Saratoga
13th Oct 2005, 21:23
Last weekend I had two days out in the Brecon Beacons with some friends.
On the Saturday morning I left Coventry with a friend in his black Range Rover Dakar and met up with two other vehicles. A blue Suzuki Jimny and a 4 litre Jeep Wrangler. Unfortunately I'm useless with names, but I do recall we ended up with a few Richards :)
We three drove to the start point near Abergavenny where we met up with two Freelanders from the Freelander club, and a white disco. After a breif chatter the Disco and two Freelanders left as group one and we waited for the remainder of our party, a red Suzuki SJ SWB.
Once we were all togetether and passengers spread around we trundled off.
On Sarn Helen we all met up simply because of other problems that had happened on the way. We intermingled with two motorcycle groups and another vehicle group. One of the MC groups left, having crossed the river. The other was having problems when we arrived. The other vehicle group were just making their way over when we walked down to see the river, which had been incorrectly gauged (thus requiring the two FLs to go around :( ) Once they were across i went over in the white disco, where my camera started to moan about batteries and in its crucial moments, it decided not to work :(
Eventually on 3rd set of batteries it functioned. Alas I only managed a few small and one large video of the crossing as everyone else had crossed.
Hmm. The Wrangler reversed back over the river to retrieve the stranded MC. The rider had dropped his bike in the river and litterally flooded it. As the day was getting on the Wrangler (Richard I think!) offered to recover the MC back to civilisation and I believe he took it all the way into Brecon! Kind soul that he was!!!! It would have been quite a way to push it all the way back :eek: :eek:
The Disco and FLs had already gone on ahead, and I remained with the black RR and the blue Suzuki, until we departed. We camped near Brecon behind the LPG station at the campsite, set the tents up in the growing dusk before eventually finding a 7 seater (who left that disco lying around) and being the designated drive I think I fell in love with that 3.9 V8i white 5dr 7seat disco with a 5sp gearbox. Certainly there were complaints about my driving when I found corners to boot it on. I am pretty sure that if JJSaul had been there he would have been grinning from ear to ear, but then, thanks to lack of room, he would have been strapped to the roofrack. Hmm. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing :D :D for him :D :D
Also door to door service was quite impressive. Alas the immobiliser had me entertained.
Campsite to Pub
Pub to Indian
Indian to Campsite
Alas took me 20 minutes to get from the Pub to the Indian thanks to said immobiliser, but once going I got quite well into it. I will have to consider it again, but it would need to be on LPG!!!! Anyway. So. We tried the Pizza and Chippy, but they were both closed!!! It's was only 10pm!!!
It was effing cold that night. Although having not had much alcohol I stayed warmer by not having to get up until 7.30am and go and exercise in the dark (you know what I mean!!!!!) Thankfully the campsite had a brand new toilets and shower block. THe showers were amazing and beautifully warm for that cold october morning. I almost didn't want to leave!!!!
Anyway. Eventually at about 10ish we departed the campsite. The SJ put the top down and off we trundled. Alas being tail end charlie I didn't managed to take many photos. We travelled again in two groups but travelled the same lanes but some time apart.
http://elwynoct05.fotopic.net are the photos.
On the Saturday morning I left Coventry with a friend in his black Range Rover Dakar and met up with two other vehicles. A blue Suzuki Jimny and a 4 litre Jeep Wrangler. Unfortunately I'm useless with names, but I do recall we ended up with a few Richards :)
We three drove to the start point near Abergavenny where we met up with two Freelanders from the Freelander club, and a white disco. After a breif chatter the Disco and two Freelanders left as group one and we waited for the remainder of our party, a red Suzuki SJ SWB.
Once we were all togetether and passengers spread around we trundled off.
On Sarn Helen we all met up simply because of other problems that had happened on the way. We intermingled with two motorcycle groups and another vehicle group. One of the MC groups left, having crossed the river. The other was having problems when we arrived. The other vehicle group were just making their way over when we walked down to see the river, which had been incorrectly gauged (thus requiring the two FLs to go around :( ) Once they were across i went over in the white disco, where my camera started to moan about batteries and in its crucial moments, it decided not to work :(
Eventually on 3rd set of batteries it functioned. Alas I only managed a few small and one large video of the crossing as everyone else had crossed.
Hmm. The Wrangler reversed back over the river to retrieve the stranded MC. The rider had dropped his bike in the river and litterally flooded it. As the day was getting on the Wrangler (Richard I think!) offered to recover the MC back to civilisation and I believe he took it all the way into Brecon! Kind soul that he was!!!! It would have been quite a way to push it all the way back :eek: :eek:
The Disco and FLs had already gone on ahead, and I remained with the black RR and the blue Suzuki, until we departed. We camped near Brecon behind the LPG station at the campsite, set the tents up in the growing dusk before eventually finding a 7 seater (who left that disco lying around) and being the designated drive I think I fell in love with that 3.9 V8i white 5dr 7seat disco with a 5sp gearbox. Certainly there were complaints about my driving when I found corners to boot it on. I am pretty sure that if JJSaul had been there he would have been grinning from ear to ear, but then, thanks to lack of room, he would have been strapped to the roofrack. Hmm. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing :D :D for him :D :D
Also door to door service was quite impressive. Alas the immobiliser had me entertained.
Campsite to Pub
Pub to Indian
Indian to Campsite
Alas took me 20 minutes to get from the Pub to the Indian thanks to said immobiliser, but once going I got quite well into it. I will have to consider it again, but it would need to be on LPG!!!! Anyway. So. We tried the Pizza and Chippy, but they were both closed!!! It's was only 10pm!!!
It was effing cold that night. Although having not had much alcohol I stayed warmer by not having to get up until 7.30am and go and exercise in the dark (you know what I mean!!!!!) Thankfully the campsite had a brand new toilets and shower block. THe showers were amazing and beautifully warm for that cold october morning. I almost didn't want to leave!!!!
Anyway. Eventually at about 10ish we departed the campsite. The SJ put the top down and off we trundled. Alas being tail end charlie I didn't managed to take many photos. We travelled again in two groups but travelled the same lanes but some time apart.
http://elwynoct05.fotopic.net are the photos.