Photos

Sat 17 July

Did I suggest yesterday was hard? Forget that. Yesterday was easy. Today was hard! (For my scientific friends that is what we call a re-calibration.)
I had a great evening meal at the Grange in Capel-Y-Ffin amongst very good company, not walkers this time but horse riders. The conversations would have been completely unintelligible to me but for my almost daily visits to Hutt Valley RDA.

I got a breakfast for 8:00am but was delayed polishing my boots etc. It was well after 9:00 by the time I left the Grange. By the time I had rung Shiel (my wife) from the phone box opposite the Capel, (of -y-Ffin fame) it was about 10:00 am.

Instead of taking Tony Drake's route up the valley I took a very steep, but clear path straight onto the end of the ridge fron where it was a gradually sloping walk to Twmpa. The way underfoot was reminiscent of walking the Pennine Way above Edale.

At the top I had a chance neeting with two blokes, Brian and Ian, out on a day walk from Merthyr. Photographs may hopefully soon appear. We had a great time chatting while we walked along, putting the world to rights, and it made the climb to Waun Fach much easier for me. They left me on the walk to head down to the Grwyne Fawr reservoir. I thought I had done most of the climbing by then so I was in for a few surprises. The days had started with terrible wind and rain but gradually got better as the day wore on, but the cross wind was always pretty fierce.

To give credit to Tony Drake, today's walk must be one of the best ridge walks in Britain. If you are only carrying a day pack. However with a full camping pack, and I'm not a light packer, it was very hard work. I reached the campsite after 9 hours, absolutely knackered! Mind you it is possible some of the fatigue and sweating I have suffered since the walk might have other causes. However the 'mother node' in my neck was smaller than it's been for 20 years, after the walk.

The campsite in Crickhowell is an excellent walkers campsite but you have to be over 18 years old.

Fri 16 July

It was about 9:15am by the time I left the B&B. By the time I had bought a compass suitable for the northern hemisphere it was about 9:45am, and by the time I eventually found the correct road leading to sugar loaf it was nearer 10:00!

The navigation to the top of Sugar Loaf was uncomplicated but the steep track, especially near the summit, was hard work. I only spent a few minutes at the top as it was clear rain was heading in. There were a few people up there and one group offered to take a photo of me by the trig. point. I checked my way off Sugar Loaf with someone on the summit and then made an uneventful trip down to Forest Coal Pit. I made a phone call to my B&B to tell them I was running late.

I stopped at a farm, on the way up to Garn-wen, to take on extra water and had a very enjoyable conversation with a farmer and his wife. I positively sailed up the next few km. It made me realise that meeting interesting friendly people is more important to me than extensive views from a mountain ridge.

After leaving the farmhouse the route was well defined and almost became a 'motorway' when it joined the Brecon Way. I met a large group of school children doing their Duke of Edinbrough walk, near where the Brecon way turned down East. The weather deteriorated to periods of howling wind and rain interspersed with bits of sunshine. I met a chap who said I would have to walk down over the moor to Capel-y-Ffin but I eventually found a pretty clear path down, starting at a large cairn.

When tired at the end of the day going steeply down hill is nearly as bad as going up

Thu 15 July, Pontypool to Abergavenny

I left Ty Scon Jacob at 9:30am and found a quiet path down to town, via a reputed Old Roman Road and a short path through the forest. I the went up a very quiet country lane to meet up with Tony Drake's route a few hundred yards past the folly. A bit tricky finding the route across a river, behind a farm but after that it was simple contour walking just to the east of the ridge. I had extensive views, and it was quite windy, but at least the morning rain had cleared. I lost the track about a mile or two from the road and it was very hard going underfoot until I picked it up again. I stopped to rest at the road crossing and met up with 4 men out walking for the day. After moving off, one of them, a fellow Yorkhireman, came back to tell me that I should turn off the road onto the path at a small horse trough. That was very useful information and I had a long, if uneventful climb, up to Blorenge. The first part of the descent to Abergavenny was well marked. Then I followed a long tricky descent through high bracken before I eventually found the path which leads down to a tunnel under the canal. Walking down Blorenge was harder than walking up!

Wed 14 July, Lower Machen to Pontypool

I stayed at The Forge B&B in Lower Machen, which I reached via Draethen. There was a very nice pub in Draethen, good atmosphere, and a pint of Guinness with a cajun chicken with salad and boiled potatoes cost less than 10 pounds!

