After watching a film in which a man travelled around the world on his motorbike, Welsh journalist Hannah Engelkamp was inspired to go on an odyssey of her own.
The international aspect didn't really appeal to her, though, and she thought she'd like some company.
So it was, then, that on May 27 last year, Miss Engelkamp set off on her own challenge: a six-month, 1,000-mile trek around Wales, with Chico, her newly-acquired donkey.
Hannah Engelkamp, 34, and her donkey, Chico, spent nearly six months trekking 1,000 miles around Wales
Chico, who never made it as a beach donkey because he doesn't like sand, walked more than 1,000 miles
Miss Engelkamp was joined occasionally by relatives or her boyfriend, but mostly it was just her and Chico
Miss Engelkamp said: 'I was inspired by the film Twice Upon A Caravan, and remember seeing horses in it, but I thought a horse would have been a bit too big and scary.
'When the Wales Coast Path opened, I thought the idea of walking right the way around the country was amazing.'
She bought Chico, a five-year-old gelding, from a Shropshire dealer who was selling him because he was meant to be a beach donkey but didn't like putting his hooves on sand.
The pair of them set off from Miss Engelkamp's home in Aberystwyth early last summer, heading north up the coast and then clockwise the whole way around Wales.
With little more than 29 maps, a video camera, and a couple of panniers with such essentials as hoofpicks and fly repellent, the pair made the countryside their home, camping in fields overnight, and clip-clopping through the countryside by day.
Miss Engelkamp said: 'Thankfully I met a lot of kind people along the way and many of them let me stay in their living rooms or camp in their back gardens.
Chico and Miss Engelkamp walked clockwise around Wales after starting in Aberystwyth last May
Route: The pair started in Aberystwyth in May last year and walked clockwise around Wales
Room at the inn? Miss Engelkamp camped in fields or, if she was lucky, stayed in kind strangers' spare rooms
'My mum and dad came along with me for a few days, as did my partner and sister, but for a lot of the time it was just me and Chico.'
People living along the route who read about her trip on social media sites would get in touch and offer Miss Engelkamp a bed for the night, something she particularly appreciated when the weather got colder.
'Even when I hadn't met people I would still manage to stay in camp sites or farmers' fields with their permission,' she said. 'I was overwhelmed by the support I received.'
While the scenery and the kindness of strangers were the high points, the low point was when Chico decided to demonstrate just how stubborn a donkey can be.
Miss Engelkamp said: 'Just as we reached Hay on Wye, Chico decided he didn't want to walk up hills.
'That area is full of hills, so it was a complete nightmare. We'd only walked about a mile from where we woke up, and I spent five hours tugging him to come with me, but he wouldn't budge.
'In the end, I decided to take him off the leading rein and I just walked on, hoping he would follow me of his own accord.
'Thankfully, he did, but not before I'd had time to wonder why on earth I was doing this in the first place.'
The trip, which she initially thought might take two or three months ended up taking nearly six, and Miss Engelkamp and Chico trotted back into Aberystwyth just before Christmas.
Mane attraction: Trekking with a donkey drew lots of attention, including from these two punks
Better turn back: The route wasn't always suited to Chico, forcing last-minute changes of plan
Little donkey: Chico enjoyed the attentions of some young schoolchildren during his Welsh odyssey
Chico is now resting in a field near Miss Engelkamp's home in Aberystwyth after his six-month trek
Stunning scenery: The journalist and the donkey spent all day in the fresh air, admiring the Welsh countryside
She said: 'By the end of it I was absolutely shattered. My shoe laces were rotten, so I had to buy some more, and a few other bits and bobs along the way, but it was totally worth it.
'I'm just glad I've shown people that it is possible to go out and have an adventure on your own doorstep without spending a fortune.'
Chico is now putting his hooves up in a field near Miss Engelkamp's house, and she has bought him a friend, another donkey called Florence, to keep him company through the winter.
Miss Engelkamp raised £600 for local charities during her travels, and is now hoping to turn the 3,000 photos and 200 hours of video footage she shot along the way into a book and film.
She needs to raise £28,000 by the end of the month to do this and already has £17,000 pledged to help her.
She said: 'I got 200 hours of video footage along the way so my partner Rhys, who is a film-maker, and I are hoping to put it all together.
'I'm also writing a book about the journey.'
