Author Topic: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)  (Read 1504 times)

clyoung

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TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« on: 20:36:02, 12/11/17 »
Just over three years ago I set myself the challenge of completing all the Nuttalls in the Brecon Beacons - last weekend I finally did it! And my sons (aged 15 and 11) completed the Hewitts, having missed the odd Nuttall along the way.

My sons and I planned to visit Craig Gwaun Taf and Cribyn using the Beacons Horseshoe route from the reservoirs. The weather forecast promised a fine, if chilly, afternoon but we'd barely left the car park before we had to don waterproofs.






The cloud never really came down though, so route finding was easy, especially as there was a string of other people going the same way. Along Graig Fan Ddu and Craig Gwaun Taf we had rain, hail, sleet and a couple of beautiful rainbows when the sun came out.



As I was completing the Nuttalls as well as the Hewitts, I got one of my sons to take my photo on the little rocky outcrop on Craig Gwaun Taf. It wasn't considered a Nuttall when I first set myself this challenge - let's hope no others get added now we think we've finished!



The wind was pretty fierce at this point and my youngest decided he didn't fancy Corn Du. We've been there before (more than once for some of us) so after a brief stop for warming soup or hot chocolate and a bite to eat we headed straight for Pen y Fan. Thankfully by this time the sun was well and truly out.



While it was, as always, busy, we didn't have to queue for summit photos and we had fantastic views, including of yet another rainbow.








There's a big drop before you ascend Cribyn and my legs turned to jelly as we started the steep climb. It took me an age to catch up with the boys at the summit but we'd done it.



Thankfully after that it was all pretty much downhill back to the car, as with nightfall looming we decided to skip Fan y Big too. The sun set while we were walking but there was a full moon and our eyes adjusted. We may have missed the odd nail or two of the horseshoe but it was a fitting finale to our challenge. You can see the route here.

« Last Edit: 20:40:42, 12/11/17 by clyoung »

sussamb

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #1 on: 21:29:27, 12/11/17 »
Nice TR on one of my favourite routes, and well done on completing your challenge  O0
Where there's a will ...

clyoung

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #2 on: 21:31:38, 12/11/17 »
Nice TR on one of my favourite routes, and well done on completing your challenge  O0


Thanks

adalard

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #3 on: 08:25:37, 13/11/17 »
Enjoyed the TR and the photos are great.  O0




Ridge

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #4 on: 09:38:59, 13/11/17 »
Great stuff, congratulations to all of you.  O0

Annejacko

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #5 on: 15:59:56, 13/11/17 »
Well to you and your boys on completing the challenge O0
Enjoy every sandwich

phil1960

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #6 on: 17:23:25, 13/11/17 »
Firstly well done, welcome to the club although I stopped peak bagging myself soon after completing them and also those in mid Wales. Oddly enough, although I tend to avoid the central beacons these days, I did the full horseshoe myself last Friday with just a few people about now that the summer crowds have gone. The revamped path from the reservoir up to Craig Fan Ddu is so much better than the horrible bog fest it used to be, there was even someone who was wild camping by the trig point. An alternative to the trek up Cribyn is take the goat path around the north face, it’s fun, then up the short but very steep snout to the top.
Touching from a distance, further all the time.

clyoung

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #7 on: 23:09:20, 13/11/17 »
Enjoyed the TR and the photos are great.  O0


Thanks.

clyoung

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #8 on: 23:09:55, 13/11/17 »
Great stuff, congratulations to all of you.  O0


Thanks.

clyoung

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Re: TR - Beacons Horseshoe (minus the odd nail)
« Reply #9 on: 23:24:20, 13/11/17 »
Firstly well done, welcome to the club although I stopped peak bagging myself soon after completing them and also those in mid Wales. Oddly enough, although I tend to avoid the central beacons these days, I did the full horseshoe myself last Friday with just a few people about now that the summer crowds have gone. The revamped path from the reservoir up to Craig Fan Ddu is so much better than the horrible bog fest it used to be, there was even someone who was wild camping by the trig point. An alternative to the trek up Cribyn is take the goat path around the north face, it’s fun, then up the short but very steep snout to the top.


Thanks. Yes, I'm thinking I don't want to keep up the peak bagging, it just becomes a pressure on something that's meant to be fun. Though I am quite keen to try walking in all the Welsh mountain ranges, just to see what they're like, but not to do every last peak.


The path up to Craig Fan Ddu is good, not that we'd experienced what it was like before the work was done.  At some point I fancy parking at Cwm Gwdi, meandering round to Cwm Sere before heading up the north ridge of Cribyn, going across to Pen y Fan and back to the car down Cefn Cwm Llwch.

 

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