Brecon Beacons, Wales – Mini-METHS July 6-10, 2010
Participants: Michael and Bridie Macklin, David (Harriruo) Harrison,
David (Shooting
Stick)
Leishman, Gordon (RSB), Cameron, Christie and Campbell Craig, Peter (Up the
Down) and Antonia Tolhurst (10)
For the 5th year running a jaunt in
South Wales, and a return to the Brecon Beacons which we last visited in July
2007. This has been a very dry summer so
far and was true of the Welsh low country, and Brecon itself, but up on the
tops of the Welsh Hills, things were a bit different. A brutal wind and low wet cloud reigned, so
that for two days we saw only a hundred metres ahead of us, and each others
sodden rears. However we made our
objectives and then retired swiftly downhill to more clement conditions.
Some well-known faces from previous
Welsh outings joined us and some new.
The Craig family, Gordon plus Cameron, Christie and Campbell got to
Brecon first and set themselves up at their farmhouse base (we spent a very
merry evening there on our 3rd night).
Downtown, Mike and Bridie Macklin joined us at the Grange guesthouse,
and later for two nights, Harriruo: next door at the Paris Guesthouse (not as
exotic as it sounds!) lurked Shooting Stick.
Antonia and Up the Down made up the party. Antonia is still recovering from her badly
broken ankle and so did not do the main walks, and the size of the main party
varied between 6 and 9: the leader had to take care to count the party
carefully at the start of each day and at the end to see if there was any
change.
DAY 1: The Eastern End of the Brecon Beacons
A start from the western end of the
Talybont reservoir towards the Craig Pwllfa escarpment edge facing north: the
geography here is very complex and in the low cloud we lost our way after
getting to the top, Carig Pwllfa at 762m: a long skirting trajectory took us
unintentionally back to our starting place (still in low cloud) and we
gratefully accepted the opportunity to descend out of the wet wind down to the
stream path and its waterfalls that had led the way up. Thence back to Brecon and the cathedral cafe for
tea.
DAY 2: A better day - on the Black Mountain - to the
west of Brecon. A cross country route to
get to the lake, Llyn y Fan Fawr, then up the escarpment to Fan Brycheiniog 802
m. and along the entire ridge, first northwest then south west, as it turned
back on itself, down and round the other lake, Llyn y Fan Fach: finally
along the base of the entire system again and back to our starting point. A successful day and a route that would well
bear repeating.
DAY 3: Another brush with wet white-out conditions:
this with good visibility is a superb route but we saw none of it. Only the pleasures of the woodland streambed
approach with the young foals and their mothers in dun, cream and brown coats,
to watch as compensation. Nonetheless
from the north at Llwynbedw up the mountain missing the track I was aiming for
and arriving at the ridge between Pen y Fan 886m and Corn ddu 873 m (this could
happen only in thick low cloud conditions): thence we went up both peaks and
then gratefully down the correct route and past Llyn Cwm Llwch.
A final evening at the pub and then
farewells the Saturday morning: three peaks achieved and no one lost or
abandoned. That must mean success!
Up the Down
©
WDYFO, 2010