Tawe Trekkers Newsletter - 25th Nov 2008

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North Gower Circuit - Sat 29th Nov

Emyr's back again with a novel route around North Gower. The route starts in Llanmadoc, and then winds round the coast to take in Broughton Bay, Plue Pool and Burry Holmes. We'll take a hike up Rhosilli Downs for some great views before returning inland to the start point. Sounds like a lovely route. Here's the details:

Distance: 9 Miles approx.

Difficulty: Moderate

Meet Points: 0930 at County Hall, or 1015 at the car park in Llanmadoc (take the right turn by the big Swiss-looking house and it's down that road, or to be more precise, GR439935).

Contact: Emyr on 07846879210 for more details or directions.

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That's it for this week, apart from to say that it's pub night at the Brunswick on Thursday (27th).

Cheers,

Doug

Tawe Trekkers Newsletter - 18th Nov

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Craig Cerrig Gleisiad - Brecon Beacons - Sun 23rd Nov

This is a shorter walk than usual, but the scenery is wild and dramatic. We begin from the lay-by for Craig Carreg Gleisiad reserve on the A470, and climb up to the peak of Fan Frynych. The walk continues to the dramatic escarpment of Craig Carreg Gleisiad before a steep descent back to the start point.

Important Note: The walk is showing on the programme as 'Easy.' Following the reccy I have upgraded this to 'Moderate.' Although only 4 miles in length, there is a steepi-ish ascent up to Fan Frynych, and a steep and awkward descent back down from Craig Carreg Gleisiad.

Distance: 4 Miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Meet Points: County Hall car park at 0930h, or the start point (the lay-by at Craig Cerrig Gleisiad picnic area on the A470, approx 2 km north of Storey Arms, GR971222) at 1015h.

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That's it for this week, hopefully see you on Sunday for what should be a great walk.

Cheers,

Doug

Tawe Trekkers’ Black Mountains Weekend - 13/14/15th Feb 2009

Join us for a weekend of walking and high jinks in the beautiful Black Mountains on the Eastern Edge of the Brecon Beacons. We have invited our friends from the Black Country Walking group too, so hopefully we’ll have a good mix of Taffys and Brummies! If the trip appeals to you, please send your money as soon as you can (details below).

Accommodation and Pub

We will be staying in the bunkhouse next door to The Castle Inn near Talgarth in the Black Mountains. The Castle Inn is a traditional pub with a cosy atmosphere (and log fire!), and our bunkhouse, housed in a 200 year old converted barn, is a short stumble away. The sleeping quarters have been newly renovated and include 22 beds, modern showers and toilets, and central heating.
Pillows and fitted sheets are provided, so all you’ll need to bring is a sleeping bag/duvet and towel.
The pub is ideally located for walk routes, and is the starting point for our first day’s walk (this should save us some driving, and time).
There is a car park opposite the pub for our wagons.

The bunkhouse comprises of two rooms, one sleeping 12 and the other 10. If we have a fairly equal split of males/females then we’ll have a boys’ room and a girls’ room. We have visited this bunkhouse and checked it out before booking, so can assure you of the quality!
Please note that the prices on the website: www.thecastleinn.co.uk are out of date for 2009 (unless they’ve updated them since I wrote this!), therefore we will have to pay slightly more than the 2007 prices quoted on the website, with accommodation rising from £12 to £13, and the breakfast rising from £3 to £5.

Transport and Directions

The Castle Inn is situated in the county of Powys, in the Black Mountains, on the Eastern side of the Brecon Beacons National Park. You’ll find it on the A479 between Cwmdu and Talgarth and it will take around 1 ½ hours driving from Swansea, and 2 hours from Birmingham.

Tawe Trekkers: If you need, or are able to provide, a lift, please contact me, Doug, and I will do my best to coordinate transport.

Walks

Saturday – Waun Fach

This walk includes the summit of Waun Fach, views in all directions (from Pen y Fan to Lord Hereford’s Knob), the iron age fort of Castell Dinas, and an exhilarating switchback ridge.

Difficulty: Moderate
Length: 7 miles/4 ½ hours
Leader: Tom (07980477164)
Start time: 0930h from The Castle Inn

(Just imagine getting back on the Saturday evening after a hard day’s walking, with hot showers, pub food, a log fire and real ale* waiting for you!)

*Or substitute your favourite drink.

Sunday – Mynydd Llangorse

This circuit of Mynydd Llangorse provides superb views for remarkably little effort. The path is tree-lined at times and there are spectacular views over Llangorse Lake to the line of the Brecon Beacons.

Difficulty: Easy
Length: 5 ½ miles/3 hours
Leader: Doug (07766652837)
Start time: 1000h from the bottom of Cockitt Hill.

Food (and Drink)

Although there is no kitchen, the pub serves home cooked food at a reasonable price, and the costs quoted include a cooked breakfast. There is also cereal/toast, etc available.

On the assumption that all or most people want the breakfast included, I have included this in the price. If you don’t want breakfast, please let me, Doug, know. Also, please let me know if you’d like a vegetarian cooked breakfast.

When we went to visit the pub, they were doing a range of venison dishes, including a venison burger. They also had a range of ‘hot rock’ dishes, whereby you cook your own food on the table by means of super-heated lumps of rock!

The pub also has real ales on tap. Not sure which they’ll be as they change all the time. However; Rob from the Black Country, if your reading this, you’ll be glad to know it won’t be Banks’.

Quality wines are also available, again at a reasonable price. The landlord follows his taste buds and buys the stuff he likes (claiming his own taste is fairly reliable and that most people agree with him!).

Payment

Now for the maths bit; concentrate...

