Announcement: New website and Christmas meal

Helo pawb!

Great news! The Tawe Trekkers have a new website and it can be found here: http://www.tawetrekkers.org.uk Please note that if you keep seeing remnants of the previous website then you will need to clear the cache on your personal web browser.

Please find below a brief outline of the new website in order to help the transition for you. I know people struggle sometimes with change, myself included. The new website is designed to be (a) less cluttered and clearer and (b) to incorporate our various social media in as functional a manner as possible. And also to look cool!

Home

The Home page is designed to provide an immediate impression of what we are about to any prospective newbie. Essentially it's an online poster. Currently it has a selection of quite old pictures as well as more recent ones but my intention is that the older ones will be deleted as time goes by. The Home page will always open up with the most recently added picture and this will always be updated every 3-months with the winner of our quarterly photo competition. If you scroll over some of the most recent pictures then you will see that there are records of the competition that the photo won and well as full credit for the individual phorographer. I have also considered updating the Home page with seasonal themes in the future (i.e. Christmas, Easter etc...).

In the footer of the page are individual links to our various social media accounts. This will appear in the footer wherever you are on the website. Simply click on the page that you want to go to and a new window will appear on your browser to display the link that you have chosen.

About

As you can see throughout the website I have tried to keep the writing to a minimum. However I have briefly given a little blog here about the group as well as a brief description of some of the website too in order to make using it easier for the new user. I essentially stole this description from our Facebook Group. I have no idea who originally wrote it. If you do please let me know. This deserve some credit.

Possible newbies will also be able to view some videos here that help to show what the group is about. Currently there are only 2 but I have some ideas about more videos in the future. We do have more videos. If you want to see these please go to our YouTube feed.

 

Info

 

If you hover over the 'About' link then you will see a separate link to this page. This is just some general written bumph that probably needs to be on the website. It's the sort of nonsense that a lawyer would insist we have there. Its inclusion is not my proudest moment. Take a read if you want but it's not very exciting.

Programme

This is the page that I suspect might cause some animosity from users. It is obviously a very different design. The reason for this is to allow ease of use for the programme planner but also to allow other committee members to edit the programme with minimal fuss if the programme planner is unavailable.

The programme provides a view of the current month but you can scroll backwards and forwards throughout each month and year. One of the benefits of this new programme is that records of all of our past walks will now be kept and we can make sure that we don't repeat walks too often. If you look closely at the programme you will see various coloured dots next to the event titles. Blue represents our social events, whilst green represents easy walks, yellow moderate walks and red strenuous (just like a set of traffic lights). If you click on the individual event a box will appear with more details, including clarification of the grade of walk, a full description, time of start (at meet point) and finish (estimated) of the event and the location of the meet point. If you click on the link of the location to the meet point then you will be taken to a handy map.

Newsfeed

This represents a big change for us going forward. In the coming months you will notice a sharp decrease in newsletters being published or sent out. This is because the newsfeed makes the newsletter's weekly publication unnecessary. I have some ideas about how to use the newsletter in a different format going forward but that needs to be pondered some more.

The newsfeed is essentially a one-stop shop for our Facebook page (NOT our Facebook group), YouTube Channel and Instagram page. Anything published on any of these sites will appear here. It is automatically updated every 24 hours and you DO NOT have to be a registered member of any of those sites to view the newsfeed. As a result any information regarding past or future events will be published here instead. There are obviously exceptions to this rule but the facility will still be available if we need it.

 

Newsletter

 

If you hover over the newfeed link you can find the link for this here. This page is probably the only thing that I have kept from the previous website. However, I am not planning to use this facility in its previous format anymore. Keep an eye on the newsfeed for information about how this will be used in the future. Just to repeat - do not expect weekly newsletters to be emailed to you in the future. If you want to get updates on our activities please refer to the newsfeed page on our brand spanking new website.

 

Contact

 

This is largely self-explanatory I think. I have listed some available roles for the committee on here too. We are always ready to welcome new blood I think.

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoy and that the change is smooth for everyone. If you have any feedback or suggestions please email us at tawe@hotmail.co.uk . I can't guarantee that I'll agree with everything but I will everything you say under advisement.

 

On another matter the ever reliable and fabulous Janet Thomas has kindly volunteered to arrange our Christmas meal for us this year. She's either a sucker for punishment or she enjoys it - you decide!

She has booked us a table at the Dragon Brasserie for Saturday 12/12/2015 at 7:30pm so it's a great location to go for a lemonade (bwaaaaahahahahaha) afterwards.

Janet has booked the table for 20 people and will need you £10 deposit by the 07/09/2015. NO DEPOSIT NO SEAT AT THE TABLE. Please contact Janet on 07929 053593 for further details and to arrange payment.

 

Diolch. Dylan.

 

 

Ferryside

Sunday 23/08/2015

Dave led the Tawe Trekkers on his classic short route of Kenfig nature reserve on Friday evening. This has always proven to be a popular route and there was nothing different this year. Then on Sunday the 23/08/2015 Robert Hall led a few brave souls out in the rain to Ferryside, in Carmarthenshire. This was our second trip to the wilds of Carmarthenshire in recent weeks and you can expect more in the future.

