Set to go!

This will be the final post before the walk, sorry its not a pretty one!

Team is finalised 9 of us will be attempting the challenge. Lyndon, Leon, Kevin, Claire, Trish, Fred, Steve, Craig and Adam.
The Minibus is booked and we have a very kind driver and supporter in Kevin Stevens.

We will be leaving for Scotland on Friday 14th at 1pm and starting the challenge at approx 5pm on Saturday 15th, We will finish in the Pen-y-Pass carpark of Snowden around 5pm on Sunday... or hopefully before!

Wish us good luck, and if you havn't already please sponsor us!

Team AB

Update

Hi All, Sorry its been a bit quiet on here. Time for an update.

Team News

The Team is shaping up nicely with members gained and members lost. Unfortunately Mark and Fred have had to drop out of the team but they are still walking with us on the training walks and Mark may even join us for the Snowden leg of the challenge yet. The two of them wont be aloud to escape whatever we plan to do next time though that's for sure!

Over the next few weeks i will be posting some Q+A sessions from the team members so we all get to know them a little better!

Sponsorship Update

The team are now in possession of sponsorship forms so if you would like to help us reach our goal of £1000 please see one of the team and sponsor us.
You may also have noticed that the top of the Blog has a new Just Giving link, this link will take you to our on-line page for donations, you can pay by debit card or Pay-Pal and the money goes directly to Wales Air Ambulance + the gift aid, so this really is an easy way to help us out , This link is A good way for our ABUS colleagues to donate too ;-).

We currently already have £500 pledged on our forms alone, so to be half way to our target already is fantastic, Please visit the Wales Air Ambulance page to see exactly why this service is so important to us.

Thank you to everyone for your support.

Brinore Tramway and Trefil Quarry

It was a springlike Saturday morning when Adam, Lyndon, Steve and Trish all met up in Talybont on Usk for the latest training walk.The sun was beaming down from blue skies but there was still that bitter easterly wing that has gripped the UK for weeks now keeping snow atop the highest Welsh peaks.
Today was supposed to be a beautiful walk up Pen-y-Fan and around the ridges, but it was far to dangerous to attempt due to snow and ice. Lyndon had suggested a nice walk he'd ventured on over the Easter break that was over lower levels with less treacherous slopes.

The Brinore Tramroad runs for 8 miles (13 km) from Talybont-on-Usk to Trefil, within the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales. It was operational between 1815 and 1865 and linked the Tredegar iron works and Trefil limestone quarries to the Monmouth & Brecon canal at Talybont. Its route passes through the dramatic and scenic valleys of Talybont and Dyffryn Crawnon before reaching the uplands of Trefil mountain where it meets the closed Trefil Quarry.

Starting the trek from the canal the team had walked previously in Talybont village we joined the tramway and followed the trail which was still adored for the most part by the original stones that held the sections of tram track back in 1815-1865 when it was used to link the iron works with the quarry that was our destination.

The walk was a steady upwards climb through forest and commonland, the views around were stunning on such a clear day, at various points we had views of the Brecon Beacons, The Black mountains, Usk Reservoir and the Quarry itself.

Due to the cold weather many of the waterfalls and streams we passed had been turned into beautiful sculptures of icicles.

We reached the Quarry after 2 hours of walking, It was a very quiet desolate landscape caught  somewhere between man-made and natural, the hard landscaping and slag heaps being slowly taken back by nature. Perhaps its strange vistas are why a number of TV shows have been made here in recent years including Doctor Who, Merlin and the movie Wrath of the Titans.

The walk back took us out and over the Usk Reservoir where we bumped into a group of mountain bikers and a few fellow walkers, after a few pleasantries and directions were shared we descended  back downwards to the canal again. A stunning walk i cant wait to do again.

Total time 5 hours, Distance walked 14 miles.

Full photo gallery click here

Return to (the Snowy) Bluff!

Saturday the 16 March 2013 saw five employees decide to return to the bluff - four weeks after the first hike. Adam T-R, Lyndon, Fred, Mark and Steve Mans all met on a rather chilly morning at 8am ready for the long hike. I'd posted this one as a medium difficulty 4-5 hour walk and in truth thats exactly what it was... although I'll say medium was an average  some parts tough, some parts easy.. read on!

Due to the steady rain and snow that had fallen throughout the week the decision was made to stick to the road for most of the walk from AndersonBrecon to the common, we were making great pace and took a little off-road footpath through the fields, as we reached the common it was clear that there was a little white stuff atop Hay Bluff. 

The short sharp ascent of the bluff was made all the more tricky as the snow underfoot was freshly fallen and slippery - but not for Fred, who was pushing the pace at the front all the way up.

We were fortunate to have a beautiful clear day and the views from the top were stunning, the green grass of the Wye valley offset by the three inches of snow underfoot made for some great vistas.

We stopped for a quick photo at the Bluffs cairn and decided to conquer the Twmpa today as well, so Fred took the lead once again and guided us  off the bluff through the stunning Gospel pass, the valley looked beautiful in the morning sunlight!

