|
BRECON BEACONS NATIONAL PARK
DISABLED ACCESS
Expedition Report
Compiled by
Laura Dowsett & Sarah Cooper.
Introduction.
Expedition Purpose/Aim:
Our aim is to assess the level of disabled access on our route through the Brecon Beacons; to
see if it is possible for someone confined to a wheelchair to carry out the same route that we
have and whether they could do this with ease. We will also make a note of any disabled
facilities on route.
The Route:
The Silver award stresses that we must cover a minimum walking distance of 48km/30 miles on expeditions.
So to comply with this requirement and because we are all raving mad our total route covers approximately
53km of mud, hills and sheep poo.
We aim to complete our short stroll in three days, also to meet expedition requirements. We will stop for
three nights; one of which will be a wild camp.
We have scheduled our expedition hike for the first half of the scouts annual summer camp. Our start date
for the hike is Thursday 27th July 2002 when we will depart at 10am and arrive at the finishing destination
on Saturday 27th July 2002 at 15.45, if all goes to plan. Original copies of the route cards will be included.
The Team:
Our team consists of six strapping young revellers who go by the names of Duncan, Andy, Leanne, Faye, Laura and
Sarah. We all have previous experience with hiking including the completion of a practice hike prior to this one
which went very well.
Expedition Log.
Note; Entries in italic are written by Laura, entries in bold are written by Sarah. The rest are by others
members of the team who are not contributing to this report.
Thursday 25.07.02 – Day One.
We went AROUND the forest today because there was no footpath to be found going through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And added 8km to our journey.
The good bit was we took off 4km at the start
(I thought this was the bit we weren’t going to tell anyone?) as we were running late because we were buying food
(think we bought too much??) (We bought about 10 cans of hotdogs in brine and about enough packets of super noodles
to feed the entire sheep population of Wales five times over.) As we went round the forest rather than through it though and added 8km on to our journey we only have to walk an extra 4km tomorrow.
After eating lunch we fed a horse in the field next to us. We then realised we had to go through the gate but all the
horses were there wanting more food so we couldn’t get through. After trying to find the path into the forest
(that wasn’t there) we made a group decision to round it. There was long, wet grass, puddles that I
swear were as deep as me (this is the bog we all sank in that will be mentioned shortly) and when we sat
down
for a rest Andy sat on a red ants nest!!! Not our best decision of the day.
When we arrived at the campsite it was getting dark. Apart from cooking and eating dinner we only left the tents if we really had to. All the midges came out after dark.
The first day wasn’t exactly what I’d call a success but it was fun and not at all boring!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
8.56pm
Today we hiked about 16k. We had to take a rather large detour because the forestry commission have hidden their footpaths with big trees. (Well, that’s our excuse for not finding the fp’s.) So after not going through the forest on that footpath, we are currently cooking dinner on the trangias; shouldn’t take too long. We have a choice of Chinese chow mien or chicken super noodles on the menu today.
My feet resemble shrimps after sinking in some bog, same bog mentioned earlier by Laura. The people camping next to us are also on a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, but they are more hardcore than us though as they are on their gold award. A very nice campsite complete with farm shop and toilets with not only toilet paper that does not have a sand paper effect on your backside, but mirrors too. They are real mirrors as well, none of this shiny silver plastic malarkey you get in Romford market public loos. Shock, shock, horror, horror. Snort. Sarah.
Leanne – Feet are killing, really don’t want to do the hike tomorrow! Help! Really hungry got to go; there’s something on my leg.
Andy – Hi ya, Andy here. Our little stroll turned into a fight for survival. Lol. I miss my bed and TV. The food was good, in fact it was sweet. Bye bye, Webby. 21.17
Leanne – And the food looks edible, wooo!
The food was edible. Faye is finally eating!! Shock, shock, horror, horror. It is a fight for survival where the
midges are concerned. Feels like there are over 1,000,000. (Probably is!)
There is a McDonalds in town; we know this because we found about a ton of McDonalds empty drinks cartons and other
rubbish on our route. There’s still hope!
