Tarrenhendre and Cadair Idris

Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st August 2024

Before this day I had been following the Cambrian Way which starts in Cardiff and crosses the entire length of Wales to end in Conwy until bad weather drove me off the trail and brought me into the town of Machynlleth, which sits in the Dovey Valley just outside the national park previously known as Snowdonia but now officially called Eryri. I have long harboured a desire to do a long distance trail that crosses the whole national park from Machynlleth to Conwy and with my change of plans I was now perfectly located to begin the Snowdonia Way. However, this follows a low level route avoiding all the mountains, which would be great if the weather was poor, but the heavy rain and strong winds that had forced me to divert into Machynlleth had now passed and the weather looked good, so I didn’t want to be stuck at the bottom of the valleys. My desire is always to be at the top of a hill if the weather is good and ideally on this holiday to be back on the Cambrian Way, which I was not able to do just yet. However, there is a variant of the Snowdonia Way that takes a mountain route so that is what I started to follow, crossing the River Dovey and entering the Eryri National Park. This felt like a momentous occasion and the start of the last phase of my traverse of Wales from Cardiff to Conwy, which had started in the Welsh Valleys before crossing the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park and the Cambrian Mountains and now, finally, I was in Snowdonia.

My route initially coincided with that of the Welsh Coastal Path heading up a narrow lane that afforded me with fantastic views across the valley and into the hills that I had crossed the day before. The ascent eased when I reached a conifer plantation, typical of many that cover the southern part of Snowdonia, before wasting all the effort I had put into climbing by slowly coming back down into Pennal valley while consoling myself with the blue skies and the thought that such ups and down are typical on a long distance trail. Eventually I began to climb again as the views developed behind me while the wind also picked up, which I was afraid might restrict my walking despite the sunshine. When I turned to the east and put the wind to my back its effect lessoned helping me to continue my toil slowly up the path that eventually brought me through the heather to the summit of Tarrenhendre. This lacked interest, but the views were much more appealing, south across the valley, east towards Tarren y Gesail, but it was Cadair Idris to the north that dominated the view. I didn’t stay long at the windy summit and soon headed east down the hill to a suitably sheltered spot where I could have my lunch and admire the awesome view. Unfortunately the blue skies that had accompanied me throughout the morning were now beginning to be consumed by clouds so while I ate I made the most of the extensive views before they disappeared.

My descent continued along the narrowing ridge before finally picking up a right-of-way that turns north through a conifer plantation along an often muddy path that kept me alert and tested my boots before I eventually reached the remains of Bryn-Eglwys Quarry. Later, I had a delightful woodland walk beside the Nant Gwernol stream which I regret not lingering over as I pressed on until I reached the village of Abergynolwyn where I was unsure what to do next and since it was still quite early I kept going on the Snowdonia Way mountain route. Despite not knowing what I was doing, I traversed the side of a hill into the village of Llanfihangel-y-pennant where small car parks provide starting points for people climbing Cadair Idris. This is the easiest but longest path up the mountain, and the climb took me a long time while I never really knew whether if I was going to go all the way up to the summit. My endless effort under increasingly overcast skies eventually brought me to the Pony Path and since it wasn’t particularly windy at that point, or late in the day, I turned right up the path towards the summit of Cadair Idris, coincidentally back on the route of the Cambrian Way. I kept going into the clouds slowly climbing the rocky path into the distinctively mountainous scenery that surrounds the summit where it was exceptionally windy. I wish I had spent the night in the refuge near the top but I had no water with me so I needed to descend and with hindsight I should have descended the southern slopes to Llyn Cau where I would have been sheltered from the wind.
 
Instead, I turned north through the mist to the start of the Fox’s Path, down a perilously slippery scree slope where the wind seemed stronger than ever until eventually I reached Llyn y Gadair at the bottom where I collected some water, but the ground was too rocky to camp. Therefore, I crossed over the low ridge at the foot of the scree slope and descended steep heather-covered slope towards Llyn Gafr but still did not afford me with anywhere to camp. The only clear spot I could find was boggy, but that had to do despite being on a north facing slope and not sheltered from the westerly winds and so a difficult night followed. But my tent survived and in the morning I made my way back up to Llyn y Gadair and onto a slender path that descends the rocky, northern slopes of Cadair Idris below the crags of its neighbour, Cyfrwy, until I reached the Pony Path. After crossing that path, I followed the same route I’d taken in 2019 when last in the area on my way to Kings Youth Hostel, but this time I turned left when I reached the road until a right turn onto a footpath took me past some farm buildings and out to the lakes Llynnau Cregennan. A good path led me around the lakes through a richly decorated landscape that contrasted sharply with the grey, overcast skies. This is a much photographed area and even in the poor weather it was easy to see why.

Soon after reaching a road I rejoined the Cambrian Way which I had abandoned two days earlier to weave a course through farmland to the Arthog Waterfalls which I had previously visited in 2019 and I was more than happy to be revisiting. A delightful path took me down the steep, tree-filled hillside past a wonderful series of waterfalls and cascades until at the bottom I crossed the low-lying fields beside the Mawddach Estuary, through young woodland and around the low hill of Fegla Fawr to reach the southern end of the Barmouth Bridge. A thrilling traverse of the railway bridge, during which a train crossed the estuary, took me into the seaside resort of Barmouth. I didn’t enjoy the crowds there so after resupplying I rejoined the Cambrian Way to head steeply up the hill and reach the bunkhouse where I spent the night. I had enjoyed some great moments in the sunshine, on the first of these days, during the descent from Tarrenhendre, but the day had not ended well, however the following day a relaxing descent allowed me to take my time and recover from the sleepless night. It was great to be back on the Cambrian Way, but with more bad weather forecast it looked like that would now be the exception rather than the norm, though I was still heading north towards Conwy and I was determined to make the most of whatever weather I had.

Cambrian Way: Plynlimon

Sunday 18th and Monday 19th August 2024

Twenty-four hours after I arrived in Devil’s Bridge I returned along the Vale of Rheidol narrow gauge railway from Aberystwyth where I had taken some time out from the Cambrian Way to relax and recover from my exertions of the past week. Part of me didn’t want to resume the trail as I had not found it easy so far and I had some tough walking ahead of me. The ground was very wet which had made the walking tiring and difficult, and I now faced another problem caused by that stopover in Aberystwyth. Rather than adding an extra day to my schedule, for some reason I planned to maintain the recommended schedule, so I had four days to make up for those lost twenty-four hours and the forecast was for the weather to deteriorate, so my prospect for the trail was not hopeful. When I got off the train in Devil’s Bridge I immediately set off along the Cambrian Way again taking a path that starts at the western end of the village and descends through woodland, initially beside the railway, and steeply down to the Afon Rheidol at the bottom of the valley. Views were fleeting and misty when available while at the bottom, before a sharp turn to the left saw me climbing a gravel track steeply out of the valley to finally reach a road past some farm buildings and through the hamlet of Ystumtuen. The short spell of road walking brought me to an area of disused lead mines and beyond through a landscape decorated with the purple flowers of heather and the blue berries of bilberry, which provided me with some much needed vitamins.

