• Meeting at a motorway junction on the M4, the first part of the trip was dull motorway driving. To enter Wales on the M4, take the old Severn Bridge. It's much quieter than the Second Severn Crossing, and has better views.

• From the M4 north of Cardiff, turn north on the A470. Choose your journey time carefully, as this road and, indeed, the M4 around Newport and Cardiff are notorious car-parks during rush-hour.

• The A470 soon becomes a proper mountain road, and passes the Llywn-on, Cantref and Beacons reservoirs as the road climbs to Storey Arms. Stop here for some great views before the spectacular drive down the other side of the mountain.

• Next target was the small village of Abergwesyn - one route is via Llandovery and then turning off the A483 before Llanwrtyd Wells, but there are plenty of other choices. Now the fun really begins, as the road narrows and the drops get bigger...

• From Abergwesyn, head to Tregaron, and be prepared for some of the most challenging roads around. There are 1-in-4 hills, hairpins, hidden dips and even more hidden corners, sheep, waterfalls, narrow bridges, more sheep and any number of real and imagined hazards to keep the driver awake. Amazingly, the sat-nav in the Porsche is accurate enough that the passenger can monitor it for upcoming sudden bends. There is, however, no substitute for extreme caution; without it, disaster lurks.

• Another fun road nearby takes you to Llyn Brianne dam - definitely worth a visit, if you've got the time.

• At Tregaron, the Talbot Hotel (in the main square) serves good beer (Felinfoel) and value-for-money bar snacks, so is an ideal lunch halt. You can also fill up with petrol just up the road.

• After lunch, take the B4343 and head for Devil's Bridge. On the B4343, keep an eye out for Red Kites flying overhead (there's a centre nearby if you want to visit).

• At Devil's Bridge, you can take a walk to see the three bridges and waterfalls (you need robust footwear, though, and there is a charge). If you aren't feeling energetic, continue on the A4120 to Ponterwyd, and then take the road to Nant-y-Moch reservoir. Again, this is a narrow road with some big drops, so be careful. As you approach the dam, you'll get some glorious views and will be surprised that the road runs on the dam and continues to hug the reservoir shore on the other side.

• For Martyn and Nick, their trip took an unexpected turn a couple of miles further on, when the Porsche developed a rear puncture. Not too disastrous, you may say, but the situation was actually quite "interesting", because:

1. Porsche Carrera tyres are too big for there to be space for a spare.

2. The emergency tyre repair kit only works if the puncture is small - this was a slit in the sidewall.

3. The car was now blocking a single-track road.

4. No mobile phone signal could be obtained.

5. The nearest farm had smoking chimneys, but no-one was home.

Hmm.

• With one or two cars now queueing in the lane, the Porsche was driven (Carefully!) to a passing space and parked up. A brisk walk in the direction of Talybont (which was, as it turned out, only 1.5 miles away) and, suddenly, some good news. With a mobile phone signal, the help of Porsche assistance, the AA and the wonderful people from Davmor Garage in Talybont, the car was collected and Nick and Martyn were being chauffeured to Aberaeron to find their hotel. Full marks, and many thanks, should go to Ivor from Davmor, who was as helpful (and careful with the car) as could be.

• Davmor garage managed to find a new tyre in Aberystwyth, which would be fitted the following morning. So the day's driving was over, and it was time to enjoy the delights of the fabulous Harbourmaster Hotel in Aberaeron.

• If you want a quiet, relaxing yet sophisticated small hotel, the Harbourmaster is ideal. Try their Welsh black beef in the restaurant, sample some fine wine, or just sit on the harbourside with a pint. Nick and Martyn did all three, of course!

• After a Welsh breakfast, Ivor returned with the Porsche, and the driving trip was on again. From Aberaeron, a good, challenging road is the A482 mountain road to Lampeter, and then on to Llanwrda on the A40. Again, look out for Red Kites on this road.

• One of the undoubted highlights of this short trip is the A4069 road over the Black Mountain from Llangadog to Brynaman. The Porsche's sat-nav system recorded 1,740 feet at the highest point and, if the weather is good, the views are fantastic. The road is great too (see the hairpin, right), and not too crowded, except for the ever-present sheep.

• One more great mountain road was called for, as the roads south of the Black Mountain are mostly rather busy and uninteresting. After quick trip along the A465 "Heads of the Valleys" road, take the B4560 Llangynidr Mountain road from Brynmawr. You can either continue to Llangynidr itself, or take a hairpin right to Llangattock and Crickhowell.

• At this point, you can stop for lunch in one of the many good pubs/restaurants in the area (try the Bear Hotel in Crickhowell, the Llanwenarth Arms between Crickhowell and Abergavenny, or turn back into mid-Wales and try something like the Felin Fach Griffin near Brecon.

Finally, with no puncture repair kit for the Porsche, Martyn and Nick decided to stop flirting with danger, have lunch at the Bear in Crickhowell, and declare the trip complete (and almost entirely successful). Next trip? Well, Yorkshire looks good...