Great escape: Cambrian Mountains Jayne Leach and family enjoy a long-awaited reunion in this beautiful Welsh region
After months apart in the lockdowns, Jayne Leach and family enjoy a reunion in the Welsh mountains
Sitting quietly in the early evening sun watching my grandchildren run free, their infectious laughter filling the air, my son Marcus and his wife Kim chatting next to me, I was reminded that this is what family time is all about. Part of me was saddened to think we had been deprived of this over the past year, although that feeling was far outweighed by the sheer pleasure of seeing most of the family together again.
Despite being born and raised a stone’s throw from the beautiful Cambrian Mountains in mid-wales, it had been some years since I last went back to explore old stomping grounds, or indeed seek out new adventures in a region that holds a special place in my heart.
Planning a caravan trip
So when we were given the opportunity to borrow a caravan, to allow us to give the lifestyle a go, it didn’t take long to accept the offer. Although, given the impact of the pandemic, it took a while longer than we had hoped to finally make our plans a reality.
Setting off on a caravan holiday would be a new experience for John, my husband, and me. Until quite recently we had a 4x4 overland vehicle in Africa, and would spend several weeks each year exploring some far-flung corners of Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi.
However, circumstances meant we had to sell our beloved Ellie back in 2019. Although our passion for travel and exploring the world has never diminished, it just had to be channelled differently to accommodate the way the world (and our relative freedom to move about in it) has changed in recent months.
For now that means we have been rediscovering places closer to home, either on our own or meeting up with Marcus, Kim and their children, Harrison and Dorothy, during their many touring adventures.
Green desert
Situated between the Brecon Beacons and Snowdonia, two of the three great National Parks in Wales, the Cambrian Mountains are often overlooked for their more illustrious neighbours, which is no bad thing, in my opinion – it helps to maintain that sense of solitude from the rest of the world.
The fact that there’s little infrastructure running through the heart of the region adds to the feeling that once there, you pretty much have the place to yourself. However, don’t let that put you off, because there are several towns surrounding what’s known as the ‘green desert of Wales’, offering great bases from which to explore this beautiful part of the world.
Our base for the week was to be the quaint but quite perfect Disserth Caravan & Camping Park, in a lovely setting on the banks of the River Ithon, a tributary to the Wye, which ensured we drifted off to sleep each night listening to the gentle babbling waters.
Given that we are used to wild camping, I must admit I was a little concerned about the site being too
busy, but in fact it was just the right size to give it a bit of energy, plenty of space for the children to play in, and generous pitches as well.
It was novel and refreshing to have the freedom of our pick-up vehicle to head off in for a day’s exploring, without having to break camp, as was the case with Ellie. And explore we certainly did.
It’s fair to say that we are, and always have been, an adventurous family, preferring to explore roads, tracks and trails less travelled, rather than sticking to the busier tourist attractions and routes.
So it was hardly surprising that each day as we set off into the mountains, the pick-up would be loaded with bikes, an inflatable kayak, stand-up paddle board and enough walking equipment to start a shop!
While the kayak and paddle board won the hearts of the children, personally, it was the bike rides that, from an activity point of view, brought me the most joy, superseded by the happiness of seeing the family getting back together again.
Off-road adventures
I must admit I was a bit sceptical when I first bought an ebike – some years ago now – but I quickly grew to love the freedom it gave me in opening up so many more roads and routes than I would otherwise have ridden on a normal bike.
Given Marcus’s sense of adventure and enthusiasm for off-road riding, it was inevitable that I would swap my touring bike for an e-mountain bike at some point, which I did at the start of the pandemic last year. That decision opened up a world of two-wheeled adventures. It’s already given me some truly amazing experiences, but none quite like the one Marcus, my five-year-old grandson Harrison and I shared on this trip.
Waterside trails
Marcus had taken me to Claerwen Reservoir early one morning, with the promise of an amazing gravel ride along the water’s edge. Given how brilliant that was, it quickly sparked the idea to come back later in the day and bring Harrison with us.
As the three of us set off that evening, Harrison chatting away, I couldn’t have imagined we would be blessed with such an incredible few hours deep in the mountains, an experience I will cherish for years.
I have always believed there are moments in life when we simply have to stop what we are doing and marvel at the sheer beauty of the natural world, and so, as we reached the brow of a gentle rise up from the water’s edge, the three of us ceased pedalling, awestruck by the view in front of us.
The setting sun had turned the sky a kaleidoscope of colours, the shimmering waters reflecting the peachy sky while the gravel track snaked off invitingly into the distance. One of those moments you wished would last forever, but sadly couldn’t – not if we wanted to make it back to the campsite before it got dark.
Marcus and I have been coming to this area for many years, but the trip was a first for my stepdaughter and
| SEPTEMBER 2021
her family, who joined us on the tour. I’ve always loved sharing travels and destinations with people for the first time, watching their wonder as they take in all that’s before them, and it was no different now.
Not least as we stood high above the northern tip of Llyn Brianne Reservoir, looking down the length of this vast stretch of water, its steep banks awash with hues of green from the thick forest.
When you are familiar with a place and have seen the views many times, it’s easy to forget the impact they can have on those seeing them for the first time – a good reminder never to take places we cherish for granted.
A knock on the door
One thing I was not taking for granted on this trip was the time together as a family, something I had, like so many others, deeply missed this past year.
There was untold joy in hearing the knock on the caravan door first thing in the morning, followed by the voice of my little grand-daughter Dorothy saying, “Paw Paw, can I come into your van please?”
Paw Paw is Cantonese for Granny – Marcus’s wife Kim is Chinese and talks to the children in Cantonese. How could I resist, even if once Dorothy was in, she would wriggle like an eel in bed next to me?
It’s funny how all of the grandchildren eventually ended up coming to our caravan, perhaps because they knew they’d get spoilt a little more here. But then, isn’t that a Paw Paw’s prerogative?
Out on the water
During this tour, we were careful not to plan too much, instead taking each day as it came, having learnt long ago on previous trips that it can be hard enough getting one family coordinated, let alone three.
This allowed for fairly lazy mornings at the campsite – that is, when Marcus wasn’t taking me on adventure rides to show me yet another wonderful corner of the region, before we all set off with our packed lunch, for whatever activity took our fancy at that moment.
Invariably this would involve water, with all of the grandchildren loving being on and in the water, and the addition of the kayak and stand-up paddle board meant there was no shortage of excitement.
Now, as I reflect on the trip, I do so with happiness, as well as a dilemma. John and I always said we would have another leisure vehicle – the question is, do we go for a caravan towed by our pick-up? It’s certainly a very tempting proposition, and would allow us to enjoy many more family adventures, both in
Wales and further afield.