Epic Hikes of the World ( PDFDrive )

primarily concerned with spiritual enlightenment, superb views over the islandstudded
inlet of Clew Bay more than reward the effort of the climb. The most
frequently travelled route to the top is the wide tourist path, but a less-trodden and
wilder one starts quietly at Belclare bridge, following a westerly route to the top
(2500ft/764m) and onwards in the same direction to descend via Ben Goram
(1830ft/559m). Bear in mind that the national day of pilgrimage is the last Sunday
in July, when thousands of the faithful, some in bare feet, climb the mountain from
Murrisk.
Start // Belclare bridge
End // GR L875808
Distance // 6.2 miles (10km)
GLASTONBURY TOR, ENGLAND
Degrees of undulation and elevation are how hikers usually rate routes, but the
Somerset Levels are epic precisely because they have neither. The oncewaterlogged
Levels are utterly flat between the Quantocks Hills and the Mendips,
with one major exception: the surreal, myth-soaked mound of Glastonbury Tor,
associated with everything from Arthurian legends and the Holy Grail to the
beginnings of British Christianity. The Mendip Way, a 50-mile (80km) longdistance
walking route, skims the Levels, passing through the cathedral city of
Wells. From here, follow in the footsteps of druids and festival folk to make a
pilgrimage to the enigmatic Tor across Queen’s Sedgemoor. If the direct route
feels flat and featureless, follow footpaths (including sections of the Monarch’s
Way, King Charles II’s 1651 escape route after the Battle of Worcester) on an
arcing adventure through the Polden Hills, across Worminster Down, Launcherley
and Pennard hillocks.
Start // Wells
End // Glastonbury Tor
Distance // 6 miles (10km)
More info // www.nationaltrust.org.uk/glastonbury-tor