9th December 2017 - Sugar Loaf Snow Walk

Obviously, today’s post is very seasonal as you can see from the pictures but I’ve got a bit behind. That’s no reason not to post it though, so enjoy our snow walk up Sugar Loaf. Having lived in Devon for the previous three years we hadn’t seen much snow. Chuck had only ever seen one very light dusting in his whole life so going on a deep snow hunt seemed a must. Although we’d been up Sugar Loaf previously we hadn’t done it in the snow. So off we went.

We didn't have to get that high before hitting the white stuff.

We parked near to the cricket ground in the back streets. A small alley takes you through to a narrow road which goes all the way up to the top car park. The road down here was very icy and Chuck was enjoying sliding about all over the place. We stayed on the road all the way up to the car park, by which time there was enough snow that people were already building snowmen.

Our eventual destination.

Snowballs gave Chuck an unlimited number of things to chase after. So, snowballs were soon flying in every direction with a dog in hot pursuit. Sugar Loaf is a concave slope which means it gets steeper the closer you get to the top. It’s quite rocky around the peak and the snow made it quite difficult to walk on. Be very careful as it is quite easy to sprain an ankle in a snow filled gap between rocks.

Sugar Loaf's residents.

The view from the top was magnificent with an obvious dividing line in snow altitude and the lower greenery. It was also very cold so we didn’t hang about. Going down was also quite a tester as the rocks were very slippy where people had compressed the snow. We went back down through the woods and emerged again where we had parked. It was still quite early however so we decided to head for the pub.

Going down can be treacherous. Take your time.

Our pub of choice in Abergavenny is The Hen and Chickens. It has a good drinks selection and does some nice bar snacks too. So, after a drink and some cheesy chips we headed back to the car. Our cheeks were rosy, from the cold not the drink, and we’d walked a long way. Gaining altitude is a great way of seeing some snow. But remember, it gets much colder the higher you climb. Work off -1⁰c for every 100m you climb. Take more clothing than you think you’ll need and be aware even if you’ve been somewhere before, it can look very different in the snow. Enjoy the snow, but respect it too and stay safe.

Why would you accuse me of dipping my nose in the snow?

12th November 2017 - Crickhowell and Pen Cerrig-calch

Today’s walk is a reminder to always respect the weather in the hills. Despite setting off in beaming sunshine we had the joy of experiencing sideways snow less than an hour later. Our goal today was the top of Pen Cerrig-calch a 701m high peak rising above Crickhowell in the Brecon Beacons. The weather looked great and we were busy for the next few weekends so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to get possibly our last hill walk of the year. Also on cold clear days the views are especially good due to the low pressure. It would be beautiful up there we thought.

The view over Crickhowell, the sun trying to break through.

We parked in a layby on the A40 which is just past the Shell garage. It’s free and there is enough space for three cars so get here early to avoid disappointment. We took the track up towards Darren, an oddly named rocky outcrop. The path goes through a farm but the footpath is well marked all the way through their land. There are also dog friendly styles. Top marks to this farmer, a model of how it should be done.

The ascent was through some lovely old dry stone wall.

The path is steep but is well paved on the farmland. Once you get on the top however the path is steep and muddy making it quite tricky to walk on. It is startlingly pretty up here though. As we came around to the more north facing slopes it became clear that we had been shielded from the bitterly cold northern wind up until this point. It was easily minus temperatures with the wind chill.

Taking the rough with smooth. A great view of the floor as the snow came in sideways.

We decided to press on however as we had come this far. This unfortunately is how a lot of accidents and walking incidents happen and I really should know better. That ‘well we may as well do it now’ mentality can get you in trouble. If you are in doubt whether or not you have the correct kit for the weather or you have the skills to navigate with a lack of visibility you should probably turn around and wait to conquer your walk another day. Better to be safe than sorry.

A few minutes later it was like a different day, apart from the wind just out of shot.

I weighed up that it was actually shorter to carry on to the top and that the navigation was within my abilities. As we kept going a large grey cloud appeared on the peak to the north. This turned out to be a lovely snowy sleet mixture which plunged the temperature further. Thankfully it didn’t last too long but in hindsight we did not have enough warm kit to deal with this had it been sustained. Thankfully it was reasonably clear by the time we reached the top but still bitterly cold so we didn’t hang about. Be aware there are lots of sheep wandering about so if your dog likes to chase make sure it’s on a lead.

Dazzling.

Once we started to descend and got out of the wind it was a much more pleasant walk. The path continues down to Table Mountain which has an Iron Age fort on top called Crug Hywel. Again there are some cracking views up here and a lot of people seemed to be making a walk up here and it would be a good walk in itself. We took in some views and set off down towards Crickhowell. The path follows a stream all the way down. It’s a really scenic path in a little leafy valley.

Walking down to the hill fort.

Just before Crickhowell we passed through a field which had two donkeys in it. They were fascinated with Chuck and seemed to really want to play with him. Chuck for his part was a touch intimidated and wanted none of it sadly. The donkeys were very friendly though. This walk was a great reminder that no matter how experienced you are that you should always plan for the worst. The most innocuous weather can take a turn for the worse up in the hills where you can lose a degree centigrade for every hundred metres climbed. Every year hundreds of people get into difficulty and have to be rescued because they were unprepared. Don’t be one of them. 

A ford on the way back down.