A bee flew into Sarah’s ear and wouldn’t leave; it is nice and cosy inside. We think it may apply for residency.
SNORT SNORT, Laura. 9.46pm.
|
Duncan – Dingles, what a horrible day. Hills everywhere and hidden footpath, bloody forest. Still, we made it and had a lovely meal. Going to bed now because I’m knackered. Nighty night. Words of the evening; bushes bushes everywhere.
|
 |
|
ANOTHER REST
|
|
Friday 26.07.02 – Day Two.
Skipped out massive amount of route.(Another bit we agreed to not mention ever, ever again?)Slept half way up
a hill from a dry reservoir next to the sheep. I was glad I done it but I do prefer a campsite!! This for me this was
the most difficult day. We went past little waterfalls and then along the national trail, constantly up and down,
bag seemed to get heavier as the day went on.
Later on we played poohsticks across the bridge and wrote silly message on Marks car and Andy’s land rover.
– Discovered them in a forest car park, they must have taken the scouts out somewhere.We ate lunch with
more sheep and fought over the last chocolate bars.
Faye – Its Friday, we have finished our hike for the day and we are all cream crackered. He he. It was quite funny
today because we wrote all over marks car and the Land Rover. –That’ll teach em not to clean their cars more regularly!
– Snort. Also, Sarah pushed me down a hill into some sheep poo. That was NOT funny. – She fell! She was not
pushed, honest! Although, it was absolutely hilarious – I’ll get her back in the night, ha ha, have fear Sarah,
Fayzi’s here. I’m feeling much better today, but I still have a banging headache. BANG BANG. I think I’ve
got concussion from a few nights ago still! Leanne done a massive fart today when she was ‘playing’ around with Andy. He he. Love birds. – Editors note – Original log bog did include small diagram of love birds but unfortunately Microsoft word does not have this feature. SNORT. Fayzi.
P.s. KNICKERS IS IN FAN Y BIG.
Leanne’s putting grass in sooty’s (Laura’s) hair and she hasn’t even realised!
The tents are up now. It’s 8.15pm. Laura and me went to the loo in the trees and Nikki H. caught us mid flow whilst
she was taking the scouts on a small hike; I’m glad the scouts were a little way behind!! Was not at all funny for
either of us but it seemed to amuse everyone else for a considerable amount of time. Leanne is constantly asking everyone
if they are alright. Nikki H. is crazy; she is sleeping in a survival bag at the bottom of this massive hill. We’ve got
miles and miles to walk in the morning and we have to get up at half six! Andy and Leanne are going for the worlds
flirting championship. Tehe. We are surrounded by the lovely aroma of sheep poo. Constantly. Laura has returned from
scraping sheep poo off of her boots. Going to bed now. SNORT. Sarah.
Saturday 27.07.02 – Day Three.
 |
|
ANOTHER REST
|
|
Never, ever ever, even consider sleeping in a field in the middle of nowhere half way up a mountain,
EVEN if it is a matter of life or death. The most uncomfortable night of my life. Didn’t sleep. Sheep everywhere.
Poo everywhere. It rained as well, on purpose just because I don’t like rain. Getting up now. Snort. Sarah. -6.45am
(Saturdays have a 6.45 AM??!!)
|
We started at 8am today as we had to do the rest of the route we left out yesterday. We walked up Penn fan 886m high. After we came down from the hill the only way was to go back up again. We then went up Fan y big which was very, very steep, but it didn’t take that long to get up.
After that we were able to carry on with our normal route. All was downhill from there onwards. Across a river where we almost lost the map but no more hills!! We followed the canal into town until we reached our campsite. We couldn’t believe it, our campsite was a 5 star campsite!!!!!! If that was good enough, the lovely welsh people behind us saw us cooking our pot noodles and offered us their leftovers. They had cooked too much on their BBQ!!!
The hike at times I found very difficult but with such an upbeat atmosphere all the way I enjoyed every moment of
it.
Andy – Well after our very pleasant 22k walk, we finally arrived at our 5 star camp site. It is bliss. (Sweet.) Sour. Hot water, 5 showers, shaving mirrors and a lot more!