Next weekend a few of us will be visiting Llanberis to celebrate August Bank Holiday. In our absence we will sadly be missing Graham's walk around Bishopston and Killay. This is beilled as a Moderate/Strenuous walk so come prepared for something a little more difficult. Contact Graham for more details on 07770 435 341.

Diolch. Dylan.

Cynin Valley, Carmarthenshire

Sunday 16/08/2015

By Dylan

Helo pawb!

Thanks to Graham for a fantastic walk down the wilds of the Cynin Valley, Carmarthenshire this Sunday gone. You can check out a video of our day here if you're interested: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-yYBegeDmQ

This Friday the 21/08/2015 you can join Dave for a chilled short walk in Kenfig Nature Reserve at 7pm. Please call Dave on 07802 673484 for further details.

On Sunday the 23/08/2015 you can join Robert for a low-level walk that takes in part of the Wales Coastal Path (although we see little of the coast and much of the Wales Coastal Path boys of this walk is on road rather than paths!). This is a pleasant jaunt that takes in a little visited area of Carmarthenshire. Easy terrains and no steep hills makes this an ideal walk for newcomers - although it is 8 miles long. Maximum elevation is 130 metres. A couple of areas of slurry but as long as you have walking boots you'll be fine. Only a few stiles and a couple of fields of cows - well behaved dogs welcome. It will be surprising to see any cars on the roads during the middle of the walk. Contact Robert on 07981 963681 for further information.

9:30am at Civic Centre or 10:15am at Ferryside (by Ferry Cabin in Eva Terrace, SA17 5SF or SN 366 104).

URGENT NOTICE

Due to unforseen circumstances we currently do not have anyone to lead a walk on Sunday the 30/08/2015. If you would like to lead a walk for the TT's on this date please get in touch with Andrew on 07968 677463.

Diolch. Dylan.

South Gower Cliffs

Sunday 09/08/2015

by Dylan

On Sunday I led a last minute walk around the south Gower cliffs and though the whether wasn't great everyone who came along enjoyed a great day out. A big welcome goes out to newbie Rebecca. I hope she had a good time. Afterwards we enjoyed a nice tipple in the Monksland and rested our aching feet after a long 12 mile jaunt. You can check out a little video of the walk here too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r1aZ7KsEWRQ

This coming Sunday we will be walking in the depths of Carmarthenshire in the Cynin valley North of St.Clears. This walk took four days to prepare due to numerous issues with the paths and the Council have responded well to requests for maintenance. So please come along and sample this peaceful area. I can assure you that you will be the only ramblers to have ventured onto some of the route for many years. It's 12 miles and graded as moderate/strenuous but there are no major climbs and the going is pretty good throughout. There's a nice little pub to sample in Meidrim after the walk. It's right by the river.

We'll be trying a new meeting point for walks to the west of Swansea which is Old Llangyfelach Road off junction 47 - head West towards Penllergaer from Junction 47 and take the first left. Drive to the end of Old Llangyfelach Road (a dead end) where there is unrestricted parking. 

We'll meet there at 9.30 as usual. Otherwise I suggest that we meet in Meidrim, North of St. Clears at 10.15. Park in the small car park by the community centre on the East side of the river. We'll drive in convoy from there to the start which is not obvious. Call Graham on 07770 435 341 for further details or to arrange to meet at Meidrim.

Diolch. Dylan.

Langland & Pengenffordd (aka The Devil's Back)

By Helen

Hello pawb,

Janet kindly led two fantastic walks for us this weekend. On Friday night the TT's could be found in Langland, taking in a gentle amble. This Sunday though we climbed The Dragon's Back in the Brecon Beacons. Check out the video for a full recounting of the epic day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtKU6kWe0hU. I have also provided a selection of the finest pictures from the day below - the skies were blue and the cameras were out.

By Peter

By Dylan

By Dylan

By Dylan

By Peter

Next Sunday I will be leading an approximately 12 mile circular route around the south Gower cliffs. This will be a moderate walk, although please be prepared for ups and downs and obviously a long day out. It will be a great opportunity to take in sights like Thurba Head and Pavillan cave. Please let Dylan know on 07540 746360 if you plan to join us. I understand the Black Country walking group are in Swansea that weekend so please accept this as an invitation to join us.

Meet: 9:30am Swansea Civic Centre
Start: 10:15am Pilton Green
Miles: 12 miles approximately
Grade: Moderate (though long)

On another note there are still spaces left on upcoming trips. If you are interested in joining us for August Bank Holiday in Llanberis please call Wayne on 07874 206053. If you would like to join me in Tenby for New Year please contact me on 07540 746360 for further details.

Diolch. Dylan.

Craig Gwladys and Fanir Hir

Big thanks to Mark and Dave who led our walks this weekend. Mark led a great walk in Craig Gwladys, Neath on Friday evening before Dave got the worst of the weather in the Brecon Beacons on the Saturday. Nevertheless Fan Hir is always a great walk at any time of the year and it turned out a great day for everyone. 

This Friday Janet will be leading a great walk around Bracelet Bay for those who would like to take in the sights. Please meet Janet at 7pm at the Forte Ice Cream Bracelet Bay. She will be walking to Caswell along the coastal path and will return by the same route. 

