Pen-Y-Fan Sunrise
Up early. Early? More like up late since I don't think there was two much sleep before 02:30. For a little amble up to Pen-Y-Fan for sunrise (05:31 according to the Met Office).
We we up on Corn Du for 05:18 and the boys decided a "swift jog" over to Pen-Y-Fan for the moment was entirely doable. Slightly gutted that their pace from summit to summit was substantially brisker than my 5k pace on the flat 🤔
Setting off with nothing but stars, some moon, and the occasional strobe of F's head torch was a little magical.
Camping and wood-fired pizza at the always great Pencelli was fantastic, especially a few hours kip in my awesome Bivvy 🤩
And some not bad low-light captures from this Fuji sensor 📷.
Brecon Loop
A beautiful 30k loop with Mart in the Brecon's.
Blaen-y-Glyn down to Torpantau and then the track up to what was the Upper Neuadd Reservoir (still on the OS map 😉). Then a steep up to the ridge along to Cefn Cul, past Rhiw yr Ysgyfarnog and Craig-Gwaun-Taf to Corn Du (and the first cheese and salad Croissant).
From Corn Du to Pen y Fan (ignoring the very English queue for the summit photo), a second Croissant, and then across to Cribyn (and a third).
Cribyn down then up to Fan y Big, Croissant number 4, and a chat with the mountain biker (olde school, hard core, no E's).
Decision time: short or longer way back?
Fan y Big down to Craig Cwareli, along the ridge to Bwich y Ddwyallt and then across and down the spur ro Twyn Du and the bottom of the Talybont Reservoir (danger, hidden machinery and strong currents!).
From the reservoir the track (cycle route 8) all along the eastern shore and a slog back up to Blaen-y-Glyn.
Awesome. Thanks mate!
Here's the route (via openrouteservice):
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Waun Fach & Grwyne Fawr Loop
Up early for the Bath Spa express.
Most lovely, thanks chaps.
Honey Street
A circle walk up and along the Ridgeway and back from the awesomely named Honey Street. We saw two other walkers on the route (excluding the canal bit which was heaving). But then it was blowing an absolute hoolie. Lovely. As always, thanks chaps, a most excellent strole.
Dartmoor Loop
A twenty-something kilometer stroll around Dartmoor. From Two Bridges to Two Bridges. Taking in Wistman's Woods (L9), Winford Steps (M12), Bellever Tor (L11), and more.
Dartmoor Loop
A loop around a bit of North Dartmoor with Bri and Martin. Amazing desolate views. Beautiful weather (although blowy). Very marshy in places. More on flickr.
A week in the Alps
Day 1 of a week in the Alps. With Bri, Rob and Mart. Mont Blanc wasn't to be. But awesome fun nonetheless.
More, lots more, on flickr
Preparation Hike
Wearing in new boots and weight testing gear-in-the-pack with an early morning, pre-crazy temperature hot day, walk from the wheat fields up onto the Ridgeway and back. The boots were comfy.
Wandering Around Wasdale
I grabbed a couple of days at the end of half term for some walking at Wasdale . There were lots of sheep. And lots of sheep poo.
There was autumn colour...
...some interesting routes...
...amazing views...
...and the odd moment or two!
There's more detail, much much more,
hiding here
. Enjoy.
Komiža loop hike
An early morning walk (hike?) with a loop up to (nearly) Mali Hum above Komiža and back. The advantage of an early start was amazing light as the sun rose over the hills and cooler air. A (small) disadvantage was the spider webs across the trial and the ants nest in the stick I picked up to clear a particularly webby stretch. The views were worth the effort but a jump straight into the pool was required on our return.
Dan-yr-Ogof and back
Lovely hike in the Western Brecon Beacons with Martin. Up the Tawe valley to Llyn y Fan Fawr, up on to the ridge and along to Fan Foel , then back along the ridge line via Allt Fach. Camping at Dan-yr-Ogof (thirty years after staying in the holiday chalets there as a kid); great grub at Tafarn-yr-Garreg ; and a lovely cuppa from the guy in the campavan who took pity on us breaking camp in the rain this morning. Awesomeness.
Pen Y Fan
F and F climbed (hiked, then a little scramble climb up Jacobs Ladder) Pen Y Fan, Corn Du, (Pen Y Fan again), and Cribyn. Nice one. They're speedy too.
Some more on Flickr and some previous trips .
First Day in Llangrannog
A most marvellous walk from the Farm House (a most excellent last-minute find from lovely Fay) to “the city” as F called it, or Llangrannog to the rest of the world.
For such a long distance hike many rest stops were required.
But the destination was well worth the effort.
Pen-Y-Fan and Cribyn Again
A return visit to Pen-Y-Fan and Cribyn . Only this time the weather was a little cooler.
The strong head-wind and horizontal snow/sleet mix made for an interesting hike up along Cefn Cwm Llwch.
Visibility was marginal – with the occasional clearing of the cloud to show that we weren’t hiking inside a white tent. The last section up to the summit even had a bit of ice axe action.
The trail down the eastern edge (along Craig Cwm Sere) had deep, occasionally thigh deep, snow drifts, with some decent plunge stepping down to the saddle. A brief pause to test the wind speed by noting the angle that the map case flew at (horizontal map case = fast wind), before heading up to Cribyn and then down to the track at Bwlch ar y Fan.
A hike down in the gathering gloom-cum-head torch darkness to a fantastic dinner at the White Swan in Llanfrynach.
The view this morning was much clearer – you could even see the top of Cribyn which we’d raced passed the previous day. But no sign of Pen-Y-Fan, nor of Martin’s shades that took a flying dive off the cliff during the summit photo-opp. A good way to go if ever there was one.
Dorset Hike
Fantastic hike with Martin along the beautiful Dorset coast.
The ranges were closed, so we took a slightly different route so we could get a great view of the red danger flags in the distance.
Further along the coast we found what looked like the end of the line on Egmont Point.
Thanks to the world’s best sign posts, we found the pub. And it was open.
Pen Y Fan
Breakie for champions (or just Aiddy & Mart) after a restful night (ignoring the herc at 150ft) in the camping field at Cantref Adventure Farm and Bunkhouse .
Before setting off down the lane towards the mountains.
The bright spring morning with clear blue skies had obviously unsettled the locals who, knowing that hikers expect it to rain when in Wales, instantly sprang into action, seeding some low level clouds to make us feel at home during the hike up through the foothills.
We saw some sheep too – another unusual sight for this part of the world.
The path up to Pen Y Fan was clearly marked
and in next to no time we were up at the top, with next to no one else around. Except that is for the UKs teenage population “doing DofE” and two crazy polish mountain bikers.
Not content with just one peek, we bagged Crybin and Fan Y Big (or was it Big Y Fan?)
before skirting Craig Cwareli which dropped us right into the lovely village of Llanfrynach…
…and the pub for a well deserved pint of Brains.
Except the pub was shut.
Next time we’ll ring ahead and check before hiking 14-odd miles and up (and down) 3,800 feet for a drink.
Top hike. Cheers Mart.
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