Season’s Greetings!
SWOAPG wishes all our Members a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! We hope you all manage to get a break and spend some quality time with loved ones, emerging refreshed and ready for whatever 2022 has in store… 😉
Eglwys Faen update : gate at St Patricks Sump location
Thanks to Dan Thorne for the following information: A scaffold “gate” has been put in place on route to the digs in Eglwys Faen beyond St Patrick’s Sump which will stop groups going into unsafe areas, however please be aware of any fumes and if it smells unusual keep away.
Potential boat charging on the Wye from Hay downstream
The Environment Agency has just published the results of its consultation on Boat registration charge proposals from 1 January 2022, which included a ‘forward look’ into whether “boat users on the Rivers Wye and Lugg should make a contribution towards the service we provide for their benefit”. There are no firm proposals for doing so … Read more
River-wide tree across Usk between Talybont and Llangyndir
Thanks to Mike Smith of Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer for alerting us to this hazard on the Usk: “Please see attached a picture from todays trip on the River Usk. It’s a river wide tree just above the water station (between Talybont and Mill Falls). At the moment it’s in flat water so not a big … Read more
Update – unstable rock above Clun Gwyn Waterfall
Further to our earlier message (see below), thanks to Steve Sutton of Blue Dot Adventure for this updated photo showing the crack on the overhanging rock above Clun Gwyn, taken on Saturday: ORIGINAL MESSAGE: This message was sent us in September by one of our Members – apologies that we’ve only just got around to … Read more
The Outdoor Partnership in South Wales – opportunities for Providers to get involved
As you may be aware, The Outdoor Partnership (which has operated in N Wales for many years) has recently extended its coverage to include South Wales, operating across 4 regions (Swansea Bay, covering Pembrokeshire, Carmarthenshire, Swansea & Neath Port Talbot; Mid Wales, covering Ceredigion and Powys; Gwent, covering all the former Gwent areas; and Central … Read more
Unstable rock above Clun Gwyn Waterfall
This message was sent us in September by one of our Members – apologies that we’ve only just got around to posting it: hopefully most of you operating in the area will have already spotted this problem… “One of our guides noticed a large crack has opened up more on the over-hanging rock on the … Read more
Pontsticill & Pentwyn Reservoirs closed for watersport due to blue-green algae
We have been notified via Parkwood Outdoors Dolygaer that Pontsticill & Pentwyn Reservoirs are currently closed for watersport due to blue-green algae. We’ll send further updates if we receive them…
SWOAPG AGM Minutes and Outdoor Partnership Presentation
Thanks again to those SWOAPG Members who attended our AGM on 23 November. The minutes and a copy of the presentation by The Outdoor Partnership are available here:
Use of Training Logbooks: request for research participants
Researchers at Cardiff University (Dr Tom Smith) and Edinburgh University (Dr Rachel Hunt) are conducting scoping research into how outdoor instructors, leaders and aspirants make use of logbooks for their own training and record keeping. “We are interested in finding volunteers who would be willing to share their logbooks or other forms of record keeping … Read more