Then on Sunday Janet will again be leading the way. Please meet us at 9am at Llandarcy or the start point at 10:15am at the Dragon Inn (formally the Castle Inn) Pengenffordd (SO 174297 A479). Please note that there is a charge of £1 to park the car. Walking steeply up to Castell Dinas continuing along the Dragon's Back to Waun Fach ridge, from here back to the Dragon's Inn. Janet advises that there is a fairly easy, although a short climb towards the end. This a strenuous walk of approximately 12 miles.

If you plan on attending any of these walks please let Janet know on 07929053593.

Ogmore to Dunraven Bay

19/07/2015

by Beardo

Helo pawb,

This Sunday Mark led us on a great walk from Ogmore to Dunraven Bay. The day revelead some great views of the Wales Coastal path as well as some rolling hills in the Bridgend area. It was a great day out in the sun and I for one suffered a little heat stroke for my efforts. I must remember to invest in some sun cream before next week. Check out our sexy YouTube video of the walk. I suspect this could end up a regular thing: https: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=layqNNqrYhY

On Friday evening Mark will be leading an easy walk in Craig Gwladys, Neath. This will be a walk on the old sea cliffs above Neath. There will be good views over the Neath Valley and trees with fairy doors apparantely. The meet point is 7pm at the Park by Cilffriw Primary School, Penscynor Road (off A4230). The walk will be 3 miles with one steep climb. Please contact Mark on 07532 091621 for further details.

This Sunday the  26/07/2015 Dai will leading us on a strenuous walk up Fan Hir in the Brecon Beacons. The meet point will be 9am at Harvester in Llandarcy. If you want the details of the start point please contact Dai on 07802 673484.

On another note Wayne has asked me to let you know that one male space has come available on his Llanberis trip this August Bank Holiday. The trip will cost you £45. If you would like to join us please contact Wayne on 07874 206053. He has also asked me to let you know that there is a strong possibility that a female space is going to become available. If you would like to express an interest in this please let Wayne know.

Diolch. Dylan.

Helo Pawb,

So another week has come and gone and after a busy summer we have some great walks to share with you today:

Mumbles Hill

Friday 10/07/2015

Last Friday I led a small group up Mumbles Hill and afterwards we shared a quiet drink in the Pilot. As you can see from the picture the views of Swansea bay offered from this location are second to none. Afterwards we shared a quiet drink in the Pilot. It was the perfect end to a busy week for everyone.

Swansea Bay from Mumbles Hill by Dylan

Abergorlech

Sunday 12/07/2015

Then on Sunday Andrew led us on a fantastic walk in Carmarthenshire. Abergorlech is named for the poet Dafydd Gorlech (c. 1410 - 1490) and contains a fantastic pub named the Black Lion. If you ever get the chance to visit we would highly recommend. At 10.5 miles the walk itself took in what was only a small area of Brechfa Forest and I have no doubt that we will return again the future.

'Come on lads' by Andrew

Next Sunday 19th of July Mark will be leading an easy walk around Ogmore and Dunraven Bay. Mark will be leading us on a beach side and cliff top walk from Ogmore to Dunraven, returning over Ogmore Down and exploring Ogmore Castle ruins. At just 9 miles this could be a perfect walk for you if you have been thinking of coming along for a while. 

Meet point: 9-30am. Harvester car park, Llandarcy (M4, J43).
Start point: 10-00am. Free car park off B4524, just past Ogmore Castle (not Ogmore-by-Sea Beach car park)

If you would like to join us please let Mark know to expect you on 07532 091621.

Photo competition

On another matter congratulations to Kyle Jones who has won the photo competition for April - June 2015 with his picture of our resident 'pack', Yogi, Rufus and Tyrion, taken at Margam country park back in April. This photo will now adourn our social media pages until the next winner is identified in October.

Diolch.

Dylan

CATCHING UP

Sunday the 05/07/2015

Helo pawb,

First of all please accept my apologies for the lack of newsletters recently. I seem to have suffered from a combination of a kick-ass viral infection and Hayfever. Anyway that's enough blubbering. Hopefully I'll be able to keep you all up-to-date on how the walks over the coming months have gone.

I led the Tawe Trekkers this weekend on my favourite Gower walk. Starting in Cwm Ivy we headed straight up Llanmadoc Hill to the ancient fort at its eastern-most end. From there we had what would have been a stunning 360 degree panoramic view of north Gower had the rain not decided to show its face at this point. Despite this we trudged on to its western-most point before heading down to Broughton and Whiteford Bay. At this point the walk would have taken us out to Whiteford Lighthouse but as you can see below the tide stopped us this year. After this we headed back around Whiteford Point towards Llanmadoc where the current closure of the sea-wall path forced use to take a different route back to the car park. This Friday I will be leading a short easy walk up Mumbles Hill. Meet at 7pm at the Pilot if you would like to join us. Please send me a text on 07540746360 to let me know you're coming.

