A birthday in the Brecons

Birthday girl enjoying a knight in the Brecons (see what I did there)

Y'know, I've been a bod boy recently (hmmm) and have not eaten well, exercised little and done little in the way of adventure. The heat must have gotten to my head, it's been around 30C of late! SJ and I have binge bought a number or records but that's a different story.

So, let me go back a couple of weeks and blog about a birthday in the Brecons. This is starting to be a 'thing' as a few folk I know have spent their birthday in the Brecons. This birthday was SJ's and we wanted do something special. This birthday trip formed part of a long weekend and didn’t disappoint.

Dinas Castle ruins

We spent our first day battling big ascents and the bright shining sun, no joke it was getting on to be close to 30c. Our adventure began in the small village of Pengenffordd and was a walk up and down the Dragons Back. We scrambled over the ups and downs and reached (as near as damn it) Waun Fach, the highest point of the Black Mountains, which roughly translates as small moor in Welsh. Nothing small about this Peak, we felt the dragons heat and decided to turn back here rather than complete a circular route. We passed the Dinas Castle ruins during this trek too, which was nice. The nearby pub was great too - just had to drink excessive coke to cool down.

We stayed at the Plough and Harrow for 2 nights which was a very cosy little pub ran by Sue and her four-legged side kick Paddy. This pub hosted nice views, awesome food and a comfy bed. We might well return and spend another adventure here.

Day 2 was SJ’s birthday and what better way to spend the day than to climb Pen Y Fan. This was a tough climb but thankfully was much cooler than yesterday. Incredibly windy at the highest point in South Wales! This climb was interesting and I loved the way it had a twin summit, the second summit is called Corn Du and was formally referred to as Arthur’s Seat.

Spent the afternoon strolling around Brecon Town Centre. We ate and drank much and did a little shopping. The highlight of out shopping was purchasing the portrait of Judith the cow. This awesome painting cost less than £20 from a charity shop and was a way better painting than those selling for £100’s in the nearby shops.

Day 3 was a really easy day. We went to the Weir Garden, a National Trust property in Hereford. The walk here felt like it was over before it really began. The garden was real pretty and we were pleased we didn’t have to climb any massive ascents today.

Completed the birthday weekend by tank-busting and then going for a quick spin on my bike (Eleven) on the Sunday. Such a great weekend away with SJ, can’t wait until our next adventure! Meanwhile, I must try and muster up some motivation to eat well, cycle and run more and try not to let work get me down.