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Please note that the prices on the website: www.thecastleinn.co.uk are out of date for 2009 (unless they’ve updated them since I wrote this!), therefore we will have to pay slightly more than the 2007 prices quoted on the website, with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!