By Dylan Couch

In other news this years New Year Trip to Tenby is filling up nicely. Currently attending is Janet, Helen, Diane, Silvana, Tracy, Lynda, Dylan and Robert. That leaves us with just six places left on the trip, 4 men and 2 women. The trip costs £150 in total for 4 nights in some top quality holiday cottages in the centre of Tenby. Please contact Dylan on 07540746360 if you would like to join us this year. You will need a £75 deposit and I'll need the final payment towards the end of November.

Photo Competition

Please find below this quarters three nominations for the best photo competition. If you would like to vote please respond to this email with numbers 1,2 or 3. Alternatively if you're in our Facebook group then you can vote for your favourite photo by hitting the 'like' button when I post it later:

1) Margam by Peter Thomas

2) Swansea Bay by Dylan Couch

 

3) Pack by Kyle Jones

Diolch!

Dylan

Afan Valley Park

Sunday 10/05/2015

By Peter Thomas

Thanks to Mark for leading the TT's on such a great walk in Afan Valley Park on Sunday the 10th of May. It was a popular day and as you can see from the picturea everyone had a great time.

'Erm...' by Helen Thomas

This Friday the 15th of May Mark will be leading a short evening walk around Cwmdu Glen in Pontardawe. If you'd like to join him please meet at 6:30pm in Farm Foods Car Park near Cwmtawe Comprehensive school, in Pontardawe.

Dave will then be leading a Walk in the Northern Beacons this Sunday the 17/05/2015. With a steep ascent of Fan Nedd we will be heading north to the edge of the Beacons with views into Mid Wales where we'll have lunch in a disused quarry before heading back. This is an area we've not walked before so it is well worth a look. You can meet us at the car park in Harvester at 9am or else you can go straight to the the car park at Ystadfellte for a 9.45am start. Please be aware that Dave's phone is  out of commission so if you have any queries or would like to tell us you're coming you can message us here or at tawe@hotmail.co.uk.

Kilvey Hill & Carreg yr Ogof, or the Black Mountain that Wasn't

Friday 01/05/2015 & Sunday 03/05/2015

Swansea Bay from Kilvey Hill by Dylan

This Friday evening the 01/05/2015 Dylan led a group of the TT's up Kilvey Hill for some great views of the bay and city. Afterwards everyone enjoyed a great chat over a pint in the Ship Inn. Dylan has agreed to do this walk again later in the summer so keep an eye on the programme. Andrew has kindly updated the programme now and the next few months walks can be seen here: http://www.tawetrekkers.org.uk/progpage.html

On the following Sunday Mr Paul Bomber Harris lead us through the fog in the Brecon Beacons. It's wasn't the greatest day for seeing the national park in all its glory but it was still a great day nevertheless. The following video, recorded by Dylan, gives a good idea of the sort of conditions that we had to contend with: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KAvhmUWTHM

Next Sunday we'll hopefully have better weather for Mark's walk in Afan Forest Park. This walk is mostly easy to moderate after an initial, steep climb and is only listed as strenuous because of the length. We will follow a variety of forest tracks and take in a wind farm, ruined farm houses and a path paved with fossils. There will also be fantastic views over the Afan valley.

Meet point: 9-30am. Harvester car park, Llandarcy (M4, J43). Start point: 10-00am. Rhyslyn car park, Pontrhydyfen (entrance is by the Dan y Bont aqueduct). Contact - Mark 07532 091 621

Pontneddfechan

Sunday the 26/04/2014

Helo pawb!

This Sunday past Mr Paul Bomber Harris led the first of his double header walks. We took in the views of the famous waterfalls of Pontneddfechan on a 12-mile route and even though the falls weren't at their greatest we all enjoyed a great day out, taking in drinks afterwards at the Angel Inn. The attached photos have been provided by Andrew, David and Dylan this week. You can also check out some videos of the day on our YouTube feed here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_p4CZyiQeGIpYFRhwRZBQ

By Andrew Bevan

By Andrew Bevan

By Dylan Couch

By David Horton

Paul has kindly provided the following description of next Sunday's walk: "come and stretch your legs this coming Sunday and join me and my furry friends (Yogi/Rufus) for a strenuous 10 mile romp to the summit of The Black Mountain near Brynamman. Meet at the car park of The Harvester Restaurant (M4, junction 43) at 9.00 a.m. or the car park of Asda, Ystalyfera at 9.30 a.m. We will drive to the start point from Asda for a 10.00 a.m. kick off. Any questions please contact me on 07813141101.Cheers.Paul."

For those of you who have been eagerly awaiting our summer programme this will be kicking off with a vengeance this Friday evening as we take in a leisurely 2-3 mile jaunt up Kilvey Hill. If you want to join me please meet at the Ship Inn for a 6pm start. Please give me a text on 07540 746360 to let me know if you're coming.

Diolch! Dylan.

 MARGAM

Sunday 19/04/2015

By Peter Thomas

Helo pawb!

On Thursday the 16/04/2015 the Tawe Trekkers had our programme planning meeting. We have now filled our programme up until October so please keep an eye on our website over the coming weeks. Our Programme Coordinator will be providing details soon, including infomration of our summer Friday evening walks.

