Wednesday, 30 May 2007
Monday, 28 May 2007
A weekend amble!
Liz dropped us off at Caldicot Halt to catch the early morning train to Cardiff, changing here for Llandeilo. The challenge started at Cardiff station: Stews task; get pasties from shop that opens at 08:00 & run to train that 
leaves at 08:09. My task get the coffee, this ended up being the greater of the two. Next: which platform? We did end up at Llandeilo. Next challenge, Llandeilo is not on the 1:25000 west beacons map – prior preparation? Nice lady in the library pointed us in the right direction for Carreg Cennan Castle – that’s on the map. We traipsed across the Black Mountain over Garreg Lwyd, Foel Fraith and pitched camp along side Afon Twrch. This was after 22.5 km, and ascending 988 metres. We set camp in about 15 minuets; the Hex 3 is highly recommended. Pasta & French onion soup for supper, boiled in Afon Twrch’s finest on the MSR Superfly. What a brilliant day!
D
ay 2: Got up bright and early after a pretty good night. Brew and breakfast sorted - muesli and dried fruit. Personal admin complete, broke camp. Heading east to Banwen Gwyn & on to Dan-yr-Ogof. Replenishing our water supply and guzzling litres. Walking north east along the A4067 for 4.6 km so that we can “bag” the HEWETT Fan Gyhirch being 725 metres above sea level. Part way along this road “STEWART! Where’s the map? 1.5 km back down the road there it was”. Finally reaching the base of Fan Gyhirch we comm
enced the climb, this blew a few cobwebs out. Sorry Stew a HEWETT is a HEWETT that has to be climbed. Continuing east to Maen Lila, taking on water from a waterfall on the Roman road, with the final ascent of the day being up to Rhos Dringarth. The heavens opened! This made our minds up for us, we pitched for the night. What a day! 28.77 km, 1316 metres of ascent. What a night! gale force winds and rain, if the Black Mountain Terrain is relentless when sodden this night takes the biscuit. I was pretty reluctant to get out of my Softie Chrysalis sleep
ing bag, how ever the call of nature prevailed. What a morning! Mist, high winds, rain. We broke camp and were away within 10 minuets, good team work Stew! Descending Craig Cerrig gleisiad proved quite difficult due to the high winds along with the very steep quagmire of a track – 625 to 350 metres in 750 metres - along side the shear north face. 2.74 km later drenched, we arrived at Storey Arms car park to be greeted by Liz and Scott who had just arrived to take us home after a bacon, sausage & egg roll washed down with hot cuppa tea. Pretty cool weekend eh? I wonder if they will take my new boots back?
leaves at 08:09. My task get the coffee, this ended up being the greater of the two. Next: which platform? We did end up at Llandeilo. Next challenge, Llandeilo is not on the 1:25000 west beacons map – prior preparation? Nice lady in the library pointed us in the right direction for Carreg Cennan Castle – that’s on the map. We traipsed across the Black Mountain over Garreg Lwyd, Foel Fraith and pitched camp along side Afon Twrch. This was after 22.5 km, and ascending 988 metres. We set camp in about 15 minuets; the Hex 3 is highly recommended. Pasta & French onion soup for supper, boiled in Afon Twrch’s finest on the MSR Superfly. What a brilliant day!D
ay 2: Got up bright and early after a pretty good night. Brew and breakfast sorted - muesli and dried fruit. Personal admin complete, broke camp. Heading east to Banwen Gwyn & on to Dan-yr-Ogof. Replenishing our water supply and guzzling litres. Walking north east along the A4067 for 4.6 km so that we can “bag” the HEWETT Fan Gyhirch being 725 metres above sea level. Part way along this road “STEWART! Where’s the map? 1.5 km back down the road there it was”. Finally reaching the base of Fan Gyhirch we comm
enced the climb, this blew a few cobwebs out. Sorry Stew a HEWETT is a HEWETT that has to be climbed. Continuing east to Maen Lila, taking on water from a waterfall on the Roman road, with the final ascent of the day being up to Rhos Dringarth. The heavens opened! This made our minds up for us, we pitched for the night. What a day! 28.77 km, 1316 metres of ascent. What a night! gale force winds and rain, if the Black Mountain Terrain is relentless when sodden this night takes the biscuit. I was pretty reluctant to get out of my Softie Chrysalis sleep
ing bag, how ever the call of nature prevailed. What a morning! Mist, high winds, rain. We broke camp and were away within 10 minuets, good team work Stew! Descending Craig Cerrig gleisiad proved quite difficult due to the high winds along with the very steep quagmire of a track – 625 to 350 metres in 750 metres - along side the shear north face. 2.74 km later drenched, we arrived at Storey Arms car park to be greeted by Liz and Scott who had just arrived to take us home after a bacon, sausage & egg roll washed down with hot cuppa tea. Pretty cool weekend eh? I wonder if they will take my new boots back?The Devil you know?
