A
Ac
Guest
Another nice Saturday.... a linear walk (well it was a
proposed linear one!) today.
Started from Brynmawr. Parked the car outside my mate's
house which is on the Blaenavon road and walked across the
way to the bottom of the hill. Past a farm and then onto the
hill proper. No definite tracks but a clear way to the top
of Milfran (for anyone following this on a map) I am not
very good reading maps as it goes and was surprised that our
route is more to the left of us than I expected. In the
distance I can see what looks like a double tracked fence
resembling a race course! My mate Al and I head towards it
(and Cefn Coch) and discuss what it might be. We reckon it
is the proposed site of the Windfarm for this area. The
fence goes goes for as far as the eye can see and we follow
to the side of it - the track has obviously been churned up
by 2 & 4 fourwheeled machines *sigh* Sure enough within 20
mins of walking the noise of 3 motor cross bikes are heard
from behind us. As they pass I am quite surprised that the
riders are all in their 40ts or 50ts! Normally I would
expect it to be youngsters? Also with a track this wide the
other blot on the landscape - a burn out car - I reckoned we
missed Cefn Coch as the track headed away from this side of
the mountain and as the mountain starts to go downward a
little we decide to leap the fences and head for Coity. The
mountain if I am honest is rather featureless - although the
views behind show the Beacons up well and to the South are
good views of the coast. Neither of us have gps - and
wouldn't know how to use it anyway - so finding the highest
part of the Coity is done by eye and guesswork - no cairns
or trig points here boyo! We both head towards what looks
like a little tump and sure enough there is a sheepbone
stuck on the mound - someone else thinks this is it aswell
we reckon! From this point some of the south coastal views
are lost but to the North, East and West there are expansive
views. To the West Mynydd James and Coity are separated by
the Cwmtillery valley but we head off southerly towards
Mynydd Farteg Fawr for a better view of the coast. I see
Llanwern Steel works most days - I work there! but today it
is at a nice distance! We then head back towards our
destination, Abertillery, which is south of the Cwmtillery
valley. We pass the heads of 2 small valleys - one which
years ago had a rifle range at the top of it. As a youngster
living in Abertillery I used to tramp over the mountain and
camp in this small valley - we called it Bobby's Helmet
because of the strange helmut shaped dome nestling in the
valley - this was probably something to do with the range?
There are a few old air shaft sites here as well. We find a
opening in the long fence and shortly the town of
Abertillery comes into view. Below us is Gelli Grug a place
I know well - I was born in a small house here many moons
ago! We find a small nook in the mountain on our decent and
we sit down to have a break - I have a cup of tea from my
flask (a stainless tell Alladin 1litre) and Al opens his
bottle of mineral water. I point out the venue where I went
to see the band Mountain (anyone remember them?) a month or
so ago.We both decide that it was not a great walk although
it was good to get out and exercise and are grateful that it
didn't rain. I phone my wife and tell her to pick us up in
30 minutes from the town and we head down through the houses
to be picked up - I take a walk past the house I was born in
nearly 46 years ago which was quite nice. We have now
covered the 3 mountains in our local area so it's time we go
up the beacons again!
proposed linear one!) today.
Started from Brynmawr. Parked the car outside my mate's
house which is on the Blaenavon road and walked across the
way to the bottom of the hill. Past a farm and then onto the
hill proper. No definite tracks but a clear way to the top
of Milfran (for anyone following this on a map) I am not
very good reading maps as it goes and was surprised that our
route is more to the left of us than I expected. In the
distance I can see what looks like a double tracked fence
resembling a race course! My mate Al and I head towards it
(and Cefn Coch) and discuss what it might be. We reckon it
is the proposed site of the Windfarm for this area. The
fence goes goes for as far as the eye can see and we follow
to the side of it - the track has obviously been churned up
by 2 & 4 fourwheeled machines *sigh* Sure enough within 20
mins of walking the noise of 3 motor cross bikes are heard
from behind us. As they pass I am quite surprised that the
riders are all in their 40ts or 50ts! Normally I would
expect it to be youngsters? Also with a track this wide the
other blot on the landscape - a burn out car - I reckoned we
missed Cefn Coch as the track headed away from this side of
the mountain and as the mountain starts to go downward a
little we decide to leap the fences and head for Coity. The
mountain if I am honest is rather featureless - although the
views behind show the Beacons up well and to the South are
good views of the coast. Neither of us have gps - and
wouldn't know how to use it anyway - so finding the highest
part of the Coity is done by eye and guesswork - no cairns
or trig points here boyo! We both head towards what looks
like a little tump and sure enough there is a sheepbone
stuck on the mound - someone else thinks this is it aswell
we reckon! From this point some of the south coastal views
are lost but to the North, East and West there are expansive
views. To the West Mynydd James and Coity are separated by
the Cwmtillery valley but we head off southerly towards
Mynydd Farteg Fawr for a better view of the coast. I see
Llanwern Steel works most days - I work there! but today it
is at a nice distance! We then head back towards our
destination, Abertillery, which is south of the Cwmtillery
valley. We pass the heads of 2 small valleys - one which
years ago had a rifle range at the top of it. As a youngster
living in Abertillery I used to tramp over the mountain and
camp in this small valley - we called it Bobby's Helmet
because of the strange helmut shaped dome nestling in the
valley - this was probably something to do with the range?
There are a few old air shaft sites here as well. We find a
opening in the long fence and shortly the town of
Abertillery comes into view. Below us is Gelli Grug a place
I know well - I was born in a small house here many moons
ago! We find a small nook in the mountain on our decent and
we sit down to have a break - I have a cup of tea from my
flask (a stainless tell Alladin 1litre) and Al opens his
bottle of mineral water. I point out the venue where I went
to see the band Mountain (anyone remember them?) a month or
so ago.We both decide that it was not a great walk although
it was good to get out and exercise and are grateful that it
didn't rain. I phone my wife and tell her to pick us up in
30 minutes from the town and we head down through the houses
to be picked up - I take a walk past the house I was born in
nearly 46 years ago which was quite nice. We have now
covered the 3 mountains in our local area so it's time we go
up the beacons again!