The path took me over a low pass to stunning views across the steep-sided Rheidol Valley and around the colourful, heather-clad hill of Bryn Bras down to a farm where the access road brought me onto the A44 road. Stage eleven of the Cambrian Way ends in Ponterwyd where the road crosses the Afon Rheidol, but since that is the stage that I had started two days ago at Claerddu Bothy I was a way behind schedule. Without a pause, I turned right onto the A4120 and then onto a bridleway climbing across a field and onto the quiet B4343 road, which eventually brought me back onto the busy A44 where the cars were now going much quicker than they had been while passing through Ponterwyd. After what is left of the Dyffryn Castell Hotel I turned left to take the path that climbs steeply up the hillside towards Plynlimon, whose Welsh name is Pumlumon Fawr. This was an exhausting climb and though later the hillsides were decorated with a yellow, scrambling flower, purple heather and even blueberries, this failed to ease my toil as I slowly climbed the hillside. Eventually the gradient eased and I followed the edge of a felled conifer plantation past a radio mast and up to the top of the ridge where I turned right towards the summit. I previously climbed Plynlimon in 2006 from Nant-y-moch Reservoir and came down this ridge, so I was now enjoying the opportunity to return after all these years.

Although a cold, westerly wind was blowing and the views were very hazy, the sun was out, so it was fantastic to be at the highest point of the national park that wasn’t to be, the Cambrian Mountains. Beyond the summit, I continued to retrace my steps of 2006 following a fence down to a col and then up to an unnamed summit with a trig point and boundary stone, and on I went, past the source of the beautiful River Wye and up to the top of Pumlumon Arwystli. On the other side I turned right around a felled conifer plantation and descended the eastern slopes to a sheltered spot where I was able to put up my tent, but the weather forecast was so bad for the next few days I had a decision to make. I had so far travelled over 173 miles from Cardiff Castle along the Cambrian Way, but not for much longer. It was already drizzling as I set off the following morning so with waterproofs on I headed north past the source of the mighty River Severn and up to a cairn and boundary stone where my path ended. From there I had to find my own way down the hill, across the open grass and heather-covered hillside and through the bogs at the head of the Afon Hengwm. On the other side I came across a track that provided me with much easier walking past a couple of lakes and up past some farm buildings onto heathery moorland and to a junction with Glyndŵr’s Way where the Cambrian Way turns right, but I turned left.

During my planning I had considered taking Glyndŵr’s Way into Machynlleth for accommodation and continuing along the trail back onto the Cambrian Way, but now I took it to escape the bad weather forecast for later in the day, so while the Cambrian Way passes through remote countryside with little or no accommodation I would be safe in Machynlleth. Soon after leaving the Cambrian Way it started to rain heavily so I was unable to see much of the dramatic landscape of Glaslyn Nature Reserve, but I had a clear track to follow which took me down the hill all the way into the valley. The heavy rain was fortunately short-lived but it remained wet for most of the day and I soon found that Glyndŵr’s Way is not as interesting as the Cambrian Way with a tedious succession of roads and farm paths through undulating terrain. After passing over the Afon Hengwm I climbed Cefn Modfedd and through Bryn-gwyn and Talbontdrain before reaching the conifer-clad slopes of Pen y Darren. Now with better weather and views I slowly headed down the ridge passing through open moorland decorated with many wild flowers and past the low hills of Mynydd Bach and Ffirdd Rhiwlwyfen. After the earlier rain and tedium of farmer’s tracks, this was a joy as I slowly made my way along the path with views ahead of me towards Machynlleth and across the Dovey Valley reaching the town just as it started to rain again. I immediately went to the post office to get rid of my old waterproofs and anything else I no longer needed before heading to the hostel that I had booked the previous evening.

As it rained heavily throughout the evening I was happy to be in Machynlleth rather than wild camping on the exposed, open hills, even though I had effectively abandoned the Cambrian Way. The weather may have ruined my plans many times this year leaving me unable to do my planned walk, but I just changed my plans to adapt to the weather and always ended up having a good walk.

Cambrian Way: the Cambrian Mountains

Friday 16th and Saturday 17th August 2024

At the end of the day before this walk I had arrived at the most remote hostel in Wales, Ty’n Cornel, soaked to the skin, which reveals that my waterproofs were clearly not good enough in heavy, prolonged rain. Fortunately I received a warm welcome at the Elenydd Wilderness Hostel and enjoyed a lovely evening with a fabulous group of people and in the morning my clothes were a lot drier. On stage ten of the Cambrian Way I set off from the Ty’n Cornel Hostel initially on the access track soon emerging out of the mist that lingered around the hostel to good weather and brakes in the cloud. When the track crossed the river I turned north along wet, faint paths that improved as I reached the top of a low ridge, Esgair Wynt, with a vast wilderness to my right and Cwm Berwyn Plantation to my left. The boggy ground continued in the gap before climbing back up to Esgair Cerrig where I enjoyed the feeling of being remote from civilisation until the isolated farm of Nantymaen was revealed on the other side of the hill with a road running across the valley of the stream Camddwr. After negotiating the bogs on the descent, I followed the farmer’s track towards the farm buildings before taking a diversionary route around and onto a phenomenally boggy path that meandered across the slopes of the shallow valley. Even though the sun was shining this was proving to be a very wet day as I toiled through the waterlogged ground, but fortunately, unlike the day before, it was now only my feet that was getting wet.

My trial continued as I moved away from the Camddwr and past the marsh of Talwrn where I could see a steep sided valley ahead of me, which the Groes Fawr flows through, a tributary of the Afon Teifi, but after a moment’s confusion I realised that my way doesn’t lie through there and instead I turned north again to head uphill and up to the top of Garn Gron where I had extensive views in all directions. This was such an amazing vantage point I stopped beside the summit to have my lunch and linger over the view. Far to the south I could see the silhouette of the Bannau Brycheiniog where I had been earlier in the week, but it was the views to the north that were the most mesmerising for me and extended all the way to Eryri, Snowdonia. I was in between those National Parks in a sparsely populated area of Wales that has been cruelly ignored by everyone. This range of hills is known as the Cambrian Mountains, or in Welsh the Elenydd, and I was standing in the middle of them with a view across the entire area. I have hardly done any walking here before, with a just fleeting visit to the Elan Valley in 2019 and an ascent of Plynlimon, the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains, in 2006, which I could see now in the far distance and would be crossed in a couple of days. It was wonderful to see my onward progress mapped out before me as I relished being at the top of a hill with extensive views all around.

After the disappointments and saturation of the day before, it was fabulous to have good weather again and I enjoyed this as I slowly meandered down the northern slopes trying to find my route despite having no paths to follow. Eventually I found my way into a conifer plantation where I negotiated my way along a network of paths and forestry tracks that were sometimes blocked by bracken, fallen tree branches or bogs until I finally emerged from the wood taking a delightful little path beside a stream that led me to Strata Florida where there are the ruins of an abbey. I didn’t want to linger amongst this sudden intrusion of civilisation, so I rushed past on an extended stretch of road walking until I eventually turned off onto a well-made path that climbs beside Nant Egnant through a picturesque landscape of crags and heather that took me past the signpost that marks the halfway point of the Cambrian Way. Eventually I reached Llyn Egnant and a tarmacked road that led me through the group of lakes and reservoirs that make up the Teifi Pools and to the point in the middle of nowhere where stage ten of the Cambrian Way technically ends. In practice, the stage ends at Claerddu Bothy which is not far away along a rough track nestled amongst the hills and looks just like any Scottish bothy, except that it has a flushable toilet since it is within the catchment area for the Elan Valley reservoirs. I was reluctant to stay there since it was still quite early and on a Friday evening I expected the place to become busy so I headed off along the trail until I eventually stopped and put up my tent.

