 Just realised that today is the longest day. Forecast in the Beacons looks to be brightening slightly this evening so I shall be a daredevil and go wildcamping after work tonight!  Where is the safest place to leave a car overnight? I've heard that the carparks near the Storey Arms are a no-no.
|
 |
 I've left my car at Pont ar Daf several times with no problems (that's the one with the toilet). It's - allegedly - a popular dogging location so gets occasional visits by the Heddlu. There's often camper vans there, and people camp in the woods next to the layby. I'd leave it there* *obviously if it gets utterly trashed I'm not responsible 
|
|
I'll take my old van (instead of new car) and leave that there just in case! Might also be handy to bug out to if the weather turns horrid 
|
|
What a disaster last night turned out to be! Parked up at Pont ar Daf and headed up towards PYF. Weather looked promising with the sun trying to break through and just the very top of Corn Du swathed in cloud. At Bwlch Duwynt with the wind getting stronger I headed around Corn Du and dropped down past Tommy Jones' obelisk to find a pitch next to Llyn Cwm Llwch. By 9.30pm the cloud was coming lower, drizzle started to fall and the light was already fading fast. By 11pm it was pitch black, the rain was hammering down and the wind was screaming around the tent (TN Laser Comp). A couple of pegs appeared to have come loose as the tent was buckling under the strain of the wind. I climbed out and discovered an elastic corner loop had been ripped clean off! At that point the wind slammed the tent flat and completely snapped the main centre pole! It was impossible to re-erect it so I stuffed all my soaking kit into my Bergen, stood up straight and realised I hadn't a clue which direction I was facing! It took me 2 and a half hours to get down to the Storey Arms (normally about an hour!). An hour later I was home!
|
|
Sounds an epic. All good when back at a pub telling mates the storey! I was up a little fell not too far from mine and it was dry but the wind picked up when on top and so I dipped down the side a little to make a call to arrange a pub with mates later that night and saw some mature ladies doing some kind of pagan ceremony by the side of the hills on a flat bit part way down below me. Got a wave to join them but I scarpered. Not keen on joining a coven or whatever they were. Might become the sacrifice!! Sorry if there are any pagans the above is meant only as a flippant, throwaway comment and no offence meant. Even if you have no grounding in the original pagan beliefs which were forgotten or wiped out more than centuries ago I respect your rights to follow your beliefs.
|
|
What's it like in the Brecons and round Corn du and that ridge of decent hills when the weather is good? I have only been there once and it was very wet, cloudy and very very boggy underfoot. I'd like to think it is nice in summer but it was summer and wasn't. I guess this is what people coming to the Lakes think. If you only go somewhere infrequently then you have to take the area as you find it rain and all but it will always have a different feel in the good, dry and clear weather. Seeing where you have been and going is always a good thing in a new area.
|
|
Hard luck, Ash! Were you right down by Llyn Cwm Llwch? If the weather's that bad there's an easy escape route straight north down Cwm Llwch to Login, then you can pick up the road and take the Taff Trail back up to Storey Arms and Pont ar Daf. It's a much more sheltered route than heading back up the hill. tbh, the forecast wasn't great last night, we were expecting to get hit by that storm at the cricket at Sophia Gardens last night, but I don't think it got as far south as the radar expected!
|
|
Oh, and LiL, they're the Brecon Beacons, or just the Beacons. Never just 'the Brecons' And they're great.
|
|
too lazy to type it all Kate sorry but i did know that.
|
|
 I think we are witnessing a Cnut moment.
|
|
The correct word 'Beacons' requires no more typing strokes than the incorrect 'Brecons', so perhaps an unlikely claim of laziness from LiL!
|
|
Yep right down by the lake on a little grassy gnoll. Actually it would have been an absolutely perfect pitch in nice weather! Never been down that route Kate and tbh I felt happier retracing my steps over a familiar route despite the dark/wind/rain etc. Quite eerie passing the TJ obelisk in the dark with the wind whistling around! The mind starts to play tricks
|
| Edited: 22/06/11 22:49 |
I know the knoll, it's very popular with DoE groups. That escape route is really straight-forward, there's a path just to the west of the stream outlet from the llyn and you get funnelled down the valley towards habitation and roads. We once had to descend from Pen y Fan to Pont ar Daf after our planned route off Corn Du to the north was kiboshed by verglas, so we stopped off for a burger at Al's trailer, then headed down the Taff Trail along that route I was suggesting.
|
|
but those buttons were under my fingers at the time of typing Kate so less effort to type so laziness was there.
|
|
Think of all that energy you've had to stir yourself to expend to explain yourself.
|
|