Thanks to Kyle Jones for leading us on a fantastic walk around Margam this Sunday the 19/04/2014. Now that his walk leading cherry has been stolen I look forward to many more in the future. He is clearly a natural. Check out some of the photos taken on the day below. I'm sure that you'll agree that they're all fantastic.

Homeward Bound by Kyle Jones

By Kyle Jones

By Peter Thomas

By Peter Thomas

This Sunday Mr Paul Bomber Harris will be leading a bloody marvellous walk around Pontneddfechan, taking in some of its great waterfalls. This is a strenuous, 12 mile walk taking in a number of waterfalls and several steep climbs. In Paul's opinion, this is one of the finest walks in South Wales and well worth the effort. Rain is forecast for Sunday so the route may be slippy in places. The start point will be at 10.00 a.m. in Pontneddfechan or at 9.00 a.m. at the Civic centre (Please note the earlier start).

Diolch!
Dylan.

Llanfrynach

Sunday the 12th April 2015

Helo pawb!

The weeks just seem to be throwing up great walks for the Tawe Trekkers at the moment. A big thank you from everyone to Janet for leading us up Fan Y Big from Llanfrynach this week. The weather did not really support the taking of too many photographs sadly but I have attached a copule from both Peter and Kyle below for you perusal. The font of all knowledge (aka Wikipedia) advises that Fan Y Big is a subsidiary summit of Waun Rydd in the Brecon Beacons National Park, in southern Powys, Wales. At 719m, Fan y Big lies at the western tip of the Gwaun Cerrig Llwydion plateau. Its name translates as 'peak of the bill' - perhaps in allusion to its striking pointed shape, as seen from some directions. The summit is bare and marked with a cairn, which stands on the edge of its precipitous western face. The view of this face from Cribyn is regarded as utterly striking.

It is often passed by walkers aiming for Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du and also forms part of the Fan dance. Check out this link. Anyone up for it? Jesus!

By Peter Thomas

By Kyle Jones

Next week Kyle will be leading us on an 8-mile strenuous walk around Margam. Kyle describes the route as follows on Facebook: " I have decided to shorten the walk to 8.5 miles due to all the climbs involved. It doesn't take anything away from the walk itself. Basically I've removed a 3 mile walk along a concrete path so that's done us all a favour. We will start at the Margam pond carpark, going up to the abbey ruins, up the hill to the WW2 radar shelters, down to brombil valley and up into brombil woods passing the blue lagoon. Past there we will venture further up the mountain for great views of Port Talbot and Swansea. Then through the invisible forest. Lunch will be had at the 5 mile mark where logs are provided for seating. Then it's all downhill from there passing through farmland with young lambs, then over a ladder style into the deer park, bring binoculars if you wish. Although they shouldn't be too far away. It is deer culling season so bullet proof vests are optional". the First meet point is Swansea Civic Centre at 9:30am as usual and the walk will start at 10am from the Margam pond Car Park. Please let me know if you planning on going to the Civic Centre on 07540 746360.

Don't forget Thursday night is our Programme planning meeting. Please come along to the Vivian Arms at 8pm and offer to lead a walk for the Tawe Trekkers this summer. We will looking to put on some shorter Friday evening walks again and would be grateful for all offers. If you can't make the night but would like to offer a walk please don't hesitate to get in touch with us at tawe@hotmail.co.uk to let us know the details.

Diolch! Dylan.

Momouthshire & Brecon Canal

Sunday 06/04/2015

By Sylvia Manuela

Helo pawb!

The Tawe Trekkers took a leisurely 8 mile jaunt around the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal yesterday. After having completed the South Wales 3 Peaks Trial the previous week (a taxing 21 mile circular walk from Abergavenny taking in the peaks of Blorenge, Sugar Loaf and Skirrid) this was exactly what the doctor ordered. The weather was beautiful and I'm advised that the 15 walkers and 2 dogs thorougly enjoyed. Thanks to Robert Hall for leading. I'm so glad to hear that the weather was better than on your last walk.

Thanks to Helen Thomas for the attached photo.

Don't forget that this Tuesday the Tawe Trekkers will be entering their weekly team into the Westbourne's pub quiz. If you're interested in joining us please contact Robert on 07981 963681.

Next Sunday Janet will be leading a strenuous 11-mile walk from Llanfrynach in the Brecon Beacons and we will eventually take in the peak of Fan Y Big. I will meet those who want to go to the Civic Centre at the usual time. If you are planning to go to the Civic Centre please let me know on 07540 746360. Please note that I tend to leave quite promptly at 9:30am so if you are not there I am unlikely to wait for you unless I am expecting you. The start point will be opposite the church in Llanfrynach at 10:45am. If you are planning to go straight to the start point please let Janet know on 07929 053593.

On another note there has been a recent change to how I am using Facebook to promote the group. Until recently we had had a semi-private 'group' on Facebook that anyone could join and view what we do. However, I have started to notice that similar groups to our use the 'page' option instead to promote their activities to those who are not formally members. This obvioucly helps to promote privacy but on a more practical level I have noticed that the 'page' option offers far more opportunities for promoting the group long-term. You can find our 'page here: https://www.facebook.com/tawetrekkers?ref=aymt_homepage_panel. I would be grateful if you could press the 'like' button as this will bump up our presence immediately on Facebook but when posts periodically appear it would also be good if you could 'like' and 'share' these posts. These will then get shared on your timeline and if your friend 'likes' it then it will appear on their timeline and so on and so on. You get the picture. This is the fundamental difference with using the group as any posts that are placed on there never get shared outside of the 'group'.

