With the Prof home and a decent day forecast we headed for the hills. As he’s home infrequently we gave the Prof the choice of walk and he picked Mynydd Llangorse (with an e on the end unlike the lake and village).
As he hadn’t done it before we introduced him to the excellent circuit of Llangors lake that includes Mynydd Llangorse.
A gorgeous clear morning of blue skies, fluffy clouds and sunshine.
The first part of the walk is along a quiet lane with great views of Mynydd Troed.
You reach the col between the two and the views open out spectacularly across Llangors lake and the Beacons.
A short steep climb along the ridge of Cockit Hill takes you up to the sprawling summit plateau.
TJS and the Prof emerging onto the top.
A fine view across the broad valley of Cwm Sorgwm. Sadly you can see in the lower part of the image the damage and devastation caused by a recent fire. There were a spate if these recently in this part of the world, all, it appears, started deliberately.
A day of exceptional air clarity and clear views albeit with a very brisk and chilly wind.
After a long walk across the grassy paths of Mynydd Llangorse (and a lunch stop) we dropped down towards the Usk Valley and readied ourselves for the second climb of the day to the small and perfectly formed summit of Allt yr Esgair (another one for the book)
Views across to the Black Mountains as we climbed.
Supposedly in photographic terms, the wall is supposed to lead you eye to the distant mountains. I just like the mottled Lichen patterns on the walls.
Across to the Beacons from the summit.
After lunch hiding behind the wall on the summit to escape the wind we headed down.
Never miss an opportunity to photograph a sparse tree.
We wandered down to the bird hide and lakeshore platform where the views were superb.
The pale grasses contrasting starkly with the dark mountains.
A view back to Allt yr Esgair.
The meadows that surround the lake are normally a fine easy stroll to finish the walk. After recent rains the lake had flooded and only just receded so they were a quagmire of sticky and smelly mud. We had to paddle in the lake in our trainers and then chuck them in the washing machine when we got home!
The tranquil scene at the lake shore by the car park more than made up and I was pleased to hear from one of the locals that the blue green algae has receded and the lake is now safe to paddle. We’ll be returning soon for some SUP and kayak fun.
A final shot of the Crannog that holds a small museum. A lovely spot that we haven’t visited anything like often enough considering its less than an hour from home.
Back a couple of weeks to a time when we thought summer had arrived. Looking out a dull skies and forecasts of heavy rain for the next few days I need to remind myself what it looked like.
Another forecast of early morning sunshine had us out early for breakfast in the hills.
Our chosen spot this time was Castell Dinas at the bottom of the Y Grib, Dragons Back ridge in the Black Mountains. Its only a short walk from the car and its been difficult to get up here recently as the main road has been closed for a couple of years after a landslide.
We found an elevated perch on one of the old earth wall remains and enjoyed our feast in the warm sunshine. Idyllic.
Breakfast with a view like this can’t be beaten.
Cooking up the feast for me! (TBF prefers a banana and, well, that’s about it)
While we sat there we had one of those rare odd moments of unfriendliness you get in the hills. A guy walked past and decided, for whatever reason, that he absolutely needed to walk along the same narrow little perch we were sat on (his two companions walked a discrete distance away). Despite the fact he pretty much trod on our stuff and us, and came close to knocking the stove over, I still, as I always do, I said a cheery good morning. He didn’t acknowledge or reply. Obviously he had taken offence at where we were sat or possibly that we had quite a bit of stuff spread out, who knows! Of course we always clear up afterwards and leave no trace. Odd chap.
Can’t let an odd moment like that distract such a glorious morning and we lingered for ages as its such a grand spot with great views.
I’m not sure what these trees are (Hawthorn?) but they were in bloom all around the walk and were quite striking, visible as swathes of white across the hillsides.
Time to move on and climb some hills.
Looking back to our breakfast castle.
The Y Grib ridge is as fine as the Cats Back ridge on the other side, albeit without the rocky outcrops. Mynydd Troed’s shapely outline behind and a distant Pen-y-Fan behind that.
Its a nice easy way to gain height to the main ridge of the Black Mountains, especially on a morning as fine as this.
