Waterfall walk

On the Saturday we set off in the car for Tescos in Merthyr Tydfil to buy a sandwich for lunch. Unfortunately the car park there was packed out, so we went to Asda instead, only to find they had no sandwiches. We eventually found a petrol station that had a small food section attached and bought sandwiches for the next two days there.

 We then drove down the valley to Pontneddfechan to do a waterfall walk that had been recommended to us. We went in the visitors centre there first and bought a route description. This is a very popular walk, particularly with people doing short sections of the route, visiting one or two of the numerous waterfalls. 

 However we set off to do the full walk. This was largely following alongside a river, with diversions along the way to visit waterfalls. Trees along the way provided shelter from the wind and it was a lot warmer walk than the previous day’s.

The waterfalls were spectacular, and on the surrounding rocks there were plenty of icicles and frozen water. As recommended to us in the visitors centre, where the walk route left the river, we climbed up out of the valley on a small road, then dropped down the other side to pick up a path running alongside a second river to take us back to the car. Again there were some spectacular waterfalls along the river, culminating in a steep drop down and the Sgwd yr Eira falls, where the path passes over rocks behind the waterfall. From there we climbed steeply up out of this gorge and away from the river, then a good path contoured round the side of the valley, bringing us back to the car.          
   

Black Mountains walk

We stayed at the Weatherspoons in Tewksbury on the Thursday night – good location to split the drive up. On leaving we found a nice deli doing sandwiches called ad1471. For anyone into cheeses its worth calling in.

Our plan for the Friday was to do a walk en route to driving to Merthyr Tydfil, where we were going to be based. We found a walk in the Cicerone guidebook ’Walking on The Brecon Beacons’. We picked walk 40, the shorter version. We started in Crickhowell where we headed up to a farm and across fields to a wooded area. The path climbed up along the river through the woods. In the book it was noted that in spring the ground is covered in spring flowers but due to the cold weather everything is late. Where the river tumbled over the rocks the water had frozen into little waterfalls. Once out of the woods we climbed up to a rocky outcrop called Darren before climbing to the summit of Pen Cerrig-calch.

The going was tough as the snow had frozen and it looked like it had rained at one point and then frozen on top. So every time we stepped on the snow we crashed through the ice. However from the summit we had good views looking out over the Black Mountains, although an icy wind meant we didn’t stay for long. From there we retraced our steps, back through the snow and ice, before picking up the path back through the woods and down to the car.    

 

Hollingworth Lake Walk

Today I was out with the walking group and Helen was home with a bad cold.  The plan for the walk was to start from the Car Park on the A58 near the White Horse pub, but due to the snow the road was closed so the leader started the walk from the lake area. The was about 8 miles long and took in many lanes that were blocked with drifted snow.  many of the farms were cut off from the main road.  We encounter 36Mph plus winds and this stopped us going onto Blackstone edge. The wind did make some interesting snow patterns. Overall a good walk.

Derwent Walk

 A walk we led for the walking group.

After a poor weather forecast on Tuesday  for Sunday the forecast was 100% out.Ten of us had a dry day for the St Patrick Derwent Walk. Bit of a cold wind on top but it did not affect us.  What I forgot to say about the walk was the free Guinness cake which went down a storm at the first break.

The walk took us onto Derwent moor along the edge taking in Wheel Stones, Salt Cellar Rocks, Cake of Bread and onto the twig point of Back Tor for lunch.  Where we opened the cans of Guinness that we took up.  We then took the path which would lead us down to the road that runs around dewent where we had the long flat easy walk back to the cars.

Then some us stopped of at the Snake inn on the way back home.

Eyam Walk

Our walking group led a walk around Eyam Moor and with look we had a covering of snow. Walk was about and 7 miles not to long. Here are some of the photos.