Having spent decades criss-crossing the globe documenting exotic communities and cultural practices, in 2015 Kate Humble began exploring her own adopted homeland of Wales for the first time. Whilst searching for a mate for her rare-breed Welsh Sheepdog Teg, Kate had some enticing glimpses of a unique and under-exposed culture: that of the remote upland regions of Wales.
Now on ‘Off the Beaten Track’ Kate travels the length of the country, on an epic 200 miles journey over and through almost every terrain this planet has to offer, condensed into this tiny country called Wales. As a farmer and conservationist, Kate endeavors to understand the challenges of forging a life today in these harsh environments. Traditional farming practices, forestry, conservation and tourism, have all adapted and changed as the landscape becomes more fragile, but with the allure of modern commodities, Kate discovers if there is a balance to be struck.
With Teg in tow, Kate has the equivalent of a Welsh passport. Their journey not only makes their partnership even stronger, and offers her Welsh Sheepdog work opportunities, but acts as an ice-breaker and guaranteed welcome, as they explore the places, people and conditions that form the fundamentals of Welsh life.
Along the way, Kate and her rising star of a Sheepdog, Teg, experience resilience in extreme weathers, get involved in traditional practices and marvel at how Wales’ oldest industries are being reinvented for the 21st century.