Last week, I walked up Pen Y Fan with a group from Gorseinon college (now Gower College Swansea) in aid of two charities, those being Blood Bikes Wales and Healing The Wounds (click the charities to visit their websites for information, etc).
Anyway, I arrived a bit earlier than the group, simple reason being that I live a bit further up the valleys, and having a car, I didn't really see the point in driving from Pontardawe to go to Gorseinon, waiting for the minibus with the group, then going to Tycoch for those without kit to get kitted, and then go up the valley, basically via Pontardawe (or parallel to it if going up the Neath valley), and then repeat it all in reverse order. So, since I had a car and the appropriate kit, I arranged to meet them up there (this also gave me an extra hour in bed. So it was all win).
Now, thus far into the week it has been foggy everywhere. On the Tuesday, I drove from Pontardawe (covered in fog) up to Ystradgynlais to pick up my grandparents to take them to Gatwick airport. And Ystrad is 5 miles away, and it had the most glorious weather. It was weird. As I was driving into Ystalyfera, the fog suddenly disappeared. And on the way back, I saw it. It didn't move at all. This wall of fog was there, and suddenly engulfed everything. Like some portal or something.
Anyway... back to where I was. This fog business gave me a suspicion that it may be similar in the mountains, where it would be foggy on the low ground, but clear on the higher. I was hoping this would be the case, since I've only seen such things in photos or out of an airplane window.
So as I made my way via Penderyn and the A4059 (which is one of the best roads to drive on in the area... in clear weather!), I couldn't see a thing, which can be awkward, since there are cattle, horses and sheep roaming freely. At the car park, just down the road from the Storey Arms, I waited for the bus, and just watched some workers cutting down diseased trees and people coming in and out of the hillside fog, I took a photograph (below) showing the fog and the trees hiding Fan Fawr.
Shortly after this and a packet of crisps, the bus arrived and we headed up. There was nothing to see first of all, and most of the group hadn't been up Pen Y Fan before, so there were soon signs of impatience and the like, but myself and those who know what's ahead kept reassuring, hoping that it all wasn't going to be in vain. But eventually, the sun rays soon began to break through the wall of fog and faint shades were beginning to develop. Eventually, it could be seen ahead the slight outline of the hilltops, becoming intermittently apparent through the cloud. It finally broke up and we were just coming out and above the cloud line. Below shows the scene as Corn Du and the rest of the path came into view:
By this time, it was getting rather warm and one or two were starting to struggle, since this was basically something new. But we managed to keep ourselves going. The prospect of one of the summits being in sight and the views around us really did help things along. The fact that the path was well marked out and not steep was a bonus, too. It's just looooong...
So we reached the bottom-ish bit of Corn Du, which is the peak right next to Pen Y Fan. I can't really call it a peak, since Corn Du and Pen Y Fan both have flat summits (this is due to the hard rock that wasn't washed away by glaciers, unlike the soft rock, which once sat on top of the hard stuff). Since you can't really see Pen Y Fan until this point, some did wonder how far and how much more of a climb it is. But here, it could be seen that it's right next to it, and though Corn Du is something like a few yards shorter than Pen Y Fan, there is another bit of a descent, followed by a gradual ascent. Nothing Alpine at all... just a li'l col!
From the point shown in the photograph above (which is called Bwlch Y Gwynt, meaning Windy Pass), Pen Y Fan could clearly see (though it isn't actually in this photo... it's to the left/north-east... I was just showing the location of the point), and along with the adjacent Cribyn (with its distinctive feature protruding out over Llyn Cwm Llwch, meaning 'Lake of Dust Valley', probably also means 'deposit/dirt/stuff' as in... glacial leftovers. This is an educated guess on my part. So don't take my word as gospel) and Corn Du, they form the Fan Dance, which is an important stage in the British special forces selection process.
Anyway, they also form the Western end of a ridge, below, stretching from the Storey Arms to Talybont in the eastern end of the national park (this walk is highly recommended in good weather, though a decent fitness level is a good idea. Very nice pub at the other end, too. It's called the Star Inn in Aber, along the banks of the Brecon Canal). I'll have to post something about it when I go there next time!
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