages | 0:04:48 | 0:04:52 | |
'until it was slain by cunning means. | 0:04:52 | 0:04:55 | |
'Nevertheless, dragon energy apparently still flows | 0:04:55 | 0:04:59 | |
'within these waters. | 0:04:59 | 0:05:00 | |
'Another legend is attached to these boulders | 0:05:00 | 0:05:04 | |
'in a nearby field at the foot of the waterfall. | 0:05:04 | 0:05:07 | |
'The story goes that a giant and giantess | 0:05:07 | 0:05:10 | |
'were sheltering in the mountains, | 0:05:10 | 0:05:11 | |
'building a house below the waterfall. | 0:05:11 | 0:05:13 | |
'One night, they were interrupted by a cock crowing | 0:05:13 | 0:05:16 | |
'and had to throw down their stones and leave. | 0:05:16 | 0:05:20 | |
'The stones, and their stories, remain. | 0:05:20 | 0:05:22 | |
'The myths and legends may or may not be true, | 0:05:23 | 0:05:27 | |
'but what cannot be denied | 0:05:27 | 0:05:28 | |
'is the beauty of the waterfall and its surrounding mountains, | 0:05:28 | 0:05:32 | |
'which have been designated as sites of special scientific interest.' | 0:05:32 | 0:05:36 | |
It's such an evocative place. | 0:05:36 | 0:05:38 | |
You can really understand why people come here, | 0:05:38 | 0:05:41 | |
why Phil came here and stayed here. | 0:05:41 | 0:05:44 | |
It's like a little oasis of peace in a busy world. | 0:05:44 | 0:05:48 | |
Not far from here, near Aberystwyth, | 0:05:58 | 0:06:01 | |
Jimmy Doherty met Welsh farmers Rachel and Gareth Rowlands, | 0:06:01 | 0:06:05 | |
who want to change the world by changing what cows eat. | 0:06:05 | 0:06:09 | |
Most animals, including humans, give off methane by burping and farting. | 0:06:15 | 0:06:21 | |
Too much methane damages the world's atmosphere. | 0:06:21 | 0:06:24 | |
Cows are serious polluters. | 0:06:25 | 0:06:27 | |
Each one gives off 300 litres of methane or more every day. | 0:06:28 | 0:06:33 | |
Rachel and her husband Gareth want to see if a change of diet | 0:06:33 | 0:06:38 | |
could reduce the amount of methane cows produce. | 0:06:38 | 0:06:42 | |
-This was, I thought, a novel thing to be doing. -Yeah. | 0:06:42 | 0:06:45 | |
-Measuring output from animals. -Yeah. | 0:06:45 | 0:06:47 | |
-Science is a wonderful thing. -It is. | 0:06:47 | 0:06:50 | |
They've installed a police crime scene tent | 0:06:50 | 0:06:53 | |
to track the amount of methane produced by their cows. | 0:06:53 | 0:06:57 | |
-And this is it. -This is the tent. -This is the fart and burp tent. | 0:06:57 | 0:07:02 | |
The fart and burp tent, yes. The jokes are flying on this. | 0:07:02 | 0:07:06 | |
You wouldn't be smoking in there, would you? | 0:07:06 | 0:07:09 | |
You'd just go up! | 0:07:09 | 0:07:10 | |
The sealed tent collects and measures the methane | 0:07:11 | 0:07:14 | |
given off by Rachel's cows. | 0:07:14 | 0:07:17 | |
-It's quite gassy in there, isn't it? -That's another word for smelly. | 0:07:18 | 0:07:23 | |
I think one of my eyebrows dropped off when I put my head in there. | 0:07:23 | 0:07:26 | |
'They've teamed up with scientist, Professor Jamie Newbold, from Aberystwyth University.' | 0:07:26 | 0:07:31 | |
-How are you doing? -Hello, how are you? -Good, good, good. | 0:07:31 | 0:07:34 | |
-So you are the man who designed this experiment? -Indeed, yes. | 0:07:34 | 0:07:37 | |
'Firstly, Professor Newbold will measure how much methane the cows produce when fed their normal diet.' | 0:07:39 | 0:07:44 | |
So we take this out and test it. | 0:07:44 | 0:07:46 | |
So, the methane is running through here? | 0:07:48 | 0:07:50 | |
The methane's coming through here... and being detected over here. | 0:07:50 | 0:07:53 | |
All the way here, to this technical bit of kit. | 0:07:53 | 0:07:58 | |
To this methane analyser, which is picking up the methane, | 0:07:58 | 0:08:00 | |
pumping in through these into bags. | 0:08:00 | 0:08:02 | |
So we're collecting the gas. | 0:08:02 | 0:08:07 | |
Cattle produce methane, most organisms produce methane - animals. | 0:08:07 | 0:08:11 | |
Well, no. It's quite variable. About half of people produce methane. | 0:08:11 | 0:08:15 | |
Half do, half don't? | 0:08:15 | 0:08:16 | |
-Do you want to see if you do? -I'll have a test to see... | 0:08:16 | 0:08:19 | |
Blow into this bag, please, sir. | 0:08:19 | 0:08:20 | |
A lot of people will say that I am a methane producer... | 0:08:20 | 0:08:23 | |
HE CHUCKLES | 0:08:27 | 0:08:29 | |
Quick, get it. | 0:08:29 | 0:08:30 | |
OK. So we've now connected that. | 0:08:30 | 0:08:33 | |
-We put that in there. -Yeah. | 0:08:33 | 0:08:34 | |
This is parts per million of methane. | 0:08:34 | 0:08:38 | |
So you can see, unlike the cow, it's not going up. | 0:08:38 | 0:08:41 | |
-A non-methane producer. -I'm a non-methane producer? | 0:08:41 | 0:08:44 | |
So I'm not adding to the global warming effect? | 0:08:44 | 0:08:46 | |
So methane producers, the 50% that are methane producers, | 0:08:46 | 0:08:52 | |
what causes them to produce methane when other people don't? | 0:08:52 | 0:08:55 | |
We have the same methanogenic bacteria in our gut as cattle does, | 0:08:55 | 0:08:58 | |
but some of us don't pick it up from our mothers, | 0:08:58 | 0:09:01 | |
our mothers didn't have it. | 0:09:01 | 0:09:02 | |
Maybe you've had surgery or a fairly serious dose of antibiotics in your life and you've lost the bacteria. | 0:09:02 | 0:09:08 | |
-It's all about bacteria. -Bacteria in the gut that forms the methane. | 0:09:08 | 0:09:14 | |
In you and in the cows. | 0:09:14 | 0:09:16 | |
-Are you a methane producer? -I unfortunately am. | 0:09:16 | 0:09:19 | |
Right, you're a methane producer. Shame on you. | 0:09:19 | 0:09:21 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:09:21 | 0:09:23 | |
-We have a clear conscience. -We're all right. | 0:09:23 | 0:09:25 | |
I won't sit next to you on the bus. | 0:09:25 | 0:09:27 | |
Go behind. | 0:09:37 | 0:09:38 | |
The scientists want to test the idea | 0:09:38 | 0:09:40 | |
that they can reduce the methane output of Rachel's cows by changing their diet. | 0:09:40 | 0:09:44 | |
-Good girls. -Go on, go on. | 0:09:47 | 0:09:50 | |
Come on! | 0:09:50 | 0:09:52 | |
In you go, ladies. Wonderful. | 0:09:52 | 0:09:55 | |
Pleased to be home, aren't they? | 0:09:55 | 0:09:57 | |
-This is it. -Great relief, I should think. | 0:09:57 | 0:10:00 | |
-Wonderful. -It's nice to be out of that tent with all that methane. | 0:10:00 | 0:10:05 | |
-That was not a happy environment. -Oh, no. | 0:10:05 | 0:10:07 | |
Like being stuck under the duvet. | 0:10:07 | 0:10:09 | |
THEY GIGGLE | 0:10:09 | 0:10:11 | |
'There's a few surprise ingredients in the new feed.' | 0:10:12 | 0:10:15 | |
Right, this is the magic stuff. | 0:10:15 | 0:10:16 | |
'Including a healthy dose of garlic.' | 0:10:16 | 0:10:19 | |
-Yes, it's fairly potent, isn't it? -That is something else. | 0:10:19 | 0:10:24 | |
Would you like to do a split of 50-50? | 0:10:24 | 0:10:27 | |
-If it gets on your hands I'll feel happier about it. -Good Lord! | 0:10:27 | 0:10:31 | |
I already know what's in here now because of the smell. | 0:10:31 | 0:10:35 | |
They can smell it. Look, they're coming looking for it. | 0:10:36 | 0:10:39 | |
COWS MOO | 0:10:39 | 0:10:40 | |
It's like a bag of Frenchmen! | 0:10:40 | 0:10:43 | |
HE LAUGHS | 0:10:43 | 0:10:44 | |
You've got one hell of a smell in there, so you know. | 0:10:44 | 0:10:47 | |
-You're not a garlic lover, are you? -I can't stand the stuff. | 0:10:47 | 0:10:50 | |
-Garlic bread? -No. | 0:10:50 | 0:10:52 | |
There's a sophisticate. | 0:10:52 | 0:10:53 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:10:53 | 0:10:54 | |
It reminds me of when the cows got into the wild garlic. | 0:10:54 | 0:10:58 | |
That's it! When you walk through a wood of wild garlic, that's what it smells like. | 0:10:58 | 0:11:03 | |
