The forecast was dire! Heavy rain due to fall over the Black Mountains all afternoon! Sixty French teenagers not properly clothed or shod for such conditions. Would it be right to take them on to the hills, even if it was only Table Mountain, in such circumstances? The lead teacher would be disappointed if they couldn’t do the walk. No pressure, then. What to do if we decide it is not safe to go? They could do the town trails. That would help improve their English. So, dreading the consequences of impending bad weather, I left sunny Worcester and headed to Crickhowell in good time to rendezvous with fellow guides, David and Richard. As I headed west the cloud thickened so that, by the time I reached Crickhowell, the Black Mountains were shrouded in very heavy black clouds. I think they were the heaviest, black clouds I have ever seen that were not raining on the ground below.

60 French teenagers get the low down on the walk ahead

At the appointed hour the French coach arrived outside the CRIC and deposited sixty French teenagers and their five teachers ready for a walk. They were from the same school as before and were the second half of the year group. Just one member of staff and the coach driver were the same. Before we left I gave them an idea of what we were doing and where we were going, pointing out Table Mountain, just visible through the heavy gloom. They did not seem perturbed by conditions, or their lack of adequate clothing or footwear, for what could turn out to be a very wet walk. By now I was quite looking forward to it; in another three hours it will be finished one way or another and they will disappear back to Cardiff.

The most dangerous part of the walk is getting the group from one side of town to the other. The pavements in Crickhowell, in places, are very narrow, necessitating two crossings of the busy A40, bringing traffic to a standstill for some time as the group makes its way across, first by the crossing and again a few yards up the road. If you time it right, and are really inconsiderate to drivers, you can stop them twice. However, we were considerate and helped maintain the flow of traffic.

Enjoying the donkeys

Once on the hillside, the students could choose their pace, some wanting to forge ahead, while others less able or used to walking gently brought up the rear. We had plenty of stops in order to keep the group relatively together, the first giving them an opportunity to pet the two donkeys that eagerly craved their attention. Unfortunately, the Highland cattle and the enormous, but very docile English Longhorn cattle, that usually abide in this field, were not around to add to the spectacle.

Having failed to give the first group a chat about the history of Table Mountain because it was too cold to linger on the top, I gave this group the basic information at one of the rest points where we were able to look up and across to the summit. Everything I said was translated in detail by the lead teacher who ensured that we had their undivided attention. I finished by asking them why Table Mountain was not a permanent settlement but more of a look out and defensive position. Answers came back – “too cold”, “too rocky”, “too foggy”. Eventually, long before we reached the summit, one boy suggested that there was, “no water.” “Well done, you win the prize. Shake my hand. That is your prize.”

Emerging from the mist

Once we reached the open hillside we gave them the opportunity to go ahead. There was little chance of them getting lost in the mist, which had now thickened considerably. They were making enough noise for us to know exactly where they were and they were sensible enough to wait whenever there was a fork in the path.

Eventually, everybody reached the summit. Last time we had stunning views of the surrounding hills and mountains. Today we saw nothing. One student remarked, “Have we come all this way for this?” It didn’t stop him from taking a photo of the mist. We were able to spend a lot more time on the summit, for despite the mist it was a lot warmer, and had been all the way up the hill. And the rain had held off.

What a view!!

All we had to do now was get down without it raining. This had been a much better group. There had been no issues with children being too unfit to complete the walk, there had been no twisted ankles or knees, the general behaviour of the group was better and the teachers seemed to be more engaged. The only let down was a couple of boys decided to chase some sheep as they passed through a field of heavily pregnant ewes. Had the farmer seen it he would not have been very happy. Fortunately, it went unnoticed by the farmer and we managed to recall the boys before any damage was done.

Back in Crickhowell, having again disrupted the flow of traffic through the town centre, we gave the group a photo of where they had been, a bit of information about table mountain that would seriously test their knowledge of English, and a certificate of achievement. Some said it was the best thing they had done so far while others said that if another opportunity comes their way that involves walking, they would decline it!  With that they left and, perhaps, we will have the pleasure of leading similar groups from the school next year.

The rain never did come!