The Twmpa (locally known as Lord Hereford's Knob!) climb was slow and steady and a great chance to enjoy the surroundings, we all congratulated ourselves atop the cairn and planned our return route, it was decided to descend into Llanigon and follow the road back to the factory.

A great walk was had and we all felt the strain at the end, 12.9 miles averaging 3.4 Miles per hour is perfect pace for the three peak challenge.

Full photo album here

Brecon Canal Walk

By Gemma Lewis

Last Saturday 02 March, saw 8 employees meet again for another session of training for the Three Peaks Challenge.  Lyndon Phillips, Fred Strickland, Trish Summerfield, Steve Mansfield, Dave Hine, Mark Ayling and Gemma Lewis who hope to complete the challenge in June were joined by Craig Price and Julian Stockton who came along for the walk.

They met on a rather chilly morning at Brecon Theatre just after 8am and started on their trek along the canal.  With the intention of walking for 2 hours and then turning back the group were soon making an excellent pace of just over 3 miles an hour and buoyed on by the arrival of sunny weather decided to walk into the town of Talybont-on-Usk (approximately 7 miles from Brecon).

A very picturesque and flat walk took the group past many canal boats (some of which were in use), mini waterfalls and an array of wildlife. Unfortunately the group arrived in Talybont too early to obtain refreshments from the local pub but after a short break the group turned around and headed back towards Brecon. With the sun shining down on them the group made it back to base, taking a few photographs on the way.  Apart from a few sore and aching feet it had been a successful walk with the group maintaining a constant pace for over 4 hours.

Total miles – 13.5

Time taken – 4 ¼ hours

Mastering the Bluff

Hay Bluff (left) and The Twmpa (right) at dawn on 16th Feb.

Hay Bluff.. Many of us who work at AndersonBrecon have heard of it, seen it and quite a few have climbed it. But as a small group we gathered in the factory car park at 8am on Saturday 16th February, seven of us (Adam T-R, Lyndon P, Mark A, Fred S, Steve Mans, David H and Gemma L) who plan to tackle the Three Peaks were today joined by two more walkers, Deb W and Rita W. Deb and Rita are also planning on taking on a walking challenge in June called the WAAT4 challenge (http://www.waat4.co.uk/), this challenge involves a 30k walk up and around the Brecon Beacons including a climb of Pen-Y-Fan. This challenge also raises money for The Wales Air Ambulance. The girls wanted to get some training in, so what better way than to train together.

Fred was the designated navigator for todays challenge and briskly set the pace as we set off down Brecon Road towards the start of the world famous Offas Dyke Path which we would follow for most of this walk by looking for the little acorn symbol and following the point of the arrow to the next style or way point.

The start of the hike was mostly flat as we covered the fields below Hay and Cusop with relative ease, lots of friendly chatter and a few introductions between staff who had never had an opportunity to meet before. The weather was kind to us once again as the sun began to dance in and out of the low clouds. But after about 2 miles we hit a boggy, steep and slippy hill that raised the heart-rate and lowered the conversation rate in equal measure!

The killer bog-hill!

After a lovely stroll across the common we reached the little carpark at the base of The Bluff, while we re-grouped a few sneaky snacks were digested, and one even managed a sneaky cup of tea! We then tackled the foot of the Bluff, For many this was quite a task, except Fred aka 'The Mountain Goat!' but with much determination and encouragement the team made it to the peak of The Bluff, and in pretty good time too!

Hay Bluff

We decided at this point to make the walk a circular one, and Mark took over navigational duties to offer an alternative route down the mountain, using the OS map he'd brought along!, the descent was wonderfully steep and we had stunning views of the surrounding hills. Alot of the return walk was on roads, which is pretty hard going on the feet and ankles - but we've got to harden up I suppose!

We returned to the Factory car park at 12.30pm, 

Total time 4 hours 20 mins, total distance walked 10.49 miles.

Well done everyone.

Full gallery Click here

What is the Three Peaks Challenge?

A few times since setting up the blog i have been asked 'What is the three peaks challenge?' or 'who runs the three peaks challenge' etc so i thought it best to write a post on the history and give a bit more information on what the actual challenge involves.

The National Three peaks challenge at its heart is an event in which an individual or team attempt to climb the  highest mountain in Scotland (Ben Nevis), England (Scafell Pike) and Wales (Snowdon), usually within 24 hours including driving time. 
Overall it is approximately 23 miles of walking and over 10'000 feet of climb with 11 hours of driving.
A common mistake is that people think they are the three highest peaks in the UK, but there are over a hundred peaks higher than Scafell pike in Scotland and over 56 peaks higher than Snowdon.
There is no 'official' Three peaks challenge and nobody really knows who first attempted to see if they could do it in under 24 hours but 'the challenge' is now attempted by more than 30'000 teams and individuals each year!
Some people complete this challenge in 24 hours; others prefer a more leisurely alternative, taking two or more days to complete. It does not have to be completed in 24 hours neither does it have to be attempted in June.

