The Blorenge Niche
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THE BLORENGE NICHE The Blorenge keeper’s Pond Foxhunter Car Park P Start point: Foxhunter Car Park, off B4246 Blaenavon - Govilon (NP7 9RY) Duration: 1.55 hours Difficulty: Gentle (rocky in places), 3 miles Peak height: 561m It’s suggested the name of The Blorenge may derive from the Welsh ‘plor’ (‘pimple’ and relate to the Middle English word ‘blure’ (‘blister.’) The mountain is a dominating presence acting as the border between the south Wales valleys to the south and the Black Mountains to the north. The walk is accessible to people of even modest levels of firtness, with only minor elevation changes. It does though offer incredible views of the Skirrid and Sugarloaf, with Abergaveny sandwiched in between. Set off from the Foxhunter car park, heading north east down a gradual valley. Before long, you head up hill towards the prow of the Blorenge - and what a view it is! On a good day, it’s the perfect place to stop off for lunch, before heading towards the cairn and summit - the flatter part of the route. For those who may be finding the going difficult, there is a more direct route from the car park across the ridge to our lunch spot. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can always choose to incorporate the main ascent of the Blorenge, which admittedly is quite the challenge, but more than worth it for the reward. To do this, head to Llanfoist, which sits in the shadow of the mountain – there’s plenty of small car parks and street parking. Head to St Faith’s Church and climb the lane to the Punchbowl lake. Get more information here. Once at the top, complete the circuit above and head back down. Please be aware though, the routes up this side of the mountain do tend to be quite overgrown, so please watch your step!.