The landlady at The Forge suggested two ways to get up Mynydd Machen. I took the JOGLE version, a nice quiet coutry road up to join the Sirhowy Valley Walkway, which took me all the way to the top of Mynydd Machen, in fine weather. The path down through the forest at Risca appears to have been blocked by bulldozed trees, whether by accident or design, I am not sure. Local ramblers might be interested in the changes. I had a pleasant walk through the sports ground in Risca where I met two blokes, my age, who I asked about restaurants. They suggested a little cafe on the canal, just metres off the road up to Twmbarlwm.

It started to rain whilst I was in the cafe and continued intermmitantly until I reached the parking area just before the last steep pull for the summit. The path along the ridge was clearly defined until about 700m from the Blaen Bran reservoir where I lost the path in the long bracken. I eventually found a path to the reservoir and then headed to my B&B at Ty Shon Jacob farm via Upper and Lower race. The farm is about 300m above the town of Pontypool so I didn't bother making an extra trip down to a pub for a meal. It rained heavily, on and off, all night

Cardiff Photos

Tuesday July 13, 2010

I caught a bus to Cardiff Castle fom just outside my hotel, The Tane, arriving at 8:30am on a dull and overcast morning. Good walking conditions initially. I walked up the east bank of the Taff river. Just before the turnoff to the canal I met up with the snail I met last year on my JOGLE. He's obviously making better progress than I expected!

Shortly afterwards I met up Glyn Brewer, and he acted as my guide to just before Tongwynlais. He used the Taff trail, which appeared much simpler than the canal route in the book. It was an interesting encounter and Glyn was very knowledgeable about the history of the region. The time flew by.

I soon arrived at Castell Coch and then climbed on to the Rhymney Valley Ridgeway. I followed the standard route to about 1 mile past Rudry when l diverted, via Draethen, to my B&B, The Forge, at Lower Machen. l went back to the pub in Draethen for my evening meal. A Guinness and cajun chicken with salad for just under 10 pounds. The rain was not too unpleasant until just after Rudry and it had cleared up again in time for my trip to the pub.


The Snail making steady progress

The beginning

Well after a long period of dry weather the rain has started, just as I set out for Cardiff by train. I will soon be on my walk.

Mr. Bean Goes Walking in Wales.

The title above is in deference to my former colleagues on the RV Tangaroa but it is already becoming too prophetic for comfort. I am planning a walk on part of the Cambrian Way. In the process I was trying to find accommodation at a campsite near Talsarn. I made contact with a very pleasant lady at the campsite and pointed out the uncertainty in my arrival date due to walking a long way on foot. She said there would be no need for me to book as a single person tent could be easily accommodated in an emergency. I then went on to inquire as to where I could get an evening meal. She suggested the pub in Talsarnau. I took this to be some kind of local name for Talsarn. However my suspicions were aroused when in a later e-mail she suggested that failing the pub being open I could always order an Indian take away from Harlech.

Now my knowledge of Welsh geography is slim at best but I knew that in planning my route I had never come across the name Harlech. On checking I found it is more than 100km from Talsarn! However, not surprisingly, Harlech is very near Talsarnau, which also has a campsite.

I think for me (or even Mr Bean) this is a record. This year I've managed to get lost before the walk has even started.

Charities have now received their funds!

Hi All,
well it's been a long time coming but at last I can report that Charity Giving has paid out both the Malghan Institute in New Zealand and Leukaemia Research in the UK. The Malaghan Institute received $NZ 2597.11 on 3/2/2010 and yesterday (26/3/2010) Leukaemia Research received ₤1170.38. There were also contributions totaling $150 direct to the Malaghan Institute from Rob Crozier and Mike Rietveld in New Zealand.

Between us we’ve raised over $NZ 5,000 dollars or ₤2500. Thank you one and all for your support.


The long distance walking season appears to have already opened up in the UK and Mick and Gayle, who provided me with support in Wolverhampton last year, are 5 days into their walk from Dover to Cape Wrath. You can find their site under Mick&Gayle in the links on the RHS of this page. They are collecting for Help for Heros and would appreciate your support. They provide daily updates of their adventures which should keep you entertained for about the next 2 months.