Cymdeithas Parc Bannau Brycheiniog Brecon Beacons Park Society www.breconbeaconsparksociety.org GUIDED WALKS AND EVENTS SPRING 2015 Most of these walks go into the hills. Participants are reminded that the following gear must be taken. Walking boots, rucksack, hats, gloves, warm clothing (not jeans), spare fleece, water and a hot drink, lunch, extra food and of course waterproof jackets and trousers. A whistle and a head torch (with spare batteries) should be carried, particularly during the winter months, and a hi-visibility garment would be very useful in case of poor visibility. Participants must satisfy themselves that the walk is suitable for their abilities. You can take advice by ringing the walk leader whose telephone number is given. No liability will be accepted for loss or injury that occurs as a result of taking part. An adult must accompany young people (under 18). MOST OF THESE WALKS ARE FOR EXPERIENCED WALKERS - IF YOU’RE NOT SURE OF YOUR ABILITY WHY NOT START OFF WITH A MODERATE WALK TO FIND OUT? Leaders may change or cancel the advertised route due to adverse weather conditions. Please check the guided walks programme on the website for changes and cancellations to walks. Strenuous walks require fitness and stamina to cope with several steep climbs and/or cover a good distance at a steady pace. Energetic walks generally involve two steep climbs but they will still require determined application. Moderate walks seldom have steep climbs but if they do the climb will be taken at a relaxed pace. Dogs (well controlled) are permitted unless stated otherwise in the programme. It should be noted that under the CROW Act, when taking dogs onto Open Access land they must be on a fixed lead, no more than two metres long, whenever livestock are near, and at ALL TIMES from 1st March to 31st July. Non-members of the Park Society will be asked to make a donation of £5.00 each per walk . Half price for the under 16’s, the unemployed and students.The fee is deductible from the membership fee on joining the Society within two months of the walk. General Enquiries to: Anne Pritchard, tel: 029 2061 0397 e-mail: [email protected] MEMBERSHIP ENQUIRIES: SEE BACK PAGE REGISTERED CHARITY: 1075345 GUIDED WALKS AND EVENTS SPRING 2015 FEATURES Welcome to the Brecon Beacons Park Society Guided Walks and Events Programme for Spring 2015. In addition to our regular four walks per week, plus bank holidays, our much- appreciated team of volunteers have put together the following special walks and events for you, which we hope you will enjoy. Footpath Volunteers day in the Black Mountains on Saturday 14 th March – a chance to get involved in maintenance and repair of the footpaths we love to use (p4). A talk by Alun & Isobel Davies on the Walkers’ Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt (p5). A Members Only special event at the exciting New Observatory at the Mountain Centre (p5). A special interest walk at Cwmtillery Lakes with Frank Olding, Heritage Officer for Blaenau Gwent (p10). A walk exploring the Afon Twrch with guest guide Arwel Michael (p13). Designed by a charity known as Valeways, the Millennium Heritage Trail makes a 64-mile circuit around the Vale of Glamorgan taking in many historic sites. Peter Hatherley will lead a series of eight Wednesday Wanders round this fascinating route in the Spring and Summer of this year and next (pp8&12). Beacons Way – To celebrate the 10 th anniversary of its launch we will be walking the Beacons Way as a series of 10 walks over 5 weekends from May to September. Booking is essential. Full details can be found on the Multi-Day Walks page of the website, and see p14. CRICKHOWELL WALKING FESTIVAL Sunday 1st to Sunday 8 th March. Once again the Society is contributing a walk on every day of the Festival. Full details of all the Society walks are on the website at www.breconbeaconsparksociety.org/walks/guided- walks/ . Booking of all walks in the Festival programme is essential as numbers are limited and demand can be high (some are already fully booked). Book your places at http://www.crickhowellfestival.com/ where full details of the programme can also be found. Society Members do not have to pay for walks led by the Park Society, but do need to pay for all other walks and events in the Festival programme, and for transport on linear walks. A DATE FOR YOUR DIARY – The 23 rd Annual General Meeting of the Brecon Beacons Park Society will be held on Saturday 13 th June 2015 at the Blaenavon World Heritage Site. Full details will be sent to Society members in May. This programme is available to view or download from the