Brecon Beacons - Mynydd Illtud

Date; Thursday 8th December 2011
Start Point; Brecon Beacons Mountains Centre
Distance; 8 miles
Time; 3 hrs
Guiness enjoyment rating; 9/10

Yes, well you can't have nice weather every day can you? It was horrid all day and I chose a walk from the Pathfinder book (16) that was easy to follow and without hazards. It starts by crossing the Traeth Moor Nature Reserve and follows roads and bridleways to emerge onto the only open moorland part of the walk at Cefn Llechid.

Guiness actually had a great time, his enjoyment of walks seems to rise in accordance with how much rain there is. His Dad was secretly pleased to get back to the car.

Brecon Beacons - Sugar Loaf

Date; Wednesday 7th December 2011
Start Point; Llangenny
Distance; 9.5 miles
Time; 4 hrs 30 mins
Guiness enjoyment rating; 8/10

Sugar Loaf is one of the most popular mountains in the Brecon Beacons (according to the book!) and when you get there you can see why; there are many routes up it and all are very walkable and it's great for dogs.

It was a very windy day and once at the top it was time to turn straight around and come down again, but not before a photo of a windswept dog.

This is walk18 in the Pathfinder book but I veered away from the suggested route back and headed south and back via some woodland to emerge near a stream and another view of the mountain behind us. Mum, I was here when you called me...

The walk back to Llangenny was easy and relaxing across farmland. Really enjoyable walk.

Brecon Beacons - Pen y Fan

Date; Tuesday 6th December 2011
Start Point; Cwm Gwdi
Distance; 9.5 miles
Time; 5 hrs 15 mins
Guiness enjoyment rating; 9/10

Best walk ever! Got to start point at dawn and headed south toward the mountains. In this picture, Cribyn is left and Pen y Fan right.

Heading bewteen the two summits the route crosses the Cwm Sere up an extremely steep climb to reach the Bryn Teg pathway, and you are then faced with the ascent up Cribyn...

Guiness found this climb almost too much and I had to carry him up some rocky inclines and he was much relieved to reach the summit where the next climb came into view.

Actually the climb to Pen y Fan was pretty easy and Guiness soon had the distinction of being the highest dog in Southern Britain.


From the summit the next target is Corn Du a short distance away.

The route back is relatively easy and ended a fantastic walk.

Brecon Beacons - Ysgyryd Fawr

Date; Monday 5th December 2011
Start Point; Car park lay-by, east of Abergavenny
Distance; 3.3 miles
Time; 1 hrs 41 mins
Guiness enjoyment rating; 8/10

First of 5 walks in the Brecon Beacons (sorry Dartmoor, but I'll be back). This was a little tiddler on the way to my cottage. It starts up through Caer Wood before following the Beacons Way to the summit of Ysgyryd Fawr. This is walk 8 in the Pathfinder Guide (thanks Gill) and it advises to return the same route but I ventured further north and returned via woodland on the western side.

Short walk from Haytor

Start Point; Haytor Distance 5 miles
Time 2 hrs
Guiness enjoyment rating 8/10

Although Haytor is the most well known and easily accessible tor on the moor it also is a great place to walk (and not just a quick loop around the rock and back to the car).

Pictures to follow when I can find my camera cable.

Newbridge and Dr Blackall's Drive

Start Point; Newbridge
Distance 12 miles
Time 5 hrs 45 mins
Guiness enjoyment rating 9/10

On a gloriously sunny, with new camera in hand (or rather in carry case looped very securely around my neck) we were off to the moor again.  No exploring today, but mostly along tried and tested routes.  From Newbridge there is a climb before you enter the moor and onto Dr Blackall's Drive (This carriageway was laid down by the lord of Spitchwick Manor in the late 19th century). 

 

If you only ever walk once on Dartmoor give this one a go.  The views are wonderful.
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After a couple miles the 'Drive' turns into the Two Moors way before I veered off toward Sharp Tor

And then onward and downward to lovely Dartmeet.  People often mistakenly think this is where the East and West Darts meet.  Oh no, hang on, just checked the map, yes that is right actually.

Heading north along the West Dart we come to the point that was giving Guiness sleepless nights - the stepping stones.  No set of pictures on this walk would be complete without Guiness refusing to cross the River.  It was fine, in the end I just carried on and he ran back to the car and waited for me.  

The return leg - another view of Sharp Tor

And just a few yards before the end at Spitchwick.  I think we went here as kids - it's a lovely family spot. 
 

Another long walk, but Guiness and I loved it.

Merrivale Firing Range

Start Point; Two Bridges
Distance 12 miles
Time 5 hrs 30 mins
Guiness enjoyment rating 8/10

No photos today.  I did take some but half way along the camera stopped working.  I'm no expert but I think it's because it fell in the river a few seconds earlier.  Oh well, an excuse to treat myself to a new one.  Will try the Picture card in another camera, they might live on after all.

This walk is almost entirely within the Merrivale Range Danger Area which you can only enjoy when there is no live firing by the Army.  You are strongly advised not to enter when there is live firing as you certainly won't enjoy it if they shoot you.  The first half of the walk is the most enjoyable, passed Wistmans Wood and up over Cocks Hill to the standing stone just shy of White Tor.

The return leg is very well defined on the map but poorly on the ground and was marshy and boggy in places, fueled by recent rains and various leats and streams.  It was getting a bit frustrating and I think it was when crossing one of the leats that the camera decided he'd had enough and made a run for it.

Guiness had a great time, chasing his ball on the first half  and keeping close by in the latter stages in the false belief that I knew where I was going.