The following morning it was cold and misty which obscured my view from the top of Domen Milwyn, so I soon headed downhill and into the valley of Cwm Ystwyth, and climbed up again beside a pretty stream before crossing a horrendously boggy field to reach a conifer plantation just as it started to rain, though this was short-lived. Soon I reached an arch built to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of George III and from there the walk picked up as I took an easy, level track that traversed the hillside with fantastic views into the Mynach Valley while the weather began to clear. I wished more of the Cambrian Way was like this path as far too much of it was boggy. Eventually I descended to Devil’s Bridge and the railway station for the Vale of Rheidol Railway where I caught the train that took me into Aberystwyth and spent the night there. This gave me a chance to relax after the excesses of the last week and also to restock and buy new waterproofs to replace those that had clearly failed to keep me dry on the walk to Ty’n Cornel.

This was also a good time for me to reflect on my walk so far on the Cambrian Way. While I enjoyed being at the top of the hills in good weather, including on Garn Gron where I had extensive views in all directions, a lot of it was exceptionally tiring. It is astonishing that I thought I could do the Cambrian Way as it is very strenuous and much more difficult than anything I had attempted before. August may not be the best time of the year to do the trail as the bracken was overgrown and sometimes blocked or obscured my way. Another problem I was having was due to the large amounts of rain that we have had this year which had left the ground so wet there had been many difficult moments crossing bogs, which wouldn’t have been such a problem if we had enjoyed a dry summer. However, I wasn’t about to give up even though the Cambrian Way wasn’t going get any easier.

Cambrian Way: the Black Mountain

Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th August 2024

The rain that fell all through the night finally stopped in the morning and as I began to leave the campsite in Glyntawe I could see breaks in the clouds that promised better weather to come, though the rain had left everything wet and the ground saturated. I set off again on the Cambrian Way for the start of the eighth stage on a footpath that after crossing the River Tawe climbs up to the long ridge of Fan Hir. I have come down this ridge on several occasions, most recently in 2019, and it is much better done in that direction with views into the Swansea Valley before you, but on this occasion the clouds were still quite low so I didn’t have much to see, therefore I had little to relieve the tedium of a long ascent. My agony was prolonged for many hours as I plunged into the clouds while slowly making my way along the ridge with a steep escarpment to my right. I reflected that despite the lack of a view, walking in mist is an integral part of the mountain experience and I have lacked that this year. While passing over the unmarked highest point on Fan Hir I noticed that the sun was trying to break through the clouds with hints of blue sky overhead, but this disappeared while crossing Bwlch Giedd and during my ascent to the top of Fan Brycheiniog, the highest point on the Black Mountain. At the trig point the clouds began to break and soon after setting off down to Bwlch Blaen-Twrch the clouds suddenly cleared to reveal stunning views down the infant Afon Twrch and across the wide expanse of the Black Mountain.

On this mountain the best views are from the top of the northern edges and so as I slowly made my way along the path, passing over Picws Du, I stopped repeatedly to take many pictures in the stunning, sunny weather that had been suddenly revealed to me. Far below, Llyn y Fan Fach sat at the foot of the escarpment in a perfect bowl as I walked around the edge of Bannau Sir Gaer before slowly descending the broad, grassy slope off the mountain. It was great to be at the top of a mountain in bright sunshine so I was not happy to be coming back down so soon and especially with the knowledge that I would not be so high again for another week, but at least I was now heading north again after several days heading west while traversing the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. While on the mountain my way had been unimpeded by walls and fences but now I was at the bottom my way had become a lot more complicated with a complex network of footpaths that had to be negotiated with an early one being so overgrown with nettles I turned back and walked along the road instead, which led me into the village of Llanddeusant. As the location of a former youth hostel this is a place that I had been aware of for many years, but never been until now, so it was poignant to finally reach the village where I stopped for lunch and quietly contemplated my location while sitting beside the quaint, little church.

The Cambrian Way doesn’t go into Llanddeusant so after eating I retraced my steps along the road to an enclosed lane that led me to the edge of the open moorland where I slowly headed north while fatigue began to set in with the tedium. Before leaving the Bannau Brycheioniog I had to weave a course through a range of low, grassy hills, which summits on Mynydd Myddfai, where I had a last look behind me to the Black Mountain before finally descending onto a road that led me through the village of Myddfai and out of the National Park, which I had just traversed from south-east corner to north-west. I loved the opportunity to do so and was surprised to realise that this was the first time I had been in the area without my car. Ahead of me were the Cambrian Mountains and my next exciting adventure, but my onward progress was tedious and slow meandering along many different footpaths until eventually, after many hours, I finally crossed Waterloo Bridge and entered the town of Llandovery. The morning’s crossing of the Black Mountain had been sensational, especially after the clouds cleared, but the afternoon’s slow progress to Llandovery was exhausting and uninspiring. The following morning the weather was much worse with grey overcast skies and rain almost all day, which I was surprisingly not too bothered about as stage nine of the Cambrian Way is a relatively easy, level walk mostly along minor roads and tracks. With nothing to see through the misty conditions I just settled myself in for the day and enjoyed the easy walking. When I finally left the road, several hours later, the rain had eased and a wood-lined path brought me to the River Towy where an interesting path followed the river to bring me to a campsite near the village of Rhandirmwyn.

After the enjoyable walk beside the river, I stopped to have my lunch before continuing on the other side of the river along a tricky, undulating path until it finally brought me back onto a road and the best part of the day was over as the rain returned. All reports claim that the scenery in this valley is spectacular but I was not able to see that or appreciate it in the heavy rain. After passing the last farm in the valley I came off the road to follow a narrow path that delved deeper into the valley of the Afon Doethie and as I battled through dense bracken my only compensation was the purple flowers of heather that lined the path and seemed so bright against the grey background. This was a very tough and challenging walk where navigation was sometimes very difficult with one moment when I completely lost the path and had to wade through bogs and bracken to exhaustingly find the faint path again, while slowly through the afternoon I got soaked to the skin. Finally, mercifully, I came to a heavily eroded track that led me to Ty’n Cornell, one of the Elenydd Wilderness Hostels, where I received a warm welcome that included a cup of tea and a blazing fire. The biggest tragedy of this walk was not my getting saturated, but my not being able to see the stunning scenery that I had passed through, so I definitely want to come back next year and see the Doethie Valley at its best.

Cambrian Way: Fforest Fawr

Tuesday 13th August 2024

At the end of the previous day I had reached the Storey Arms, where the sixth stage of the Cambrian Way ends, and immediately I set off down the Taff Trail on a hostel variant to reach the Brecon Beacons Youth Hostel, previously known as Llwyn-y-celyn. This follows the track of an old road, so gave me easy walking after the strenuous traverse over the Brecon Beacons until finally I crossed the valley and came up to the hostel where I was looking forward to sleeping in a proper bed after two nights of wild camping. The following morning I continued to follow the hostel variant rather than returning to the Storey Arms to begin the seventh stage of the Cambrian Way. My Cicerone guidebook recommended that I went through the Graig Cerrig Glesaid National Nature Reserve, which I was more than happy to do, climbing steeply to the left of the crags and soon I had far-reaching views across the reserve and down the valley of Glyn Tarrel, despite grey, overcast skies. Once at the top of the crags I passed above Craig Cerrig-glesiad, down to a col and up the other side before I realised that I had missed my turning. My guidebook offers two alternative routes to return to the Cambrian Way with the first turning off the clear path before reaching the top of the crags to cross the open moorland on faint footpaths, but I opted for the second which follows the Beacons Way on clear paths but branches away from the crags at the col so when I realised I had to retrace my steps back down.

