Snow fun.

With some decent snow and weather in the Brecon Beacons last week I grab a mid week opportunity to get another long run in. Again I relented and let the dog join in, knowing her love of snow.

looking towards Cribyn

Dog on the summit

Corn Du summit

To keep it simple it was a quick drive to the carpark by Storey Arms as this area is easily accessible, and hence often busy! The path up to Corn Du and Pen y Fan had a fair number of walkers out enjoying.

Pen y Fan from Cribyn

Summit of Cribyn

We kept going, and fewer footprints accompanied us up Cribyn, and even fewer up to Fan y Big. The ridge afterwards was hard work with a keen wind, spindrift and much drifting. Great fun in fell shoes! Despite her short legs the dog was loving it.

Looking back across the Central Beacons

We stayed high for quite a while braving the windchill, but eventually dropped down. eventually winding back to Ponsticil to regain the western ridge up to Duwynt and then back to the carpark. Around 17 miles but tough going especially on the ridges. Good training for next months High Peak Marathon!

Surf gets up...

The venture into the world of sea paddling continued on the weekend. On Sunday I was fortunate once again to meet up with Taran, Andy and Stuart, along with Eurion for a paddle from Llantwit Major to Dunraven bay and back. (NB - Much better pictures on Taran and Stuarts blog sites)

Lovely sea kayaks waiting for adventure......

A surprisingly nice day given the weather the day before!

Our departure was delayed due to Andy having a real challenge getting out of the verglas covered streets of Cilfynnydd, which left us with around 30 minutes to get round Nash point before the tide turned.

Leaving Llantwit beach

heading for Nash Point

A quick blast through the surf at Llantwit and we were off. The St Donats lifeboat was buzzing around, and they seem to be hanging around Nash Point waiting to see if we'd make it! This was new kayaking territory for me and I'd heard how the tide around this area can get pretty feisty.

On virtually passing the lighthouses on the cliff at the point the water quickly changed. The boat was getting kicked about in strange ways, and an eye had to kept out for big waves which seemed to break further out from shore than expected. Progress quickly slowed and with a slog I got round the point. Eurion, despite recovering from the flu had powered ahead, with Stuart and Taran not too far behind. I lagged further, partly lack of sea kayaking experience and part not having as quick a boat as the others.

Beached after Nash Point for a breather!

Taran (whos headgear was soon to be lost at sea) and Stuart

Once round the point we regrouped on the shore, and once fed and watered we pressed on. Although still against the tidal flow, the effect is less fierce once around Nash Point and we make steady progress. Taran plays close to shore, buts its a game that needs a careful eye. The predicted 2ft swell is somewhat bigger and sudden walls of breaking water are not uncommon! One catches Taran is spectacular style, Andy starts to move to rescue but also gets blasted. In one fell swoop we have two swimmers – we did laugh!

As we approach Witches Point we end up in some pretty large swell waves. Eurion gives me some tips about spotting the break points. Its all pretty spectacular to me! On rounding the point Dunraven Bay is a mass of pretty big surf waves. Are we really going to land in that? Eurion shows his expertise, easily picking up some surf, and then comes back out. I venture in a bit. The rest of team catch up and then its shore bound.....!

My lack of surf experience shows and two rolls later I arrive on the beach! The rest of the team enjoy a great ride and stay upright! We don't linger on the beach too long – eager to get back to Llantwit before the tide covers the short bit of sand there (landing seaboats – especially glassfibre ones on a rocky shore is not good fun!) so we launch back into the surf.

The paddle out gives me a right beating, and as the breaking waves get bigger I attempt to tuck in and avoid the full hit, but it still feels a case of 'two steps forward and one back'. Another two rolls later and I'm beyond the break. Blimey that was a bit of a monster!

Gathering beyong the break after a good beating in the surf!

Stuart disappearing into the swell....

We then head out a bit to pick up the tidal flow and start being whisked back to Nash Point. We're in a big rolling swell and have big waves crashing in the Nash Sands on our right adding to the atmosphere.

The waters around Nash Point are lively and entertaining, but we're soon through and its then a steady paddle back to Llantwit. The surf is higher at Llantwit than when we launched, and again I mess up the surf technique and need a single kayak roll to arrive on shore still in the boat.... well the rolling is definitely coming along, but a few days working on the surf technique is definitely required!

A superb trip with good company. There is some serious adventure to be had along this coast – its a serious place though, and that certainly must not be forgotten.

Ogof Gwynt yr Eira - again.....

Another trip to Ogof Gwynt yr Eira to carry dive stuff for Martin 'Lump' Groves as he continues his assault on the miserable sump at the bottom of the cave. No underground pictures of this trip - trying to cram the photo kit around a dive cylinder in the tackle bag is always awkward!

Given the weather of late this was the wrong day to be caving. As a I drove up the A470 ahead were the freshly snow crowned peaks of Pen y Fan and Corn Du under a clear and bright winters day. Such days should be hill-run days!