The broad valley that separates the main Black Mountains range from Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse.
TBF enjoying the ridge.
Approaching the top. I camped up here in the summer heatwave 3 years ago.
And finally onto the main ridge and the path to Waun Fach, highest point of the Black Mountains. The conservation teams have done a wonderful job with this path. What used to be a boggy muddy trudge is now a perfectly engineered gravel and stepped route that’s a joy to walk on.
We were joined by several gliders from the nearby air strip.
You may have noticed the bank of clouds out to the west in the previous sunny photos. Well, they were on their way (as forecast, hence the early start) and duly arrived as we headed down towards Mynydd Llysiau.
Whilst we lost the blue skies we had odd patches of sun and it was still warm and dry and perfect for walking.
Looking back to Pen Allt Mawr. The trees in the middle were awash with white flowers but its doesn’t really show in the photo.
It’s a long descent all the way to the bottom of the valley for the return via Mynydd Troed. The steep climb enlivened by more of the white flowered trees.
Looking back across the valley to Pen Allt Mawr.
The ridge of Mynydd Troed is fine and long climb and one that I’ve never seen anyone else on.
Sadly, three years ago it was badly damaged by fires and the recovery is slow progress. The grassy path recovered quickly but elsewhere the bilberry bushes and heather have not yet started to grow back and all that seemed to be growing is a reddish moss.
This is a photo from roughly the same spot a short while after the fires a few years back.
The reddish moss was abundant here.
And again this is what it looked like in the aftermath of the fire.
I can only hope that it recovers in due course and when it does it will be interesting to see what nature comes up with.
This is what the ground cover was like before the fire.
View out over Llangorse Lake to the Brecon Beacons and a distant Black Mountain.
Castell Dinas and the Dragons Back ridge.
We managed to find a sheltered spot for a final brew of the day before heading down.
Two photos looking out over our morning section of walk. This one taken with my DSLR.
And this one with my iPhone that picks out the white flowering trees to much better effect. Its a more dramatic photo but looks overly processed compared to the more natural look of the DSLR image.
A very short walk to the car from the summit but also very steep indeed! That black cloud actually dropped a little rain on us but not enough to dampen another superb day out.
A good workout as well, 12 miles and 3,500 feet of ascent.
Always on the look out for a new route in my local hills, the TGO magazine obliged with a circuit of Mynydd Llangorse and Allt yr Esgair around Llangors Lake. I’ve done both hills many times but never as combined circuit. In fact I’ve never been to Llangors Lake itself a very popular spot for fishing, boating and walking.
From the Lake its a walk along a quiet local lane to reach the pass between Mynydd Llangorse and Mynydd Troed.
As you climb the views begin open out over the lake (largest in South Wales) towards the Brecon Beacons.
Mynydd Troed dominates the view in the other direction.
The climb to the vast summit of Mynydd Llangorse is via the steep ridge of Cockit Hill.
Beautiful contrast between the green fields and the bracken and heather slopes on Mynydd Troed.
You can see here the effects of the fire that burnt across the slopes of Mynydd Troed last year. It looks like the damage was severe and may take a few years to recover fully.
The bucolic Cwm Sorgwm with the Black Mountains behind.
It was pleasantly warm on the summit so we stopped on the grassy path for lunch. We had these lovely wild ponies and their foals for company.
After dropping down ready for our second peak of the day we noticed that despite the warm weather there were still storms about. This quite nasty looking one passed us by – in fact they all did and we never needed to suit up for rain.
It’s a very long and steady climb to the summit of Ally yr Esgair but as a narrow – relatively – ridge the views around are excellent. Looking back to Mynydd Llangorse and Mynydd Troed.
Over to the Brecon Beacons.
And Llangors Lake
By the time we reached the shores of the lake the sun was out in abundance and it was a glorious afternoon.
You can’t walk next to the shore of the lake as it’s marshy but the green pastures gave a superb finish to our days walk with some wonderful late afternoon sunshine.
Looking back to Allt yr Esgair.
Mynydd Troed.
Brecon Beacons.