A wide path took me across the featureless, grassy hillside above Craig Cwm Du and up to the northern ridge of Fan Dringarth, which the Beacons Way traverses, but the Cambrian Way takes a pathless, cross-country route from the Storey Arms straight over this ridge. When I finally came to the route of the Cambrian Way I turned off the Beacons Way to head down the grassy slopes, across the gathering grounds of Nant Ystwyth and over the imperceptible rise of Bryn Melyn to suddenly find the clear track of the Roman road, Sarn Helen. I was walking in Fforest Fawr, an extensive upland area that was formerly a royal hunting area but is now a little visited range of grassy hills used primarily for sheep grazing. I was last in the area in 2003 when I did a walk over these hills starting from the car park by the nature reserve, but it has little appeal for me so it has been ignored in my subsequent visits to the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park. I did enjoy following the clear footpath of the Beacons Way, even though it was rather boggy, but trying to find my way over the pathless hillside was rather arduous and Sarn Helen was no relief as I soon had to come off that and negotiate a course through the bogs at the head of the Afon Llia. Eventually a clear path emerged through the bogs, though not without getting my feet wet, and brought me to Maen Llia, a Bronze Age standing stone, while not far away was a road which I followed north, with strong winds blowing through the pass, until I reached the edge of a steep drop into the valley of the Afon Senni.

After lunch spent looking into the valley, I set off up the ridge of Llethr, which fans out from Fan Nedd, but the Cambrian Way ignores this hill and I didn’t have the energy to waste needlessly climbing to the top, and besides I had previously visited it in 2002. A wall provided me with a handrail as I braved the cold wind up the ridge and across the steep northern slopes of Fan Nedd to the saddle at the head of the Senni Valley. The dreary, grassy slopes continued up to a broad ridge adorned with a wide, gravelly track, but the Cambrian Way ignores that to follow a faint path through the grass above steep north-facing slopes with views to Cray Reservoir and beyond. While the cold wind continued to blow I slowly made my way up the tedious slopes towards Fan Gyhirych with views behind me across the Fforest Fawr all the way to the Brecon Beacons in the distance. The trig point at the summit has been decorated with patriotic Welsh slogans that meant nothing to me and with rain on the nearby Black Mountain I was keen to get off the hill as quickly as possible so I made my way onto the wide, grassy track that I had seen earlier and walked along that all the way. This provided me with an easy descent as the weather worsened and views towards Cwm Tawe, also known as the Swansea Valley.

On a linear walk your view is always changing and now that I had passed over Fan Gyhirych the Brecon Beacons had been left behind and I had a completely different view to anything I had seen previously, and since I could now see wind turbines then my view must be now stretching to outside of the National Park. I had a very enjoyable walk down the gentle slopes of the gravel track that eventually led me into Ogof Ffynnon Ddu National Nature Reserve, which contains the remains of Penwyllt Quarry so there was a fascinating assortment of caves and disused tramways, whose sleepers were still imbedded in the ground. It finally started to rain before I left the disused quarries so I donned my waterproofs and continued the descent along a delightfully narrow path, which I would have enjoyed more if it hadn’t been raining and I was cooking in my waterproofs. When I reached the main road at the bottom of the valley I turned right to look for accommodation having completed stage seven of the Cambrian Way. I hadn’t booked anything in advance, but the first campsite I found in Glytawe had plenty of space and was very cheap. This was a surprisingly pleasurable walk considering the overcast skies that always promised rain and finally arrived late afternoon, and although the scenery was not as spectacular as previously the cooler temperatures helped to make this a much less strenuous walk than on the previous three days.

Cambrian Way: the Brecon Beacons

Monday 12th August 2024

I had difficulty sleeping on the night before this walk because it was too warm and no breeze was blowing through my tent so I didn’t get much sleep for the start of the toughest and most demanding section of Cambrian Way. Stage six starts in the town of Crickhowell, but to reduce the length of this stage I had started it the afternoon before and walked for about four miles to a wild camp in Waun Ddu. In the morning, I set off through the thick bracken that surrounded the bog and brought me to a farmer’s track a short distance away from a road. My Cicerone guidebook recommends avoiding the fast road by following a track that parallels the road, however at this time of the year it was choked with bracken which made the walking difficult and later I began to climb above the crags of Craig y Castell even though the guidebook recommends descending to the road at that point. I was forced to walk across the top of the crags until I was at the far end where I battled through thick bracken down to the road. It was still very warm and humid with weather forecasts promising the hottest day of the year in Britain, although maybe not in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park as the weather was initially very changeable with fleeting sunshine and attempts at rain, though for most of the morning it was just overcast. I was not looking forward to the promised hot weather reaching Wales as that would make an already strenuous walk even more difficult.

At the end of the road I took to a track that led me out onto the open moor and with the earlier sunshine gone and bleak, open moorland before me under overcast skies I put my trust in the clear path that led me to an trig point and later to Ogof Fawr, a cave used by the Chartist movement in the nineteenth century. Soon after the cave I should have turned off the track as it curved to the south, but I missed the faint path and by the time I realised it was too late to turn back so I turned north crossing the pathless heather moorland until I reached the route of the Cambrian Way which was almost non-existent on the ground and brought me to a quarry access road. A track branched off the road and took me around the Cwar yr Hendre limestone quarry soon providing me with misty views into the quiet valley of Dyffryn Crawnan. At a waterfall I crossed the stream and walked along a terraced path with views down the valley until I eventually realised I was going the wrong way and retraced my steps back to the bridge to follow the stream up past a distressing array of industrial waste. Plastics and tyres littered the ground on the edge of the quarry until I finally moved onto open moorland just as the mist dropped and the weather deteriorated so with no path navigation was an interesting challenge.

There was nothing to see in the bleak grassland until the ground steepened below Bryniau Gleision and I reached a ridge, but the ground was still no better with deep ruts left behind by off-road vehicles. However, the weather was now improving with views to my right into the valley that houses Talybont Reservoir while to my left Pontsticill Reservoir was surrounded by thick conifer plantations. I have planned to walk along this ridge on many occasions and for many years, but I don’t think I ever have, so I was devastated to find it in such a terrible state and the desolations continued beyond the trig point at the top of Pant y Creigiau with terrible scarring where the ground steepens from vehicles trying to climb the hill. At the bottom of the pass, I took to a muddy path that crossed the hillside to the stream Nant Bwrefwr where a clear, well-made path leads up the hillside. This is part of the Beacons Way, a long distance trail that I first considered doing twenty years ago, so it is great that I was now finally doing a walk that traverses the whole of the national park. As the sun broke through the clouds, a little later than it had done on the previous two days, I made my way across the open top of Waun Cerrig Llwydion to the escarpment edge above Craig Cwmoergwm. After my exertion it was great to now have a relaxing stroll with great views in all directions with the distinctive peaks of the Brecon Beacons ahead of me and arrayed in splendid sunshine.

