Tue 20 July

Wild camp to YHA @ Llwyn-y-Celyn.
Got up after 7:00am and the rain was easing after pretty heavy rainfall overnight. I had the muesli I bought in the camp shop for breakfast, but it was not very nice. Everything was damp but I managed to strike camp in only low cloud rather than heavy rain. Visibility was about 100m.

I set off aross the moor using gps way-points, and by and large I was able to find a path going in my direction, l eventually met up with road but didn't see the huge army lorries parked there until I was within about 30m of them! In view of the poor visibility I climbed Pen-y-Fan via the more gradual old roman road.

I was passed by soldiers going up Pen-y-Fan, and made the mistake of following them for a while. Unfortunately they had veered from my route. It was hard work getting back on track. The weather was atrocious. Two-thirds of the way up I met a group of Duke of Ed. students who had decided to call it a day. I carried on and eventually reached the Storey Arms. There is a refreshment van their! Reputedly open every day but Christmas Day.

Just then the heavens opened! I decided to make for the YHA which turned out to be an excellent decision. I met a couple called Nick and Louise Carter and she recognised me by the fact that my accent was similar to that of Mike McGowan, who they knew and who I was at school with 50 years ago. A very happy ending to a pretty miserable day