Timings.

As we are attempting the 24 hour challenge, an approximate timing for the challenge looks like this.

5pm - Start Ben Nevis (5 hours walking)
10pm - Finish Ben Nevis and begin drive to Scafell Pike (6 hour drive)
4am - Start Scafell Pike (4 hours walking)
8am - Finish Scafell Pike and begin drive to Snowdon (5 hour drive)
1pm - Start climbing Snowdon (4 hours waking)
5pm - Finish Snowdon - complete.

Total time 24 hours exactly. (not a lot of room for error!)

The Mountains.

Ben Nevis

Ben Nevis, the highest of the three peaks at 1344 metres (4409 ft), has one main path.Unlike Snowdon and Scafell Pike, the path to Ben Nevis starts close to sea level, meaning much greater vertical ascent.Popularly known as The Pony Track, this route is 10.5 miles long, 17km, up and down, and includes 1352 metres of ascent.

Scafell Pike

While Scafell Pike has several paths, most Three Peaks Challengers will begin at Wasdale Head, to the North of Wast Water.The Wasdale Head route is six miles long, up and down, and includes 989 metres of ascent.

Snowdon

While Snowdon has many paths with varying difficulty, most Three Peaks Challengers will follow either the Pyg Track or Miners Track, leaving from the Pen-y-Pass car park, on the A4086.

The Pyg track includes a distance of 7 miles, 11km, up and down, and an ascent of 723 metres.The Miner's Track also ascends 723 metres, and is 8 miles, 13km, up and down.

And So it Begins!

Its Saturday the 2nd of February, its 9am, we're stood at the highest natural point in southern UK, its well below freezing, snow and ice is being whipped up from the ground by the powerful Welsh winds.Pen y Fan, 886 meters(2,907 ft) above sea level.A handful of AndersonBrecon employees of all ages, job titles and fitness levels stand almost alone at the peak.

About 4 weeks ago I (Adam) was approached by Lyndon asking if i'd be interested in doing something special for charity, intrigued,I asked for more information. It turned out that Lyndon was looking for a team of staff from AB to possibly complete the UK Three Peaks Challenge in June 2013 to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance.
The Three Peaks Challenge involves climbing the three highest peaks in England (Scafell Pike), Wales (Snowdon) and Scotland (Ben Nevis) usually within 24 hours.
We have had about 20 names come forward to do the challenge at present all with widely varying fitness levels and backgrounds, but all with a personal reason for wanting to take up one of the toughest challenges in the UK. Over the coming weeks I'll be asking them to share the reasons for this blog.

So, four weeks later we decide to test our fitness levels and start the training (We have only got just over four months after all!), We chose an ascent of Pen-y-Fan; A: as it was close to where we live, and B: its somewhere i expect we'll spend a lot of time training over the coming weeks so lets get familiar with it!

At 8am (and about -1°C)) seven of us met in the surprisingly quiet Story Arms car-park-Adam T-R, Mark A, Lyndon P, Craig W, Steve Mans, Vince R and Fred S. With a chill in the air and a spring in our boots we headed for the path, The skies were blue and cloud free (for now), we took the Pont ar Daf path as this is thought to be the easier path. The path was pretty icy on the way up and still very quiet, id say we passed less than a dozen people coming down, at about 600m we reached the snow level, which was only a couple of inches deep but frozen over and pretty slippery. We made it to the summit of Pen-y-Fan in about 1 hour, which was actually quite an achievement for a few of us, some because it was the first time they'd been to the top (myself included) and some because it had been harder than they thought it would. Unfortunately the clouds had rolled in and the views didn't stretch much beyond 10m. Pleased with our time we decided to head onwards to the next peak along, The Cribyn.

Getting off the summit was a bit dicey as the winds were howling and the steep trail down was very snow-covered, cloudy and slippery, but the team did well assisting and talking each other down. We then had a beautiful walk with a nice challenging scramble up the Cribyn where we were presented with stunning views of the Wye valley in one direction and all the way to the Bristol channel in the other. 

After walking the Craig Cwm Cynwyn to meet 'The Roman Road' that gracefully cuts through the mountain range we decided to head back. We took the Gwaun Perfedd route from here almost to the peak of Pen-y-Fan then cut back across towards Corn Du. Corn Du was by now bustling with climbers of all experience up here for a stroll. The descent was filled with jubilant chat between us about what to do next, what our kit was like, reasons for doing the challenge.. spirits were definitely high. 

We got stopped near the bottom by a rather frail looking 70 year old man on his ascent, he had set himself the challenge of climbing the mountain that day. Even though it looked like it would be a real struggle for him, he had a steely, determined look in his eyes, we warned him of the icy paths and the snow and wished him farewell.I hope he made it to the top because although he may not be walking the same distance we may be in a few months, to him it was a Challenge, as this will be to all of us.
A physical, personal challenge to overcome.
Full album click here.