The path above the escarpment brought me towards Fan y Big, but I stuck the route of the Cambrian Way which bypasses the top, and never seriously considered the option. From the pass, Bwlch ar y Fan, I had a choice of whether to follow the Beacons Way in bypassing the next peak, Cribyn, or to stick to the precise route of the Cambrian Way and climb Cribyn. I had decided to base my choice on the time, as recommended by the Cicerone guide, and since it wasn’t even three o’clock yet I braved the steep slopes and climbed all the way up to the top of Cribyn. The climb rewarded me with fantastic views in all directions including Twmpa, in the far distance to the east. where I had been two days ago. Now a steep descent led me to another ridiculously steep ascent that led me all the way up to the top of the highest point in the Brecon Beacons, Pen y Fan, where the stunning views continued stretching for many miles to the north. This is one of those mountains that draws the crowds so I didn’t stay for long at the top before making my way along the ridge that connects Pen y Fan with its neighbour, Corn Du, where I began my descent keeping to the escarpment edge until I reached an obelisk that commemorates the death of a five year old child. It is probable that I have not previously visited this memorial very often with the last time being in 2006, but the Cambrian Way makes the diversion so I did again before crossing the pathless grassy slopes onto the main path that led me down the hill to the Storey Arms.

This was an epic day with a lot of arduous walking across featureless moorland in grey, miserable weather until finally in the afternoon the weather cleared just as the landscape became much more interesting for a stunning traverse of the Brecon Beacons. Pen y Fan was the highest point on the Cambrian Way so far and would not be surpassed until I reached Cadair Idris more than a week later.

Cambrian Way: out of the Black Mountains

Sunday 11th August 2024

At the end of my previous day on the Cambrian Way I had stopped a little short of where I’d originally planned, but later than I should have walked after a strenuous day. I was near the head of the short valley that contains the stream Nant Bwch which flows into the Vale of Ewyas in the Black Mountains. This is an area that I have many fond memories of walking and I loved the opportunity that walking the Cambrian Way gave me to revisit these delightful hills. After a good night’s sleep I woke to overcast skies but once I was back on the ridge I had far reaching views across the Wye Valley and a brisk wind. My first climb was up the sprawling grassy hill of Rhos Dirion and to avoid going in the wrong direction I needed to keep to the edge of the escarpment that overlooks the wide valley, but I soon lost the views as I plunged into the low cloud that enveloped the hill. My excesses of the day before had left me aching and these now continued, especially on the steepest sections of the walk, so with more than two weeks strenuous walking ahead of me I was careful to take my time as I slowly climbed to the trig point that marks the top of Rhos Dirion. At the shallow col beyond I turned right to descend the escarpment a short distance in search of some water from the stream that flows through Cwm Cwmstab, which despite being a mere trickle was enough to fill my water bottles and quench my thirst until other sources of water could be found. Back on the path I continued along the ridge slowly climbing through the misty conditions until eventually I reached the top of Waun Fach, the highest point in the Black Mountains and now much improved compared with my first visit in 2002 when the top was bare mud.

Turning right I descended the ridge over Pen Trumau and enthused at the easy walking that the broad grassy ridges of the Black Mountains provides, so despite the poor weather I enjoyed walking along the curving ridge that led me down to a pass and up to Mynydd Llysiau where heather now decorated the landscape. At the next hill, the Cambrian Way obstinately climbs to the top of Pen Twyn Glas even though the clear path skirts around it, so I had to tackle the bogs that defended the approach before turning right at the top to rejoin the path and head along the ridge to Pen Allt-mawr where a steep ascent ensured that I was so tired when I reached the trig point I collapsed in the nearby shelter to hide from the strong winds and have my lunch. Soon after leaving the summit along the eastern edge I passed someone who commented that the weather had turned out good, which was a surprise for me to hear until I later realised that while I had stopped for my lunch the mist had cleared to reveal blue skies and sunshine. Although views ahead of me, to the south, were hazy, when I reached Pen Cerrig-calch and finally turned around I found that there were extensive views back along the ridge all the way to Waun Fach. I felt sure that I had walked over Pen Allt-mawr and Pen Cerrig-calch before, but I could not remember when and I cannot find any record of it. Fortunately the Cambrian Way was bringing me to places that I had not walked in over twenty years, if at all.

I was disappointed to have missed out on the views throughout the morning, and all too soon the views across my beloved Black Mountains disappeared as I turned back to the south and descended the broad slopes with views across the Usk Valley beyond. The sharp peak of Sugar Loaf, which I had climbed the day before, was to my left while Blorenge, which I had climbed a month before, was on the other side of the valley. My gradual descent brought me to Table Mountain and the Iron Age fort of Crug Hywel that overlooks and lends its name to the modern town of Crickhowell. Rather than walk all the way around the earthworks I soon came back down descending through bracken that towered above my head with the heat increasing significantly as I descended with the day becoming disagreeably hot. When I reached Crickhowell I had completed the fifth stage of the Cambrian Way, and since it was only half two in the afternoon I took the opportunity to rest for a while and keep out of the hot sun. With stage six being very long and arduous I wanted to keep going so eventually I left Crickhowell, across the River Usk and up to the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal where a short but delightful walk brought me to some disused lime kilns where a straight route, formally a tramway, led me up the hill and towards the awesome cliffs that line the valley.

A very steep ascent up an old incline was torture at this late time of the day though thankfully it was initially under the cover of trees and the earlier heat was beginning to fade, but the ascent was unrelenting and I was more than relieved when I finally reached the level path that runs along the base of the disused quarries. With stunning views across the valley I had a majestic walk across the side of the hill that gave me a chance to catch my breath. At a bend in the escarpment is the large, open cave of Eglwys Faen, but I could not find it despite searching several paths that led to treacherously steep drops into tiny openings in the hillside. I didn’t want to risk injury hunting for the cave so I returned to the path where I was able to admire the impressive crags of Chwar Mawr before continuing along the path that descended to the open moor of Waun Ddu in the National Nature Reserve of Craig y Cilau where I camped well away from the path. This was a much better day than the previous when I had struggled with tiredness and a lack of energy, but much of the walk was relatively easy along the grassy ridges of the Black Mountains that are always a pleasure that has been enjoyed many times over the past twenty-five years. I loved the opportunity to return on this occasion but I would have many more places to visit while on the Cambrian Way.

Cambrian Way: into the Black Mountains

Saturday 10th August 2024

A month after walking the first three days of the Cambrian Way I came back to Abergavenny to complete the rest of the trail all the way to Conwy on the north coast of Wales. The weather was better than it had been when I’d left the town, it wasn’t raining, though it did seem to have just stopped and it was forecast to improve, however it was very warm and humid which didn’t help with climbing hills. After passing through the town of Abergavenny I found the spot that I had reached on the Cambrian Way less than four weeks earlier, beside the war memorial in the centre of town. From there I set off past several churches slowly climbing the hill out of the town and immediately regretted packing so much food as my rucksack felt very heavy. I had enough food to last many days and it really wasn’t necessary but that couldn’t be helped now and at least the weight would go down as I ate and I must learn from my mistake in the future. The road eventually gave way to a footpath through fields and then into woodland where the gradient eased slightly, only briefly, but it was enough to encourage me to stop and lighten my load by having something to eat. The gradient soon resumed as I climbed out of the woodland into an area of bracken where I should have had extensive views around me, but low cloud meant I couldn’t see the hill of Blorenge across the valley or anywhere else except for Abergavenny in the valley behind me. This sharp climb felt cruel for the start of my first day on the trail, but this was meant to be my fourth day on the Cambrian Way by which time I ought to have been able to have taken it in my stride.