2 x Board = 2 x £13 = £26
2 x Breakfast = 2 x £5 = £10
Total = £36

If you’re not having breakfast then obviously you’ll pay less.

Please post cheques for £36 made payable to ‘Tawe Trekkers’ to the TT Treasurer:

Rob Lewis
107 Crymlyn Park
Skewen
Neath
SA10 6EF

…as soon as possible please. It helps us to know numbers in planning the trip and we also need to pay a deposit to the bunkhouse. With two groups it’s possible that the trip will fill up pretty soon, so it will be first cheques received, first served.
If you can’t take the hit for the full amount, then a £15 deposit will suffice.

Outline Itinerary

Friday 13th Feb:

Arrive at The Castle Inn in the evening. Dinner in pub at around 2000h. Drink in pub ‘til late.

Saturday 14th Feb:

Have breakfast at 0830h, ready to begin the Waun Fach walk at 0930h. Finish walk at approx. 1600h. Optional trip to Crickhowell or Talgarth for an hour or so before returning for dinner in the Castle Inn at 2000h. Drink in pub ‘til late.

Sunday 15th Feb:

Have breakfast at 0900h, pack up and leave for the short drive to the Start point of the Mynydd Llangorse walk for 1000h. Optional Sunday lunch in Brecon after the walk: I will advise on proposed pub/restaurant closer to the date and take numbers for places; keep an eye on the emails/newsletters.

Further Details

If there’s anything you think I haven’t covered, or anything you’re not sure about please don’t hesitate to give me a call or drop an email to the TT inbox.

Please note these details are subject to change; if this happens I’ll issue updated information closer to the trip.

Doug’s phone number: 07766652837

TT email: info@tawetrekkers.org.uk

…See you there!

Tawe Trekkers Newsletter - 11th Nov

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Graig Fawr Walk - Sat 15th Nov

Emyr leads a walk on a new patch near Pontardulais this Saturday. As well as the summit of Graig Fawr itself, this walk includes a the isolated chapel of Gerazim, the site of the former Graig Merthyr Colliery and the old Graig Merthyr railway track. Here's the details:

Distance: 11 Miles

Difficulty: Moderate

Meeting Points: County Hall car park at 0930 or outside the Fountain Inn pub at 1000. The Fountain Inn can be found on the A48 approaching Pontardulais at GR 602030.

Contact: Emyr on 07846879210 for more details

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It's pub night at the Brunswick this Thursday (13th Nov). Also, watch out for some more details for the Black Mountains Weekend in February, to be issued shortly!

Cheers,

Doug

Tawe Trekkers Newsletter - Mon 3rd Oct

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North Gower from Arthur's Stone - Sunday 9th November

Bob leads a walk from the car park by Arthur's Stone, dropping down over Cefn Bryn to the less-explored North Gower Coast. The differing landscape and coastline of North Gower will make a change from our usual stamping ground in the south of the peninsula. Remember to bring some warm clothes as colder days are now upon us!


Difficulty: Easy

Distance: 7 Miles

Meeting Points: 0930 at County Hall carpark or 1000 at the carpark by Arthur's Stone

Contact: Bob on 07981963681 for more details and directions.


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Fireworks Night at Langland Bay! 5th November (as if you needed to know the date)

Rhidian the 'Rhidmeister' is organising a gathering of Tawe Trekkers for the abovementioned. Fireworks will commence at 7pm and Langland Bay Cafe should be serving food and drinks.

Call Rhidian on 07534960567 for details, or if you're looking for us on the night!

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Weekend Away - Black Mountains - 13/14/15th Feb

OK folks, we have secured a fabulous bunkhouse in the Black Mountains for our next weekend away. It is next door to, and owned by to a traditional pub called the Castle Inn in the heart of ideal walking territory in the Black Mountains near Crickhowell. Here's the website: www.thecastleinn.co.uk.

There's no kitchen in the bunkhouse as that would obviously detract from people eating in the adjacent pub! However the food is reasonably priced for evening meals and the cost will include (a cooked) breakfast. I need to check what the arrangements are for packed lunches, etc, but I'll get back to you on that.

Cost for the Friday and Saturday night will be £36, and remember, that includes a cooked breakfast.

We are opening this trip up to the Black Country Group as well, and it will be first-come, first-served. So please post your cheques, made payable to 'Tawe Trekkers' off to the Treasurer, Rob, at the following address:

Rob Lewis
107 Crymlyn Park
Skewen
Neath
SA10 6EF

On Tom's last Black Mountains walk we checked out the pub and bunkhouse, and it certainly gets our seal of approval. The bunkhouse has undergone a modern refurbishment, has plenty of space, and the pub is cosy with a log fire, real ales...and a range of venison dishes!

Give me, Doug a call if you want to discuss the details, otherwise, just post your cheques off to Rob to secure your place! If you don't want to send the full amount in one go, then a £15 deposit will be great.

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New Year Trip to Aberystwyth with Black Country Group - Last Few Spaces Left!

The last five or so places on this weekend with the BCWG are up for grabs - I know that there's a few TTs with their names on the list already.

If you want to see the full details again they are on the 22nd Sep Newsletter which can be found on the website; but here's the essentials:

We will be staying on the nights of the 30th & 31st Dec at the Maes y Mor bunkhouse in Abergavenny.

Cost is £38 per person.

Please post cheques, payable to 'Black Country Walking Group' to:

Chris Price
18 Yarnborough Hill
Stourbridge
West Midlands
DY8 2EB

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That's it for now. Before I go; just to report that we had a successful programme meeting last week and should be getting the new info out in the next few days.

See you soon!

Doug