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May 3rd 2009 and the annual Beacons Way attempt is on! this time from west to east from Carreg Cennen
It was a good start to the day blue skies, warm with a cooling breeze. Our trip started in the car park at Carreg Cennen, Dads folks and little Em dropping us off and accompanying us on the first hour, down the lane along the river and straight into a climb that led to a farm track knee deep in shite and silage. Well we left the folks on the side of Banc Wernwgan and continued to climb, kites keeping us company. what could go wrong? an hour later and we were travelin
g south instead of east, at least 20 minutes along the wrong path, luckily it was clear and a repeat of 2004 was avoided. we continued to climb over Carn Fatho and Foel Fawr towards Foel Fraith and Garreg Las. With feet starting to burn now after 7 hours walking we could see the top of the Picws Ddu and the Black Mountain ahead, well dad could i'm too short, its lot harder for me despite having four legs. Coasting finally up to the top we contemplated settling down at several places but deciding to drop down a little to Bwlch Blaen Twrch because the wind was pushing us along merrily. Passing three gents walking the opposite way one said its supposed to be a wet one tonight, T**T! why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? sounded almost gleeful about it. Bugger away in the distance there's a family and two Saint Bernards in the best spot! how the hell are they going to fit in a three man tent!! ten minutes later i st
opped worrying about how they were going to fit in, how about how we were both going to fit intoDad's new tent? talk about claustrophobic! it was going to be cosy tonight.
The rain did come in, about 5am and the wind it blew all night, inside the tent and out. seems Way Farer Meals and mixed dried fruit are a potent mix, no way i was staying in the bottom of the sleeping bag no matter how cold it gets!
The following morning was a chilly one so much so that breakfast was eaten with full waterproofs and winter woolies on. damp rain sodden clouds scooted around just a few feet above us and when we begun to climb to the sunnit of Fan Feol around and down below us. A couple of hours later with the sun trying to burst out we were striding out across the top of Fan Hir heading for Tafarn y Garreg near Dan yr Ogof Caves, the decent down was a steep one and i remember dad swearing as more than a few times feet were slipping out from underneath, guess he didn't want to go turtle with such a large pack on his back.
g south instead of east, at least 20 minutes along the wrong path, luckily it was clear and a repeat of 2004 was avoided. we continued to climb over Carn Fatho and Foel Fawr towards Foel Fraith and Garreg Las. With feet starting to burn now after 7 hours walking we could see the top of the Picws Ddu and the Black Mountain ahead, well dad could i'm too short, its lot harder for me despite having four legs. Coasting finally up to the top we contemplated settling down at several places but deciding to drop down a little to Bwlch Blaen Twrch because the wind was pushing us along merrily. Passing three gents walking the opposite way one said its supposed to be a wet one tonight, T**T! why couldn't he keep his mouth shut? sounded almost gleeful about it. Bugger away in the distance there's a family and two Saint Bernards in the best spot! how the hell are they going to fit in a three man tent!! ten minutes later i stopped worrying about how they were going to fit in, how about how we were both going to fit intoDad's new tent? talk about claustrophobic! it was going to be cosy tonight. The rain did come in, about 5am and the wind it blew all night, inside the tent and out. seems Way Farer Meals and mixed dried fruit are a potent mix, no way i was staying in the bottom of the sleeping bag no matter how cold it gets!
The following morning was a chilly one so much so that breakfast was eaten with full waterproofs and winter woolies on. damp rain sodden clouds scooted around just a few feet above us and when we begun to climb to the sunnit of Fan Feol around and down below us. A couple of hours later with the sun trying to burst out we were striding out across the top of Fan Hir heading for Tafarn y Garreg near Dan yr Ogof Caves, the decent down was a steep one and i remember dad swearing as more than a few times feet were slipping out from underneath, guess he didn't want to go turtle with such a large pack on his back.
