Yesterday, 9 hardy ramblers set off from the free forestry car park at Pond Cadwgan for our adventure to Partishrow & Crug Mawr. A big welcome to guest walker Rosaleen, great to have you join us! The forecast looked bleak, and it wasn’t the best moment for me to realise I’d forgotten my coat… luckily, the ever-resourceful Alan saved the day with a spare. We climbed steadily southward through the forest towards Cwm Ffrwd, crossing farmland and enjoying peaceful lanes before reaching our teabreak stop at the beautiful St Issui’s Church, Partishow. This little gem dates back to the 11th century, with medieval wall paintings and carved rood screen panels – a truly atmospheric spot tucked away in the hillside. From there, we retraced our steps before tackling the steep ascent to the trig point at Crug Mawr (550m). Crug Mawr translates as “Great Barrow” and is thought to have been an ancient Bronze Age burial mound before becoming a key navigational point. Sadly, the mist and rain robbed us of the sweeping Black Mountains views – but the sense of achievement was still there! After the obligatory group photo, we continued northward, passing the historic Dinas boundary stones, before re-entering the forestry for a very damp lunch. Much of the forest landscape has changed due to recent large-scale felling, forcing us onto a slightly longer route – bringing the day’s total to 9 miles. Despite the weather, spirits stayed high with plenty of chats, laughs, and camaraderie along the way. Thank you all for joining me – hope to see you again on the next walk!