The views across the lake from the boating piers were equally fine and finished off a really fine walk, a respectable 11 miles.
Back a couple of weeks to a time of cold weather, frosts and snow. Time to pack away the summer rucksack, bring out the winter version and fill it with winter mitts, bothy bag and down jacket. Slight overkill for the Black Mountains but you can’t be too careful.
Started off beautiful clear and frosty with a strong wind and a deep chill in the air.
The walk along the ridge beyond Castell Dinas is excellent and referred to as the Dragons Back locally. Whilst that’s overstating things a bit, it is a very nice way to reach the main Black Mountains summit of Waun Fach.
The views back to Mynydd Troed, our target for the second half of the day were superb.
Looking along the ridge to Waun Fach.
And down the valley towards Crickhowell.
See, I told you we needed winter gear!
Just after we left the summit of Waun Fach we were hit by a serious snow shower. Proper winter conditions in the air if not on the ground (the snow was wet and thin)
There was a Mountain Marathon in progress with lots of people wandering about in shorts and Lycra in what was a blizzard and temperatures well below freezing with wind-chill. Definitely not the weather to be spending a night in a bivvy bag (or dressed in lycra for that matter).
The snow melted pretty much immediately, the skies cleared and we found a nice spot behind a wall for lunch.
I’ve walked this route many times as a shortish half-day but this time wanted to make a longer circuit.
We picked a route off the hills and along the lanes down to the village of Waun Fach (not the mountain) and up towards Mynydd Troed (my first ever mountain ascent when I was ten for those that don’t know that story).
There was a major fire on the mountain in the dry summer and you can see traces of it in the left of the shot below.
And as we climbed up onto the ridge.
But the scale of the damage wasn’t apparent until we were near the top.
What used to be a dense covering of knee-deep moss and heather had been stripped bare by the fire. All that remained was the grass on the path which I assumed was fresh re-growth.
In places there wasn’t even that and it looked desolate and bare. The plants up here are pretty resilient so I hope that in time it will recover.
The weather had closed in a bit and there wasn’t much in the way of sunshine. We did get some nice sunlight streaming through the clouds over Llangorse Lake and the Brecon Beacons
We didn’t linger on the top as it was ferociously windy and bitingly cold. We took our leave plunged down the steep NE ridge down to the car
A good 12 mile stretch of wild winter walking
I like winter walking and I enjoyed this very early blast of cold and snow. Pity the weekend just gone was back to typical November, all gloom and mild wet drizzle
On a cold clear winters day the best time to be out is early morning. Having convinced TJS into an early start we settled on a route around Cwn Banw in the Black Mountains, one of my favorites. We were walking at just after 8am and it was a glorious albeit chilly morning at -5C
The silhouettes of the trees are always something that fascinates me and this morning at the early hour was a great time to capture them
The low morning sun also lights up the bracken and heather to very dramatic effect. It seems to glow with a warm deep brown contrasting to the frosty cold air
The plan was to breakfast on Table Mountain (this allows the early start and is also a rather fine thing to do). Even though the air was cold even in winter the sun has a little warmth. What we hadn’t banked on was the surprisingly strong wind that turned the chilly air into an a more arctic feel
Luckily Table Mountain has a terrace below its sloping flat top and we found a great spot in the sun but sheltered by the wind and overlooking the Usk Valley and the Brecon Beacons
Is there a finer way to spend a winters morning than a freshly cooked bacon sandwich and cup of tea overlooking the mountains under a deep blue sky? Answers on a postcard please
The pimple of the Sugar Loaf prominent in these parts as always
We ambled back over the grassland of Table Mountain and then onwards towards the higher summits
It really was most extraordinarily cold in the very strong wind. I would love one of those portable Kestrel weather stations but I estimated that with an air temperature a few degrees below freezing and the strong wind, the windchill must have been around -15C. We certainly didn’t stop!