I was climbing Sugar Loaf, a hill that I had previously climbed in the year 2000, which is such a long time ago I have little memory of it. A large part of the reason I have never been back is that Sugar Loaf is an isolated hill, separated from all others, so it has been difficult for me to justify tagging it onto another walk, even though that was what I was now doing. I was looking forward to returning to the top after all these years. A welcome, cooling breeze followed me up the increasingly steep hill as I approached the conical peak until mercifully the gradient eased and I arrived at the trig point that marks the highest point. Unfortunately there was no view of the surrounding area due to low cloud so I didn’t stay long and soon headed down the northern slopes. If I’d had a view I would have seen the town of Crickhowel below and Table Mountain, which overlooks it, with both of them traversed by the Cambrian Way, but I would not pass that way until the end of the next day as the trail first takes a wide detour north through the Black Mountains, which is an area I have a lot of affection for so I didn’t mind the diversion. My descent took me through heather in flower, which I always love to see at this time of the year, with the distinctive peak of Skirrid to my right, while in the far distance ahead of me shrouded in clouds were the grassy ridges of the Black Mountains.

Eventually head high bracken replaced the heather as I made my way down to the bottom of the valley and slowly up the other side as the sky began to clear. By the time I reached the top of the ridge the sun was out and I had fabulous views across the Black Mountains, even though it was very windy. A long, gradual climb along the ridge brought me to the top of Garn Wen, which I had previously traversed in 2022 coming the other way, with bracken now giving way to heather as the climb continued to the trig point on Bâl Mawr, the highest point on the trail so far, and just beyond as the ridge narrowed it ascended again to cross the two thousand feet mark for the first time on the Cambrian Way. The highest point on the ridge is at Chwarel y Fan, which I had previously crossed in 2020, but by this time on the walk I was feeling very tired and thirsty having had little opportunity to replenish my water bottles since leaving Abergavenny.

At the pass marked by the Blacksmith’s Anvil stone I turned right off the ridge and mercifully out of the wind descending into the beautiful Vale of Ewyas on a wonderfully rocky path that zigzags down the steepest slopes to reach the Grange Trekking Centre where there is camping available. I could or maybe should have stayed there, but since it was only 4.30 in the afternoon I decided to keep going. I had been able to fill my water bottle from a stream above the Grange so I ignored the opportunity to stop and continued down to the bottom of the valley in Capel-y-ffin. The fourth stage of the Cambrian Way ends at this point but I kept going and soon I was climbing steeply up the hillside in the warm sunny weather and regretted my decision to keep going. The climb up the hill above Capel-y-ffin was excruciating and I had to stop frequently to rest as I slowly dragged myself up the hill while the views down the Vale of Ewyas rewarded my hard won efforts. I really should have turned back and enquired at the Grange, but instead I fought through the agony and eventually reached the cairn that marks the end of the Darren Lwyd ridge and the best of the views down the valley.

From then on the walking was much easier as the gradient eased and I slowly made my way along the ridge and towards Twmpa. I am very fond of the Black Mountains because my first ever mountain walk twenty-five years ago was in this area and included this very ridge between Twmpa and Capel-y-finn. It was great to be back but I was too weary to really appreciate it or the stunning views across the Wye Valley when I finally reached the summit of Twmpa. I couldn’t stop there as I had no water left, so I turned south and descended towards the valley of Nant Bwch until the infant stream was able to supply me with enough water. This was a terribly exhausting end to a gruelling day where I should have been better prepared and perhaps planned to stop at the Grange. The compensation was the amazing views of the Black Mountains and the Vale of Ewyas afforded to me by the good weather.

Cambrian Way: Blorenge

Monday 15th July 2024

When you are doing a long distance trail in Britain there will inevitably be days of rain and on the Cambrian Way my first wet day was on the third day out. The first two days had been really good with sunny weather most of the time, but on the third day the British weather returned to normal with heavy rain forecast. With this in mind I decided to set off early so I was back in Pontypool by eight o’clock and at the gates of Pontypool Park where I began stage three of the Cambrian Way. Soon after entering the park I began to climb a stony path that led me through mature woodland and under a dry ski slope with the ascent continuing until I reached the Shell Grotto, which unfortunately was closed. Instead of looking inside I enjoyed the views over Pontypool, though the grey, overcast conditions did not help. A short descent brought me onto the main path that gradually ascended the ridge until I reached the Folly Tower where the grey views continued to an industrial estate east and the built up Cwm Afon valley to the west, while the sprawling mass of Mynydd Maen filled the view south. Despite the poor views I was enjoying the walk along gentle gradients though it wasn’t long before I felt the first drop of rain, which was light and brief, and I knew that more and prolonged rain would come eventually.

The trail narrowed briefly, and enjoyably, below Coed Ithel before climbing onto broad, open moorland to reach the trig point at the top of Mynydd Garn-wen where I conceded that the views were not too bad despite hazy skies. I was enjoying the walking as I strode along the ridge, passing over the top of the hill and entered the national park formally known as the Brecon Beacons. I had in fact been skirting the edge of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park since reaching the Shell Grotto, but when I passed the trig point at the top of Mynydd Garn-wen I actually entered the park, which is now officially known by its Welsh name. It was always a misnomer to name the whole national park after a small part of it, but no more than naming the Cairngorms after one hill that is not even the highest. Personally, I have never used the label Brecon Beacons in this blog except for on walks actually over the Brecon Beacons, but now I can add Bannau Brycheioniog as a label to all of my walks in the national park, including this one. I have a long history of walking in the Bannau Brycheioniog National Park having first come to the area almost twenty-five years ago and many years ago I planned to do a full traverse of the park using the Beacons Way, but I never did despite planning it on many occasions. Now, thanks to the Cambrian Way, I was finally going to traverse the whole length of the Bannau Brycheioniog National Park.

During the descent from Mynydd Garn-wen I had views of the peculiarly shaped hill of the Skirrid, which reminded me of the Offa’s Dyke Path and my walk along that in 2022. However, although the Cambrian Way comes close to the Offa’s Dyke Path, they are separated by the Vale of Ewyas and never meet. With hardly any wind, it was a pleasure to walk along the faint, grassy path that took me over the broad, featureless plain of Mynnydd Garnlochdy and across a saddle to reach a road. Beyond, with heavy rain now falling, a narrow path weaved through terrain covered in heather and rocks that was not easy to walk along until eventually it widened and passed over Mynydd y Garn-fawr heading towards two radio transmitters. Beside is the Foxhunter car park and during a pause in the rain I took the opportunity to stop and have an early lunch before setting off along a good, gravelly path that led me up to the summit of Blorenge. This is a hill that I had never climbed before although I had always meant to do so. Perhaps it had been left out because it is less than two thousand feet high, however it was now my highest point, so far, on the Cambrian Way. There are reputed to be to be extensive views from the top, but not on this occasion, and I made my way past the summit and across the broad top to the escarpment edge on the northern slopes where I now had views across the valley to the town of Abergavenny.