I was the first to arrive at the car parking spot for the cave. No snow but frozen ground so I took a quick jog up to the nearby Cairn - Carn Pen Rhiw-Ddu - to admire the view. It was one of those days where the urge was just to keep running! Alas a few pictures had to suffice before heading back to the car and start sorting kit.

Looking West to Carn Pen-y-clogau from Carn Pen Rhiw-ddu

Carn Pen Rhiw-ddu

Soon Martin and Krysia appeared, closely followed by another old stalwart of the 'Gwynt yr Eira's' diggers, Al Braybroke. Soon the four of are duly kitted up and making our steady ways through the various bits of engineering and old exploration paraphernalia, whilst trying to avoid loose rocks, before once again hitting the bottom of the cave.

Sorting kit

Martin got himself ready for diving, and as there was plenty of help today I headed up into the upper cave to have another mooch, and in particular have a look at a blind pot that has a link to an airbell just before the sump.


Even though I was last in this part of the cave just before Christmas it seemed more miserable than before. Getting up the pitch involves using a old piece of 9mm climbing rope left in place since around 1996, its then a short but awkward climb, followed by an awkward thrutch to get into an awkward passage liberally coated in sh!te (well mud)....

I forgot where the link to the pot went and for some reason considered it to be up a short climb. This I couldn't get up so built a pile of rocks to get purchase, removed lots of mud to locate some dubious holds and teetered up a couple of meters... only to find it blind and going nowhere... bugger. Reversal was also a bit of a pig but accomplished without mishap.

The actual route was down a muddy pot under a big rock. At the base of which a slimy body sized tube gains more slimy awkward* passage which drops into a short section of nice cave with a small streamway. Sadly this quickly ends at the 10m pot where I manage to have a chat with Martin whose in the airbell. Also no decent sized connect between the two points and also no obvious leads to push.

The chat with Martin reveals he is back to digging his way through the sump but had run out of bags to stash the dirt - time to head out. By the time I regain the others I am liberally coated in cack and felt I'd caved for miles not just a mere hundred odd meters!

Back on the surface its still daylight and still a nice day. A short trip today but still a good trip. No doubt be back again soon! I think it took almost as long to clean my kit today as we spent caving :-D

Yours truly in 'turd' camouflage....

*awkward - the overused word of this blog, but appropriate to the cave!

The Dog Run.

looking towards Porthkerry as the sun returns

With some leave to use up, and with the need to get some longish offroad training runs in, I head off for a coastal run with the dog. We park up at Cold Knap in Barry - the plan is simply to head west for a while and then return!

The start is unpromising as I sit in the car waiting for the hail storm to pass. The dog is far keener to get out! So togged up we set off - there is a smattering of other cars parked up, all with occupants watching the world, but definitely not going to get out and experience it!

Soon though the storm passes........

Aberthaw nature reserve

The coast along this part of South Wales is a stark contrast of nature, industry, leisure and housing. Within a couple of km we're in the Porthkerry caravan park (I believe of Gavin and Stacy fame, and more recently of losing several meters of waterfront views down the cliff face!). Then through fields fringed with new 'luxury' housing that works so badly with the layered cliff landscape I wonder how the planning system works.

Past the most southernly point in Wales at Rhoose, which is the site of an old quarry being reclaimed by nature, landscaped and again fringed by new housing. Some cliff top running and its soon at the Fontygary caravan park, before steep steps down to a little nature trove of Aberthaw. This little nature reserve has many rarities and is characterized by its salt lagoons, pebble beach and bits of salt marsh, but dominated by the Aberthaw powerstation.

The dog enjoying some sun and sandy beach. Fontygary caravan park on the distant cliff top.

Aberthaw power station

When the tide is heading out the beach expanse here is huge and very impressive. We attempt to cross the rocky shore but the going is slippery and slow

Aberthaw sea front as the weather starts to turn.

We keep going as far as Summerhouse point, but the sky is looking grey and squalls can be seen out to sea. Time to head back. The weather soon turns to rain, and by the time we are back at the powerstation heavy hail hits us hard and the dog is not happy... I have to squat over her for a few minutes to shelter her from the worst of the hail - I'm getting soft in my old age!

The dog trying to shelter from the hail!

The 'smoky' shimmer is the hail.....

...with the power station looking even more grey in the squall.

Hail on the beach.

Sea front just east of Fontygary

After Fontygary the weather improves a bit and with the tide still heading out I opt to run on the rocky foreshore. The wave eroded limestone platforms form an  impressive seafront.

Sun blasting through cloud breaks back at Cold Knap

We arrive back at Cold Knap with more hail and rain threatening to blast us once again, but suddenly get treated to the sun breaking through some cloud gaps in the distance. Soon though the clouds close in, and with it more hail........ time for home and some hot tea.

Happy dog on the beach.

