Eat Sleep Wild
Routes Recipes and Wild Experiences from the West Coast of Scotland
An off piste route up Pen y Fan via Cwm Crew, an isolated glacial valley with loads of geological interest and very few people. Don’t let the distance fool you – the round trip is less than seven miles but the going can be arduous making for a challenging but supremely rewarding day out. Here’s …
Since my trip to the Cambrian Mountains a couple years ago, I’ve always wanted to go back to explore more of this “Green Desert of Wales”. It may not have the high drama of the Brecon Beacons or Snowdonia (the Cambrian Mountains are mainly rounded hills of grass-covered sandstone and mudstone, verses the older and …
A tale of Type 2 fun and many, many learning moments, told from the cozy Grwyne Fawr bothy in the Brecon Beacons. Following a few very successful bothy trips, including Scotland’s four star Magoo’s, the remote Tarf Hotel, and Nant Syddion bothy in mid-Wales, I’d caught the bug. There aren’t many bothy bagging opportunities this …
The Llanbedr Horseshoe is a classic ridge walk in the Black Mountains, the easternmost hill range in the Brecon Beacons. With over 16 miles in length and almost 1000 meters of ascent, this walk makes for an exhilarating day out and a highly rewarding challenge, particularly on a beautiful day. After a steep climb at …
A few highlights from a February walk around Pen Cerrig-calch and Table Mountain inspired by the Cicerone guide’s Walking on the Brecon Beacons book (Walk 40). A little outing for some micro-navigation practice and a bit of rock study turned quickly into a day of mostly Type II fun. Cold weather and heavy wind made …
This trip report is from a winter wild camping trip to the Plynlimon range of the Cambrian Mountains. The area is known by some as the ‘Green Desert of Wales’, so-called for its lack of roads and towns. As I found for myself, this part of Wales feels like a truly undiscovered country. No doubt …
It was mid-November, and I had planned these few days off well in advance. It had been weeks since my last outdoor adventure, so I was eager to get back out. The forecast promised a mix of rain and cold, with snow on the horizon and more to come. With daylight fading by 4:30pm, around …
This wild camping trip in the Carneddau area of Snowdonia was inspired by the “Hut Among The Hills” chapter in Wilderness Weekends by Phoebe Smith. Her book details a relatively low level circuit with a one night stay in Dulyn bothy. We adapted it into a two night trip taking in some of the major peaks of …
The Bochlwyd Horseshoe is a challenging all-day scrambling adventure around the Glyderau region of Snowdonia. The route includes four popular scrambles: Tryfan North Ridge, Tryfan South Ridge, Bristly Ridge and Y Gribin. I had the immense fun of completing the Bochlwyd Horseshoe with Andrew and our dog Lucky on a sweltering August Bank Holiday weekend. …
The Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons are a terrific place for wild camping. These are not to be confused with the Black Mountain (singular) on the easternmost side of the National Park (you can read my other post on wild camping on the Black Mountain for that). The Black Mountains form the northeastern part …
This post highlights a circular walk via Fan y Big, including a wild camping option. For more great walks like this, check out Cicerone’s book of 45 Circular Walks in the Brecon Beacons. Fan y Big may not be the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons – in fact it was recently downgraded to a …
We’ve been looking for some straightforward outings that enable us to grab a slice of wilderness at short notice without excessive planning or time off work. Our recent one night wild camping excursion in the Berwyn Mountains proved just the ticket. The Berwyn Mountain range is an isolated range in northeast Wales just outside of …
Cadair Idris has been on my hit list for a few years. Knowing it’s one of the most popular summits in Snowdonia, I’ve been saving it for a weekday, when I happened to be free, and when the weather promised great views. I finally got the chance this July, which happens also to be my …
The Rhinogs (also known in Welsh by the plurals Rhinogydd or Rhinogau) are a mountain range in Snowdonia, known for the rugged and wild terrain. It’s far less popular than other areas of Snowdonia such as Snowdon, the Glyderau, and Carneddau, and so a great place to truly get away from it all (particularly on …
I’ve just returned from an incredible (and way too short) cycle tour of Wales. In four days I covered just over 100 miles from Chepstow to the Elan Valley following various branches of the wonderful National Cycle Route the whole way. The distance is a testament to the challenge – there are hills a plenty …
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]This post includes highlights and route details from a sensational walking and wild camping trip around the Black Mountain range in the Brecon Beacons. PLEASE NOTE: this post is about the Black Mountain near Carmarthen on the far western side of the Brecon Beacons National Park, NOT the easterly Black Mountains south of Hay on …
I went to Wales last weekend to do some camping and walking in Brecon Beacons National Park. Camping and walking I did, as well as a bit of thinking, but not about life, the future, and other deep things I thought I’d have headspace for. Instead, I kept my head in the trip, looking at …
