Methyr Tydfil to Craig y Lyn

Based on the Ordnance Survey map and the gpx file I had downloaded onto my GPS the Coed Morgannwg Way should start at a Bike Park near Methyr Tydfil. I say "should" as there were no signs or waymarks to indicate the start of a long distance footpath, none of the white footprints on a brown background that are said to define the trail. Nevertheless, on a Sunday morning the Bike Park was full of people on muddy mountain bikes, milling around, and there was a cafe where I bought some bottled water to replace the bottle I accidentally left in the car. (I could have taken the train to Methyr and walked to the start of the trail from there, but my kind, long suffering wife dropped me off (minus a water bottle).

I soon left the lycra  - clad bikers to their extreme paths and followed the direction indicated by my map and GPS (the two closely followed each other). After a short section of farm track they lead me over a stile and then my troubles began. I think it unlikely that the person who defined this section of the Coed Morgannwg Way on the map ever actually set foot on the ground. If they had done so, they would have realised that while it may be "open access" land, across which you can legally roam freely, in the event, dense woodland, brambles and fences actually means you cannot. I zig zagged across the ground attempting to find passable routes in the general direction indicated by the map. This resulted in me retracing my steps several times as I found paths, little and larger that I could follow, and stiles across fences.. Even public footpaths on the map seemed to have limited reality on the ground, all without signs, many long overgrown, blocked by fallen trees and apparently little used. Some of those paths that I followed seemed to me more used by animals or motor bikes than walkers. Eventually (to the sound of nearby clay pigeon shooting) I reached a track weaving back and forth under an electricity line that was easy to follow. According to the map the Coed Morgannwg Way exactly follows an electricity line;  maybe whoever defined it mistook the electricity line symbol (a dashed line) for a path (also a dashed line). It may be that the map was very vague in its marking and that I missed the correct route, so maybe I will return, try again, be successful and update this blog.

Blocked path

The next bit of the route through the Gethin woods was a little easier, muddy in places, with deep ruts left by vehicles, but not too surprising for a November day. It was not raining, which was a blessing and the last yellow leaves of Autumn were falling from the trees. But I should have kept a closer eye on the GPS as, distracted by a bunch of motor bikers on scrambling bikes, I missed a turn and was forced to retrace my steps. Following the GPS route too slavishly was also an issue, leading me down motor cycle tracks that may or may not have been the correct route, but which finally lead me to the edge of the modern housing at Cwmbach and my very first Coed Morgannwg waymarks                     ( mysteriously mutated to a black footprint on a white background). I topped up with water and a plougman's roll at the local Petrol station and headed on into Aberdare briefly following the Aberdare canal, a historical remnant from the days of coal mining and iron works. Leaving the Victorian terraced houses and more modern ones behind I followed the route along an old abandoned railway line, past dog walkers and children in prams to the Dare Valley Country park. The O.S. map here shows the Coed Morgannwg Way diagonally crossing a field which showed no evidence of any path. However, I was beginning to realise that the route on the O.S. map marked by green diamonds was joining up some sparsely spaced (and poorly positioned) points, and was not necessarily following the intended footpaths and tracks which were somewhere nearby. So much for the accuracy of the Ordnance Survey! On the plus side the Country Park had a cafe with coffee and chocolate cake. There is also a hotel and campsite, however, I was planning to camp further on.

First sight of Coed Morgannwg waymark

Aberdare Canal

Leaving the visitor centre I headed up the hillside to Craig Pen-rhiw-llech, a dramatic feature that appears to be a corrie carved by some ancient glacier at the end of the last ice age. There were some great views back across Abderdare and Cwmbach to where I had crossed the ridge from Methyr. At the top I found my first stone marker for the Coed Morgannwg Way; a square block of rock with a black footprint on it. Discouragingly, there was also a notice saying that a variety of footpaths were closed.

I dislike these notices and in particular this one as it had no map and it would have taken a lengthy period to work out from grid references, on a map flapping in the wind, where it referred to. Even when such signs have maps they are generally black and white, and very difficult to work out what they refer to. In addition it is not helpful on an "A to B" walk to find when you have just climbed a big mountain that the path ahead is closed. I did what any sensible hiker does and ignored this bit of legal obfuscation.

Stone Coed Morgannwg Way marker with notice of footpath closures (somewhere)

I now crossed a section of rough moorland, past a reservoir and then passed my first wind turbines, giant beasts that dominate the landscape.  The next major milestone was reaching the main A4061 road. The path should have restarted just across the road, and maybe it once did, but now it was rough ground and the ghost of a track had holes full of water and sphagnum moss that your legs would suddenly disappear into. I had once damaged my knee in such a landscape and, not wishing a second arthroscopy, I decide to find another route. Two possibilities: either head north up the road to where a bridle path was marked (a route recommended in one book) or following the cycle path beside the route heading south. I chose the latter as it avoided walking on the road in the gathering gloom. It shortly headed west in the right direction, but first it passed the security office for a project that seemed to involve installing more wind turbines. I tried to sneak past as I was not sure they would be happy with me camping out, possibly in their windfarm, and as nightfall was rapidly approaching there was little else I could do, heading into an area populated only by trees and wind turbines. However the lights went on, the barrier went up and the guard looked out of the window. Fortunately he just waved, I waved back and hurried on my way.

View across the escarpment as distant villages put their lights on

A few kilometres later and I was back on the Coed Morgannwg Way somewhere above the lake of Llyn Fach. I knew this because of my GPS, but it was now, at 5:30 p.m., too dark to see anything but the orange lights of Hirwaun down in the valley. Reaching for my head torch I pushed into the fir trees and found a patch on the pine needles large enough for my small tent. By 8:30 pm I was asleep.

Campsite

Update: I returned on a wet and muddy day in December to try and find out if and where my navigating was in error. First error - I had started at the wrong place, I found a Coed Morgannwg Waymark at the bridge over the A470 a little way North East of the Bike park, although the indicated bridle way just led up the the Bike path so not much of an error. More seriously I struggled to find a better way between the Bike Park and the electricity pylons. I tried following good tracks (which I took to be the public bridleways marked on the map) to the North East of the route indicated on the Ordnance Survey map, and succeeded in finding two good alternatives, but I had to ignore signs saying "Keep Out" warning of old coal mine workings. There was clearly no risk if you kept to the tracks and the many signs seemed an over reaction, but you cannot ignore such warnings. This is a pity as this route went past a short path leading to a 16th century blast furnace.

16th Century Blast furnace

I did however find a better route as you approach Cwmbach and Aberdare, discovering two more waymarks, hiding in the bushes. This more correct route avoids the slippery motor bike paths through the trees I followed before. I have given a link to the corrected route in the gps file I refer to in the Overview post.

Finally, I checked the bridle path route at Craig y Lyn, which gives better views than the one I took previously via the windfarm security office (at least I think so it was lost in drizzle when I walked the section). It does however mean a 200 metre walk along a busy road or over very rough grass next to it. The bridle path starts close to a car park, where there was an assemblage of crosses and flowers commemorating dead Mums and Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas. A curious sight with a great view.

Typical muddy track, made more muddy by motor bikes

Collection of crosses by car park near Craig y Lyn