-I'll give it a good mix-up. -I'm doing the same. | 0:11:03 | 0:11:07 | |
-And you reckon this will work? -Look, I reckon nothing, right? | 0:11:07 | 0:11:11 | |
-I leave this to the scientists, OK? -Here we go. | 0:11:11 | 0:11:14 | |
Let's leave them to it and see what happens. | 0:11:14 | 0:11:17 | |
'The cows will eat this new diet for two weeks, | 0:11:17 | 0:11:19 | |
'then they'll go back in the crime tent for two days to be measured again.' | 0:11:19 | 0:11:24 | |
-They're eating. -They're eating. | 0:11:24 | 0:11:27 | |
They're going for it, aren't they? | 0:11:27 | 0:11:30 | |
'When cows eat grass and plants, they produce hydrogen in the gut. | 0:11:30 | 0:11:34 | |
'This is bad for digestion.' | 0:11:34 | 0:11:36 | |
Bacteria in the stomach converts some of this hydrogen gas to methane | 0:11:38 | 0:11:42 | |
which the cows can more easily deal with. | 0:11:42 | 0:11:45 | |
When the scientists add garlic to the cows' diet, | 0:11:48 | 0:11:51 | |
they expect it to kill off some of the methane-producing bacteria. | 0:11:51 | 0:11:55 | |
This will not harm the animal, but the scientists believe | 0:11:58 | 0:12:02 | |
it reduces the amount of methane gas the cows pump into the atmosphere. | 0:12:02 | 0:12:06 | |
'It seems incredible to me that a simple change of diet might have such an effect.' | 0:12:22 | 0:12:27 | |
I'm quite excited because I love getting surprises | 0:12:28 | 0:12:32 | |
and I love getting results of things. | 0:12:32 | 0:12:35 | |
Being away, I want to see what's happened with the cows. | 0:12:35 | 0:12:38 | |
Have they eaten the food? Are they producing less methane, more methane? What are the variables? | 0:12:38 | 0:12:44 | |
Who knows? That's what exciting about an experiment. | 0:12:44 | 0:12:48 | |
-So what are the results? -If you remember last time, | 0:12:49 | 0:12:51 | |
we had about 347 metres of methane from the animals. | 0:12:51 | 0:12:56 | |
Yesterday we had 292 metres. | 0:12:56 | 0:13:00 | |
-So about 10% to 15% less. -So there has been a reduction? | 0:13:00 | 0:13:03 | |
COWS MOO LOUDLY | 0:13:03 | 0:13:05 | |
They've just released the two girls back into the herd, | 0:13:06 | 0:13:10 | |
so from the inflatable shed there, | 0:13:10 | 0:13:13 | |
and now they're running around. There's all this excitement. | 0:13:13 | 0:13:16 | |
They're sniffing them because these girls... | 0:13:16 | 0:13:19 | |
Listen to it! These two girls must reek of garlic. | 0:13:19 | 0:13:23 | |
Look, look. | 0:13:23 | 0:13:25 | |
Hello, lovely. | 0:13:25 | 0:13:26 | |
There is a worry that the garlic might taint the cows' meat or milk. | 0:13:26 | 0:13:30 | |
Eh, garlic breath? | 0:13:30 | 0:13:32 | |
But this experiment is amazing. | 0:13:32 | 0:13:34 | |
Of course it's just the first step in a lengthy process, | 0:13:34 | 0:13:38 | |
but if all farmers in Wales fed their cattle this new diet, | 0:13:38 | 0:13:42 | |
then livestock methane emissions could be cut by 15%. | 0:13:42 | 0:13:46 | |
Wouldn't it be great if this idea spread around the world? | 0:13:48 | 0:13:52 | |
It could seriously help tackle global warming. | 0:13:52 | 0:13:54 | |
My journey now continues to Ponterwyd where I've joined what is known as | 0:13:58 | 0:14:02 | |
the mountain connoisseur's walk, the Cambrian Way. | 0:14:02 | 0:14:05 | |
What exactly is the Cambrian Way? | 0:14:09 | 0:14:11 | |
You've probably heard of the Pennine Way and the West Highland Way, | 0:14:11 | 0:14:15 | |
but the Cambrian Way isn't very familiar to a lot of people. | 0:14:15 | 0:14:18 | |
Although it's not recognised as a national trial, | 0:14:18 | 0:14:21 | |
it's a mountain walking route that goes from Cardiff to Conway | 0:14:21 | 0:14:24 | |
and it crosses some of the wildest, highest, most beautifully scenic parts of Wales. | 0:14:24 | 0:14:30 | |
The walk takes in the Black Mountains in Southeast Wales, | 0:14:32 | 0:14:36 | |
the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia | 0:14:36 | 0:14:39 | |
and the Carneddau Mountains, | 0:14:39 | 0:14:40 | |
which include some of the very highest peaks in the country. | 0:14:40 | 0:14:44 | |
It's very rarely flat and therein lies the challenge. | 0:14:44 | 0:14:48 | |
It's a strenuous walk, 20 miles longer than the Pennine Way. | 0:14:51 | 0:14:55 | |
At 275 miles long, the total amount of uphill-walking that you do | 0:14:55 | 0:15:00 | |
adds up to 60,500 feet, more than twice the height of Mount Everest. | 0:15:00 | 0:15:07 | |
'The walk is one of the finest in Europe, | 0:15:09 | 0:15:12 | |
'and the scenery on a good day is tremendous. | 0:15:12 | 0:15:14 | |
'But with today's weather, I am glad I have my waterproofs on, | 0:15:14 | 0:15:18 | |
'as I am tackling a small part of the route | 0:15:18 | 0:15:20 | |
'in the company of rambler George Tod, | 0:15:20 | 0:15:22 | |
'who has walked the entire trail three times.' | 0:15:22 | 0:15:25 | |
So, George, tell me a bit about the history of the Cambrian Way. | 0:15:28 | 0:15:32 | |
Well, it was started with a man called Tony Drake, who had | 0:15:32 | 0:15:37 | |
a vision of making a route across all the mountaintops of Wales. | 0:15:37 | 0:15:41 | |
It started off about 40 years ago, | 0:15:41 | 0:15:45 | |
and he has pioneered the route ever since. | 0:15:45 | 0:15:48 | |
He has been very active in trying to get it as a National Trail. | 0:15:48 | 0:15:53 | |
Unfortunately, that has not been succeeded up to now. | 0:15:53 | 0:15:57 | |
But you've walked it quite a number of times, | 0:15:57 | 0:16:00 | |
-do you still love it as much? -I do, it never loses its appeal. | 0:16:00 | 0:16:05 | |
A lot depends on the weather, of course. | 0:16:05 | 0:16:07 | |
Days like today, it is not quite as inspiring as on nice and sunny days. | 0:16:07 | 0:16:13 | |
Approximately 200 hardy souls tackle the walk every year, | 0:16:13 | 0:16:17 | |
but it does require some serious navigational skills. | 0:16:17 | 0:16:20 | |
-You need lots of maps. -You do indeed. | 0:16:20 | 0:16:23 | |
Because it is not an official National Trail or anything, | 0:16:23 | 0:16:26 | |
there is virtually no way marking along the route. | 0:16:26 | 0:16:30 | |
So it does mean a set of OS maps are required for the whole way. | 0:16:30 | 0:16:35 | |
But over the years, Tony's vision has not been without difficulties. | 0:16:35 | 0:16:39 | |
When he applied for National Trail status, many organisations | 0:16:39 | 0:16:43 | |
and local councils along the route raised objections. | 0:16:43 | 0:16:46 | |
The councils had a number of concerns. | 0:16:46 | 0:16:49 | |
They included the fact there was erosion on parts of the route, | 0:16:49 | 0:16:52 | |
the safety of the route and also | 0:16:52 | 0:16:54 | |
whether public rights were along all of the route. | 0:16:54 | 0:16:58 | |
Has the Countryside Act changed any of the objections? | 0:17:02 | 0:17:05 | |
It has in many ways, in that now the access has got a legal footing, | 0:17:05 | 0:17:10 | |
whereas, before it was based on custom | 0:17:10 | 0:17:13 | |
and practice that people could walk in the mountains. | 0:17:13 | 0:17:16 | |
It didn't have any real legal standing. | 0:17:16 | 0:17:19 | |
Unfortunately, there are still many other objections | 0:17:19 | 0:17:23 | |
which have not been overcome. | 0:17:23 | 0:17:25 | |
One of the practical challenges is the day-to-day | 0:17:25 | 0:17:28 | |
maintenance of such a long and tough walk. | 0:17:28 | 0:17:31 | |
The funding to develop the route, | 0:17:32 | 0:17:34 | |
we would need to do an assessment to see how much work was required | 0:17:34 | 0:17:38 | |
in terms of things like pack furniture, signage, | 0:17:38 | 0:17:42 | |