I have had my old Reichel walking boots for the past few years. They have taken me over the Pyrenees France into Spain, across Dartmoor, numerous jaunts in the Welsh mountains and have never failed to give me tremendous toe pain after 2 hours walking on every occasion. Therefore I felt it was time to take the plunge and fork out for a new pair for the expedition. Have I done the right thing “the devil you know”? Boots either suit you or they don’t. You must not wear them outside to check them out, because you cant take them back to the shop. However the only way you can tell if they suit you is to give them a rough ride outdoors. After hours checking boots out in the shop and boring everyone in range to death, it had to be the La Sportiva Glacier Evo. Other kit consideration being: Bergen: OMM-55-15RL-mountain-mover – 70 litre 1150 grammes, Montane Superfly Event Waterproof-Jacket – 425 grammes, Montane Verso Jacket - 440 grammes & more versatile than a fleece. Of course I have to consider the Tilley hat as per Stewarts recommendation, I believe this would be a wise move. Best be nice to the boss!
What a curry on!
We have had an excellent response from one of our local restaurants. The Indian Empire, surely one of the finest Indian restaurants in the county will be asking every customer to donate £1 by putting it on their bills between now and us starting our trek. A big thanks to them and the Empire Group to which they belong. Go on, if you fancy a curry why not hep us by having one at the Indian Empire, near Crick in Monmouthshire.
Sunday, 13 May 2007
The Hills Are Alive
Things have appeared pretty quiet on the blog like Stewart has said, however route planning, kit inventory and weight consideration has been rife. The donation gauge has been moving up slowly but surely. Then bang out of the blue we heard that there was to be an event on our behalf.
Many thanks to the folks of Llanvair Discoed; they came out in force to the magical Sound of Music flowing out of the Woodla
nds Tavern. Singing away late into the night with Maria and the Von Trap children, raising £690 for Cancer Research Wales. What an incredible event how can we ever thank Mark Isaac – friend and local businessman – along with Sue and Keith Gibbs the proprietors, for the organisation and hospitality on the evening. Sue need not have worried and pondered through those sleepless nights, the house was full.
The training is still abundant, mind numbing hours in the gym, walking – albeit local – as ever on the weekends. Shin splints sorted, thanks to physio, got to up the fitness level gradually at my age apparently, must not jump from 12 kph on tread mill to 14 kph in one go! Just felt good that night and bang, tendons / ligaments twang! Subscapularis on the mend.
Never mind there was still the blessed concept 2. I hate the thing even more; I detest the machine with a vengeance. Blew one up a month ago going for my personal be
st,
But failed on that occasion. Friday last eventually broke the 1 min 45 sec barrier. Oh yes! 1 min 42.6 secs! My wife – Liz - who was on the machine next to me thought I was going to die. Just look at the machine who would ever think such a thing could be despised so much.
Many thanks to the folks of Llanvair Discoed; they came out in force to the magical Sound of Music flowing out of the Woodla
nds Tavern. Singing away late into the night with Maria and the Von Trap children, raising £690 for Cancer Research Wales. What an incredible event how can we ever thank Mark Isaac – friend and local businessman – along with Sue and Keith Gibbs the proprietors, for the organisation and hospitality on the evening. Sue need not have worried and pondered through those sleepless nights, the house was full.The training is still abundant, mind numbing hours in the gym, walking – albeit local – as ever on the weekends. Shin splints sorted, thanks to physio, got to up the fitness level gradually at my age apparently, must not jump from 12 kph on tread mill to 14 kph in one go! Just felt good that night and bang, tendons / ligaments twang! Subscapularis on the mend.
Never mind there was still the blessed concept 2. I hate the thing even more; I detest the machine with a vengeance. Blew one up a month ago going for my personal be
st,But failed on that occasion. Friday last eventually broke the 1 min 45 sec barrier. Oh yes! 1 min 42.6 secs! My wife – Liz - who was on the machine next to me thought I was going to die. Just look at the machine who would ever think such a thing could be despised so much.
Sunday, 6 May 2007
Bovine Quadraped
Well you may have thought that April was a bit quiet, but May has started with a bang. Jackie, my wife decided I needed a bit of exercise, now that the sciatica has subsided. So off we trotted on a 5 mile country run. After about 2 miles we sere heading uphill through a field of cattle. Jackie was in front, as usual, and was nearly at the top of the hill when one of the cows made a dash for her. Gasping and puffing as I was I couldn't make the ground up to intervene and had to watch as Jackie ran backwards with the cow getting closer. A wildly aimed kick and a scream were all that she could manage before falling backwards into a thorn hedge, and the cow backing off.
What provoked this attack from the normally docile cows of our parish? As she was running I could see that Jackie had inadvertently outflanked the grass muncher and had got between it and it's calf. Mothers and their children, how often we have heard it. Cows are no different, and fearing that Jackie had intentions of turning her youngest into a nice juicy steak to be served with onion rings and chips she made her move.
Mother and calf are doing well, with only mild shock. As for Jackie, she has badly bruised her thigh muscle and deeply scratched both legs. A lesson well learned though about how quick a cow can move, or should it be moo-ve, when provoked. I think she wants me to go back to the indoor treadmill next week.
What provoked this attack from the normally docile cows of our parish? As she was running I could see that Jackie had inadvertently outflanked the grass muncher and had got between it and it's calf. Mothers and their children, how often we have heard it. Cows are no different, and fearing that Jackie had intentions of turning her youngest into a nice juicy steak to be served with onion rings and chips she made her move.
Mother and calf are doing well, with only mild shock. As for Jackie, she has badly bruised her thigh muscle and deeply scratched both legs. A lesson well learned though about how quick a cow can move, or should it be moo-ve, when provoked. I think she wants me to go back to the indoor treadmill next week.
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