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Not only did Sunday have a promising forecast (compared with the dross of previous weeks), I was also being dragged out of bed in the early morning to go on BBC Radio, which meant I was up and awake, and free to go hill walking.
Having heard there’d be snow on the Brecon Beacons, and having a month earlier been on Pen y Fan along with half of South Wales, with their sleds, we decided to definitely avoid the honey pots along the main road, and head to the Western Beacons, to revisit tops I’d not done for 4-5 years. Potentially, this could also allow us to visit Sinc Giedd (where the river Giedd disappears underground), which is a fascinating site, and also the area where I’d lost my compass during the OMM Mountain Marathon of 2013 – you never now, it may still be there.
We parked in the church layby in Glyntawe, and crossed the river by Ty Henry. The next kilometre was short but sharp, but I knew from previous visits that this was the worst section, and pretty soon the angle eased off into a more gently climb, with great views opening up of Fan Hir under a dusting of snow.
We were soon on the summit of Fan Hir, offering a great panorama over to Fan Gyhirich and Mid Wales.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139363809@N07/shares/E0WrBvMost enticingly of all though was the view up towards Fan Brycheiniog, in a proper winter coating.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139363809@N07/shares/3L0hD0Crossing the bwlch between the two summits gave us a real taste of the North Easterly the forecasters had promised, and it was properly cold for a while. The summit plateau was soon reached however, and after a flapjack in the windshelter, we continued on beyond the trig point to the true summit. Great views from here in all directions, in particular southward where the sea at Swansea Bay was visible in glorious sunshine.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139363809@N07/shares/mw2E9GI’d offered the OH the option of returning along a good path by dropping down to Llyn y Fan Fawr, but as this would leave us exposed to the wind, she plumped for the bog trot option. So, we descended West to the bwlch before following Afon Twrch for 2km. The frozen ground helped keep bogginess to a manageable degree, and there’s a sheep trod here and there which made progress easier, but it still felt a long time before getting to the ‘Ford’ at 803197. We ate lunch on a rock slab in glorious sunshine before crossing the Twrch (the ford is more a jump and a prayer across a few slippery stones), and continuing SE along an improving track.
Sadly, we had to skip a wander down to Sinc Giedd, as we were meeting family back in Cardiff and were already late. Once off the hill however, there was still time, ridiculously, to get lost trying to get out of the caravan park next to the Dan yr Ogof caves!
Still, all in all, an excellent way of spending Valentines Day!
https://www.flickr.com/photos/139363809@N07/shares/9t8a7Y