Arthur Wainwright said about hill walking 'watch where you are putting your feet. Your life will never be quite the same again.' Standing on top of Twmpa Trig point by Gospel pass with a view to Pen Y Fan and Offa's Dyke for the first time made me feel the same way today. A magnificent view of moutains and valleys below.
After rehearsal last thursday I was asked whether the walk was steep. ' Oh no,' I said once you're up it's no problem.' Anway I set off to find that the old Severn Bridge (Pont Hafren) had been closed. Apparently the bridge which we are constantl being reassured is not falling down inspite of cables snapping! Anyway once into Gymru/Wales I put on the Welsh music CD Mellie gave me for my birthday and was singing away to Hen Wlad Y Nhadu! Negotiating the roads to Abergavenny was fun with Tractors determined to do their best to make me late. Anway arrived at the Gospel Pass at 10.45. By 11, Peter, Ruth, Daniel, Rachel, Alison turned up having also negogiated the very narrow lanes. The Hill walkers guide says 'always come prepared and never detour from the route set.' Well at least three of us arrived with maps and set off up the first mountain. We were soon treated with a view over the whole of central Wales and carried onto the first Trig Point where we had massive views over to Pen Y Fan and the sweep of the black mountains. A quick descent lead to lunch time and again we were all very prepared as we sat on our rocks listening to a guide leading some other walkers. On we walked down into the valley and along past the obligatory Welsh Sheep who seemed to be acting out the 'Big Escape.' After some waterfalls I found an old horse show which everybody made sure I carried correctly to maintain good luck. We saw some neolithic standing stones marked on the map. However these must have been created with Freddie Flinstone in mind as they now seemed to border the car park.
We then spent some time deliberating whether or not to climb the next hill. 'Never leave your intended route' says the advice. We took one look at the people climbing up the face of Everest and decided that we would take a more gentle route. Like all moutain trails there seemed to be plenty of false horizons but eventually made it to the top. We stood on Hay Bluff and Neil was amused at part of the plataue which was oddly named 'Lord Herefords Knob' which I gather was a snub at the gentleman as he looked out at it from his residence. It features also in 'on the black hill' by Bruce Chatwin which was set in this area and is a fantastic read.
We arrived back at the cars worn out and in need of some food. Our next trip was to Hay on Wye where Neil pretended that he could remember where the Granary was! Eventually we sat down and enjoyed our meal (inspite of Rachel having Lipstick on her glass) in this old converted granary. Afterwards we looked at some of the hippy shops and I insisted on peeping in a junk shop.
We said our good byes and made our way home. As usual I decided to go looking for castles and churches. I found myself on a new bit of common land past Clyro where Kilvert the diarist wrote. He often used to complain about the wild parishioners he had to contend with in these wild places. M complaint was simply about road signs. A four mile search for Llandewi Fach church down a very narrow single track road led to an old farm. Not seeing the church I Drove back and after a couple of miles saw the church not from the farm! I Sped on to Painscastle rising on high ground with the mound of a castle situated above the road. After Painscastle I saw two sheep dogs who looked like babe making their way home in the evening light. As the light drew towards dusk the narrow road took me to an old medieval church at LLanbedr which was open and creaking and with rooks crowing in the nearby nests. Not far away down a hill was a small wooded valle with a ruined house long abandoned with a zinc roof. It certainly made me think about the big changes in the century it has been empty.
At Talgarth I walked into a massive street party full of Welsh boy racers and bikers. As I stopped for Spar a car pinched a parking space off of a middle aged lady. The language was so bad that one of the teenage boy racers complete with tattoos shouted at her to mind her language as did some of the bikers in a nearby pub. Well it all happens in mid Wales!
It was with great sadness that I sped out of this Land that I love but with happy having spend a grand day with friends from the orchestra! Hope to see you all at the next one!
Diolch I Fawr!
After rehearsal last thursday I was asked whether the walk was steep. ' Oh no,' I said once you're up it's no problem.' Anway I set off to find that the old Severn Bridge (Pont Hafren) had been closed. Apparently the bridge which we are constantl being reassured is not falling down inspite of cables snapping! Anyway once into Gymru/Wales I put on the Welsh music CD Mellie gave me for my birthday and was singing away to Hen Wlad Y Nhadu! Negotiating the roads to Abergavenny was fun with Tractors determined to do their best to make me late. Anway arrived at the Gospel Pass at 10.45. By 11, Peter, Ruth, Daniel, Rachel, Alison turned up having also negogiated the very narrow lanes. The Hill walkers guide says 'always come prepared and never detour from the route set.' Well at least three of us arrived with maps and set off up the first mountain. We were soon treated with a view over the whole of central Wales and carried onto the first Trig Point where we had massive views over to Pen Y Fan and the sweep of the black mountains. A quick descent lead to lunch time and again we were all very prepared as we sat on our rocks listening to a guide leading some other walkers. On we walked down into the valley and along past the obligatory Welsh Sheep who seemed to be acting out the 'Big Escape.' After some waterfalls I found an old horse show which everybody made sure I carried correctly to maintain good luck. We saw some neolithic standing stones marked on the map. However these must have been created with Freddie Flinstone in mind as they now seemed to border the car park.
We then spent some time deliberating whether or not to climb the next hill. 'Never leave your intended route' says the advice. We took one look at the people climbing up the face of Everest and decided that we would take a more gentle route. Like all moutain trails there seemed to be plenty of false horizons but eventually made it to the top. We stood on Hay Bluff and Neil was amused at part of the plataue which was oddly named 'Lord Herefords Knob' which I gather was a snub at the gentleman as he looked out at it from his residence. It features also in 'on the black hill' by Bruce Chatwin which was set in this area and is a fantastic read.
We arrived back at the cars worn out and in need of some food. Our next trip was to Hay on Wye where Neil pretended that he could remember where the Granary was! Eventually we sat down and enjoyed our meal (inspite of Rachel having Lipstick on her glass) in this old converted granary. Afterwards we looked at some of the hippy shops and I insisted on peeping in a junk shop.
We said our good byes and made our way home. As usual I decided to go looking for castles and churches. I found myself on a new bit of common land past Clyro where Kilvert the diarist wrote. He often used to complain about the wild parishioners he had to contend with in these wild places. M complaint was simply about road signs. A four mile search for Llandewi Fach church down a very narrow single track road led to an old farm. Not seeing the church I Drove back and after a couple of miles saw the church not from the farm! I Sped on to Painscastle rising on high ground with the mound of a castle situated above the road. After Painscastle I saw two sheep dogs who looked like babe making their way home in the evening light. As the light drew towards dusk the narrow road took me to an old medieval church at LLanbedr which was open and creaking and with rooks crowing in the nearby nests. Not far away down a hill was a small wooded valle with a ruined house long abandoned with a zinc roof. It certainly made me think about the big changes in the century it has been empty.
At Talgarth I walked into a massive street party full of Welsh boy racers and bikers. As I stopped for Spar a car pinched a parking space off of a middle aged lady. The language was so bad that one of the teenage boy racers complete with tattoos shouted at her to mind her language as did some of the bikers in a nearby pub. Well it all happens in mid Wales!
It was with great sadness that I sped out of this Land that I love but with happy having spend a grand day with friends from the orchestra! Hope to see you all at the next one!
Diolch I Fawr!
