I have been waiting for a “dramatic weather day” to venture back into the Black Mountains, but this time on my mountain bike. I wanted to see that low cloud that literally touches the hills and have mist swirling around me, some real atmosphere! I kept an eye on the weather and picked a day that had a forecast for intermittent rain and set off to South Wales with my bike on the roof rack.

It was raining when I arrived in the Black Mountains, thick grey cloud covered the hills and was worried I wouldn’t be able to see a thing. I took a right after Crickhowell up the A479 which runs right up the valley, but after a few hundred metres it was closed, sod’s law! I managed to take a side road which runs parallel to the main road and zoomed up the single track, past farms and cottages. I got some great reference photos along those roads and managed to get all the way up the valley to the lay-by at the base of Mynyydd Troed and Mynydd Llangorse.

I rode (pushed) my bike up Mynydd Troed and rode along the plateau, taking photos as I went. It was incredibly peaceful up there, alone in the mist with just sheep for company. I really do love being alone in the mountains on my bike, it brings back wonderful childhood memories of walks with my parents on Dartmoor, slightly wet, slightly cold, but totally exhilarated and happy.

I did meet one person up there, a lovely chap collecting mushrooms, or “mountain medicine” as he put it…

After Mynydd Troed I rode back down to the car, stocked up on snacks and pushed up the other side to the top of Mynydd LLangorse. The stormy sky was putting on a real show while I rode alongside a sheep farmer, chatting to him about training sheep dogs. When I got to a good vantage point, I sat down and just watched nature do it’s thing for an hour, before riding back to the car.

Just as I set off, the sun came out (obviously) so I had to keep stopping in lay-bys and jumping out to get some reference shots of the incredible autumn light show that nature was putting on for me. What a treat!