Eight of us left WVH at 10am, and headed off to Heol y Cyw, (apparently the locals call it ‘Holy Cow’) not far from Bridgend for the start of our walk. The weather was very nice, warm, with the sun breaking through from time to time, as we arrived at the car park opposite the Plough Inn.
Turning right into Ffordd Rhaglan, then right along Heol y Felin, we began the steady assent that would take us to Ty Gwilym Farm and the Taff-Ely section of the Ridgeway Footpath. The weather was still pleasant, but with rain forecast I was glad we decided to tackle the steepest part of the walk first.
Thankfully the land had dried out a lot since Claire and I walked the route a week ago, and we completed the first part of the walk along Mynydd y Gaer in good time, stopping along the way to enjoy the views that extended from Cardiff to the east, and west to Porthcawl and the Gower Peninsular.
We continued to Warn Wen, and as the land flattened out, it was time for the team photo, with Lynne and I taking it in turns, as my attempt at a selfie was a complete disaster. The hillsides in the background are above the villages of Pontycymmer and Nant y Moel and includes parts of the Ogmore Forest to the east.
So far so good, we continued to Caner Bach Lodge, but now the sky’s were darkening and as forecast there was heavy rain shower coming our way, as a very dark cloud approached from the hills above Llangeinor, so time to get the waterproofs on, as drops of rain started to fall.
Plans for a lunch break whilst taking in the stunning views across the valley were cut short unfortunately due to the weather, so we continued along a steeply descending track towards Blackmill. Turning left we were climbing again and stopped once more to take in the views toward the Garw Valley, and with a mix of wind, rain and dark cloud, the view was impressive.
We had now reached Blaencrymlyn Farm, and turning right we began the descent along Heol Laethog to be greeted by more heavy rainfall, so time to shelter beneath the trees.
Continuing and turning left at Cefn Carfen Road, and another mile or so, we were back at Heol y Cyw, and the end of a very enjoyable walk.
Wick Wanderers 