surfacing of the route. | 0:17:42 | 0:17:43 | |
It would be hard to say at the moment, | 0:17:43 | 0:17:46 | |
but if you take an example, we are currently developing | 0:17:46 | 0:17:49 | |
the Wales coast path, which is a much longer route. | 0:17:49 | 0:17:52 | |
That is a £15 million programme, but that is for an 840-mile path. | 0:17:52 | 0:17:58 | |
It gives you an idea of the scale of the costs involved. | 0:17:58 | 0:18:02 | |
The National Trail campaign may not be as high profile now as it was, | 0:18:02 | 0:18:06 | |
but there are still a few passionate walkers, | 0:18:06 | 0:18:09 | |
including George, trying to keep Tony's vision alive. | 0:18:09 | 0:18:13 | |
So far, the last 40 years of Tony Drake's life have been dedicated to | 0:18:13 | 0:18:19 | |
promoting the walk and maintaining the walk and the guidebook. | 0:18:19 | 0:18:24 | |
Unfortunately, Tony is now rather frail at the age of 88, | 0:18:24 | 0:18:28 | |
and needs some assistance. | 0:18:28 | 0:18:30 | |
The longer term future he has envisaged as a charitable trust | 0:18:30 | 0:18:34 | |
administered by three of us initially. | 0:18:34 | 0:18:38 | |
There is myself, a close friend of Tony's | 0:18:38 | 0:18:43 | |
and another walking companion of Tony's. | 0:18:43 | 0:18:48 | |
Between the three of us, we will try to maintain the walk as best we can, | 0:18:48 | 0:18:52 | |
and keep the guide books continued as far as possible. | 0:18:52 | 0:18:56 | |
The problem is, none of us are very young, so, in the longer term, | 0:18:56 | 0:19:01 | |
it'd be nice to have some new, young blood | 0:19:01 | 0:19:03 | |
to carry the thing onwards. | 0:19:03 | 0:19:04 | |
-Fresh blood to keep going. -That is the way, yes. | 0:19:04 | 0:19:07 | |
Whether or not the Cambrian Way ever becomes a National Trail | 0:19:08 | 0:19:12 | |
is a moot point. | 0:19:12 | 0:19:14 | |
But it will always remain a mountain connoisseur's walk. | 0:19:14 | 0:19:17 | |
To the west of here, the little town of Llanwrtyd Wells plays host to | 0:19:21 | 0:19:25 | |
one of Britain's most eccentric races, pitting man against horse. | 0:19:25 | 0:19:29 | |
Back in 2001, Ben Fogle pulled on his lucky socks and joined in. | 0:19:29 | 0:19:34 | |
Well, you may be wondering what I'm doing in the smallest | 0:19:40 | 0:19:43 | |
town in Wales, limbering up. | 0:19:43 | 0:19:45 | |
Well, the answer is a very unusual race indeed. | 0:19:46 | 0:19:49 | |
This is the Man Versus Horse Marathon, | 0:19:51 | 0:19:54 | |
run over 22 miles of hard terrain. | 0:19:54 | 0:19:56 | |
Normally held in June, the annual race was postponed | 0:19:56 | 0:20:00 | |
until this month due to foot and mouth. | 0:20:00 | 0:20:02 | |
Is it going to be really muddy? | 0:20:02 | 0:20:04 | |
I have heard it is going to be extremely muddy. | 0:20:04 | 0:20:06 | |
We have had monsoon conditions for a few weeks running up to it. | 0:20:06 | 0:20:09 | |
So, yes, it could be really deep and quite treacherous. | 0:20:09 | 0:20:12 | |
Great(!) Looking forward to that(!) | 0:20:12 | 0:20:14 | |
The question I really want to know is has a man | 0:20:16 | 0:20:19 | |
ever beaten a horse in this race? | 0:20:19 | 0:20:21 | |
This will be the 22nd running of the race, | 0:20:21 | 0:20:23 | |
and it has never yet been done. | 0:20:23 | 0:20:25 | |
But with conditions on top being so deep and muddy, | 0:20:25 | 0:20:28 | |
and more hazardous for horses, | 0:20:28 | 0:20:29 | |
I think it is a damn good bet this year. | 0:20:29 | 0:20:32 | |
There is a very big money prize, | 0:20:32 | 0:20:33 | |
they have upped it by £1,000 every year the race has run. | 0:20:33 | 0:20:36 | |
So if a man wins the race, he gets £22,000. | 0:20:36 | 0:20:40 | |
-Is that worth the deal? Should I meet the men? -Yes, that is it. | 0:20:41 | 0:20:46 | |
Even if I'm absolutely about to collapse, I'm going to keep going. | 0:20:46 | 0:20:50 | |
John, John. Hi there, nice to meet you. | 0:20:50 | 0:20:54 | |
You're in my relay team, or I'm in your relay team. I'm a bit nervous. | 0:20:54 | 0:20:58 | |
I was actually looking at the map here, and it looks... | 0:20:58 | 0:21:02 | |
Because I was thinking that you'd given me the worst leg, | 0:21:02 | 0:21:06 | |
as it was the longest one. | 0:21:06 | 0:21:07 | |
Because I have to do from here to here, don't I? | 0:21:07 | 0:21:10 | |
And then you do this bit. | 0:21:10 | 0:21:12 | |
And then you will finish us off and beat the horse | 0:21:12 | 0:21:16 | |
and win all our money. | 0:21:16 | 0:21:17 | |
-I'm running about seven miles, am I? -That's right. | 0:21:17 | 0:21:20 | |
And how long do you think I should be doing this in? | 0:21:20 | 0:21:23 | |
I think you'll probably do it in just over an hour. | 0:21:23 | 0:21:26 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:21:26 | 0:21:30 | |
Taxi! | 0:21:30 | 0:21:31 | |
'Nearly time to go. | 0:21:32 | 0:21:34 | |
'For safety reasons, the individual runners and relay teams | 0:21:34 | 0:21:38 | |
'go 15 minutes before the horses. | 0:21:38 | 0:21:39 | |
-'As I lined up, seven miles seemed a very long way indeed.' -Go! | 0:21:39 | 0:21:44 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 0:21:44 | 0:21:45 | |
INDISTINCT TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT | 0:21:48 | 0:21:52 | |
And with the runners safely on their way, | 0:21:54 | 0:21:57 | |
it was the horses turn for the off. | 0:21:57 | 0:22:00 | |
TANNOY: 'Five, four, three, two, one. | 0:22:00 | 0:22:04 | |
'Come on, then, let's cheer them away!' | 0:22:04 | 0:22:06 | |
APPLAUSE | 0:22:06 | 0:22:07 | |
MUSIC: "Have A Nice Day" by Stereophonics | 0:22:12 | 0:22:14 | |
# Have a nice day | 0:22:14 | 0:22:15 | |
# Have a nice day | 0:22:15 | 0:22:19 | |
# Have a nice day | 0:22:19 | 0:22:23 | |
# Have a nice day | 0:22:23 | 0:22:27 | |
# Lie around all day | 0:22:29 | 0:22:30 | |
# Have a drink to chase | 0:22:30 | 0:22:33 | |
# Yourself and tourists, yeah | 0:22:33 | 0:22:34 | |
# That's what I hate | 0:22:34 | 0:22:37 | |
# He said we're going wrong We've all become the same | 0:22:37 | 0:22:41 | |
# We dress the same ways Only our accents change... # | 0:22:41 | 0:22:45 | |
I beat some horses! | 0:22:45 | 0:22:46 | |
CHEERING | 0:22:46 | 0:22:49 | |
I've done it. Am I here now? | 0:22:49 | 0:22:51 | |
I made it. Put that straight on. Good luck. Good luck. | 0:22:58 | 0:23:01 | |
I beat a horse! | 0:23:06 | 0:23:07 | |
That was my main mission, | 0:23:07 | 0:23:11 | |
but I have to say I have the greatest admiration now for the horses. | 0:23:11 | 0:23:15 | |
Not for the people, because anybody who takes part is completely bonkers. | 0:23:15 | 0:23:19 | |
Well, I might have finished, but the race goes on, | 0:23:19 | 0:23:22 | |
and halfway round, the horses are vet checked once again. | 0:23:22 | 0:23:25 | |
That's lovely, that's fine. Whenever you want to go out, just go. | 0:23:28 | 0:23:31 | |
-How are the horses? -Yeah, they are mostly going on pretty well. | 0:23:31 | 0:23:37 | |
The first bunch were fighting fit with enthusiasm. | 0:23:37 | 0:23:40 | |
-One or two, a wee bit tired. -A bit like me, I think! -Yes. | 0:23:42 | 0:23:46 | |
-You look cleaner than they do. -I don't know how. | 0:23:46 | 0:23:50 | |
We're still not convinced you actually ran around. | 0:23:50 | 0:23:53 | |
I can assure you I did! | 0:23:53 | 0:23:56 | |
-Come on, John! How are you doing, you doing OK? -I'm OK. -Excellent. | 0:23:56 | 0:24:00 | |
See you in a bit. | 0:24:00 | 0:24:02 | |
That way, John. | 0:24:04 | 0:24:06 | |
We don't stand a chance! | 0:24:09 | 0:24:11 | |
# What have you done today to make you feel right? # | 0:24:12 | 0:24:16 | |
TANNOY: 'There they go, over the line, the individual winner.' | 0:24:16 | 0:24:21 | |
