First trip of 2024 – Brecon, Wales.

Our first trip of 2024 and packing the Van for the first trip of any year always surprises us. Over the winter months, most camping things come out of the Van as we use her as our daily driver, and driving around additional kit when not needed must impact the fuel economy! We had to load the Van from scratch, and we both had brain fog about what to pack as usual. We knew we wouldn’t need, outside chairs and the outdoor Cadac!

We loaded the Van with the Porta-Potty, Hookup cable, water carrier, clothes, walking poles and some bits of food. Anything we missed will be added to our newly created Amberly packing list for next time. Owing to a recent dietary change for us both (Plant-based + whole foods), the two emergency Pot Noodles were removed from the Van and replaced with Nuts and Seeds.

Heading to Wales from Hampshire is not the most thrilling drive, 90 miles along the M4 until you cross the Severn Bridge and reach the outskirts of Newport. Then, North via Raglan (and its magnificent castle), Abergavenny, Crickhowell, and finally to our destination, Brecon.

The Caravan and Motorhome, Brecon Beacons Club Campsite

As the UK and Welsh weather in March can be mixed (i.e. wet), we picked the Brecon Beacons Club Campsite site as it ticked the things we like for such an early trip, hard-standing as I don’t want to attempt to get off a wet, muddy grass pitch and decent facilities to get a good warm shower after any walks! Many think Club sites like Brecon can be a little authoritarian, but we’ve never had any issues and always had good stays.

Arrival was efficient even during the heavy downpour; we didn’t have to leave the van, as a very wet warden took our booking details, handed us a card for the entrance barrier and a site map, instructed us to find a pitch, and then asked us to tell the reception team the pitch number later, once the rain had stopped.

It’s a large site with 134 pitches, 106 of which are hard-standing. We quickly found a pitch as far away from the A40 dual carriageway that passes the site. The A40 isn’t a hugely busy road, and the noise wasn’t as bad as we feared. However, we were pleased to choose a pitch away from the road as we did hear the occasional lorry thundering past.

The rain stopped a few minutes after we arrived, and we popped the roof and hooked up the power. Our weather apps seemed to show that the worst of the weather had passed, so we decided to walk into Brecon. On the way out of the site, we checked out the facilities (just as we expected: clean and warm) and visited the friendly reception to advise them of our pitch number, and to get some walking directions to Brecon.

Late afternoon stroll to Brecon

Brecon, located in Powys, mid-Wales, is a charming market town known for its rich history, picturesque landscapes, and vibrant cultural scene. It serves as an ideal base for exploring the Brecon Beacons National Park. To reach it from the campsite, there’s a lovely walk along the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal, commonly referred to as the ‘Mon and Brec’—but you do have to cross two dual carriageways to reach the towpath. Thankfully, they were not very busy, and some kind drivers stopped to let us cross.

It’s a pleasant 2-mile walk into Brecon when down on the towpath. The canal footpath was well maintained and wide enough to cycle if you wanted, and the late golden sun warmed us there and back.

Once in Brecon, we enjoyed a good coffee in the Coffee Box before picking up some food from the local Aldi to cook that evening (Mushroom Stroganoff) and tomorrow (Vegetable Curry). One lesson we learned is that uncooked lentils should not be used in a van; they get everywhere when you open a packet, no matter how careful you are. I am sure we will find them randomly in the Van for the rest of the year.

After dinner, we were treated to a spectacular view of the stars and a cloud-covered moon.

It felt good to be out in the Van again.

Saturday is Hiking day!

Is there a better feeling than feeling the rising sun’s warmth against your van pop-top? It was a cold night, and even though we left the diesel heater on 17c, we still had to reach for the second set of our Voited blankets overnight.

After breakfast, I made some plant-based cheese and sourdough sandwiches, and we packed some fruits/nuts and water for the long hike to Fan Y Big. (No giggling at the back!!)

Fan y Big is a prominent peak in the Brecon Beacons National Park in southern Powys, Wales. It stands at an elevation of 716.6 meters (2,351 feet) and is often hiked as part of the Horseshoe Walk, which involves traversing the four prominent peaks in the Brecon Beacons. The name “Fan y Big” translates to ‘point of the peak’ in Welsh, possibly referring to its distinctive pointed shape when viewed from certain angles.

The start of our planned hike was around 2 miles from the campsite. We walked down the canal towpath again (the other direction this time) before walking some quiet roads to the village of Llanfrynach. There’s one pub in the village, but according to our research, it is currently closed, so there would be no Pint at the end of the hike!

We planned to climb Cefn Cyff (500m) and Fan Y Big (719m) and then hike the ridge line back to Llanfrynach. It was an ambitious first hike of the year, but we thought it was within our capability.

We started from Llanfrynach around 09:30, and it wasn’t long before we put on our full waterproofs as the rain began. The weather report had said it might be dry for the morning, but it was Wales, and we came prepared. The initial part of the walk was lovely, along a river and across some pasture fields. However, it wasn’t long before we stood before Cefn Cyff, the start of the climb. It was a tough climb; we both found we were more out of condition than we hoped.

As we climbed the initial part of the route, we found some lovely views behind us with Kites circling above; however, the low clouds in front of us were more worrying. We clambered over wet, boggy ground, thankful for our walking poles, which kept us from sliding on many occasions.

We encountered a couple of other wet walkers. One group stopped to ask for a photo of their group. They were on a Spanish Hen/Stag weekend in fancy dress, including silver trousers, sequined tops, and a flamenco dress. Thankfully, most of that was under or over their waterproofs!

The weather worsened as we continued higher. The wind increased, with some concerning gusts, delivering icy rain into our faces. It was difficult to see, as we both wore spectacles, removing mine did improve things a little, but it was getting colder with every step.

We’d reached Fan Y Big halfway along the planned route but started to feel a little unsafe. The wind chill was causing our fingers to cramp, visibility was worsening, and we were both starting to feel the cold more. We decided to return the way we came rather than press on and potentially become a burden to any mountain rescue teams!

Once we’d descended beneath the clouds again, the rain and wind eased, and we started to feel better. Sheltering near some rocks, we ate to help fuel us down the path. There was still a long walk back to the campsite, but we were soon pumping our arms to get some warmth back into our hands. Despite cutting our hike short, we felt satisfied completing 14 miles and conquering a 700m ascent.

Back at the campsite, we savoured a refreshing, warm (not quite hot enough) shower that helped ease our weary muscles before returning to the comfort of the Van for the evening. I prepared dinner whilst Louise enjoyed her book and a glass of wine. We slept well that night but had to carefully descend the ladders from the roof bed on Sunday morning due to our aching legs and backs! The heated seats helped ease our back pain while we drove home.

Our weekend was over, but it was a successful first trip. We explored some of the Brecon National Park, and everything in the Van worked as expected.

We also found that we only forgot to pack scissors and a toilet roll.

Nothing important then…..