An ambitious circular walk near the Forest of Dean, heading up to May Hill and following snippets of the Gloucestershire Way.
Thursday 24th June 2021
I was on the road and heading up to Shropshire for a long weekend away – my first “holiday” (I refuse to use that term) since September, when I went all the way to Yorkshire for a week. I’d decided to stop off close to the Forest of Dean… To be honest, I wasn’t quite sure whether I was in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire or Monmouthshire at any particular point… But my goal was to head for May Hill.
Continue reading “A Long Walk to May Hill”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?
From later October 2017: my second attempt at the Cat’s Back ridge in the Welsh Black Mountains. Climbing to Hay Bluff before crossing the Olchon Valley.
It’s with great coincidence in the timing of this post, that I come to write about my repeat of what was my first walk in the Black Mountains of South Wales.
You’ll read about that another day. Tracing back to the end of October and this wasn’t just a return visit; it was an opportunity for a YouTube meetup with Mark from Wye Explorer.
Almost one year before this walk, I embarked (solo) on my first ever adventure in the Malvern Hills of Worcestershire. On that day of sixteen-miles, I conquered all of the peaks in the southern half of the hill range.
But it wasn’t until this walk (led by Jenny of Brunel 20s and 30s) that I would finally climb Worcestershire Beacon; the highest point along this ridge.
Walks With Olly 