Individual winner he was, but when all the timings were worked out, | 0:24:21 | 0:24:25 | |
he was not quite fast enough to beat the first horse. | 0:24:25 | 0:24:28 | |
CHEERING AND APPLAUSE | 0:24:28 | 0:24:32 | |
-2.17. -I am so impressed with that. Excellent. Are you exhausted? | 0:24:32 | 0:24:38 | |
I'm not as exhausted as my horse is. I think he might want a drink. | 0:24:38 | 0:24:43 | |
Well done. Well run. How was that? | 0:24:43 | 0:24:46 | |
-Not bad for the first-time. -Are there many people behind you? | 0:24:46 | 0:24:50 | |
There weren't many behind us from the start! | 0:24:50 | 0:24:53 | |
LAUGHTER | 0:24:53 | 0:24:54 | |
It's the taking part that counts. | 0:24:54 | 0:24:56 | |
And there are horses still coming through, | 0:24:56 | 0:24:58 | |
so the fact is we beat the horses. | 0:24:58 | 0:25:00 | |
-We did beat some of the horses. -That's the most important part. | 0:25:00 | 0:25:03 | |
So much for my lucky socks. Well, that was absolutely amazing. | 0:25:05 | 0:25:08 | |
I am totally exhausted, but at least I have my little trophy that | 0:25:08 | 0:25:11 | |
proves I did it - and some very big blisters. | 0:25:11 | 0:25:13 | |
And I think I will start training for next year. | 0:25:13 | 0:25:16 | |
I think I'll do it on a horse next time. | 0:25:16 | 0:25:18 | |
Still following the route of the Cambrian Way, | 0:25:27 | 0:25:30 | |
I have arrived at the arch near Devil's Bridge. | 0:25:30 | 0:25:34 | |
The area takes its name from the old masonry arch | 0:25:34 | 0:25:37 | |
which used to span the road. | 0:25:37 | 0:25:38 | |
It was erected in 1810 by Thomas Johnes, | 0:25:38 | 0:25:42 | |
formerly the owner of the nearby Hafod Estate, | 0:25:42 | 0:25:45 | |
to mark King George III's golden jubilee. | 0:25:45 | 0:25:48 | |
The arch itself is quite a good landmark | 0:25:53 | 0:25:55 | |
when walking the Cambrian Way, as some of it is not | 0:25:55 | 0:25:58 | |
very well signposted and that can cause difficulties for walkers. | 0:25:58 | 0:26:01 | |
So you have to keep referring to Tony's guidebook or your OS map. | 0:26:01 | 0:26:05 | |
But there is another way of finding your way, | 0:26:05 | 0:26:07 | |
and I'm not talking about maps or compasses. | 0:26:07 | 0:26:10 | |
There are a whole host of clues to finding our way that surround us | 0:26:12 | 0:26:15 | |
when we are out in the wild, if only we learn where to look. | 0:26:15 | 0:26:19 | |
It is a lost art that natural navigator Tristan Gooley believes can | 0:26:19 | 0:26:24 | |
enhance our time in the countryside. | 0:26:24 | 0:26:26 | |
Hey, Tristan. What are you doing here wandering around trees? | 0:26:26 | 0:26:30 | |
I am loving this beech tree, | 0:26:30 | 0:26:32 | |
that's why I was having a good wander round it. | 0:26:32 | 0:26:34 | |
I was trying to get to know it. | 0:26:34 | 0:26:36 | |
The more we walk around a tree, the better we get to know one. | 0:26:36 | 0:26:39 | |
What I love about this is it is giving me | 0:26:39 | 0:26:41 | |
some great clues to direction. | 0:26:41 | 0:26:43 | |
It is really reaching for the southern sun. | 0:26:43 | 0:26:45 | |
We can see these branches here reaching out to the south, | 0:26:45 | 0:26:49 | |
and it has given me a good feel for the way we're walking. | 0:26:49 | 0:26:52 | |
How does natural navigation work? | 0:26:52 | 0:26:54 | |
Well, at its simplest, it is about sun, wind and water, | 0:26:54 | 0:26:58 | |
and these three elements acting on the earth. | 0:26:58 | 0:27:01 | |
Wherever we walk, we will find clues, | 0:27:01 | 0:27:04 | |
because the sun doesn't move overhead. | 0:27:04 | 0:27:06 | |
People think it is directly overhead in the middle of the day, | 0:27:06 | 0:27:09 | |
but it's not. In this country, it's in the south. | 0:27:09 | 0:27:12 | |
So it makes all the plants behave differently, | 0:27:12 | 0:27:14 | |
even puddles on paths behave differently. | 0:27:14 | 0:27:17 | |
The wind is sculpting the landscape around us. | 0:27:17 | 0:27:19 | |
I think of the sun, wind and water leaving big footsteps | 0:27:19 | 0:27:22 | |
in the land wherever we go. | 0:27:22 | 0:27:23 | |
Can you tell which way we are facing now? | 0:27:23 | 0:27:26 | |
Yeah, this beech is a really strong clue, and that is telling me | 0:27:26 | 0:27:30 | |
that way's south, which means this way must be west. | 0:27:30 | 0:27:33 | |
'It might sound vague, | 0:27:33 | 0:27:34 | |
'but Tristan is actually used it for real navigation in real situations.' | 0:27:34 | 0:27:38 | |
I have used it very practically. I have used it in Dartmoor. | 0:27:38 | 0:27:42 | |
I walked across half of Dartmoor in thick fog, | 0:27:42 | 0:27:45 | |
just using the way the grasses were bent by the wind. | 0:27:45 | 0:27:48 | |
-And it worked. -That is pretty impressive. | 0:27:48 | 0:27:52 | |
Natural navigation is all about observation and deduction. | 0:27:55 | 0:27:59 | |
Tristan wanted to show me some more clues to help me find my way. | 0:27:59 | 0:28:04 | |
Looks like we have got a great example here. | 0:28:08 | 0:28:10 | |
Can you see these trees which have all come down in the same direction? | 0:28:10 | 0:28:14 | |
Yes, loads of them. | 0:28:14 | 0:28:15 | |
What has happened is a storm has blown in and uprooted | 0:28:15 | 0:28:18 | |
all of these trees and pushed them all down in the same direction. | 0:28:18 | 0:28:22 | |
Once you've tuned into the direction of a storm's winds have blown, | 0:28:22 | 0:28:25 | |
you can then use that for the rest of your walk. | 0:28:25 | 0:28:28 | |
You really have to keep your eyes open. | 0:28:28 | 0:28:31 | |
That's what natural navigation is all about - | 0:28:31 | 0:28:33 | |
staying tuned to these clues | 0:28:33 | 0:28:35 | |
and using them to connect to something. | 0:28:35 | 0:28:37 | |
Earlier, we used the sun and its relationship with the trees. | 0:28:37 | 0:28:40 | |
Here, it's the wind and one storm in particular. A south-westerly storm | 0:28:40 | 0:28:44 | |
has pushed these trees over towards the north-east | 0:28:44 | 0:28:47 | |
and that is going to help us on the rest of our walk. | 0:28:47 | 0:28:50 | |
'It's clear trees can establish direction in many ways, | 0:28:52 | 0:28:55 | |
'but what if there are no trees around?' | 0:28:55 | 0:28:58 | |
We find ourselves in heather country here, a small piece of it. | 0:29:02 | 0:29:06 | |
Heather hates shady spots. | 0:29:06 | 0:29:08 | |
So if we find some heather, we can be pretty sure it is a sunny place. | 0:29:08 | 0:29:12 | |
It could be a sunny slope, | 0:29:12 | 0:29:14 | |
in which case it is most likely to be a south-facing slope. | 0:29:14 | 0:29:17 | |
-There is a spider's web, can you see here? -Oh, yes. | 0:29:17 | 0:29:20 | |
And a little spider there. | 0:29:20 | 0:29:24 | |
Spiders have learned, if we can call it that, that it is a waste | 0:29:24 | 0:29:27 | |
of time to spin webs somewhere where the wind is going to blow them away. | 0:29:27 | 0:29:32 | |
So what they tend to do is spin their webs in nice sheltered spots. | 0:29:32 | 0:29:35 | |
Since the wind tends to come from the south-west in this country, | 0:29:35 | 0:29:39 | |
you'll find more spiders' webs on the North East of gateposts, trees, | 0:29:39 | 0:29:44 | |
or indeed heather, as in this case. | 0:29:44 | 0:29:46 | |
Where do you get this information from? | 0:29:46 | 0:29:49 | |
To be honest, it took me a long time. | 0:29:49 | 0:29:51 | |
I have been learning about it for many years | 0:29:51 | 0:29:53 | |
and I had to find bits of information in strange places. | 0:29:53 | 0:29:57 | |
I met people and interviewed people, I went to the desert | 0:29:57 | 0:30:00 | |
