Our first walking trip of the year took us to the Brecon Beacons! We met bright and early, loaded up the cars, and soon we were cruising across the Severn Bridge and into Wales, bound for Taf Fechan Forest in the heart of the national park. Here, after being joined by several other club members, we set off on our 16 km route. After a straightforward start along some woodland bridleway, we took a break at the waterfalls by Blaen y glyn, where many of our hearts were won by Amy’s wonderful dog Bonnie.
Now, it was time to ascend. Some walked, some trudged, and a few mad people ran, but before long the climb was conquered, and we were rewarded with some rare November sunshine and some fabulous views. Spirits were high, and we even attempted to have a go at recreating the BUMC logo in human form, with mixed results - I think the B let us down!
Photo taking done, we continued on up the ridge, and before we knew it, we were approaching our first summit of the day, Fan y Big. (To the dirty minded hillwalker out there, I remind you that the correct pronunciation is in fact ‘van eh beeg’.) Despite its recent downgrade from a mountain to a hill, noble Fan y is a pretty special location, with the striking face of Cribyn behind and panoramic valley below. Acting like complete tourists, we took it in turns to take the classic insta-worthy diving board shot!
After dropping down for a spot of lunch, it was time to tackle Cribyn. The well-worn track was muddy in places and there were some impressive mud slides from several of us, but everyone successfully stayed upright and reached the summit. The mist descended upon us at this point, but the weather couldn’t dampen the mood and, with a good day’s walk behind us, we descended back down the valley to our cars, bound for Bath.
Thanks to everyone for coming along, especially Claire, Jonny, Will, Matthew and Chris for driving. A special thanks to Bonnie for being the star member of our team, and a faithful animal companion to everyone around. Glad people enjoyed themselves and see you all at the next one!
Josh Nicholas
Walking Sec 2021-22