Diolch!

Dylan

P.S. Congratulations to Emyr Nickels who won the photo competition for his photograph of Nash Point. This will now be our Facebook 'page' and 'group' cover photo until the end of June 2015.

Nash Point by Emyr Nickels

Helo pawb!

So I'm a little behind on the newsletter. Please find details of the last two weeks below.

Nash Point

On Sunday the 22nd of March Mr Paul 'Bomber' Harris led us on one of his most popular walks around Nash Point, which everyone agreed made a lot of the Gower look like a scene from war torn Germany. The stunning views were actually beaten by the walk along the beach as we had to trudge across rock formations created by centuries of waves and a beautiful cave. The photo opportunities were extroadinary, so it was great to have one of our best photographers to hand for the walk, Mr Emyr Nickels. It was great to see Emyr back with us and I'm sure we all hope to see him again soon. I have put a few of his photographs below in order to show how beautiful a day that we had.

A natural frame by Emyr Nikels

Two dogs and an old man by Emyr Nikels

The South Wales 3-Peaks Challenge

A week later a group of the Tawe Trekkers embarked on one of the hardest challenges of the year. Starting in Abergavenny the South Wales 3-Peaks Challenge is a 21 mile walk taking in the challenging climbs of Blorenge, Sugarloaf and Skirrid. A further smaller group also took on the challenge of the 24 mile linear 'Platinum' route. We're pleased to announce that everyone finished the walk safely and we had a fantastic night out in Blaenavon the night after to celebrate. Given the way tha the weather turned out on the day we are very proud of everyone. We would like to once again extend our thanks to Mr David Horton for arranging such an amazing trip and I'm sure we are all looking foreward to what he has in store for us next. You can view a video of us on Sugar Loaf here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--ndfydNuPo

Next Sunday Robert Hall will be leading us on an easy 8 mile walk around the Brecon Canal. This walk is specifically designed to give us some recovery after last weeks challenge. For details of this walk and contact details for Robert please look at the programme page on our website. 

Due to unforseen circumstances I will not be able to lead my planned walk of Kilvay Hill on the 26/04/2015. If you're interested in leading a walk on this date please contact Andrew Bevan on 07791 545342.

Photo Competition

Last year I conducted some monthly photo competitions and as they have proven to be quite opoular I have decided to now conduct them on a more manageable quarterly basis. Please find below three photographs that I consider to be the best taken over the period January - March 2015. If you would like to vote please send an email indicating your favourite to tawe@hotmail.co.uk. Alternatively I will be posting this competition on our Facebook group page so you will also be able to vote there too. One vote per person please. Final count will be taken at 10pm on Friday the 10/04/2015.

A) Pontsicill by Helen Thomas

B) Focus on the Worm by Kyle Jones

C) Nash Point by Emyr Nickels

We all hope to see you on our walks soon.

Diolch! Dylan.

Brynamman

Sunday the 15th March 2015

A view of the Beacons from Brynamman by Michelle Coffey

Big thanks go out to Graham for leading us on one of his legendarily complex walks around Brynamman this Sunday, just on the edge of the Brecon Beacon National Park. We were met with some stunning views of the Beacons throughout and it was a great day all around. The walk was long at 14 miles with all the ups and downs became increasingky strenuous toward the end. We were grateful for the visit to the pub afterwards, though who ever heard of a pub that doesn't sell crisps? Random!

Missing the views by Andrew Bevan

Next week Mr Paul Harris and his pack of hounds will be returning from a recent absence to lead on one of his famous walks to Nash Point. The walk is classed as a moderate one and will clock in at around 9 miles. If you have any questions please contact Paul on 07813 141101. 

There are just two weeks left before we embark on the South Wales 3-Peaks challenge. This will take in the 3 peaks of Blornge, Sugar loaf and Skirrid and will be an extremely strenuous walk of over 20 miles. If you would like to stay with us at the bunkhouse in Blaenavon please contact David Horton on  07414 590217. Please note that there are limited spaces left and you will need to pay the full £40 to Dave in order to secure your place. It is too late to register for the challenge now but you can still walk it with us. You'll just have to miss out on the bother of registering at the start. Boo hoo hoo.

Please note that the next Programme planning meeting will be on Thursday the 16th of April 2015 at 8pm, shortly after we conclude our Committee meeting. We will especially be looking for walk leaders willing to lead shorter Friday evening walks. Please get in touch if you're interested and let us know of what walks you would like to do and when. We understand that people can't always attend the meeting but if you want to lead a walk please just send the details to tawe@hotmail.co.uk and we will make sure they get added to the programme. Traditionally these would be a maximum of 4 miles (1.5 hours). However, I am interested in leading longer walks of up to 6 miles which would only be suitable for the fitter walker capable of walking at a good pace and might mean we have to bring head torches. I would be grateful for opinions of this. Please feel free to comment below if you have followed this link from facebook. Alternatively, you can send your comments to us at the email address above.

