A holiday in the Brecon Beacons - Wales (Part 2)

After settling in the cottage I took a wander over to the Talybont Reservoir.  A Stunning stretch of water approximately 318 acres long and surrounded by steep hills, forests and farmland.  On the left hand side of the of the reservoir is Talybont Forest with trails linking up to the Brinore Tramroad and the Taff Trail (both the Brinore Tramroad and the Taff Trail are great walks!).

The weather was perfect (for a change, as it had been pretty wet for the past few weeks).  The sun was poking through the clouds and standing at the foot of the reservoir provided the most Serene views.

It's moments like this that remind me how fortunate I am to live in the UK.  There are so many amazing locations, both picturesque and steeped in history.  One of the things I love about Wales, is the names of the towns and villages on the signposts.  We always have a bit of a giggle when we try to pronounce them...

Whilst taking the photograph of the sign (see above), I saw the sun cast its rays over the peak in the distance called Tor y Foel, which inspired me to set myself the challenge of walking up to the top the following day.  This would be the perfect way in which to get some well needed exercise and fresh air.

I returned to the cottage and settled down for the evening, preparing myself for the adventures that lay ahead.

The next morning rained and rained and rained and.... yup, you guessed it... rained.   I took a drive over to the nearest town (Brecon) and did a bit of grocery shopping and then made myself a spot of lunch.  The rain began to easy off, so I slipped into my walking boots and headed off up the grassy track, through the forest and up to the peak of Tor y Foel.

The walk officially starts from the signpost in the photograph.  A short wander along the road beside the reservoir and then turn right at the end onto the forest path.  After about 20 minutes of walking along the path, I reached a narrow track that headed uphill through the trees and was relatively straight forward to ascend.  Once out the other side the views were amazing.... 

and the top of the peak was now clearly visible ahead...

One thing for sure. when walking in Wales you are never far away from the local wildlife...

And finally I made it to the peak.  As you can see, the weather wasn't overly kind to me.  It was dark and blustery, but nonetheless a rewarding walk with some stunning (albeit misty) and invigorating views.

 

As I made my way back down towards the cottage, the weather began to brighten up again, providing a warm end to the journey.

 

 

 

 

A great afternoon walk and all that was left for the day was to enjoy a bowl of country vegetable soup, a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon and a good book.

To be continued......