Climbing Sugar Loaf near Abergavenny.

[JohnP]

I feel cheated, for a couple of weeks I’ve been waiting for suitable weather to walk up to the top of Sugar Loaf near Abergavenny, the weather this morning was very nice when I left home at 7.45am… just a bit breezy but nice and sunny. After so many cloudy, rainy & misty days of late (no good for photography) I thought my luck was in and I would make the summit easily.  The summit of Sugar Loaf is 1,955 feet above sea level. The car park where I left my car is 990 feet so I had a climb of about 965 feet over a distance of just over 2 miles to reach the summit. When I got out of my car there was much more wind than when I left home, anyway I started my walk. As I got higher the wind grew stronger and stronger, this is not good I told myself. The last part of the walk to the summit gets much steeper and rocky and I was having quite a job to keep my balance in the now very strong northerly wind. I already have problems with my balance due to contracting viral labyrinthitis nearly 10 years ago, the virus has almost destroyed the balance mechanism in my left ear. It finally became far too windy for me to continue and I very reluctantly had to turn back before reaching the summit, before starting to walk back down I looked at my GPS to see how high I had reached, the reading was 1,899 feet… just 56 feet short of the summit, of course that’s vertical so I guess I would have had another 200-250 feet of walking to do. I couldn’t help turning round and looking back when walking down to my car, several times I thought about going back for another go but sense prevailed. Sugar Loaf will still be there another day, who knows if I’d gone back to try again I could have fallen and I might not have been around to try again. I am treating this as a scouting trip and I will make sure there are calm conditions over the country next time.

 

 

 

This was the last picture I took before turning around and heading down, I actually got just past those two larger boulders right of centre about one third down from top of shot.

 

 

Canon EOS 60D, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L USM

[Denis]

Well you gave it a good shot John.

 

Nothing worse that going a fair way to look at something or take a picture and the conditions are not in your favour. As you said, it will be there another day. The view around the area from the summit must be something to behold.

 

We shall just have to wait for you to get there again eh? 

[bugmeister]

Those are some fabulous views just from the climb, and I bet it's fabulous from the top in this weather.

 

However, I do think you were right to turn back, another day will be even better and a damn sight safer!

[JohnP]

Thanks Denis & Bugs. I have got quite a few shots and when I've gone through them all I'll post some of them. It was a lovely walk, I just wish it hadn't been so windy... still better than staring out of the window at home though.

[ChrisLumix]

I love the first shot - that summit looks so near and yet (probably) so far.

 

Did you see a red dog running free? If you did, he's mine.

[JohnP]

 

 

Did you see a red dog running free? If you did, he's mine.

 

I didn't see anyone, I was the only one daft enough to be up there in such windy conditions... no dogs... just sheep.

[ChrisLumix]

I didn't see anyone, I was the only one daft enough to be up there in such windy conditions... no dogs... just sheep.

 

Ah, you missed my reference! Marty Wilde's "Abergavenny" (somehow appropriate here..) : 

 

 

Taking a trip up to Abergavenny

Hoping the weather is fine

If you should see a red dog running free

Well, you know he's mine

 

A chase in the hills up to Abergavenny

I've got to get there and fast

If you can't go

Then I promise to show you a photograph

[Kobione]

John I love any shots of 'high country', because we live in such a 'level space'. You were sensible in giving the walk away in the conditions, but these pictures make me want to get out there and head for the summit!! Nice  

 

PS: one of the things that fascinates me is that your 'high country' is totally different from over here. I'll have to troll the archives and see what I can find.

[NannyFerret]

Well done, John. It gets cold when you get up those Welsh mountains and the wind is far worse.
I went to peg some washing out today and it was freezing, so you were sensible to stop when you did.
Lovely pictures anyway, so your journey wasn't in vain.

[annie]

john, you be careful, looks very remote. i can see what is driving you though, looks a fantastic place.