Diolch.

Dylan.

Llanmadog to Rhossili - Around the Coast and Back Again

Sunday the 8th of March 2014

Rhossili Bay by Kyle Jones

So another week has passed and the Tawe Trekkers have once again taken in a great walk around South-West Wales. This week Trudi led us on one of her most famous walks, taking in the coast from Llanmadog bay to Rhossili before heading back over Rhossili Down to Llanmadog hill. For those of us who braved the early ill weather  we were eventually rewarded with the sight of blue skies coming in as we crossed the expanse of Rhossili Bay and by the time we reached Llanmadog hill the waterproofs had been completely shed for the minimal clothes necessary (nothing innapropriate though!).

Rhossili Down by Peter Thomas

Next week Graham Rutt will be leading a potentially over marketed trek around Brynamman. More than once did I hear him stating that he felt it was the best walk that he has ever recceed and I believe that he has been preparing this walk for quite some time, liaising with the local council to clear the paths. Graham will be at the Civic Centre at 9:30am as usual and further details will be appearing on the programme imminently. 

See you there. Dylan.

 

Tregaron, in the Heart of Ceredigion

 

Saturday the 28/02/2015

 

 

 

 

 

The Tawe Trekkers visited Tregaron this weekend, hopefully starting a long a fruitful friendship with Clwb cerdded Tregaron. The walk was a stunning one really, only let down by the cloudy weather that obscured what we are told would have been a quite spectacular panoramic view of this rarely walked area of Wales. On a personal level I am confident that I will return to walk with this group myself over the next few years, but the Tawe Trekkers have also agreed to lead a walk for them next year. We look forward to seeing them and promise a walk with some spectacular views. Sadly I couldn't stay for the whole weekend but those who did went for a walk around Llyn Brianne Dam on the way home. I am reliably informed that everyone enjoyed this and there is already talk of the group arranging to visit again in the future. If you're interested then you should check this YouTube video out. The dude randomly dressed as Twm Sion Cati was our very kind walk leader this weekend, and the video takes in the peak that we reached ourselves this weekend.

 

This week also saw the committee reconvene for its first meeting of the year and this was immediately followed by the Annual General Meeting. In the interests of ensuring everyone knows what's going on in the background please find below a brief summary of what was discussed and what actions were agreed:

 

• Tawe Trekker Constitution - After several months of discussion a Tawe Trekker constitution was sworn in. This is something that lays down appropriate actions and is largely relevant to the committee but if you are interested please feel free to contact one of us.
• Younger Membership - It was agreed that a planned process needs to be agreed in order to encourage increased attendance at our walks from the 20/30s. It was agreed that there has been improvement in recent months and the committee agreed that this can only be good for the group in the future
• Transparency - It was agreed that a summary of all future Committee meetings will be give in future newsletters. This will not include any information that could be perceived as confidential to individual members.
• Social Media - It was agreed that the use of social media should continue in the future, concentrating specifically on Facebook and YouTube. A discussion was also held regarding the future of the website and it was agreed that a redesign is needed.
• A new Committee was sworn in as follows:

1. Chairperson - David Horton
2. Secretary - Helen Thomas
3. Treasurer - Robert Hall
4. Programme Coordinator - Andrew Bevan
5. Footpath Officer - Graham Rutt
6. Social Media - Dylan Couch

Attendance at this years AGM was admittedly a little disappointing so I will be hoping to discuss ways of improving this over the following months.

 

This Sunday Trudi (aka Bob Gardner) has agreed to lead us on a strenuous walk from Llanmadoc. We seem to be missing some details of this walk on our website at the moment so if anyone has any means of contacting Trudi I would be grateful if you could ask her to get in touch with me. I will be at the Civic Centre at 9:30am and I'm sure the final plans will have been sorted by then.

 

Diolch!

 

Dylan

 

 

 

 

 

 





Melincourt or: How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Rain

22nd February 2015

A big thanks go out tonight to Robert Hall for leading us on an extremely varied walk around Melincourt today. What should have been a fairly moderate that allowed us to ultimately take in views over the Neath Valley unfortunately turned in to a rain and snow soaked trudge. I don't know about anyone else but I for one spent most of the walk with my head fighting against the blistering rain or otherwise thinking about the trip to the pub otherwise. I think this might be an opportune moment to remind everyone to make sure they bring the correct gear on such walks, and to remind myself to make sure that I wear my gear properly. A walk can rapidly turn in to a bit of a disaster if these precautions aren't taken.

The shell-shocked take in a brief lunch 

On a more positive note those of us who could bear it gritted our teeth and dragged our rain-soaked bodies to the Green Dragon in Seven Sisters afterwards, where we received a friendly welcome from the locals. Initially anyway! I'm not sure how they felt about us once we'd crowded around their fire and started soaking up every inch of warmth it offered. 

Anyway, next week the Tawe Trekkers will be visiting Tregaron. This walk will be led by Tregaron walking club and will be on the Saturday as opposed to the usual Sunday. I believe some people plan to stay in Tregaron that night and to go on another walk on the Sunday morning. I believe there are plenty of B&B's around so feel free to arrange this for yourself if you would like to do this. We will be leaving the Civic Centre at 7:45am sharp so please be there with plenty of time.