Posted @ 19:51:26 on 20 April 2009 back to top
MY VERY FIRST BACKPACK
Day 1
Should have been enough to put me off for life!, Dad had been planning this for years as his follow up to the Pembrokeshire coastal walk he did in early 1998, don't know why the huge gap, he said he just never got around to doing anything. This time around though it was to be an east to west crossing of the Brecon Beacons Llantony Abbey to Carreg Cennen Castle approx 100 miles.The Weather was scorching when we were dropped off at Cwmyoy by his parents and the Ynysybwl Ramblers who were out for a days walk around Capel y Ffin. Well within an hour one of those summer storms, complete with thunder and lightning that you either avoid or hits you full on hit us and continued to hit us for the next 4 hours, non bloody stop! with the mist down and dads map and compass firmly lodged in the bottom of the bag it was inevitable we would get lost and we did for over an hour adding on about 3 extra miles, eventually when we got back onto the main path we had some had walking to get to the first nights stop high on Hay Bluff, however with light fading fast Dad decided to head down into Capel y Ffin. Well if i hadn't been like a drown rat i would have probably died laughing at what happened on the decent, taking a short cut down a very step path Dad went turtle, by that i mean he fell backwards onto his backpack and couldn't get back up, He tried to push himself upright with his poles, but the extra weight just made the poles collapse on themselves! it must have taken a good 3 minutes for him to get righted again. finally we stumbled into the campsite, tent up in record time and both collapsed in a wet steaming pile on the thermarest for a two hours and slept! what an intro to back packing!
Day 2 August 21st 2004
Woke up to a blustery day, at least the rain had stopped after trying to dry my coat and dads out on the fence behind the tent we eventually got under way. Climbing steeply up on to Tarren yr Esgob the mist was giving way to glorious sunshine, still breezy though. Along to Lord Herefords Knob (Twmpa) and along the ridge westwards to Talygarth. Within hours Dads leather boots are starting to rub because they are still soaking from yesterday anyway we are taking it slow today. On up to Pen Allt Mawr and Pen Gloch y Pibwr before descending to Cwmdu and the campsite arrived (well hobbled) in to the site and pitched tent, hanging everything up to continue to dry in what was turning out to be a warm and sunny evening. Will sleep tonight!
Day 3 August 22nd 2004
Late start this morning, still waiting for the boots to dry! One hour after setting off from Cwmdu about 11am we are up to heads in fern for over an hour, well dad struggled I could see perfectly where I was going and it was quite cool under there. Soon Dad had his own cavalcade of flies like Dirty Mc'Squirty from the Perishers Cartoon; combined with blistering feet he wasn't happy! Any way we eventually hit the Brecon Beacons Canal and followed this into Talybont, where Dad treated himself to four more pints of cider than he should have and all I got was a bowl of water, oh and a few beef crisps! Generous to a fault………. With another half hours walk ahead of us to Talybont reservoir and our next camp we set off, well it should have been a half hour but Dad was a little worse for wear after the Cider and proceeded to meander and crash into the hedgerow sides, he did more scent marking in that 50 minutes than I did on the whole trip! Putting the tent up would be fun, at least he would sleep like a log tonight!
Day 4 August 23rd 2004
Last day and now the work begins, a steady climb along the Taff Trail to Blaenyglyn and Torpantau and a good long dip in the stream before the steep and unrelenting climb up Graig y Fan Ddu, as we hit the top we were greeted by clouds of flying ants which got every where, for the next three hours as we walked along the ridge and up and down the main Beacon peaks of Cribyn, Fan Fawr, Pen y Fan and Corn Ddu the ants kept us company, eyes, ears, nose and throat, like a plague they were. Finally the down hill stretch and our pick up point at Pont yr Daf. With dad sending ahead for Mam to pick up a KFC with no fries (then again he might have said flies, not sure….) finally stumbling into the car park we saw our blue chariot ahead. To this day Mam and dad still laugh about how I apparently feel in to the foot well and went out cold, even had to be force fed KFC, I don't believe that for a second! Anyway I think dad was glad to see the car to as by now there was more Compeed plasters than bare showing on his feet !!
Posted @ 19:31:08 on 20 August 2004 back to top
