Walk on the Wild Side by Wandering

As the semi-darkness gradually turned into daylight, this would be the last chance to rest those legs that would certainly be really weary by dusk based on the route chosen by MikeD via Google maps for the Club’s annual sponsored walk.

There would be a slight de-tour for Wayne, who kindly drove our group of supporters to the start point, as we climbed Heolgerrig Hill to collect his Lordship Mark Evans on the way to the start point.

Leaving Tal-Y-Bont village we crossed the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal before starting a 3 kilometre climb involving 400 metres of ascent to the east of Tal-Y-Bont Reservoir, initially joining the Beacons Way. The vista stretching below us was just another spectacular example of the wonderful countryside that we are extremely fortunate to live so close to.

The drought conditions and lack of any precipitation for the previous few months had started to have an affect on the level of water in the reservoir, but it still look majestic in the Glyn Collwn valley below.

As we reached the Brinore Tramroad, that had been opened in 1815, the terrain eventually started to level off, with the signpost pointing the way to Dolygaer.

The climb had brought us to Bryniau Gleision, open common land with deep rutted terrain, that would have been difficult to negotiate for the couple that we passed earlier riding a tandem in the opposite direction.

Passing high above Pontsticill Reservoir, the plateau across Waun Rydd provided easy walking conditions, before our encounter with ‘Indiana Jones’ who boasted about his encounter with the inscribed stone* nearby at Cwm Criban.

Passing the disused Baltic and Twynau Gwynion Quarries where MikeD reminisced us with his wild camping days, we departed Merthyr Common to make our way to the Pant-Cad-Ivor for well deserved refreshments.

We had covered the 13 miles in just over three and a half hours, walking at a good pace, before departing for the second event of the day the Supporters Direct Shield game against City of Liverpool FC.

* The Inscribed Stone dates from the Middle Ages (5^th to 6^th Centuries AD) and displays Ogham language which is predominantly of primitive Irish origin. Grid Reference SO 0730 1310.

Wandering