The official route of the Cambrian Way descended very steeply through heavily overgrown bracken but my Cicerone guidebook recommended descending further south along a clearer path that provided me with a gentler descent for my aging knees while it began to rain again. At a road I turned left onto a bridleway that took me past a stunning sheet of water in the middle of a cove that is called Punchbowl. Even in the rain this was an amazing place with trees covering the slopes around the bowl, but I was disappointed to find some litter beside the lake so I picked it up and carried it down the hill. After battling through overgrown bracken I reached the top of a path that brought me steeply down through the delightful woodland of Cwm Craf. At the bottom I reached the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal where a tunnel led me underneath and the descent continued until eventually I reached the River Usk. With the rain now falling heavily I crossed a very busy road and over Usk Bridge, through Castle Meadows and into the centre of Abergavenny to finish the third stage of the Cambrian Way. Despite the poor weather I really enjoyed this walk, perhaps because it wasn’t windy and the terrain was gentle enabling me to walk effortlessly along the grassy paths. Once I was in Abergavenny I was soaked so I was keen to get out of the rain and made my way to the railway station catching the first train out. I was disappointed to be not continuing the Cambrian Way the next day as I was enjoying the walking and being up high on the ridge that brought me to Blorenge with the Black Mountains ahead, but I also knew that I would be back in less than four weeks.

Cambrian Way, the South Wales Valleys

Sunday 14th July 2024

On the day before this walk I started the Cambrian Way on an epic three hundred mile trek across Wales from Cardiff to Conwy, however, rather than starting from the gates of Cardiff Castle, as the official route describes, I started from Penarth beside the mouth of the River Severn and weaved a course around Cardiff Bay before heading into the city centre to reach the castle. Consequently, by the end of the day I had completed less than half the distance of the first stage of the Cambrian Way, so to re-start the trail I caught a train back to Taff’s Well and climbed the hill back onto the Cambrian Way to rejoin at the point where I had left it the previous day. Due to the way that trains run on a Sunday morning it was almost eleven o’clock by the time I rejoined the Cambrian Way, which didn’t help with the long distance I had to travel this day, which was more than half of stage one and all of stage two, so I set off at a brisk pace on a wide, level path that took me through the woodland of Fforest-fawr. Sunny weather had brought out many people for a walk this Sunday morning so I was not alone, though there was nothing to see except willowherb and trees until I reached the popular attraction of Three Bears Caves, which was fenced off so I couldn’t look inside. Beyond, after reaching a car park, the crowds disappeared and the path narrowed across the northern tip of Fforestganol. Although the path kept to the top of the ridge, I had no views besides trees, so the walk at this point was simply a navigation exercise through various turns on the path.

My first views appeared on the edge of a small, disused quarry where the town of Caerphilly filled the valley to the north while the Severn Estuary could be seen south, but that was yesterday and on the Cambrian Way my eyes were turned ever northward. I had never done any walking in this area before and was struck by the contrast between the heavily industrialised valleys of South Wales and the high ridges that separate them. Beyond the small quarry the path climbed up to the first named hill on the Cambrian Way, Cefn Onn, where the views into the Rhymney Valley continued and from there the steady descent enabled me to maintain a rapid pace, through the woodland of Coed Cefn-pwll-du and down to the Rhymney River at the bottom of the valley. When I entered the large village of Machen I had finished stage one of the Cambrian Way and since it was lunchtime I stopped on a bench beside St John’s Church for something to eat. After the rest I resumed the trail with a steep climb out of the valley through overgrown bracken lined by heather, while as I climbed the views developed around me. The Severn Estuary dominated the view, reminding me of where I had walked the day before, though high humidity made this an exhausting climb until I had mercifully climbed high enough for a little wind to dry the sweat that covered my body.

As the views behind me towards the Severn Estuary continued to improve I completed the climb all the way up to the top of Mynydd Machen where a trig point confirmed that this is the first proper hill on the Cambrian Way. My route down took me past an old slag heap and into woodland where I had difficulty navigating a complicated series of very short paths that could have been avoided by staying on the road, and eventually brought me to the Ebbw River. After crossing the valley I climbed up to the Monmouthshire & Brecon Canal where I enjoyed walking along the towpath, but this was all too brief and soon I turned left away from the canal and up the side of the hill on an unrelenting climb. The sun came out at this point to ensure that I was soon worn out and drenched in sweat. Slowly, I toiled away up the hillside until eventually I reached the pass of Pegwn-y-bwlch where I had hoped I would find a breeze to cool me down, but no wind was blowing and the ascent continued all the way up to the top of Twmbarlwm. This excruciating climb did not end until I passed through the outer fortification of the Celtic hillfort but when I reached the trig point in the middle I was rewarded for all my efforts with stunning views south across the Severn Estuary from the bridges all the way to the mouth of the Severn just beyond Penarth where I had started my walk the day before.

The view took in the city of Newport, where I was staying, and past Cardiff all the way out to the Bristol Channel while to the north clouds shrouded the hills I was heading towards that I would walk over when I resumed the Cambrian Way the following month. I was mesmerised by the view, taking in the scenery before eventually descending steeply off the hillfort and onto a level, broad ridge where I was finally able to cool down and get my strength back. The relaxing stroll provided me with extensive views across the valley to my right and the town of Cwmbran which continued later when I came off the clear track to keep to the eastern slopes of Mynydd Maen. Eventually I began to descend steeply swinging, briefly, slightly to the south before a sharp turn brought me heading again in the right direction for the Cambrian Way, north. A seemingly unnecessary diversion took me through the Blaen Bran Community Woodland, which I could not have been done if my rucksack had been much larger as the kissing gates into and out of the woodland were very narrow. Soon after emerging from the wood I reached a mountain road where I had views across the valley towards Llandegfedd Reservoir and on leaving the road I slowly descended a narrow, stony track that finally brought me into Pontypool where the second stage of the Cambrian Way ends.

The weather on this walk was always good and especially after leaving the canal in the Ebbw Valley which left me with some fabulous walking for the final stretch of the walk over Twmbarlwm and into Pontypool. Another highlight was the view from beside a small quarry which was my first of the day where the wildflowers underfoot were almost as spellbinding at the views. I didn’t reach the end of the stage until half six in the evening, which reflects the long day I had set for myself with about twenty miles walked and showed me that it would be best if for the rest of the Cambrian Way I would keep to the recommended schedule, which was my plan.

Cardiff Bay and the Cambrian Way

Saturday 13th July 2024

A couple of years ago I started to plan a long distance walk across Wales, but at the time I thought this was too ambitious for me to accomplish, so instead I did the Offa’s Dyke Path which takes a much easier route across Wales beside the border with England. Now, after doing the Southern Upland Way last year, I feel more confident in my ability to do a long, challenging trail and rather than coming up with my own route I decided to do a long distance trail that already exists across Wales called the Cambrian Way. This runs across the backbone of Wales over the highest mountains and is almost three hundred miles long taking three weeks. Undeterred, I booked three weeks off work and made preparations to begin, but then I had to take two days holiday away for other purposes, so to accomplish the Cambrian Way without those two days I split three days off from the rest of the trail. Therefore, in the middle of July, I set off for South Wales, but instead of starting in Cardiff, where the Cambrian Way begins, I caught another train to Penarth, on the coast. I wanted to take this opportunity to explore the area around Cardiff Bay before starting the Cambrian Way and since I had plenty of time I lingered in Penarth first, where the Penarth Summer Festival was coincidentally just beginning.