and I spoke to the Tuareg and lots of people in this country. | 0:30:00 | 0:30:03 | |
Little pieces of information came together. | 0:30:03 | 0:30:05 | |
I had to look back to ancient Greece for some of the myths. | 0:30:05 | 0:30:08 | |
I'm delighted to say there is a small renaissance of interest | 0:30:08 | 0:30:12 | |
in this strange subject now. | 0:30:12 | 0:30:13 | |
Fantastic. And the spider's telling us to go this way, north east, | 0:30:13 | 0:30:17 | |
so let's head off. | 0:30:17 | 0:30:19 | |
Every second we spend looking at maps, compasses or GPS, | 0:30:26 | 0:30:30 | |
is a second we're not looking at the world around us. | 0:30:30 | 0:30:34 | |
So if we put them away and spend more time immersing ourselves | 0:30:34 | 0:30:37 | |
in the world around us, we have a much richer journey. | 0:30:37 | 0:30:40 | |
It's been typical Cambrian weather today, | 0:30:47 | 0:30:49 | |
but I think it's added to the beauty of the walk. | 0:30:49 | 0:30:52 | |
And Tristan's opened my eyes to the greater experience of the outdoors. | 0:30:52 | 0:30:56 | |
But I think I'll have to polish my observation skills | 0:30:56 | 0:30:59 | |
a little before I use them to find my way around. | 0:30:59 | 0:31:01 | |
But it's definitely food for thought. | 0:31:01 | 0:31:04 | |
For now at least, it's back to the sat nav for me. | 0:31:08 | 0:31:12 | |
The Royal Welsh Show in Builth Wells | 0:31:13 | 0:31:16 | |
is the biggest event in the Welsh agricultural calendar. | 0:31:16 | 0:31:19 | |
In summer 2009, Julia Bradbury and Matt Baker paid a visit. | 0:31:19 | 0:31:23 | |
Right, it's time to get our hands dirty and Matt, | 0:31:23 | 0:31:26 | |
you chose something for us both to try. | 0:31:26 | 0:31:28 | |
As you know, my passion is border collies. Anything to do with border collies. | 0:31:28 | 0:31:32 | |
But this is herding with a bit of a difference. It's duck herding. | 0:31:32 | 0:31:35 | |
-Duck? -I've never tried it... -Duck herding! -..But here's the gang! | 0:31:35 | 0:31:39 | |
-Hello, chaps! -Here we are, we've got Kenny, we've got Glenn, Tim, | 0:31:39 | 0:31:43 | |
and a wonderful little gang of ducks. | 0:31:43 | 0:31:45 | |
So, these dogs and us are going to herd these fellows? | 0:31:45 | 0:31:48 | |
This course behind us, the idea is to get round it. So we'll have a go, see what happens. | 0:31:48 | 0:31:53 | |
And it's the ducks doing the course, not us? | 0:31:53 | 0:31:55 | |
-Well, whatever you fancy. I don't know if you can get through that tube! -I'll have a go! | 0:31:55 | 0:31:59 | |
Meirion Owen is a third generation sheepdog handler | 0:32:02 | 0:32:05 | |
and a former Welsh champion. | 0:32:05 | 0:32:08 | |
He uses ducks as a starting point for training dogs and dog handlers. | 0:32:08 | 0:32:12 | |
There we go. And they're lovely Indian Runner Ducks? | 0:32:13 | 0:32:17 | |
Yes. Not your normal table bird, they're ornamental ducks. | 0:32:17 | 0:32:20 | |
-Quite light on their feet, as you can see. -Yes! | 0:32:20 | 0:32:23 | |
It's up to Matt now really to work them. | 0:32:23 | 0:32:26 | |
-He has to be authoritative. -They're not listening! | 0:32:26 | 0:32:29 | |
Come by! Come by! By, by. | 0:32:29 | 0:32:32 | |
Quite positive, the tone of his voice. | 0:32:32 | 0:32:34 | |
-By! By! -By. -By! By! -But Glenn is working them towards me now! -Stand! | 0:32:34 | 0:32:40 | |
-Those ducks are on the run! -HE WHISTLES | 0:32:40 | 0:32:43 | |
-Oh! -SHE LAUGHS | 0:32:43 | 0:32:46 | |
-Stand! Stand. -Stand! West Wales accent! | 0:32:46 | 0:32:49 | |
Matt'll be very frustrated now, Meirion, | 0:32:49 | 0:32:52 | |
he loves his border collie, and Meg does what... | 0:32:52 | 0:32:55 | |
To be fair, with the dogs, it's a different tone of voice and everything. | 0:32:55 | 0:33:00 | |
It's one man and his dog, that's why the programme's called it. | 0:33:00 | 0:33:03 | |
Stand! Stand! | 0:33:03 | 0:33:04 | |
-MATT WHISTLES -Stand! | 0:33:04 | 0:33:06 | |
-Oh, he's whistling, what's the whistling? -Look, look, look! | 0:33:06 | 0:33:09 | |
-Look, look! -Oh! | 0:33:09 | 0:33:11 | |
-Hey! -What's the whistle? | 0:33:11 | 0:33:13 | |
-Well, he's whistling those commands in whistle form. -Oh, I see. | 0:33:13 | 0:33:18 | |
-Stand! Stand! Stand! -THEY LAUGH | 0:33:18 | 0:33:22 | |
-Not listening to a word I'm saying! -My turn. | 0:33:23 | 0:33:26 | |
Stand. Away! Away! | 0:33:28 | 0:33:32 | |
Away! Stand. Stand! | 0:33:32 | 0:33:33 | |
The tone of voice is good! | 0:33:33 | 0:33:37 | |
Walk. By! By! By! By! Stand. Stand. Stand. | 0:33:37 | 0:33:42 | |
-First obstacle! Doing well! -By. By. | 0:33:44 | 0:33:48 | |
-They're Indian Runners, these ducks, and they can't half move! -By! By! | 0:33:48 | 0:33:51 | |
Away! Away! Away! Away! Away! | 0:33:51 | 0:33:54 | |
-Ah, so close! -So close. -Stand. | 0:33:54 | 0:33:57 | |
Walk. | 0:34:00 | 0:34:01 | |
Glenn, walk. Glenn, walk. | 0:34:01 | 0:34:04 | |
Glenn, walk. | 0:34:04 | 0:34:06 | |
-Stand. -Stand. | 0:34:06 | 0:34:08 | |
-By! By! -Yes! -Hey-hey! -They're in! | 0:34:08 | 0:34:12 | |
-Very good. -Woo-hoo! -What do you reckon? -Excellent. -I won one! | 0:34:12 | 0:34:18 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:34:18 | 0:34:20 | |
-Well done. -Ah, darling! | 0:34:20 | 0:34:21 | |
I think it definitely helped having him next door, didn't it?! | 0:34:21 | 0:34:25 | |
It's lovely, isn't it? | 0:34:25 | 0:34:26 | |
-That connection with the dog, all the herding. -Dog, duck... | 0:34:26 | 0:34:30 | |
Matt Baker and Julia Bradbury taking a gander at duck herding. | 0:34:30 | 0:34:34 | |
My journey, which started at the beautiful Pistyll Rhaeadr waterfall | 0:34:34 | 0:34:39 | |
and continued to the Cambrian Way at Ponterwyd | 0:34:39 | 0:34:42 | |
and Cwmystwyth, has now reached Rhayader, | 0:34:42 | 0:34:45 | |
where there is a feeding station for a magnificent bird of prey. | 0:34:45 | 0:34:50 | |
The conservation of the red kite has been a huge success story. | 0:34:55 | 0:35:00 | |
Feeding stations have provided excellent diversification opportunities for Welsh farmers. | 0:35:00 | 0:35:06 | |
They've sprung up around the country, and have now become big business. | 0:35:06 | 0:35:10 | |
The red kite is a magnificent sight. | 0:35:16 | 0:35:18 | |
These beautiful birds of prey with their chestnut colour, | 0:35:18 | 0:35:22 | |
their striking patches of white, and their grey heads, | 0:35:22 | 0:35:25 | |
were at the point of extinction in 1933. | 0:35:25 | 0:35:28 | |
There were only two known nests still existing in the UK. | 0:35:28 | 0:35:31 | |
And both of them were in Wales. | 0:35:31 | 0:35:33 | |
But now, numbers are rising again and in Wales currently there are about | 0:35:35 | 0:35:39 | |
1,000 breeding pairs and another 1,500 birds who have not yet mated. | 0:35:39 | 0:35:45 | |
Wiggin Farm was the first feeding station to be set up in Wales, in 1992. | 0:35:49 | 0:35:54 | |
Every day at 3pm, farmer Chris Powell throws fresh meat to the birds, | 0:35:54 | 0:35:59 | |
providing the nutrition they need to thrive. And thrive they do. | 0:35:59 | 0:36:05 | |
Chris! That was amazing. How many birds are out there? | 0:36:13 | 0:36:16 | |
I thought there were only going to be about 20 or 30? | 0:36:16 | 0:36:19 | |
-There could be anything up to 300 today. -Is that normal? | 0:36:19 | 0:36:22 | |
It varies from day to day, depending on the weather | 0:36:22 | 0:36:25 | |
and we've also got a rolling population of kites during the week. | 0:36:25 | 0:36:29 | |
-So it's not the same ones coming every day? -Well, they might do. | 0:36:29 | 0:36:32 | |
Some days you see odd kites you recognise, | 0:36:32 | 0:36:35 | |
but the population moves round because they're coming from different valleys. | 0:36:35 | 0:36:39 | |
