Those who took part were: Peter (Up the Down) and Antonia Tolhurst,
Mike (Mad) and Verena (Muesli) Petzold, Lloyd (Comrade) and Janet Woods, plus
Gavin and Ryan, Ian (Mad Axeman) Mason, David (Harriruo) and Judy Harrison,
Brian (Air Malawi’s Last Hope) and Jane Sayers, Stephen (Ballcrusher) and
Pauline Ward, Mike and Bridie Macklin, and George (Munro) and Val Wallace, and
Sue Miller. A grand total of 20,
including some of the cream of the METHS Gerontocracy.
Because of difficulties of booking
accomodation, the party was split into four, but most stayed at last year's
venue, The Grange B&B. We ate at a variety of Brecon's pubs and hotels,
including The George, The Wellington and The Camden Arms. The latter put on a
special meal for the lot of us at a very reasonable price, for the last night,
so we ended on a high.
Monday,
16th: Route
from the A470T below Cerrig Gleisiad and across to the summit of Fran Frynych,
returning along the summit of Cerrig Gleisiad and steep descent to the main
road again (this was the steepest descent of the 3days, so it set the tone).
Quite a few Meths veterans descended partly on their rear ends.
Then p.m. up the standard route (tourist route) direct to Corn Du (2nd-highest
summit of the Brecon Beacons), descent back to the car park near the Storey
Arms.
As last year a few of us went on to the B.B. Mountain Centre nearby and had tea
and cakes outside looking back at the mountains.
Tuesday,
17th: As per
day 3 of last year which bad weather curtailed then. This time the route was
completed. Parked at Rhiwian, down and across the Nantenysgym stream (a bridge
provided), steeply up the flank of Gist Wen (no path, free ascent - the hardest
of the meet), along the ridge to the summit cirque and to the summit of
Fan-Y-Big, then descent by the Cefyn Cyff ridge back to the cars. A circular
route.
Wednesday, 18th: Up from the car park below Alt Du, across the
valley via Plas-y-Gaer, across the stream, up past Bailea and up the ridge of
Bryn Teg to the steep ascent of the summit of Cribyn: down to the col which the
Roman road comes over, and then steeply up again to the summit of Pen-Y-Fan,
the top of the Brecon Beacons (just under 3,000 feet), then down all the way by
Cefyn Cwm Llwch back to the cars. Again a circular route.
So the summits of Corn Du, Fan-Y-Big,
Cribyn and Pen-Y-Fan were trodden on by all the walkers, including two
youngsters aged 10 and 12, Gavin and Ryan Woods. The weather threatened to be
bad and then relented. All the same a strong cold wind on the summits did not
encourage lingering there which was a pity. Wales remained its unpredictable
but beautiful self.