Up the Black Hill (of book and film fame) along the Cats Back and across the ridge to Hay Bluff.
The sun shone, the snow was crisp and deep on the ridge and all was calm. It was easily the best weather conditions I’ve ever experienced up there.
After the bitter wind of last week on the Blorenge I’d put my thermals and padded gloves on but quickly realised I was overdressed!
Views were all the more stunning as the mist lay all day on the bottom of the valleys but it made coming back to Chepstow mid afternoon a shock – it was all grey and hazy after a world full of colour.
Met some hardy mountain ponies (broke a pond for them to drink with ice well over an inch thick), sheep, a handful of other walkers and a couple of mountain bikers but pretty much had the place to ourselves once we got off Hay Bluff and walked back towards the Cats Back. Beautiful!
‘On the Black Hill’ is not very well-known – I had to google it before I remembered watching it many years ago! I had no idea it was in the Black Mountains either, so I am very pleased to have discovered another interesting walking destination.
You’d love the walk. Have you read the book? It was a rather depressing read – like the film – but well worth a read. Years later it still lingers in my mind.