Another Marilyn this week. The Sugar Loaf is situated near Abergavenny and is part of the Black Mountains range in the Brecon Beacons. A 7.5 mile walk with an elevation of 596 m (1,955 ft). Learned or Affirmed:
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A slightly different adventure that didn't require climbing any peaks. An injury occurred after our Munro adventure. You can survive the mountains...but not a heavy-duty, iron school gate when it whacks into the back of your heel. Wearing walking boots has been impossible - apparently this type of injury takes a couple of months to heal, hence BEAKS not PEAKS. New Learning:
If you like the sound of this, we'd highly recommend 'Voyages of Discovery' to be your guides. Hardly a peak, but a walk through some boggy land to visit to a Neothilic burial tomb dating back to 2500 B.C. For more information, check out the 'Explore-Gower' website. We did find a trig point, so we'll label it a 'sneaky peak' as our walk was completely flat from start to finish. However, it was a good way to test out Lynne's new walking boots. New Learning:
Although the Meindl walking boots are great quality, they may not last long on the end of Lynne's feet. After researching extensively before and after buying boots, the main piece of advice we would give anyone buying boots is 'make sure they are comfortable and you feel you can walk/climb naturally in them'. Although the Meindl boots add extra support (rigid), it's no good if you do not feel confident in them. Our new learning - Lynne's preference for walking/climbing/scrambling is a flexible boot. So - back to searching for boots...and if anyone would like to purchase a pair of 'almost new' Meindl's, please get in touch! Friends were visiting from the USA and the nearest we got to peaks were definitely 'sneaky' moves! New Learning:
It's great fun sharing your learning and adventures with good friends. Thank you to Pete and Jane for wanting to explore South Wales with us. :-) New Learning:
Ordance Survey Explorer maps are more eco-friendly when printed on both sides of the paper. However, do not open and attempt to 'reverse-fold' whilst still in a car! ;-) Recently Lynne has been researching common foot injury issues after experiencing a nagging pain in her heel. Plantar fasciitis or the achilles tendon seem to be the potential causes. Today Lynne tried 'Scholl Orthaheel Gel Pain Reliever' shoe inserts - these definitely reduced the discomfort. New Learning: The more we walk, the more we understand the need for waterproof and windproof gear. This was the first time with this jacket, new ankle gaiters and new boots. Yes, it was an expensive month - but these should last for years. My old boots didn't pass the waterproof test. Submerging them in water showed how badly they were letting water in through the membrane. Six hours of walking with wet socks is just not pleasant. So, new boots were required. They are sturdier and will protect my feet more. My feet were measured professionally for length and width. They definitely feel different to my last boots and it may take a while to get used to them. I seemed to be able to trip over a single blade of grass this weekend. Saturday - no walking for Lynne this week - just watching from the car! Andrew decides to visit the highest trig going closest to home - Mynydd Y Gaer, just above the village of Heol-Y-Cyw. A short boggy trek from limited roadside parking but well worth the 360º views, including the ridges of the Llynfi, Garw, and Ogwr valleys; the glacial cul-de-sac sheltering Gilfach Goch; the Vale of Glamorgan from Cardiff to the mouth of the River Ogwr and across the channel, clear view of Exmoor and the Quantocks. Sunday - time for Lynne to make a recovery and join a short walk along Craig Ogwr to the top of Y Werfa - the highest summit in Bridgend Borough. Surprisingly, we were unsuccessful in reaching the trig point - :-( . We encountered a flooded lane surrounded by private land (lambing fields). After failed attempts at circumnavigating the deep flood and not wanting to disturb the sheep, we resolved to try another day. So, we headed north and hiked up Crugyrafan (559 m). While not as high as some of its neighbours, there are some worthwhile views of the Rhondda and the Breacon Beacons. Its summit bears a round barrow. New Learning:
Be aware of wind chill and wind speed. It was incredible. We were glad we weren't more exposed today - it was hard enough staying upright and on course on the lower hills. New Learning:
We definitely need to purchase gaiters! Unexpected amounts of snow meant that our feet were wet and uncomfortable. Gaiters may have prevented the snow from getting inside our boots. Either that or the waterproof membrane on our boots has a small tear - this was expertly explained to us by someone who works in Cotswold, Cardiff. New Learning: There seem to be more classifications for hills! These qualify as Nuttalls and Hewitts. If you change your mind about which hill to walk, remember to also change the map in your rucksack! Other hill-walkers seem to like our snowmen friends - they become a talking point and appear in many selfies... Still to discover...
Why is Twmpa known as 'Lord Hereford's Knob'? An internet search did not give any real answers. "It is thought to be the inspiration for "Ffynnon Garw", the fictional mountain (or hill) featured in the book, and later, film, The Englishman Who Went Up a Hill But Came Down a Mountain by Christopher Monger." (Direct quote from Wikipedia.) New Learning:
We are gradually becoming 'gear freaks'. This week was the first outing for Lynne's new high-wicking top (Description: actively wicks moisture away from the skin, keeping you dry and comfortable). Stamina increases quickly - we were surprised that we scrambled up to the top at a good speed without feeling needing to rest. |
AuthorWe are Lynne and Andrew from Single Steps Learning. Our love of learning and exploring has inspired us to take up 'hill-walking'. We hope to progress from novice to expert! This is our journey. Archives
December 2016
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