A Walk on Brean Down

A Walk on Brean Down

Difficulty - Moderate ascent, easy once up
Parking - £3.50 all day, free for NT members

On a clear day we can see Brean Down from Cardiff. The headland sticks out into the sea which as the crow flies is only 13 miles away. Unfortunately we have to use the roads so it's 63 miles and a toll bridge (return journey only. Tolls are being scrapped from Dec 2018), so is it worth the bother? Absolutely!

Walking Into the New Year with Vionic Walking Boots - Review

Walking Into the New Year with Vionic Walking Boots - Review*

Since my husband had his new hip last year we have been trying to walk more. Our aim is to be out walking in the Brecon Beacons by the summer. It has got off to a slow start, mainly because of the weather. I'm happy to walk in all weathers but not thunder and lightning of which there seems to be a lot around this year! Then Christmas came and I became a bit of a couch potato, so when I was sent a pair of Everett walking boots by Vionic I was determined to start the New Year walking.

#MySundayPhoto Number 42 - Waterfall

#MySundayPhoto Number 42 - Waterfall 

We walked twice last week, in waterfall country, near Ystradfellte. It is hard walking but beautiful. Sadly Storm Brian has put paid to any walk this week.

The water falling over the rocks, although yellowish/brown looked like glass, and the noise! It was so loud!

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A Walk in Waterfall Country - Sgwd Clun Gwyn and Sgwd Yr Eira

A Walk in Waterfall Country - Sgwd Clun Gwyn and Sgwd Yr Eira

Difficulty - Strenuous
Parking - £4 all day

We decided to attempt the Four Falls walk in waterfall country, near Ystradfellte, Wales. We have done it before, many years ago when the children were small, and my over riding memories were that it was a long hard slog there and back, with hundreds of steps down to the waterfalls. We thought we wouldn't overdo it by doing it all at once so did two walks a few days apart, each taking in one waterfall.

Both walks are not for the faint hearted and require decent walking boots although we did see a supervised group of children doing it in wellies. It is perfectly possible to do the route in one visit, we just couldn't do all the steps down and back up in one go.

There are information boards in the car parks and at each waterfall. They describe the walks as strenuous and warn about the steep drops and uneven paths along the way. Although this is true the group of children (probably aged about 8 or 9) managed it. Even if they did complain all the way up from Sgwd Yr Eira!

10 Essential Items For Walking In The Mountains In South Wales

We have lived in Cardiff for over 40 years and have walked most areas of the Brecon Beacons, The Black Mountains and The Black Mountain. 

We have walked the mountains in fog so thick we couldn't see each other and in snow that was two feet deep. We only got lost once. In the Black Mountain on a beautiful sunny, summers day that rapidly turned nasty despite the favourable weather forecast. We had a new GPS, maps and compass but we both needed glasses to read them and we couldn't read any of them in the fog and blinding rain. There are no paths or landmarks. It was scary but we navigated our way out and lived to tell the tale.

Walks in South Wales - Pen Y Fan

Walks in South Wales - Pen Y Fan

We didn't get out to walk this weekend, the rain has been so heavy and we agreed that walking is for fun, not a duty. Once we are back walking on a regular basis then we will probably walk in inclement weather but at the moment we are just trying to get back to our previous fitness. Rather than not post a walk I am sharing an old walk. We have walked it many times but it's not my favourite as it's always so busy. I prefer to see it in the distance whilst enjoying the peace and quiet of another mountain peak. It is still a must do walk, Pen Y Fan is the highest peak in South Wales. We haven't walked Pen Y Fan for a couple of years but I am sure the routes are the same.

A Walk Up Sugar Loaf

A Walk Up Sugar Loaf

Difficulty - Moderate
Parking - Free.

Sugar Loaf is a mountain near Abergavenny in South Wales. It is one of those mountains where the National Trust have a free car park half way up so this makes the walk less demanding. We walked it many years ago with our children, they were about three and eight. (The littlest did have a shoulder carry for a lot of the way). As long as the weather forecast is good then this is a great family walk. There are two car parks, this walk starts at the second, a National Trust car park at the end of the road.

Garwnant - The Wern Walk

Garwnant - The Wern Walk

Difficulty - Easy/Moderate

Parking - £2 all day (at time of posting machines do not take new £1 coins, I'm told the café does not give change for parking).

We previously visited Garwnant with Bear. He loved the sculpture trails and the playground so we will bring him back another day. Our walk this week was a route called The Wern Walk. It is described by Natural Resources Wales (who manage Garwnant) as moderate, I would say it's on the easy side of moderate. It is two miles long and their expectations are that it will take an hour. We strolled, took lots of photos and completed the walk in under an hour. The route would be fine for children but one path is loose gravel and it may be difficult for buggies.

Llwyn Celyn Whips - An Easy Walk With A View Over Cardiff

Llwyn Celyn Whips - An Easy Walk With A View Over Cardiff

Difficulty - Easy
Parking - Free
Child and buggy friendly

This is an easy walk through woods following forest roads. No special equipment or navigation skills are required although the paths can be really wet and muddy after rain. It is a gentle up hill climb with glimpses of the Brecon Beacons and at the top views over Cardiff.

There is a picnic table at the top so a good place to pause for a snack. We just walked to the ROC (Royal Observer Corps) Station and back and the route took us 1.5 hours, but we didn't rush and paused many times to take photos and admire the views, also it was Mr Ps first walk not on pavements since his operation so we took it easy. There is a longer, circular walk described on the Ramblers website.

A Walk in The Mountains - An Introduction

Pen Y Fan 

A Walk in The Mountains - An Introduction

Before we had children Mr P and I would spend our weekends wild camping in the Brecon Beacons. It would take all day Saturday to travel there and all day Sunday to get home. We didn't have a car so relied on public transport. Then I started nursing which meant working every weekend so our wild days were gone.