We summited Pen Cerrig Calch from where the views were equally magnificent
Our goal of Pen Allt Mawr visible in the distance
A long and bracing walk along the edges above Cwm Banw brought us to the summit where we found a little shelter to admire the views once more
The views over Mynydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse were especially fine from here
A pretty decent sunburst shot with some vapor trails to add interest
From here its always tempting to make a long round and include the main summits of the Black Mountains themselves. My knees aren’t really up for that at the moment and forecast was for increasing cloud through the day. No sense spoiling a great day so we plodded down the very fine and very frozen ridge of Tal Trwynau, pausing at the end for a final stop and snack in the sunshine
These two photos show what its like to go hiking with a 21st Century teenager. Head always looking down at their phone, lest they miss a vital social media message.
Over the fields and back to the car to finish a superb day out
Well here’s a first, writing up a blog post the same day I did the walk. Never see the like of these days again once my summer hols kick in next week.
Another supermarket breakfast and another day in the hills to follow. This one a very similar trip to one we did with GM a couple of winters back. This time a more detailed exploration of Mynydd Llangorse and its far western ridge.
11.5 Miles
We parked up in Cwmdu and headed across the fields taking in the sights, sounds, smells, scratches and stings of the bracken
Small in height but large in area, Mynydd Llangorse is a wild upland heathland. Off the beaten track we had the whole mountain to ourselves save a few ponies and couple of cyclists
It’s a place to clock up long walks and we ticked off the miles as we strode on to its broad summit. The views across Llangorse Lake to the Beacons were very fine indeed.
After a brief rest on Cockit Hill we were off up Mynydd Troed, slightly higher but packing a mighty wallop of a steep slope to the top. The Bracken that clothes the lower slopes in these parts gives everything a stunning verdant hue. Much more pleasing on the eye from a distance than when you are bashing through it at close quarters
We headed off down the fine summit ridge before a session of the aforementioned bracken bashing on the lower slopes mixed in with a healthy smattering of nettles and head high thistles. Why I insist on wearing shorts round these parts in summer I’ll never know
We concluding the day with a long plod down the knee-jarringly hard minor lane that skirts the eastern slopes of Mynydd Llangorse but the sun was warm and the views stunning
An uneventful day of easy walking on two of the quietest mountains in this wonderful range I call home
I had a lazy day planned. I’d been out for a few beers on Friday night and needed a weekend off to recover. That’s old age for you. Sunday was grey and dreary and I settled down in front of the TV for some serious couch potato action. Then the sun came out and then blue sky filled the view. Betrayed by the weather I was forced into a walk
I ticked the following boxes on the form. “Short walk”, “Park as high as possible”, “Isolated Summit”, “Fine Views”. Mynydd Troed was the answer
A day of contrasts. In the sun and out of the wind it was like summer. In the wind and shade it was still winter
A brutally steep ascent brings you directly to this fine summit. Views of the Black Mountains, Brecon Beacons and the Wye Valley abound
We sat for a while on the top, pretending it was summer while we shivered. We talked long distance footpaths I recall. TJS and TBF are fans. I’m not
TJS was feeling a little under the weather so rather than head along the ridge we circled back down to the car
A short walk but a fine one under a surprisingly abundant and unforecast blue sky.
Hangover cured, all was back in sync with the world
It caught me off guard did this day. Forecast was for sunshine and showers but I hadn’t checked the temperatures. As we drove out towards the Black Mountains all was white on the tops. I thought we’d seen the end of the snow but no – there was more.
This is another of my favourite routes, one I’ve done many times before, the most recent here. However TJS has never done this route and he was up for it. For a cold wintery day it’s ideal, high enough to get up into the snow, short enough that it’s not too far if you get a soaking.
Which is exactly what happened to my DSLR camera when it fell out of the boot of the car into a puddle when I opened it. Luckily it was in it’s case so it’s just fine although the case still has the mud marks
Narrow-ish ridges are a rarity in South Wales. Y Grib is one to be treasured. We were soon on it’s crest and heading up into the snow. It was a bitingly cold day but with that clarity of air that comes with a showery winter day.
Everything looked white up high. There was only a couple of inches of snow but it covered everything.
The cloud came down and swamped us while we were on the summit but no matter. The edges are much better viewpoints in the Black Mountains than the summits.