A good trip lasting about three hours but only around 15 miles - its always slower with the dog - she wants to do dog things!

Flatholm in the dark!

Sorting Kit at Sully

Taran had this stupid idea - lets paddle to Flatholm at night! Yeh why not came the reply from at least three of us. Thus a friday night in the carpark by the 'Captains Wife' pub at Sully sees four of us fettling kit and sorting seakayaks and bemusing the locals poping to the pub. Both Taran and Stuart have excellent writeups and better pictures on their blogs so I wont bore with more details !

Taran in his element!

Stuart enjoying the night

Moonrise on Flatholm

The moonlight was superb on the paddle back.

The paddle out was a bit lumpy in a few places which was very surreal in the dark as you didn't really know what was coming. However once past Sully Island things flatten out and we made good progress under a cold and clear night sky.

We briefly landed on flatholm to have a quick leg stretch. Here we were treated to a superb moonrise. However time was pressing and a tide turning so it was time to head back under a rising moon - very atmospheric.

All in all and excellent evenings adventure with great company. Definately to be repeated!

Our route - stolen from Stuarts blog!

Back to 'Herberts'

Another dose of misery over the weekend with a return to the bottom of Ogof Gwynt yr Eira ('Herberts' is one of several names used for the site and relates to the nearby Herberts Quarries). Once again it was to carry a cyclinder for Martin Groves who has been making a determined effort to push the sump at the bottom of the cave. Martins wife, Krysia, once again joined in the fun and the three of us gradually descended to the bottom of the cave whilst desperately trying to avoid kicking rocks on top of each other (there is a lot of loose rock in this cave!). The fun factor was increased further by the addition of some large pieces of scrap metal in the form of old car brake discs - Martin had found a use for these as useful line belays in the silty floor of the flooded cave passage!

Martin emerging from the direction of the sump.....

.... with another bag of sand and mud!

Progress in this sump is slow. The body sized passage needs digging out which is done by Martin inserting himself feetfist and then getting into a postion to fill a sandbag, which is then dragged back out of the sump, through an airbell and back to base. The non divers then drag it bag and stash the dirt out of the way. Meanwhile all the diving is in zero visibilty - the helmet lights are completly useless underwater!

The hope has been the sump will soon surface, but alas its not looking promising. So far Martin has managed to push the sump for about 10-12m, but a return to air space is not looking too good at the moment.

So if a non-caver is reading this blog I guess the question is why???!!! The answer is in the desire to explore, to reach new cave. This site offers great potential, but its possition on a geological fault line is hindering that push into the fabled 'Llygad llwchwr' master cave. Llygad Llwchwr is the source of the Llwchwr river and is where the water in this cave goes. Between the two caves is five miles - potentially a massive undiscovered cave system!

At the top of pitch 2 of 'drop the Dead Donkey' piches.

Getting on and off this pitch involves trying not to dislodge too much loose rock.

Other cavers are looking to 'dig' at the bottom of the cave, but seem a bit adverse to SRT (single rope techniques) and have started putting in fixed ladders.

So at least one more dive in the sump remains, but if that doesn't go the question is where next? Anyway it was another great trip with good company - there is something about a good dose of misery!

Christmas eve and all at sea!

Christmas is kinda frustrating. For me a nice period off work, but limited in adventure potential by the demands of family and socializing!

Last Christmas tho' was pretty amazing - the snow and ice was still with us and Christmas day itself was blue skies and icy cold.

Pen y Fan, Christmas day 2010. Emily about to ski back down.

Alas this year somewhat different - mild, damp and very green...... However on Christmas eve I managed to trade in some of those family 'brownie points' for a seapaddle to Flatholm Island with paddling chums Taran and Stuart.

Stuart in festive spirit!

Our start was about an hour prior to low tide from Penarth seafront, with Stuart in festive attire! The day was forecast to be around F5 - 7 but fortunately it didn't get that rough, although the wind and a confused sea state did make sections of the crossing somewhat bouncy. There was also the added bonus of keeping an eye out for a random breaking wave side-swiping you! We aimed somewhat left of the Island and fortunately our guesstimate angling around tide, wind and seastate worked to see us hit the island.

Penarth seafront. Photo by Taran

On the paddle out.

Admiring big guns!

Taran as we leave Flatholm.

Once on Flatholm we had a bit of an amble around but on the island the wind chill definitely had more bite and we soon had the desire to get out and paddle to warm up again.

The tide was starting to turn to the flood so we aimed at Lavernock point and started our paddle back to Penarth. In the distance a large buoy always to our right until we get close and suddenly its on the left as the tidal current pushes us up the estuary. A last effort and a calmer sea state sees our arrival back on the muddy Penarth fore.

An excellent few hours spent in good company. It also shows the fabulous places and adventure that exist on our door step. Flatholm is only a few miles off shore but given the nature of the Bristol Channel and our weather, it's a trip that is foolish to underestimate.