It’s taken me a few days to get around to writing this. Partly because I’ve been very busy most evenings; partly because I am still suffering with poor broadband upload speeds.
April came and soon passed. We’re suddenly in to May and it’s almost as if summer is moments away.
A walk beginning at Castle Combe in Wiltshire and led by Bristol-based Brunel Walking Group.
It had been about a year since my previous walk beginning at Castle Combe. Which also happened to be a walk led by Matt B. from Brunel Walking Group.
This isn’t a part of Wiltshire I visit very often, although I’ve completed several solo walks within the locality. Given the opportunity for the ‘annual’ return and to walk with others, I decided to get involved and attend.
This was the first group walk of 2018 that I’d attended. Part of my inspiration for that was in the fact that we’d be heading to the Black Mountains in Wales… Although, technically, we’d also be passing through the Brecon Beacons National Park.
It was the first time that Sarah would be leading a walk by herself. She was one of three other participants (along with myself) who spent the weekend in the Brecon Beacons back in November, as part of a walk leading and navigational training exercise.
My most ‘challenging’ walk-leading experience to date! Up on the Black Mountains of Wales, knee-deep in snow with winds of up to 40mph blasting us from the north-west.
Precisely one year to the date of when I first did this walk on my own, I’d arranged to lead the walking group around the same course, in the run-up to Christmas.
Heavy snow had breached the heights of South Wales one week earlier… My only concern that morning was the risk of icy roads and winds up to 40mph… All the snow would be gone by now, right?
Walks With Olly 