I took a stroll along the promenade past various gazebos before slowly returning to the pier while enjoying the sunshine, which was a welcome change this year. Eventually I left Penarth and joined the route of the Wales Coast Path which climbs the hill above Penarth Head before descending to the Barrage on the edge of Cardiff Bay where I turned inland to walk away from the sunshine I had been enjoyed at the coast and towards the dark clouds that hung over the city. The Wales Coast Path took me around Cardiff Bay, past an exhibition to Scott of the Antarctic and later brought me to a memorial at the spot where Scott’s expedition ship, the SS Terra Nova, sailed from Cardiff. Later I passed the Senedd, home to the Welsh Parliament, and the iconic Millennium Centre where I lingered by looping around Roald Dahl Plass before finally continuing inland into the centre of Cardiff, which I didn’t like as it was very crowded with tall, intimidating buildings. At Cardiff Castle a noisy demonstration was passing outside the walls so I didn’t linger and with no sign to mark this momentous location, or moment for me, I started the Cambrian Way. The noise and crowds continued after I entered Bute Park so I was relieved when I left the main path and finally I was able to get away from the crowds and noise while walking beside the River Taff.

Delightful woodland walking took me past Blackweir and as far as the Gabalfa bridge where I crossed the River Taff to continue my walk on the other bank, except for an unnecessary diversion that took me within sight of Llandaff Cathedral. I could have stayed on the original bank of the river by following the route of the Taff Trail but I was not short of time and obstinately stuck to the exact route of the Cambrian Way despite there being little to interest me at this point with dull scenery across the river while walking largely on roads. Eventually I crossed the river beside a railway bridge and finally left the River Taff climbing up to reach the Glamorganshire Canal Nature Reserve, which is a delightful place, gloriously overgrown and full of wildlife, with waterlilies covering the surface of the water. This was a lovely place to walk where I took many photographs, but I was disappointed when it came to a sudden end with the intrusion of the M4 motorway. Finding my way past the motorway and its junction with the A470 road was potentially complicated, but fortunately the Cicerone guidebook for the Cambrian Way has a detailed map which guided me through a series of footbridges and underpasses until I reached the far side of the motorway junction where a road soon brought me into the village of Tongwynlais. There, a right turn took me onto a road that was my first sustained climb of the Cambrian Way and it really wore me out, especially as the sun chose that moment to finally come out for the first time since leaving the coast.

At the top of the road I reached Castell Coch where a path continued the climb steeply up a wooded hillside, but with the afternoon soon passing I was thinking this might be a good moment to end the walk for the day and find my booked accommodation. With hindsight, I could have stayed low passing through Tongwynlais on the Taff Trail, but instead when I reached the first junction in the wood I turned left off the Cambrian Way onto a track that slowly descended back down to the bottom of the Valley where I caught a train from Taff’s Well railway station. This was a very tiring walk because I was very tired when I started, so I had hoped this weekend would help refresh me. I had been looking forward to walking through Cardiff for several months but the reality was disappointing. This year, I have followed several city walks through London and Bristol and enjoyed all of them, though they were carefully guided walks, whereas this wasn’t, but I doubt that would have made much difference. My main problem with Cardiff was the noise, mainly from the demonstration by the castle and a pop concert in Bute Park, but once I was away from the noise the walk became the relaxing stroll that I wanted especially while passing through wild, disorganised, natural scenery.

Glengaber Hill from Spango Bridge

Friday 7th June 2024

After almost two weeks in Scotland I was slowly making my way back home at the end of a holiday where the weather had been cold, wet and consistently very windy, but before I left Scotland I wanted to return to the Southern Uplands. I first walked through this area last year on the Southern Upland Way and I found a series of hills that although grassier and more rounded than those found in the Highlands, still has good scenery especially when it is sunny, which I had on this walk. At the start of the day I set off from Pitlochry, where I had spent the night, and drove south down the A9 eventually arriving at Spango Bridge, not far from the town of Sanquhar. There is a section of the Southern Upland Way that is an alternative to the main route and is used during the shooting season, which is later in the year so was not necessary when I was on the trail last year or on my return this year, but I had enjoyed the scenery in that area last year so I was keen to return and parked near Spango Bridge at the end of a particularly rutted farmer’s track. Also parked there were some minibuses waiting to collect teenagers undergoing the rigors of the Duke of Edinburgh Award and soon after I set off along the track I was passed by two groups of youths.

The rain that had accompanied me throughout my journey from Pitlochry seemed to have passed, so while plenty of clouds still lingered overhead I was hopeful that it would improve. Willowherb and thistle lined the track, though these are normally considered summer flowers, which indicated that spring was now passing and summer would soon begin. Eventually I reached a junction on the forestry track where the familiar thistle icon now appeared on top of wooden posts to mark the route of the Southern Upland Way on the Duntercleuch alternative. There was no change in the scenery, though blue sky now appeared overhead, until I emerged from the conifer plantation and began to descend into the valley of Wanlock Water. In the past this valley was a centre of lead mining and at the head of the valley is the village of Wanlockhead, the highest village in Scotland. Overlooking the village is Lowther Hill where a radar station dominates the scene and from four miles away I could see its huge golf ball like structure that prompted memories of my walk last year to come flooding back as the sun came out to illuminate the valley. After all the bad weather that I had suffered while in Scotland it felt wonderful to be walking in warm sunshine through a valley that had been a highlight of my walk last year on the Southern Upland Way.

A glorious walk through the valley of Wanlock Water brought me to the signpost that marks the main route of the Southern Upland Way as it comes down into the valley, so in amongst the remains of lead mining that used to be undertaken in this valley, I turned right to cross the river and retrace my steps up the side of the hill on a well-engineered path that slowly climbs Glengaber Hill. The grassy path took me over the hill and down into the valley of Cogs Burn passed the ruins of Cogshead, but of more interest to me was the word that appeared on the next signpost, ultreia, which indicates that ahead is the location of a kist, though not precisely where. There are many of these sculptured kists on the Southern Upland Way and inside is a hoard of hidden treasure, specially minted coins that you can collect if you can find the kist. When I passed through Cogshead last year I was unable to find the kist at Cogshead despite much searching so I was keen have another attempt now and walked up and down the track several times carefully hunting for it until eventually the location was given away by a plastic tub on the ground. The coins are often stored inside the kists in containers such as these and looking up I immediately saw the kist hidden away. Inside were some coins and the lid for the tub, however I didn’t take one as I already had a coin for Cogshead having found it at the next kist on the Eastern Lowthers. I returned the coins to the plastic tub and put that back into the kist before heading off along the Southern Upland Way happy to have found the kist.

I now resumed my walk by taking the alternative route of the Southern Upland Way, which branches off the main route at Cogshead, with lingering looks behind me of the isolated valley head as I followed the track slowly climbing out of the valley. In sunny, but windy, weather I had a relaxing walk along forestry tracks whose only obstacles were two locked gates that I had to climb over and eventually brought me back to my car. This was a lovely walk but a little too short, though that just meant I was able to spend time in Sanquhar looking around the Tolbooth Museum. The weather was good once the rain had cleared and I enjoyed the opportunity to revisit places that I had visited while on the Southern Upland Way last year, and especially finding the kist that I had failed to find before. The day after I started to do a walk up the Eastern Lowthers starting from the top of the Dalveen Pass, initially to look for the kist there as, although I found it last year, the coin I took away with me was actually the one for Cogshead. It was sunny when I started but dark clouds soon came over and by the time I reached the kist it was raining heavily. When I found kist was empty, no coins, my enthusiasm for a walk was ruined. The ever-present, strong winds were making walking very tiring despite hoping that I would be sheltered from the westerlies on the eastern slopes of the Lowther Hills, so I abandoned the walk just as I had done with many hill walks on this holiday and drove home.