What kind of people come here to watch the birds? | 0:36:39 | 0:36:42 | |
Oh, from all walks of life. | 0:36:42 | 0:36:45 | |
We've got professional photographers here today, | 0:36:45 | 0:36:48 | |
and we've got people taking film with their phones. | 0:36:48 | 0:36:51 | |
And families and individuals. | 0:36:52 | 0:36:54 | |
In fact, the farm has approximately 20,000 visitors every year. | 0:36:56 | 0:36:59 | |
It's good for the economy and for tourism, | 0:36:59 | 0:37:03 | |
and good for the birds, of course. | 0:37:03 | 0:37:05 | |
This feeding station is one of the first that started this feeding of the red kites, | 0:37:06 | 0:37:12 | |
so it's good to keep it going and show we're supporting it. | 0:37:12 | 0:37:16 | |
When I saw the kites feeding it was absolutely out of this world. | 0:37:16 | 0:37:20 | |
Hundreds upon hundreds. You just didn't know where to look. | 0:37:20 | 0:37:23 | |
There's a big build-up. It's a 3 o'clock start. | 0:37:25 | 0:37:29 | |
It all happens pretty fast. We must admit we like to hang back. | 0:37:29 | 0:37:34 | |
We stay till later because they go away and come back again. | 0:37:34 | 0:37:37 | |
It's not just one big swoop. They come down now and again. | 0:37:37 | 0:37:43 | |
But are they at risk of becoming a victim of their own success? | 0:37:44 | 0:37:48 | |
Is it a business that's going to grow and grow | 0:37:49 | 0:37:52 | |
or, as the kite becomes more common, do you think | 0:37:52 | 0:37:55 | |
there just won't be the want or need for this kind of tourist activity? | 0:37:55 | 0:38:01 | |
Well, it's more than just a tourist attraction. | 0:38:01 | 0:38:04 | |
The reason we introduced a fee in the beginning was to pay for the food. | 0:38:05 | 0:38:11 | |
-The first thing, the kites come first. -Right. | 0:38:11 | 0:38:15 | |
All through last winter when nobody could get here, we still fed the kites. | 0:38:15 | 0:38:19 | |
What would happen to the kites if you stopped feeding them? | 0:38:19 | 0:38:23 | |
Well, this last winter a great percentage would have died | 0:38:24 | 0:38:28 | |
because the ground was frozen | 0:38:28 | 0:38:30 | |
and then you'd got six or 10 inches of snow on top of it, | 0:38:30 | 0:38:34 | |
so they could find no food at all. | 0:38:34 | 0:38:36 | |
Every year the kites spread out a bit further, | 0:38:36 | 0:38:39 | |
nesting in Shropshire and Herefordshire. | 0:38:39 | 0:38:42 | |
I'd get e-mails from farms in Devon at harvest time seeing red kites. | 0:38:42 | 0:38:48 | |
So as the populations grow, they push out further and further. | 0:38:48 | 0:38:52 | |
It will get to a point when the furthest birds won't come here. | 0:38:52 | 0:38:55 | |
They'll go somewhere else. There are other feeding stations. | 0:38:55 | 0:38:59 | |
There are now five official commercial sites in Wales | 0:39:00 | 0:39:03 | |
and a few unofficial ones, too. | 0:39:03 | 0:39:05 | |
It seems that the future of the kite is now interwoven | 0:39:05 | 0:39:07 | |
with the continued success of places like Gigrin Farm. | 0:39:07 | 0:39:11 | |
The feeding stations can only be a good thing, | 0:39:14 | 0:39:16 | |
not only for tourism but also for bird numbers | 0:39:16 | 0:39:19 | |
and increasing people's knowledge of these magnificent creatures. | 0:39:19 | 0:39:23 | |
Let's hope it continues to be good business for the countryside. | 0:39:23 | 0:39:27 | |
The final stage of my journey is leading me to Tregaron, | 0:39:28 | 0:39:32 | |
where weatherman Derek Brockway followed in the footsteps | 0:39:32 | 0:39:35 | |
of the 15th century Welsh Robin Hood, Twm Sion Cati. | 0:39:35 | 0:39:40 | |
Of course Twm Sion Cati was a real person | 0:39:45 | 0:39:48 | |
who roamed these hills and roads about four centuries ago. | 0:39:48 | 0:39:51 | |
But over the years, so many legends have grown up around him | 0:39:51 | 0:39:55 | |
that I need a guide who can tell the difference between fact and fiction, | 0:39:55 | 0:39:59 | |
and who knows this place like the back of his hands. | 0:39:59 | 0:40:02 | |
Dafydd Morgan is a former teacher and a total Twm Sion Cati fan. | 0:40:04 | 0:40:09 | |
-Hi, Daf! -Hi, Derek. | 0:40:09 | 0:40:12 | |
He designed this walk and has been known to dress up as Twm | 0:40:12 | 0:40:16 | |
to promote the area and the outlaw. | 0:40:16 | 0:40:18 | |
I met him at Soar y Mynydd Chapel, | 0:40:18 | 0:40:21 | |
the spiritual starting point for our outlaw trail. | 0:40:21 | 0:40:24 | |
Well, Daf, Soar y Mynydd Chapel. This is the start of the walk. | 0:40:24 | 0:40:27 | |
I've been here a couple of times before. | 0:40:27 | 0:40:29 | |
-It's the most remote chapel in Wales, isn't it? -Yes, a wonderful location for a religious service. | 0:40:29 | 0:40:34 | |
Built in the 1820s on the banks of the River Camddwr, | 0:40:36 | 0:40:41 | |
just off the main road to Llyn Brianne, | 0:40:41 | 0:40:43 | |
it was also the local school up until the 1940s. | 0:40:43 | 0:40:47 | |
The walk we're doing is from chapel to chapel, isn't it? | 0:40:48 | 0:40:51 | |
Yes, going from Capel Soar y Mynydd to Capel Bwlchgwynt in Tregaron. | 0:40:51 | 0:40:56 | |
This part of the world is big and empty. | 0:40:58 | 0:41:00 | |
It really does specialise in what I'd like to call attractive loneliness. | 0:41:00 | 0:41:05 | |
For example, not only does it boast Wales's most remote chapel, | 0:41:05 | 0:41:10 | |
but just a mile away is Wales's most remote phone-box. Ah! | 0:41:10 | 0:41:15 | |
We'll also be heading in the direction | 0:41:15 | 0:41:18 | |
of Wales's most remote youth hostel, too. | 0:41:18 | 0:41:20 | |
This valley only got mains electricity in 2003. | 0:41:20 | 0:41:24 | |
That farm down there still isn't connected to the National Grid. | 0:41:25 | 0:41:29 | |
Hasn't harmed the place though, has it? | 0:41:29 | 0:41:32 | |
It's very wild and desolate up here, Dafydd, | 0:41:32 | 0:41:36 | |
-but at the same time really beautiful as well. -Yes, it is. | 0:41:36 | 0:41:39 | |
A wonderful place to lose yourself and get out to the countryside. | 0:41:39 | 0:41:44 | |
Lots of our walks are through National Parks. | 0:41:44 | 0:41:46 | |
This is a collection of bridleways and footpaths. | 0:41:46 | 0:41:49 | |
There's no overall body in charge of it all. | 0:41:49 | 0:41:52 | |
I think the area nearly got the status of National Park in 1971. | 0:41:52 | 0:41:55 | |
It's a beautiful area of Wales and the beauty is probably | 0:41:55 | 0:42:00 | |
as a result of nobody else being here, | 0:42:00 | 0:42:03 | |
which is different to National Parks where people go in hordes. | 0:42:03 | 0:42:06 | |
You can't go to National Parks without meeting people. | 0:42:06 | 0:42:09 | |
Well, you could go all day and not meet anyone out here. | 0:42:09 | 0:42:12 | |
And that's not a bad thing, is it? | 0:42:12 | 0:42:15 | |
So it never got made a National Park? Big deal. | 0:42:16 | 0:42:20 | |
I know I feel very privileged to be out here, | 0:42:20 | 0:42:22 | |
walking a well-kept secret with nothing to disturb me | 0:42:22 | 0:42:26 | |
except a lone red kite hovering overhead. Fabulous. | 0:42:26 | 0:42:30 | |
The landscape's beginning to change now. | 0:42:30 | 0:42:32 | |
Yes, in 47 seconds' time we'll come to my favourite view on this walk, | 0:42:32 | 0:42:37 | |
where we'll see the Doethie Valley and the Doethie River, | 0:42:37 | 0:42:41 | |
winding its way to the River Twyi which goes to the sea in Carmarthen. | 0:42:41 | 0:42:46 | |
-That is awesome. -It's beautiful. | 0:42:53 | 0:42:55 | |
Or as we say down here, bendigedig. | 0:42:55 | 0:42:58 | |
Couldn't agree more. | 0:42:58 | 0:43:00 | |
Now, be honest, aren't you glad I've brought you out here? | 0:43:04 | 0:43:07 | |