It was too cold linger so we rushed on heading down and looking for somewhere for lunch. We found one at the col before Mynydd Llysiau although it was a little bleak and draughty especially for TJS as I’d forgotten his hot chocolate. He took it well, probably better than I would have done had the roles been reversed
By the time we set off my fingers were numb, took me a good half hour to get the feeling back. Sometimes my quest for a brew on a winters walk should really be curtailed
The weather was really indecisive, flirting between blue skies and deep black clouds and heavy snow showers.
The walk finishes with a climb up Castell Dinas – a brutually steep one at that but a very fine viewpoint to finish off a day in the Black and White Mountains
A very fine walk this one, good to see it under some snow this time
Having a family means commitments that sometimes means having to make sacrifices. The Xmas holiday delivered some pretty decent weather that in other circumstances would have me out early for a long day in the mountains. TJS would normally join me but TJF is not big on the outdoors and walking. That’s not to say that I haven’t given up trying to encourage her and also to a degree forcing here away from her iPad to see the real world outdoors. I think it’s important that we do things together as a family and that sometimes that involves and fresh air and exercise and giving up a proper walking day. It’s sometimes a tough call but ultimately rewarding to see TJF enjoying the walk (although she denies it at the time!)
What’s needed are lots of easy short walks with expansive views with decent spots to stop and enjoy a picnic lunch even in winter.
In this regard we are blessed with several such walks that I can call on when the need arises for a short day out especially in Winter. The Begwyns, discovered at Xmas last year is one of the best in this regard. A wild, open expanse of heathland capped by a stone wall encircled copse of trees called The Roundabout that provides a perfect lunch spot. It’s also relatively unspoilt and peaceful as no-one has heard of it, tucked away to the north of Hay on Wye.
I’ve done a couple of write ups from my walks up here, so I’ll do my lazy trick of letting the photos do the blogging for me and ask you to search the blog for the other posts if you need more words and some contrasting images.
This was our last walk of 2014 so Happy New Year to one and all 🙂
March really delivered a few stunning days. After a grand day on Hatterrall Hill we were treated to another magnificent day in the Begwyns. I’ve only recently discovered the subtle charms of this little known patch of wild open land but I must say it’s immediately captured my heart. A fine a warm day was promised back in mid-March and with the family in tow we decided the Begwyns was the place for a lazy stroll
Apologies for the blemishes on the photos – must have been a speck of dust or dirt on the lens I haven’t been bothered to touch up the images. Don’t think it detracts from the splendour too much 🙂
It was a breezy day and cool in the wind but the sky was an amazing deep blue colour and dry turf springy just bounced us along
The views were amazing. To lengthen the walk we took several little detours to see if we could find any frogs or frog-spawn – we saw loads of the latter
We wandered across a succession of paths around the summit before hunger for a picnic lunch drove us to the summit
The small wood on the summit surrounded by a wall (The Roundabout) was a perfect picnic spot and sheltered from the wind it was sunbathing weather. We sat, ate and chilled for well over an hour, enjoying the first really warm day of 2014
The kids again enjoyed playing selfies with my camera
A powered glider passed over and gave us a little air acrobatics show
This cloud over the Black Mountains reminded me of the Alien spacecraft in “Independence Day”
The walk back to car the way we came was just as good with the wind behind us. If there is a fault with the Begwyns, its that they are over too soon. Only a short 3-4 mile walk covers an out and back from the eastern end
Still the shortness of the day did allow plenty of time to sit outside in the sunshine at home, drinking cold becks beer and eating chilli. What more could a man (and his family) want! 🙂
I spend alot of my time surfing the web looking for ideas on places to go, walking routes, travel ideas and tips to plan the perfect holiday or day out. (I'm a project manager I like to plan). I thought it was time to share my own experiences and contribute to the vast amounts in information that's already out there.
I'll also add in some gear and tech reviews and when something irks me I may even use this forum to have a rant - I do that pretty well I'm told.There are a few pages at the top that give a bit of background to what I like to get up to and what you can expect to see in my posts. I'm not exactly a creative writer but I hope some people will find my stuff useful or inpsiring or at least enjoy some of my photos.
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