A Walk in South Wales

Route: Dragon’s Back to Waun Fach, a circular walk

Weather: perfect January day, 4oC, mostly still, full sun, frosty/icy/slippery in parts.

Time: set off at 10.30, one tea break after an hour (tea + dark choc nut bar), one lunch break (tea, cheese/jam sarnie), various photos along the route, finished at 1.45. Just over 3 hours.

Home: cold beer, Walkers Thai Sweet crisps

Notes: small carpark about half full already by 10.30. Such a beautiful day, so no surprise that there were about ten other cars in car park. £5 suggested donation to honesty box. And off on the clockwise route up, down, up, down, up Dragon’s Back, stopping for photos occasionally and a ten-minute tea break. Then up to the summit of Waun Fach – second highest peak in S Wales – and down to a saddle. Turn right and down for a long walk back to the car park.

After dull December days, a treat

Others: a few family groups often with a happy dog, mostly pairs of walkers (about 1 in 10 were using walking poles), all in proper hiking gear, only one fella seemed to be determined to walk fast, a group of fell runners. Long gaps between walkers so there was plenty of time away from crowds.

First tea stop

Lunch stop

Walk down