WALK OF THE MONTH...
The Ascent of SUGAR LOAF.
A stunningly scenic, early Spring walk especially selected by Kevin Walker.
DISTANCE - 8kms (5 miles)
HEIGHT GAIN - 350 metres (1150 feet).
START POINT - Llanwenarth Car Park, near Abergavenny.
GRID REFERENCE - SO/268167.
MAPS - OS Explorer OL13; OS Landranger 161. Area not covered by Harvey maps.
DESCRIPTION:
A wonderfully scenic circular walk to the summit of this very popular yet often under-rated mountain.
PARKING:
Cars can be left at the main Sugar Loaf car park. Just west of Abergavenny on the main A40, a narrow lane heads north past the Sugar Loaf Vineyards. Take the first turning left, turn left at the T-junction, then continue to a hairpin bend. Bear right at the next junction and continue to the obvious car park.
ROUTE:
From the far end of the car park, take the obvious track that trends uphill to the right. At the point where a stone wall comes in from the left, veer left, away from the main track, keeping close to the wall along a straight path. Continue to trend left alongside the wall on a good path for the next 800m. Eventually, the path becomes narrower as it swings to the right, away from the wall, and heads downhill towards a larch wood. At the far corner of the wood, the path swings left and descends steeply into a V-shaped valley. Cross the stream and continue along the obvious path on the far bank, heading almost directly away from Sugar Loaf! Almost immediately, turn right onto a grassy path which trends left up the hillside to reach the remains of a stone wall on the left. Continue around the head of the spur with increasingly impressive views.
The path soon levels out and swings right, and reaches some fenced enclosures on the left and disturbed ground on the right - the remains of old tilestone quarries. Take the grassy path that climbs to the right at the far end of the quarries, and continue up the spur beyond on a good path soon entering an area of gorse thickets. At the T-junction, turn right onto a good path, which leads straight to the summit in a series of increasingly steep steps. The views along this section are really stunning! The summit ridge is very rocky to start, but the path is obvious, and leads to the concrete trig point which has been adopted by the Longtown Mountain Rescue Team. Leave the summit by heading right (south-west) from the trig point on an obvious rocky track which leads, steeply at first, towards the obvious "motorway" of a track below. Follow this track, heading straight on at the first junction, then trending right at the second junction (near an obvious small pool) onto a smaller path which leads back to the stone wall followed during your outwards journey. Turn left to regain the car park.