At this point, you drop down into the tree-lined valleys | 0:43:09 | 0:43:12 | |
where Twm and the other outlaws used to operate, | 0:43:12 | 0:43:15 | |
although the masked man of Tregaron was more than a simple highwayman. | 0:43:15 | 0:43:20 | |
Some people say he was the Welsh Robin Hood, but was he a real person? | 0:43:20 | 0:43:24 | |
Yes, his real name was Thomas Jones. | 0:43:24 | 0:43:26 | |
Born in Tregaron in 1530 and died in 1609. | 0:43:26 | 0:43:30 | |
So this part of Wales was pretty lawless back then? | 0:43:32 | 0:43:34 | |
Yes, it was every man for himself | 0:43:34 | 0:43:37 | |
and Twm stood up for the oppressed and victimised of the area | 0:43:37 | 0:43:40 | |
and made sure that the poor people had a fair play in the town. | 0:43:40 | 0:43:43 | |
-So he was a bit of a local hero, then? -Oh, yes, and still is. | 0:43:43 | 0:43:47 | |
When Twm went straight, he became a bard | 0:43:49 | 0:43:52 | |
and some of his writing has survived | 0:43:52 | 0:43:53 | |
and can be found in the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth. | 0:43:53 | 0:43:57 | |
An even more significant piece of paperwork, his will, | 0:43:57 | 0:44:01 | |
is on display in Tregaron's museum and Welsh kite centre. | 0:44:01 | 0:44:04 | |
'That's still a couple of hours from here, so I'll push on. | 0:44:04 | 0:44:09 | |
'This is gorgeous walking country, | 0:44:09 | 0:44:11 | |
'But if I'm truthful, I'm struggling a bit here.' | 0:44:11 | 0:44:14 | |
It's like being in the army. | 0:44:14 | 0:44:17 | |
'The Twm trail has robbed me of my energy | 0:44:17 | 0:44:20 | |
'but I'm keeping on trucking as we head up the bare-headed hills | 0:44:20 | 0:44:24 | |
'and on to an old and well-worn path.' | 0:44:24 | 0:44:26 | |
Well, we've just walked through the most amazing river valley, lovely interlocking spurs. | 0:44:30 | 0:44:35 | |
-And now the path has changed. -Yeah, it's slightly different. | 0:44:35 | 0:44:39 | |
This is a route from Llanddewi Brefi, for the drovers, | 0:44:39 | 0:44:42 | |
many years ago and they would to travel along this route to London. | 0:44:42 | 0:44:45 | |
-And the drovers used to bring their cattle and sheep through? -They certainly would. | 0:44:45 | 0:44:49 | |
And we're heading now to Ty'n Cornel youth hostel where, at one point, | 0:44:49 | 0:44:53 | |
the drovers themselves would have stopped there for respite. | 0:44:53 | 0:44:56 | |
I could do with a rest myself! | 0:44:56 | 0:44:58 | |
So this is the Ty'n Cornel youth hostel. | 0:45:10 | 0:45:12 | |
Yeah, it's a wonderful location for a hostel. | 0:45:12 | 0:45:14 | |
Can we pop in for a cup of tea and Welsh cake? | 0:45:14 | 0:45:16 | |
No, no time to stop today. We'll have a Welsh cake in Tregaron. | 0:45:16 | 0:45:20 | |
I'll look forward to that. | 0:45:20 | 0:45:22 | |
Now, there's a lot of walking between the hostel | 0:45:23 | 0:45:26 | |
and our next big view, the trig point on Garn Fawr. | 0:45:26 | 0:45:29 | |
To get there, you have to hammer down the path for a mile or two, | 0:45:29 | 0:45:32 | |
then cut across the forestry before ascending the big hill. | 0:45:32 | 0:45:36 | |
At which point you're rewarded with this fantastic view. | 0:45:36 | 0:45:40 | |
Or you should be. | 0:45:40 | 0:45:42 | |
Of course, when we got there, low cloud, mist and rain | 0:45:42 | 0:45:46 | |
had robbed us of our just reward. Typical! | 0:45:46 | 0:45:49 | |
Well, we've come a long way for not much of a view. | 0:45:53 | 0:45:56 | |
Just look at all this mist and low cloud. | 0:45:56 | 0:45:58 | |
But here we are, the top of Garn Fawr. Here's the proof. | 0:45:58 | 0:46:02 | |
This is the trig point. Shame about the view. | 0:46:02 | 0:46:05 | |
On a good day, you'd see Pen Y Fan in the Brecon Beacons over there. | 0:46:05 | 0:46:10 | |
Snowdonia over there. | 0:46:10 | 0:46:11 | |
And down there is the wonderful town of Tregaron. | 0:46:11 | 0:46:14 | |
-Right, I think we should get going. -Yeah. | 0:46:15 | 0:46:17 | |
Derek Brockway, walking in the footsteps of Welsh highwayman Twm Sion Cati. | 0:46:19 | 0:46:25 | |
My journey has also brought me to Tregaron, | 0:46:25 | 0:46:28 | |
where I am about to change my mode of transport. | 0:46:28 | 0:46:31 | |
Trotting is an equestrian sport very popular in the centre of Wales. | 0:46:33 | 0:46:37 | |
It's racing in light two-wheeled buggies called sulkies | 0:46:37 | 0:46:40 | |
on a half-mile long oval track. And just look at them go! | 0:46:40 | 0:46:45 | |
Also known as harness racing, | 0:46:46 | 0:46:47 | |
trotting is thought to have begun in the mid-18th century, | 0:46:47 | 0:46:51 | |
with a bet between the Earl of March and the Earl of Eglintowne | 0:46:51 | 0:46:55 | |
that four horses could pull a four-wheeled chaise, | 0:46:55 | 0:46:58 | |
carrying one person 19 miles in under an hour. | 0:46:58 | 0:47:01 | |
This led to the earliest recorded race on Newmarket Heath | 0:47:01 | 0:47:05 | |
on 29th August 1750. | 0:47:05 | 0:47:07 | |
Tregaron is home to an annual festival of harness racing. | 0:47:09 | 0:47:13 | |
In amongst the competitors, you can see local businessman Huw Evans, | 0:47:13 | 0:47:17 | |
who has invited me to learn the ropes, with a visit to his stables. | 0:47:17 | 0:47:20 | |
I'm here at Huw's home, where he keeps and trains his horses | 0:47:25 | 0:47:29 | |
and all the family is involved. I can't wait to see these horses. | 0:47:29 | 0:47:32 | |
Hello! | 0:47:35 | 0:47:36 | |
Hello. Hello. | 0:47:37 | 0:47:41 | |
Hello, Miriam. I see you've found Cati, one of our youngsters here. | 0:47:41 | 0:47:44 | |
I have, Huw. She's very friendly. | 0:47:44 | 0:47:46 | |
Yeah. She hasn't had much experience yet. | 0:47:46 | 0:47:50 | |
Due to race for the first time next week, hopefully. | 0:47:50 | 0:47:53 | |
So tell me a bit about the racing itself, as a sport. | 0:47:53 | 0:47:55 | |
The sport is very, very popular in this area. | 0:47:55 | 0:47:58 | |
It's certainly cheaper than thoroughbred racing, in terms of getting involved initially, | 0:47:58 | 0:48:02 | |
and you can do the training and even the driving yourself. | 0:48:02 | 0:48:05 | |
I can tell you really love it. What is it that you really love about it? | 0:48:05 | 0:48:10 | |
I think it's something that we, as a family, can get involved with. | 0:48:10 | 0:48:13 | |
This one, we've actually bred. We've broken this one in. | 0:48:13 | 0:48:18 | |
We'll take it to the races. My son will drive her. | 0:48:18 | 0:48:20 | |
You really get that feeling of exhilaration, | 0:48:20 | 0:48:22 | |
just seeing the horses doing well, to be quite honest. | 0:48:22 | 0:48:25 | |
It's lovely to win, we all want to win. | 0:48:25 | 0:48:27 | |
But it's to see them running at their best. | 0:48:27 | 0:48:29 | |
Do you have to have a certain type of horse? What breed of horse? | 0:48:29 | 0:48:32 | |
The breed is a standardbred. | 0:48:32 | 0:48:34 | |
They started off probably from the thoroughbred breed, | 0:48:34 | 0:48:37 | |
but somebody obviously realised they could trot faster, | 0:48:37 | 0:48:40 | |
or as fast as they could gallop, some of them. | 0:48:40 | 0:48:44 | |
Their temperament is excellent, to be honest. They make even good riding horses. | 0:48:44 | 0:48:48 | |
People take them on to show jumping and stuff afterwards, because of the temperament. | 0:48:48 | 0:48:52 | |
Now, I'm relatively new to horse riding, | 0:48:52 | 0:48:56 | |
but Huw has promised me a go. | 0:48:56 | 0:48:58 | |
So who am I going to be riding, then? | 0:48:58 | 0:49:00 | |
This one's too inexperienced for you to take out. | 0:49:00 | 0:49:02 | |
So we'll put you on Jazz, one of our older mares. | 0:49:02 | 0:49:05 | |
