We made the same decision as you and for the same reasons on that last section, too nice a day to finish on a forest track. Looking down to it, I spotted some logging machinery and I think a sea of mud for the track; we made the correct choice. I've done enough forest tracks over the years.

I too had a chuckle at Carls final sentence, he just ran out of space on the paper and wasn't going to write it out again!! Matt.

I cannot claim the credit for keeping Chris on track - he disappeared immediately after you sped off into the distance and I haven't seem him since - he could still be out there - probably sleeping on the shelter in the Elan village as he did on Friday night.
It was a great day though. I really enjoyed the change of route. Did you go through the wood at the end or high on the bridle way? - I thought the wood would be quicker but the afternoon was so clear and bright that it demanded a bit of gawping from the top.
Its always fun to get a Carl route description. I particularly liked the last section where he had clearly run out of time and paper. "from last checkpoint navigate your way to the end." - Well you can't say fairer than that.

A most enjoyable day out, the perfect start to the new year in my local hills. Janet, well done dragging the 2 old codgers round and you kept Chris on track (an achievement in itself), I know he wants a pair of my tights - would make him easy to find when misplaced!

Thanks for a good day Carl, maybe 2012 back to the old route, weather permitting. Matt.

Another year goes by, and another Reservoir Roundabout is enjoyed. No frozen ground, or snow to wade through in 2011, but a new route based on the visitor centre, and very scenic it was too. The route touched a part of the original Nev Tandy route, and the long ridge walk to Crugyn was surely a highlight of the route. Beautiful winter's light lit up the hills, and it was truly a great day to be out in the Mid Wales hills. My thanks go to Carl and his team for putiing on yet another successful event.

Unusually, this time our refreshments were. My catering tends to be minimal and plain (stemming from laziness in the kitchen and resulting in regrets in the field), but my walking companion provided hot tea, Christmas cake, and sandwiches with homemade bread. Not quite Ratty’s spread, but then he didn't have to carry it in a rucksack. But the walk was delightful and no ordeal. Today’s walk, the Punchbowl Marshals’, was another story, and not so lyrical. Slush, slush, and more slush.

After such an ordeal I hope your refreshments were on a par by those offered by Badger - or comparable to Ratty and Mole's picnic by the river - or even the buttered toast used by the gaolers daughter to tempt Toad out of his misery. I think bubble and squeak featured as well.
It seems that my memories of books read in childhood tend towards the gastronomic!

Sorry, no idea why small boys like sticky sweets, nor big boys, either - but they do. To drift even further off-topic: Surrey was more like the Wild Wood from The Wind in the Willows: gnarly roots across the path trying to trip you up, grizzled old tree trunks crowding in towards you, branches waiting to drop their snow loads down the back of your neck, snow filled hollows waiting to you to put a foot wrong.

No lamposts in the Elan valley - hence the excellent stargazing on Friday night. Not sure about Fauns - never seen one myself but you never know. Can you explain why Edmund was seduced by turkish delight of all sweets- disgusting sickly sweet stuff!

Just finished a 20 miler in the Surrey hills: very Narnian. We even saw a Narnian lampost, lit up after dark. No fauns though.

It happened - everything else cancelled or postponed but thanks to the determination of Carl and his helpers - and last minute re routing and change of start venue it went ahead without a hitch. What an eye opener for the young lady from London doing her first challenge walk - who enjoyed it so much that she insisted on doing the long route dragging her companion along with her. Its just like Narnia she said - and she was right. Very impressed to see the 4 wheel drive St Johns vehicle with snow plough attached at Claerwen Dam. Even more impressed to see the Cambrian mountains sparkling white under azure sky. Yes it was hard going plodding through deep snow especially the crossing to Nant Gwilt but this was one to say "I was there"!