Sugarloaf and River Usk, Abergavenny - 16th December 2018

On a dark and damp December morning, Al and I arrived in Abergavenny a few yards from Abergavenny Castle. The plan today, 10 and a bit miles up the Sugarloaf and back again.

First the domestics. The car park near the castle is pay and display Monday to Saturday, and if I remember rightly cost about £4 for the day, but it does have contactless meters for card payments. Its free on Sundays. There are no end of pubs in Abergavenny Town Centre, so that covers liquid refreshments too. On to the walk. Link to the route here.

We set off past the Castle and down to Castle Meadows, following the footpath along the River Usk to the road bridge. Point of interest, there are sometimes cows in Castle Meadows, but they are relatively friendly and uninterested in people. 

We crossed the road at the bridge, picking up the riverside path through more pastures, this time sheep! After about 2 miles of following the river, we turned away towards the hamlet of Llanwenarth. There's nothing really of note there, except a church and some cottages. Before reaching the village, we turned right along the lane leading to the A40.

Usk River Bridge

Sugarloaf

We reached the A40, then we crossed the A40. (The A40 is the main road between Abergavenny and Brecon) After crossing we headed straight uphill, along a single track lane. It started so promisingly, and I thought I'd been clever with the navigation, using a road to climb to the Sugarloaf Plateau. I was wrong.

When we reached the first settlement of building along the lane, we had the shit scared out of us by the angriest sheepdog ever seen. It was locked in a Land Rover, and in its passion to get at us, actually headbutted the windscreen of the vehicle and cracked it! We did not hang around.

The next part of the climb was lung busting, proper pass out stuff. The terrain underfoot was great, but the incline of the hill just kept getting steeper and steeper. I fell behind Al by about 50 yards (he's taller, long legs and super fit) and had to stop every couple of minutes to breathe. This went on for about 45 minutes, but it did eventually end, and when it did, I scoffed jaffa cakes, lots of them!

The tarmac lane turned into a permitted byway and became a bit stodgy underfoot, but at least it was flatfish and easy to follow. Shortly after, the track headed downhill, across another track and towards a run down collection of farm buildings. This was the low of the day. A walled garden with a pack of dogs running loose and chopsy, that was clearly not fit for the animals, and an eyewatering stench. The place wasn't very inviting so we passed on through along the track and out the back of the compound. Shortly after we saw the corpse of a dead sheep, just there on the side of the entrance road to the farm compound, barely feet from the buildings (these things were reported to RSPCA on return home, but no action taken).

I am not good at this selfie stuff! Sugarloaf summit in the background.

With that horrible part of the walk out of the way, we soon reached the bottom of the valley we were to ascend to reach the top of the Sugarloaf. It would take us north and then swing east once we reached the plateau proper. It was still grey and getting a bit windy and I was still puffing out my ass!

Looking back South into the valley. Blorenge can be seen in the far background.

Sugarloaf summit, from way down!

Puffing from one's rear end!

I've walked this route up the Sugarloaf at least half a dozen times, and I swear each time gets tougher.  It is absolutely nothing to do with my getting older or expanding waist line. Nonetheless, it is enjoyable and fulfilling, and every time I summit Sugarloaf, I am no less amazed at the view. Each time varies with the conditions. This time, it was grey, drizzly and a bit moody (well it was winter), and the low lying cloud blocked all but the summits of the surrounding hills. The summit was windy and bitterly cold, so we didn't hang around. One selfie, then off back towards Abergavenny and the car.

Pretty clear route to the top!

Top of Skirrid Fawr

2 idiots at the summit!

I will no doubt be back uo the Sugarloaf again this year, but hopefully in much warmer weather. That said, I found a new love of winter walking. The quiet and atmosphere are something worth adventuring for, even if the going can be tough. Winter doesn't have to mean hibernation, just wrap up and carry on!