she is seven years old and she really is a good example of the breed. | 0:49:05 | 0:49:10 | |
She is calm... I hope so anyway! | 0:49:10 | 0:49:13 | |
THEY LAUGH | 0:49:13 | 0:49:15 | |
We just put her in forward in fact, so this will be her last season. | 0:49:15 | 0:49:19 | |
I'm really thinking she'll make a good brood mare because of her good temperament. | 0:49:19 | 0:49:23 | |
Excellent. Do I need to get kitted up, then? | 0:49:23 | 0:49:26 | |
Yes, you'll need some safety equipment. We'll put your body protector on and a hat, just in case. | 0:49:26 | 0:49:31 | |
We're dealing with horses and they're not machines. | 0:49:31 | 0:49:34 | |
They will do funny things sometimes, so we'll definitely need to take care of you. | 0:49:34 | 0:49:38 | |
-And a good pair of wellies. -Oh, definitely, that might be an idea as well! | 0:49:38 | 0:49:41 | |
The whole family helped to get Jazz tacked up and ready to trot... | 0:49:47 | 0:49:50 | |
including the dog. | 0:49:50 | 0:49:52 | |
The track we're going to train on is literally in Huw's back garden, | 0:49:52 | 0:49:56 | |
which is very handy. | 0:49:56 | 0:49:57 | |
I'm going to be getting in there with Huw | 0:50:00 | 0:50:03 | |
and going around the track in the jog cart with my lovely Jazz | 0:50:03 | 0:50:07 | |
and I'm going to have my first go at trotting. | 0:50:07 | 0:50:09 | |
And for those of you that are going out into the country this week, | 0:50:09 | 0:50:13 | |
here's the Country Tracks weather for the week ahead. | 0:50:13 | 0:50:16 | |
. | 0:51:50 | 0:51:57 | |
Today, I've been travelling through beautiful mid-Wales. | 0:52:06 | 0:52:09 | |
I enjoyed the majesty of Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall, | 0:52:09 | 0:52:13 | |
walked part of the Cambrian Way at Ponterwyd and Cwmystwyth | 0:52:13 | 0:52:17 | |
and saw some beautiful red kites at Rhayader. | 0:52:17 | 0:52:21 | |
Now I'm at Tregaron, a trotting hot spot. | 0:52:21 | 0:52:24 | |
In Wales, harness racing, or trotting, | 0:52:25 | 0:52:27 | |
began in the late-19th century and has been a popular sport ever since. | 0:52:27 | 0:52:32 | |
During the 20th century, standardbred horses were imported, | 0:52:32 | 0:52:36 | |
mainly from America, and driven in purpose-built sulkies, | 0:52:36 | 0:52:40 | |
which is what you see today. Now it's my turn. | 0:52:40 | 0:52:44 | |
Round you come. | 0:52:44 | 0:52:45 | |
-I'm going to get close and personal! -That's OK. Well done. | 0:52:45 | 0:52:49 | |
Even though it's centuries old, | 0:52:51 | 0:52:53 | |
harness driving is still run on amateur lines | 0:52:53 | 0:52:55 | |
and the main emphasis is just fun and enjoyment. | 0:52:55 | 0:52:58 | |
-Isn't it? -Yeah, it's our hobby. -So, we're going to have a go. | 0:52:58 | 0:53:02 | |
Off we go! | 0:53:02 | 0:53:05 | |
'It may look like a gentle start, but I'm holding on for dear life!' | 0:53:07 | 0:53:10 | |
-Sorry, I've got my hand on your leg! -That's all right, you hang on wherever you can hang on. | 0:53:10 | 0:53:16 | |
You might regret saying that! | 0:53:16 | 0:53:17 | |
'Now, Huw's track is just for training but I was surprised when we started to climb.' | 0:53:21 | 0:53:25 | |
-This is a bit of a hill, isn't it? -Well, it is. | 0:53:25 | 0:53:29 | |
The training for her is more difficult. | 0:53:29 | 0:53:31 | |
She wouldn't normally race on here like this. | 0:53:31 | 0:53:34 | |
To have to go up a hill like this means harder work for her. | 0:53:34 | 0:53:37 | |
How many circuits is in a normal race? | 0:53:37 | 0:53:40 | |
We normally race over a mile. Some races are a mile and a quarter, | 0:53:40 | 0:53:45 | |
some a mile and a half. Very, very rare, a two-mile race. | 0:53:45 | 0:53:49 | |
'Huw has fitted hobbles to Jazz's legs, | 0:53:51 | 0:53:54 | |
'which are thin, looped straps attached to the harness.' | 0:53:54 | 0:53:57 | |
There are two gaits in harness racing. | 0:53:57 | 0:53:59 | |
By gait, I mean the way that the horses actually move. | 0:53:59 | 0:54:03 | |
There is a pacer and a trotter. | 0:54:03 | 0:54:06 | |
A trotter moves in the conventional way that the horse would move, | 0:54:06 | 0:54:09 | |
the diagonal legs move together, | 0:54:09 | 0:54:12 | |
when a horse is trotting naturally. | 0:54:12 | 0:54:14 | |
With the pacers, it's a lateral movement, | 0:54:14 | 0:54:18 | |
the two legs the same side move together. | 0:54:18 | 0:54:21 | |
There are very few animals that do this. | 0:54:21 | 0:54:24 | |
Camels are one that do it. | 0:54:24 | 0:54:27 | |
We just put the hobbles on, mainly for racing, to be quite honest. | 0:54:27 | 0:54:30 | |
I wouldn't normally put the hobbles on for training like this. | 0:54:30 | 0:54:33 | |
'Pacing horses generally run faster than trotters, | 0:54:36 | 0:54:39 | |
'with the world record for over a mile being 1 minute 46 seconds, | 0:54:39 | 0:54:43 | |
'as opposed to 1 minute 50 for a trotter.' | 0:54:43 | 0:54:45 | |
What speed are we going at now? Is this training speed? | 0:54:49 | 0:54:52 | |
Yes, they would normally race over a mile. | 0:54:52 | 0:54:55 | |
We're now jogging over four and a half, five miles, to build up stamina. | 0:54:55 | 0:54:58 | |
We're only doing about 15 miles an hour now, | 0:54:58 | 0:55:01 | |
compared to when they're racing, | 0:55:01 | 0:55:03 | |
where they would be doing anything up to 40 miles an hour. | 0:55:03 | 0:55:06 | |
-Am I going to have a go, then? -Well, I don't see why not. | 0:55:06 | 0:55:09 | |
You're doing pretty well at the moment. | 0:55:09 | 0:55:11 | |
-You've stayed on a couple of laps, so now you're going to be in charge. -Now is the test! | 0:55:11 | 0:55:15 | |
So, here we are, hands in, into those loops. | 0:55:15 | 0:55:18 | |
Fingers loose, is it? | 0:55:18 | 0:55:21 | |
Yes, just keep a bit of contact with her. | 0:55:21 | 0:55:25 | |
Send her on a bit now. She's just finding it difficult going up the hill. | 0:55:25 | 0:55:28 | |
Oh, she's seen some cattle in the field next door. | 0:55:28 | 0:55:31 | |
'Trotting is a competitive sport, | 0:55:31 | 0:55:32 | |
'and as I can't race against anyone else, Huw's suggested a race against the clock.' | 0:55:32 | 0:55:37 | |
OK, I'm going to time you this lap. We'll go past the gate there | 0:55:37 | 0:55:42 | |
and we'll see how well you will do compared to the times I was doing. | 0:55:42 | 0:55:46 | |
Yay! | 0:55:46 | 0:55:47 | |
-Shall I now go a bit faster? -Yes, you can. -Go on then, Jazz! | 0:55:49 | 0:55:53 | |
'So my first circuit took me 1 minute and 43 seconds. | 0:55:53 | 0:55:58 | |
That's not bad for a training speed - 15 miles an hour. | 0:55:58 | 0:56:01 | |
But I'm not stopping there, I'm sure I can go faster. | 0:56:01 | 0:56:04 | |
My journey today has been one of contrasts. | 0:56:07 | 0:56:11 | |
I felt the power of nature at Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall. | 0:56:11 | 0:56:15 | |
I met a mountain connoisseur on the Cambrian Way. | 0:56:18 | 0:56:21 | |
And I've learnt to use nature's signpost to find my way. | 0:56:22 | 0:56:25 | |
I've marvelled at the magnificence of red kites. | 0:56:27 | 0:56:29 | |
Now all I need to do is find out whether I've improved my lap time. | 0:56:29 | 0:56:34 | |
Yes, that's the fastest you have been, I think. | 0:56:34 | 0:56:37 | |
Go on then, Jazz! | 0:56:39 | 0:56:41 | |
OK, you just have to think about bringing her back a bit coming down the hill. | 0:56:41 | 0:56:45 | |
Did you see what time was on there? | 0:56:48 | 0:56:51 | |
-Let's see. Wow, is that 1 minute 32? -There we go. | 0:56:53 | 0:56:58 | |
I beat my record. Woo-hoo! | 0:56:58 | 0:57:01 | |
Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd | 0:57:11 | 0:57:14 | |
E-mail [email protected] | 0:57:14 | 0:57:17 |