Now, where exactly are you?

That's what Rich texted me last night when I was chilling at Elan Oaks campsite. I told him,  that I was just West of Rhayader and he still had no bloody clue.

To me and probably a lot of other hill walkers the space between the Brecon Beacons in South Wales and Snowdonia in North Wales is pretty much non existent. I've driven through this big area called Mid Wales a few times on my way to Snowdonia and every time I felt a bit lost. An endless undulating journey through  countless grey Welsh villages.

But there are places worth visiting if you dare to look for them. The prospect of two free days with Rich away on a boys weekend, made me look. Look at the map for some Welsh 2000s I have not yet climbed. And indeed I found five of them just East and West of said Rhayader.

Today I climbed the first two. Pitched in the rain at Elan Oaks campsite East of Rhayader Friday afternoon after a two and a half hour drive from Bristol.

Rhayader

A lazy overcast morning turned brighter as I took my time cooking breakfast. Headed into Rhayader first for a coffee and a wander around before heading back the same away and deeper into Elan Valley.

The place is a hidden gem. Ten minutes off the main A road you have hills rising left and right and rivers, reservoirs and dams in between.

It was overcast and muggy when I started my walk and heading slightly uphill in a broad path laid out with small slate chips, I already had sweat running down my back.
The path turned into a proper narrow grassy one half an hour later as I wound my way up a valley.

The scenery here is far from spectacular, but its barren absence of striking features bears a solemn dignity in its own.  This is a place for people who don't need to be entertained, who don't need the next thrill every five minutes. It's for those of us who like peace and quiet and nature in whatever shape it presents itself.

But places like this come with challenges still. The challenge of finding a/the path for instance. All too often you wander along a perfectly visible one, deep immersed in your own thoughts and all.of a sudden it's gone. You look back, yes there it is, you just came along it, you look forward and nothing. Just endless undulating hillside and grass.

Or you know you have to turn right, even your two GPS devices say so, but there surely is no path.  This is what happened to me an hour into the walk. Map said I'm in the right place, GPS said so,  reality didn't. Well, I went right (West actually) anyway labouring through endless knee deep grass with who knows what hidden by its green and yellow leaves. Oh and it was wet, too.
Keeping my eyes peeled all I could see were faint sheep's paths. Well better than wet grass, so I kept to those until I eventually saw what looked like a path well South of where it was on the map. Headed for it, stepped into a hidden hole, fell onto my knees, kept going. This stuff happens. Just doesnt look very elegant, haha.

On the path finally I was back on track for my first Welsh 2000 of the day: Drygarn Fawr. A steady breeze had set in, which was quite welcome and just after mid day I arrived at the top. Lengthy lunch break with views all the way to the Brecon Beacons. I could clearly make out Pen y Fan.

Drygarn with its two massive summit cairns in the distance

Distant Brecon Beacons

I could also see my next objective from here: Gorllwyn. Headed back down the nice path with boots and socks still wet from my grassy detour all the way to the main path and crossed straight over to head up to Gorllwyn. Map and GPS were absolutely certain that there was no path.  No. Yet there it was on the ground. Loosely following some wooden poles.

Great. Easy peasy,  I was loving this. And this was supposed to be the difficult part. Ha! Could already see the summit cairn to my right and bang... path gone. Like what the heck I was just on it a second ago. Screw it,  I freelanced to the top through crunchy bog. Gosh, don't wanna do this in the wet,  you'll sink in to your knees here.
Views at the top were... well, vast. There was just a lot of nothingness between anything of note in the distance. 

Time for the home stretch. Quick map check and I found a faint path heading into the right direction. Thank you, I'll take that.
I had already walked 17k, but still felt fresh. Saw a small llyn where the map showed a proper path again. Since I had just lost mine once more, I freelanced to it along some more sheep's paths, no problem.

And again nothing on the ground where the map said. Uh, well. Started walking into the general direction and eventually found something that could well be a path. Checked the map regularly just to make sure I was not following the wrong lead,  I eventually saw the valley and the river again from where I had started. Only had to circumvent a farm where the owner had decided that the path was not going through this time.

Made it back to the car around 4:30pm after having walked 22k today. Brilliant walk, but not for the beginner. I wouldn't want to do this in bad visibility or wet conditions. Had to keep my concentration up most of the time just to make sure I was headed the right way.
Back at the campsite at 5pm, I found it a lot busier. There's a party going on at one end,  luckily not at mine. I have a family with two young kids. Take that any time over party people.

Off to Radnor Forest tomorrow for another three Welsh 2000s... trail running this time!