Last weekend was a return to Bannau Brycheiniog, this time to the west of Pen Y Fan for a very chilled overnight camp under the trees on Friday, followed by the four waterfalls walk Saturday, and then on to Llyn Y Fan Fawr for another overnight camp at what turned out to be a stunning spot.
I’d been looking forward to this particular walk ever since Mark, a friend of mine, and I talked about it during the last walk we went on.
Plans were made, locations chosen, and a watchful eye was kept on the weather.
Mark, Alex, another friend, and myself met up at a remote car park Friday afternoon and made our way the short distance to the spot chosen for that night. The intention was for it to be just a very relaxed and chilled camp before the following days walk. And to be fair, that’s exactly what we got.
Hidden away in a small conifer wood next to a foresters track, were three tents pitched up underneath a clear sky full of stars, and the tall trees providing the perfect frame.
We made a brew, drank alcohol free beer, sipped at a rather fruity red with firm tannins, ate packet food, and stood around looking at the night sky chatting away in what was a very mild night for three middle aged men hanging around in a dark wood. I’d like to think that we were the scariest thing in the woods that night, but I think that honour probably went to a badger.
The following morning saw us strike camp after breakfast and make our way back along the foresters track to the car park and our cars. However, despite only being a couple of miles away from the meeting point with Mike Lawrence, we somehow managed to be twenty minutes late (I can only apologise again for the tardiness), and after the introductions and hello’s, it was off down the path to the four waterfalls.
The kind of picture I can take will never do justice to the natural beauty and feeling of power that exudes from these wonders of nature, but I took a whole bunch of pictures and videos anyway. I’ve always been a sucker for a good waterfall.
The four of us made our way round the walk visiting each fall in turn, each with it’s own particular charm and character, but for me the best was the one we could all walk behind. I visited this one some years ago when my boys were still very young, and I remember carrying each of them in turn behind it, which they still remember to this day.
However, this time I was accompanied by three other very excited middle aged teenagers, and after putting on our waterproof jackets we made our way towards, and then behind the curtain of water thunderously cascading down.
Pictures were taken, giggles were had, and after a thoroughly good soaking from the spray, we made our way back to the steps leading upwards to the main circular path.
Mike was only with us for the day, a day which seemed to pass fairly quickly. Despite this, it was really good to meet with Mike and chat about all sorts of things, including his love of trig points, and one trig point in particular. Such an incredibly heartwarming story.
After a coffee and something to eat at a kiosk near the waterfalls walk, Mark, Alex, and myself, said goodbye to Mike (who I believe would have earned a few brownie points with an early return home), and made our way by car to the next part of the weekend.
Now, this next part should, in theory, have been an easy walk. There were no steep inclines, no hard terrain, and it was a low level walk leading to Llyn Y Fan Fawr and the campsite. However, for Mark and myself it turned out to be something of a trial of will. For some reason the 5k Sunday stroll was one of the hardest walks I’ve done in a long time, the sheer effort it took to make our way to the campsite was tremendous. Not so for the waggy tailed Labrador accompanying us, oh no, he was fairly hop skip and jumping his way along while Mark and myself were feeling every step, like a pair of knackered old pit ponies.
It was postulated by Mark that it was because of the earlier walk around the waterfalls and the energy expended doing it, but personally I think that the mountain fairies gave us only just enough energy to complete the walk in front of us and nothing more. Who was right we’ll never know, but eventually we made it, knackered and exhausted.
It was worth it though, the Llyn is a magnificent spot with great views, perched below a steep escarpment on one side, and a big vista of the varied landscape on the other. When dusk fell the view across the Llyn gave a truly atmospheric feel to a hard won camp.
We all pitched up and then set about eating huge numbers of calories to make up for the earlier loss, and once sated, and after another social, we settled in for the night.
The following morning after breakfast we packed up and headed back the way we came, back to where our cars were parked. Oddly, it didn’t seem as difficult as the day before. Perhaps the mountain fairies were feeling generous.
We decided to find a local cafe for a coffee and breakfast, and by complete accident we seemed to find the very best in the area. Great coffee, and a gourmet sausage roll.
This marked the end of what was a great weekend of camping in good company.
It’s no secret that I love getting out in the hills and camping out whenever I can. The feeling of freedom is incredible, not to mention the psychological, emotional, and physical benefits, but these are something I have generally experienced on my own.
However, recently I’ve enjoyed having company on these walks, the company of interesting men looking to experience the same benefits. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the people I walk with, their past, their present, and their planned futures. And I like to think that I’ve made at least one good friend along the way.
Who could ask for more?