website. If you no longer wish to receive a posted hard copy, please advise Ben Sladen on [email protected] . The Park Society’s walks and events programme, details of changes to walks, links to mountain weather forecasts, and much more, can be found on: www.breconbeaconsparksociety.org. Page 2 GUIDED WALKS AND EVENTS SPRING 2015 MARCH THE GREAT HILLSIDE OF LOWER TROED & PEN ALLT MAWR Date: Sunday 1st March Meet at Cwmddu Village Hall GR SO 180239 OS Map Level: Strenuous OL13. £1 car park fee. Dist: 20km (12miles) A staggeringly tough, and at times a rather unforgiving, Ascent: 1280m (4200ft) route over some of the finest hills in the Allt-Mawr Range Time: 9.00am – 5.30pm Leader: JASON WINNEY . Contact: 07798 521550 WEDNESDAY WANDER: CRAI Date: Wednesday 4th March Meet Crai village GR SN 897244 OS Map OL12. Level: Moderate Into the hills around Crai, with some WW climbs. Dist: 13km (8miles) Time: 10.00am – 3.00pm Leaders: KEVIN McANULTY & WILLIAM COOPER Contact: 01633 667664 PAST THE PARK: A WANDER AROUND MACHEN AND RUDRY Date: Friday 6th March Meet at Machen Village Hall car park in Forge Road, Level: Energetic Machen (behind social club) GR ST 212891 OS Explorer Dist: 19km (12miles) ish Map 152 Newport/Pontypool. A varied walk with lots of up Time: 10.00am – 4.30pm ish and down along the way. Good views if weather good. Leader: WENDY WINNEY Well behaved dogs by prior arrangement with the leader. Contact: 07773 389561 029 2062 8861 ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES! Date: Saturday 7th March Meet at the Water Board Car park in Llanddeusant at GR Level: Strenuous SN 797240 OS Map OL12. Dist: 19km (12miles) Carreg yr Ogof, Bannau Sir Gaer, Fan Brycheiniog, the Time: 9.30am – 4.30pm Lancaster, and a Stone Circle (starting of course with a Leader: CLIVE EILES small splash across river crossing of Afon Sawdde). Contact: 01550 740188 [email protected] THE BLACK MOUNTAIN / Y MYNYDD DU Date: Sunday 8th March Meet at the upper car park beside the A4069 3.7 miles Level: Moderate north from the village of Brynamman GR SN 732187 (not Dist: 14km (8.5miles) the viewpoint car park) OS Map OL12. Time: 10.00am – 3.30pm A circular walk on the Mynydd Du / Black Mountain around Leader: ROB PRITCHARD Cefn y Truman, Cefn Cylchau visiting Herberts Quarry, Contact: 07773 713605 Afon Clydach waterfalls, and a disused quarry near Carn Fadog, the route returns to the start via the ancient burial cairn on Garreg Lwyd. Page 3 GUIDED WALKS AND EVENTS SPRING 2015 WEDNESDAY WANDER: FOUR FALLS Date: Wednesday 11t h March Meet at Cwm Porth pay-and-display car park GR SN Level: Moderate 928124 OS Map OL12. Dist: 9km (5.5miles) Along the river bank and through the woods to Sgwd yr Time: 10.00am – 3.00pm Eira (fun to go under but you don’t have to). Also passing Leader: ROGER WHITE Sgwd Clun-Gwyn and diverting to Sgwd y Pannwr and Contact: 01873 811539 Sgwd Isaf Clun-Gwyn. Four wonderful waterfalls and an opportunity after the walk to see the spectacular cave at Porth yr Ogof. PAST THE PARK: ABOVE AND AROUND THE OGMORE AND GARW VALLEYS Date: Friday 13th March Meet behind the Fire Station in Ogmore Vale GR SS Level: Energetic 934904 OS Explorer Map 166. Dist: 23km (14miles) A steady climb out of the valley up through Cwm y Fuwch . Time: 9.30am – 4.00pm Reaching the top traverse along Mynydd William Meyrick to Leader: LEE MAJOR the Bwlch. Continue across Craig Ogwr to Werfa (568m). Contact: 01656 720123 Along Mynydd LLangeinwr, dropping into Blackmill village 07462 856877 before climbing up to Ogmore forest and back to the cars. BBPS/BBNP FOOTPATH VOLUNTEERS DAY Date: Saturday 14th March Meet at Llanthony Priory car park GR SO 289728 OS Map Time: 10.00am OL13 to carry out path maintenance and repair in the Leader: ROS GRANT Llanthony Valley. Contact: 01873 854894 Booking Preferable by 10th March 07773 262068 email: [email protected] PAST THE PARK: LOWER MYNYDD EPYNT Date: Sunday 15th March Meet at the village hall in Llanfihangel Nant Bran (£1 Level: Moderate/Energetic donation for parking) GR SN 944343 OS Explorer Map 188 Dist: 22.5km (14miles) (just off OS OL12), 9 miles north west of Brecon. Time: 9.30am – 5.00pm A lovely circular walk on the ridges above Yscir Fechan Leaders: ANDREW & PENNY and Nant Bran, and a stretch of the Epynt Way. LEONARD Contact: 01874 620186 WEDNESDAY WANDER: HILL FORT OF TWYN-Y-GAER Date: Wednesday 18th March Meet in the Walkers’ car park (£1 fee) situated just up from Level: Moderate the Queen’s Head Pub GR SO 311222 OS Map OL13. Dist: 10km (6miles) A steady ascending route up to the old Iron Age Hill Fort of Ascent: 427m (1400ft) Twyn-y-Gaer.