Diolch! Dylan

Beyond Hendrefoilan...

Sunday 15/02/2015

So another Valentine's weekend has come and gone. I hope everyone had a nice romantic time. For those of you who went to bed all on your lonesome...I feel your pain. Sob. On a more positive note, Wales beat the mighty Scotland in the Six Nations and my "urban" walk in the heart of Swansea was a resounding success, even if I do say so myself.

Starting at the Woodman Inn on Swansea Bay we headed North-East into Clyne Park and on into Clyne woods where we were met, after a steady climb, by a stunning view of Swansea bay and city centre, looking East towards Port-Talbot (aka Mordor). It was at this point that one of our newbies, Pete, suggested that Port-Toilet was used by Ridley Scott as the inspiration for the opening scene of Blade Runner. He seemed adamant of this fact and not wanting to discourage his future attendance with the group I chose to bite my tongue. How about it Trekkers! Is this a fact or an urban myth?

Onwards we travelled through more hills overlooking Swansea and its outskirts, through an old BMX track and back into the Clyne woods through an escalating amount of muddy track. The further we walked into the woods the scale of Clyne valley became obvious, even through the densely wooded area we found ourselves in. Soon we could hear the Clyne river flowing steadily on our right and this was our sign to take the track leading down to the valley floor to meet the river itself. At this point the previously clear path eroded into marsh and overgrown trees causing us to have to pick our way through this adventure course to the river-side. But wait! Where is the bridge? In a nutshell, there is none. Kudos to those who met the challenge of walking across the 'natural' bridge that had been placed there in the form of a collapsed tree. It wasn't half as bad as it looked but it is a test of balance if nothing else. I'm happy to say that the whole group managed to cross and from here we followed the Clyne river all the way to where it met the cycle track at the Railway Inn in Killay.

Next we headed roughly east along what is actually an old railway line. Originally developed to support a once flourishing quarry and brick industry, the Trekkers had already come across remains of this in the woods we had walked through. Soon though we met more as turning right off the cycle track we found ourselves in the isolated remains of Dunvant Brickworks, which now has a large lake and more woodlands to enjoy. I later discovered that a lot of orienteering courses take place here too. Perhaps this is something that the Tawe Trekkers can look at ourselves in the future.

After passing through these woods and out into further fields we were met by a new view of Swansea, this time looking west towards Gorseinon and Loughor estuary. The view wasn't as clear as you would like it to be, but still, it was rapidly becoming obvious how good a walk this was for getting a clear idea of the actual vastness of Swansea's scale. I think people are always surprised by this. It was at this point that I got the first rumblings of descent in the ranks. "When is lunch, Dylan" a certain un-named person (cough-Silvana-cough) asked in her best whiny voice. Knowing that we had a bit of climb ahead of us I suggested that we press on to this before stopping for lunch. I promised a great view in an effort to discourage further groaning.

As we pressed on we passed on our left an old tower which we suspect was an air vent for an old mine. Further on we emerged into a beautiful deserted valley situated between Waunarlwydd and Hendrefoilan. This is a rarely walked area and many of the comments that followed centred around how you drive past this everyday simply assuming that it is a developed housing estate like everything else. Sadly ruined a little by people who don't seem to know that Swansea City Council will collect your rubbish for you this valley is nevertheless a hidden wonder and I would highly recommend you take the opportunity to check it out next time. At this point we could have taken paths that either led to Gowerton or Waunarlwydd; instead we pressed on through the bed of the valley, eventually climbing into a local under-appreciated Local Nature Reserve, Cwmllwyd wood. It was by passing through this wood at a steady climb that we soon found ourselves at the top of the valley. To the north-east we could just about see the Brecon Beacons. Just a few weeks earlier I had been able to see many of the snow-capped peaks and it was a shame that we didn't have quite as clear a view today. Now everyone could taste their lunch though and on we pressed over the hill to the final view - Mumbles in all it's glory and on to north Gower and Cefn-Bryn, where I hear Wayne and Kyle had led an excellent walk just a week ago. 

We took in lunch at this beautiful spot but we cut this a little short as the temperature was dropping by this time. At this point we had to briefly pass through Hendrefoilan housing estate, skirt past the student village and cross the A4118 by the Toby Carvery. However it was just 10 minutes later that we had entered Olchfa lane and were back in some rarely walked woodlands. We could have been anywhere! Eventually we were able to join a bridle path back in Clyne woods and led us eventually in Clyne park and back onto the cycle path just 5 minutes from the finish. I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate our other newbie, Antonella, who managed to keep up throughout. I'm pleased to hear that she plans on coming along in the future so lots of opportunities for anyone who is looking to learn Italian. 

After the walk a few of us took a brief drink in (of course!) at the Woodman Inn before parting ways, all happy that we had had a great day out walking. Next week Robert Hall leads us on an 8 mile route of Melincourt. Please contact Robert if you plan on meeting him either at the Civic Centre at 9:30am or if you would like details of the start point.

Diolch! Dylan