This site is excellent, mirrors, toilets, bog roll, showers, dog exercise area, recreational area, play ground,
plug sockets, microwave (not that we’d use it at all) washer, dryer, dish washing area, shops…..woooow.
(I don’t think Nikki and Mark realised it was this good when it was booked…they’d never have let us stay in such
luxurious grounds.)
|
Oh my God. I am in heaven. They have showers, hot ones. I stink after hiking today. I climbed up an 886m high
hill and very proud of myself. I’ve just thought; there are no bumps under our tent. I might actually sleep tonight.
HURRAY!! Snort. Laura. 9.38pm. (21.88 for Andy and Duncan)
Andy – We have found REALLY REALLY REALLY NICE people, they have cooked us food. These are really nice people. Andy
|
 |
|
ANOTHER REST
|
|
These really nice Welsh people just gave Andy a beer. (Not that he’d ever even consider drinking it after such
an important hike.) The nice Welsh people that did not give us food because we used our trangias like good explorers,
so we don’t have really tasty, yummy pork chops, chicken, melon, peach, apples, pasta, sauce or beer at all. Nope not
us….. SNORT! Sarah.
Leanne – I want to know what we did so I can do it again. For the first time I have eaten a proper meal.
(She must have finally mastered the art of cooking on trangias.) These people are so kind, they are
Denise, Jane, Brian and Ian. These people are one in a million. If I am nice I might have breakfast as well.
(Dunno what she means by this.)
 |
|
ANDY AND DUNKS TRY TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING
|
|
Faye – I can’t believe they didn’t wake me up last night, mwahhh ha ha haaaaaaaa, more for us!!! But
I don’t care because we are at the pub and we have to walk 0 more km. This morning Sarah chased me around the
campsite with a cold hotdog ( or cold dog) he he. I’m burning more and more and I hope I don’t get sunstroke.
There’s a guy that’s been talking to us for about four hours (Not that we’ve been in the pub for that long at all, ever.)
and he has a really cute dog and it has a tail. We are still on our first pub on our pub crawl and its 3.43 pm. Snort. Fayzi.
|
(In barely legible hand writing, obviously had one too many Laura writes:) Sarah feels drunk. Snoooooort. Laura. 3.45. snort, Laura.
Hunky Dunky – What a wonderful day, sun is out, it’s bloody hot, lovely, on my third coke (???!!!) feeling
fine and trying to get rid of my t-shirt and short lines. Words of the day; ‘Mad Munchies.’
WOOOOOOoooooooooooo Snort. Sarah. Snort snort. This pub is good. Andy and Leanne are very cosy. Laura has gone to the bus stop in search of business. Faye is erm, jus being fayzi really. It’s so hot today. Scorching. Snort. This pub is good. snort. Sarah. 4.45pm.
Leanne – Its so hot but its nice. (Little drawings of swirly things here.)
Andy – I like this pub, it is sweet. 16.44 (4.44pm) Andy.
Back in the Sarecens Head. Ordered food. It takes an hour!! Nooo! L I’m hungry. Leanne and Andy are
getting very close ; ) (wink) Food has started to arrive. Got to go! Snort, Sarah (It took her an hour
to write that?!!)
So, That’s the end of our hike. I think overall it went very well, not all to plan but we still all had
a good laugh and a fantastic time in the end. I still remember the expressions on everyone’s faces when we
reached our finishing destination, utter relief, happiness and a great feeling of accomplishment, not to
forget the sudden burst of energy when we discovered that what we was expecting to be a run down campsite
in the middle of nowhere, absolutely deserted without another living soul in sight, with no hot water and
toilet roll that has that sand paper effect I mentioned at the beginning, well it was actually a five star.
That was our reward. The rest of that night we were in bliss, we could take our boots off for the last time
and I went to sleep with a warming feeling, knowing that tomorrow did not entail a 16k hike through bog and
mud and eating cold dogs for every meal. I think we all slept well that night..
 |
|
ANOTHER REST!
|
| 
