South Wales Traverse

Hi All,

I have waded through the existing forum material on the South Wales Traverse (not a huge amount on here) but as I'm looking to make an attempt next year I thought I'd a) advertise the fact that I'd like to give it a go late-May/early-June 2016 in case anyone else fancies it and b) start soliciting opinion on start times, route choices, funny/cautionary anecdotes etc. Many of my esteemed club mates from the mighty MDC have suffered through the round but I've not heard much about it from those outside the club. So if you fancy a pop at what is disparagingly referred to as 'the easy Welsh round' or if you have any pearls of wisdom to dispense, let's hear it!

Thanks,

Ed

When I attempted it with Toffer, we selected a 9pm start time, the thinking being that a 20 hour schedule would have us at the pub in Llanthony in time for a nice early evening pint before heading home. This also meant that we would be at Storey Arms for an early breakfast stop.
Everything worked well up to that point although casting around for the summit of Fan Frynach at 3 am caused a fair bit of cursing!
Unfortunately, we made it no further than Storey Arms due to an accident of physiology!!
To be honest, I think the only significant bit of route choice is whether to stay high or drop to the valley lane for the Pyrgad section.
Definitely go early in the summer season before bracken/nettles take over the lower sections.
Keep me in mind if you need pacers for any sections. Not sure I have it in me to do the whole thing these days!

Thanks Wheeze. Myself and Carwyn 'Caz the Hat' Phillips have set a date for 14th/15th May next year which fits into our schedules and will hopefully be early enough to beat the heat and the bracken.

Ed,
l'd like to have a crack at this with you so long as you're happy with me tagging along.

Dave Austin may be able to help you out with some route advice or assistance. I dont know if he hangs around on here but Wheeze may able to PM you some contact details. His blog link is below.

[URL="http://dna100.blogspot.co.uk"[/URL]

Dave & Wheeze, sorry if Ive dropped you in it !

Paul

Oooeerr, looks like we might have a Forum event! Dave is Madman or summat like that.

Chepstow Harriers' Dave Austin? He races a bit doesn't he, if I see him I'll ask. First official long training run on Saturday, hoping it'll go well!

Yeh, I'll support. :-)

Good lad! Found a decent line through the woods to Blaen y Cwm this morning - not as many scratches as when I did it with you and Marcus…. Waun Fach and Pen y Gadair Fawr have been totally ruined by the new stone paths though, grr!

If Caz is there, I'm sure I will be - if only making the tea. I had planned to do it with Caz in early 2014 but then I fell apart!

Great - so Andy, Caz and I in for the full stretch with Chris J and Gary D as pacers, Moley and/or Derek T as road support. If I manage it at all it'll be on a 22 hr schedule at best I expect so I hope that suits you OK Andy?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ed D

Great - so Andy, Caz and I in for the full stretch with Chris J and Gary D as pacers, Moley and/or Derek T as road support. If I manage it at all it'll be on a 22 hr schedule at best I expect so I hope that suits you OK Andy?

---

Sounds good to me Ed. I spoke to Dave Austin, who was also at Llanthony, who said he'd be happy to advise and pace a few legs. Matthew Lawson would also like to join in for the full Traverse.

I'd be up for something. What schedule are you setting?

Not sure yet Wheeze, but my instinct is to do the Beacons/road section in the dark because it's the easiest to nav (having said that I haven't recce'd the section through the quarries yet).

Andy I hadn't seen your reply on here when we were at Llanthony, if I had done I'd have had a chat about it. Should be a good laugh with the 4 of us, I know Caz will keep us smiling through the pain!

All being well if I'm there and mobile, I shall certainly want to do the last leg with Caz (and others), once he's slowed down! I helped pace his last legs on his Paddy and Meiri rounds so don't want to miss another Welsh round.

Resurecting an old thread for my first post here!
I'm considering a West to East SWT on 4th/5th September, mainly solo and I've got road support covered. I'm thinking approx 22 hour schedule.

I'd love it if anyone fancied joining the night legs (Fforest Fwar and Brecon Beacon sections), mainly for safety: to fend off the sheep monsters or to pull me out of a bog.

Any interest or suggestions etc?

I'm guessing gruffT didn't get any help with this.....sorry!

BUT Helen Brown has taken over an hour off the women's record, coming in at 18:48:45.
Read about it here (it's a Facebook thingie, but you should be able to read it....)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dave_Mole

BUT Helen Brown has taken over an hour off the women's record, coming in at 18:48:45.
Read about it here (it's a Facebook thingie, but you should be able to read it....)

---

An interesting account . . . although it's not like Helen to miss out on the overall record. :p

Great read...

Damian Hall set off on a SWT record attempt this morning.
Tracker is here: http://live.opentracking.co.uk/swt20dh/

His tracker seems to have stopped tracking at Fan Nedd, nearly 2hrs ago.

Its just jumped, in a straight line, to The Storey Arms!

NOw across the A470. I imagine the straight line will fill in at some point.

A bit of background reading: https://www.inov-8.com/blog/damian-h...ales-traverse/

7h25 mons in and heading up onto the black mountains. Been around most of these on the 2018 OMM, only over the last section which seemed pretty quick.

In getting to the bottom of the black mountains he's taken a route through Glanusk park not marked with rights of way on the OS map - I assume this is open parkland (like e.g. Chatsworth house parkland), which isn't marked as open access or right of way but is access is permissive.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ba-ba

In getting to the bottom of the black mountains he's taken a route through Glanusk park not marked with rights of way on the OS map - I assume this is open parkland (like e.g. Chatsworth house parkland), which isn't marked as open access or right of way but is access is permissive.

---

I noticed that, and was wondering if he had engaged in a bit of quiet trespassing.

I was also wondering why the originator of the SWT hadn't gone over Mynydd Llangynidr and Mynydd Llangatwg, which would have greatly reduced the amount of road running in Dyffryn Crawnon and the Usk valley: go straight down from Mynydd Llangatwg to Crickhowell bridge, and straight up the other side.

Just seen on FB that he has beaten the record by 5 minutes. Frustratingly, the tracker gave up a mile from the finish, when a new record looked possible but not certain.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by PeteS

A bit of background reading: https://www.inov-8.com/blog/damian-h...ales-traverse/

---

Spot the deliberate error in the photograph caption :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gej

Spot the deliberate error in the photograph caption :)

---

But it's correct two photos down from there.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by gej

Spot the deliberate error in the photograph caption :)

---

Yeah. Its a long way from Broken Hill to Coffs Harbour!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by anthonykay

I noticed that, and was wondering if he had engaged in a bit of quiet trespassing.

---

I seem to recall that when Yiannis and Rob Woodall did the run they contacted Glanusk and had permission to run through. A matter of courtesy I suppose.

The WFRA are trying to update their records on the SWT: if you've completed it, or know someone who has can you either post names and times on here or PM me with the deatils and I'll pass them along?

Many thanks.