ON A freezing cold and overcast morning Rachel from Penarth and District Ramblers played host to a group of seven walkers who joined her at Mountain Ash and with temperatures just above freezing there was a hard frost on the grass and pavements were very icy.

Setting off through the town to join Fforest Road they made their way through Forest Uchaf Farm and uphill to a forest track which follows the perimeter of the wood past a couple of fields and some disused tips and an old quarry, before zig zagging uphill towards Twyn Brynbychan.

There is a designated mountain bike route through the woodland, but not very well marked and just as the leader was giving a warning a swarm of bikes came upon them and fortunately and politely their leader stopped to reassure the group before watching his party pass through safely and re-joining them.

In crisp clear weather there were brilliant views down the Cynon Valley and during morning coffee lovely views over Tyntetown and Bryntirion in the valley below.

Continuing past a small covered reservoir and heading towards Cefn-glas with the Giant’s Bite just ahead, a road with grand views over Edwardsville and Quaker’s Yard led downhill to part of the Taff Trail.

This section of the long distance Taff Trail runs through some beautiful woodland with its dazzling array of autumnal leaves on display along with scattered fallen leaves and some interesting boulders and mosses.

Following the trail below the A470 the southernmost tip of Aberfan village lay ahead.

On Friday, October 21, 1966, because of a huge build-up of water in the springs below the huge coal waste tips above the village, number seven tip collapsed and slid down the mountainside at around 9.15am engulfing the rear of Pantglas Junior School, 20 houses and a farm and in only a short space of time 116 children and 28 adults died and village life changed forever.

The Taff Trail runs above the peaceful Garden of Remembrance set within the boundary walls of Pantglas School and making a visit to the immaculately tended mass grave in the cemetery to pay their respects as rain began to fall, the area was bedecked with flowers illustrating the devastation and raw loss and grief still felt by the community 50 years after the terrible tragedy which shocked not only Wales but the whole world.

Heading across a bridge over the A470 behind the cemetery, a stop for lunch under some trees was followed by a climb uphill on a clear defined track which leads up onto Mynydd Merthyr.

This track gives a clear view of the terracing which now stabilises the ground where the tips used to stand and shows the enormity of the area covered by seven coal waste tips which loomed above the village.

Tramping along the top of Mynydd Merthyr, a short light sleet shower soon turned to rain which became persistent drizzle upon reaching open access land at Pen Rhiwporthmon.

As two more off-road motor cycles roared past the group, the path snaked its way through the heather around Rhyd y Ceubren and Cwar-y-Whingen and down the hillside where wisps of cloud and mist were suspended above the valley.

Crossing the top of the forestry plantation and through the atmospheric Gelli-ddu-fach farmyard which led to a descent through the stunning Cwmpennar Wood full of gnarled and twisted trees and autumnal leaves, the track led onto a road opposite the beautiful Grade II listed War Memorial in Dyffryn Wood Park which was erected in 1922.

Then on past the impressive National Eisteddfod Gorsedd Stone Circle which dates to 1905 and where in 1946, the then Princess Elizabeth was invested as a Bard in a Druids ceremony and as heavy rain began to fall, there was a mad dash into the Cynon Valley Indoor Bowls Centre for steaming cuppas prior to the journey home.

On December 4, meet 9am at Cogan Leisure Centre for an 8.5-mile moderate walk taking in the scenic valleys of Dimbath and Cwm Ogwr; contact Geraint on 029 2051 5278.

Wear suitable clothing, preferably boots and carry waterproofs, food and drinks. Some degree of fitness is required and if you are in any doubt, then please contact the walk leader for advice.

To follow the group please log onto penarthramblers.wordpress.com or Facebook. Programmes and membership advice can be obtained from Pam on 029 2025 5102.