There were only 4 participants for this walk led by Val, which entailed driving to Brecon then getting the bus to the Storey Arms, to walk the 8½ miles via the old drovers’ road and the Taff Trail back to Brecon.

The settled warm sunny conditions, which arguably had become too hot for walking by the afternoon, were a bonus, rarely to be relied upon in the Brecon Beacons.

The route is mainly downhill, and had us walking variously on stony paths, tarmacked lanes and drives, on fields, and through woods full of bluebells. Ewes with new-born lambs were still evident in the fields, and a highlight was a farmer bringing his cows with their baby calves to gambol about in the fields for the first time this year.

Two of our contingent, keen bird watchers, had identified either by sight or by song, many species by the end of the walk. These included both a buzzard and red kite sharing a thermal, meadow pipit and sky lark, whitethroat, as
well as many more common species, and there was particular joy at seeing a whinchat, now normally considered an upland species.

There were extended upland views throughout, including of the iconic outline of Pen-y-Fan, the highest peak in southern Britain, and nearby Corn Du. Lunch was taken sitting by the waterfall at Pont Rhyd-Goch.

VEM