![\"SEPT###](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/SEPT-IMG_5378.jpg?resize=300%2C225\" "\\"\\"")
\n<\/p>\n\n\tWe started out from Mynydd Du forest car park, apparently this is the largest forest in the Brecon Beacons National Park. We walked along a stream and crossed it via a bridge. The track led us through trees and gradually we began to climb the valley. The track became narrower and in places there was a steep drop to the stream below. As our ascent continued we came out into the open to walk along the edge of a felled forest. The gradient had increased and with the sun coming out it was getting a ‘bit warm’, we were glad whenever a cloud arrived to give us some relief. The last section of the climb was very steep and the path rocky in places. The good news was that we had climbed to a ridge and the remainder of the walk would be relatively easy.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tWe reached the summit of Pen y Gadair Fawr at 800metres. There was a profound silence, nothing to remind us of modern society, not even any planes. And we could see for miles in all directions, uninterrupted views of mountains and no wind turbines! It was 12.45 but we decided to continue to the next high point before stopping for lunch.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tThe paths are excellent on the top, grit having been laid by National Park rangers to preserve the moorland and peat. We had a glimpse of the reservoir at Gwynne Fawr as we headed towards our second peak of the day, Waun Fach at 811metres. By now we had split into two groups 3 people striding out ahead and 3 of us just a bit further back. It was definitely lunchtime but they kept going and a black cloud gathered in the sky above us. ‘Maybe they’re trying to get out of the cloud before lunch’ I thought. But no they eventually stopped and we were able to sit on piles of empty sacks which had been used to haul all the stone up the mountain for the paths. It was cool only 17degC under the cloud but all around was bathed in sunshine. It was so clear that we could see Hay on Wye to the north and the Malverns in the east.\n<\/p>\n
\n\tAfter lunch we turned for home passing the Dragonsback on our left. Our descent was gradual taking us towards Gwynne Fawr reservoir which had a bothy at its head. It was now a very warm day and we enjoyed the proliferation of wildlife around us –\n<\/p>\n
\n\tbutterflies, bees, dragonflies, many plants and gorgeously cool mountain streams. The final stretch was rough stones which was a bit tough on the feet after such a demanding walk. We weren’t surprised to hear that the guide book had described the walk as ‘strenuous’. We’d covered 9.7miles and a 1500ft climb, which included the 2 highest peaks in the Black Mountains. (Map OL13)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
We started out from Mynydd Du forest car park, apparently this is the largest forest in the Brecon Beacons National Park. We walked along a stream and crossed it via a bridge. The track led us through trees and gradually we began to climb the valley. The track became narrower and in places there was a steep drop to the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false,"jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6cWjO-cR","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4130,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=4130","url_meta":{"origin":797,"position":0},"title":"Chartist Cave & Abercarn","author":"Alan Williams","date":"30th December 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Chartist Cave We started at Trefil on a cold but sunny morning, much better than the weather forecast. Walking north we followed the Brinmore tramroad which opened in 1815. We soon arrived at a quarry and the footpath led us through it. It has been used as a set\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Footsteps"","block_context":{"text":"Footsteps","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=38"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":3237,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=3237","url_meta":{"origin":797,"position":1},"title":"April Walks","author":"Alan Williams","date":"1st May 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Margam Park:- We parked next to the lake just outside Margam Park and made our way along the main track towards the deer park. Marshals stood near a stream, there was a run across the park and the runners were expected to go through this stream not once but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Footsteps"","block_context":{"text":"Footsteps","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=38"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":14364,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=14364","url_meta":{"origin":797,"position":2},"title":"Blackmill & Treorchy","author":"Alan Williams","date":"7th June 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Blackmill & Treorchy\u00a0 Blackmill - This walk took us to some beautiful countryside, although wet underfoot there were stones in most places, so it was not too muddy! We began in Blackmill and walked up the Ogwr Fawr towards the Ogmore forest and back via Cwm Dimbach. Blackmill is at\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Footsteps"","block_context":{"text":"Footsteps","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=38"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/Picture11.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":5951,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=5951","url_meta":{"origin":797,"position":3},"title":"Brecon Nature Reserve and Hidden Valley","author":"Alan Williams","date":"31st May 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Brecon Nature Reserve and Hidden Valley We parked in the lay-by, on A470, at Brecon Nature reserve about a mile north of Storey Arms. A notice stated \u2018In just a few hundred metres you will find yourself enclosed within a shady, atmospheric amphitheatre created by the soaring craggy cliffs of\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Footsteps"","block_context":{"text":"Footsteps","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=38"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/Sm-mountain.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10102,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=10102","url_meta":{"origin":797,"position":4},"title":"Forest of Dean","author":"Alan Williams","date":"23rd August 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Forest of Dean \u00a0 We ventured into England (just) for this walk in the Forest of Dean on the Wales\/England border, parking in a large layby opposite Broadstone Park, Staunton. Returning down the hill we picked up a track leading to the Kymin, a National Trust property with stunning views\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Footsteps"","block_context":{"text":"Footsteps","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=38"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wenvoe.org.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/08\/Picture4.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":424,"url":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?p=424","url_meta":{"origin":797,"position":5},"title":"Bargoed","author":"Wenvoeadmin","date":"19th April 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"We started the Bargoed walk in the Pengam area. Soon after starting, we came across a very tall sculpture in a small public garden. The 40ft statue, which is called the Lady of the Stream, was erected in 2009. It stands on a former ash-tip, which was reclaimed as a\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Footsteps"","block_context":{"text":"Footsteps","link":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/?cat=38"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=797"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":800,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/797\/revisions\/800"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=797"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=797"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/wenvoe.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=797"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}