We're in for another good weekend on the Gorges of the Brecon Beacons, meaning both our Gorge Walking & Canyoning activities will be running. River levels are staying low thanks to the reasonably dry weather we've been having over the last 2 or 3 weeks, and the ground water levels are slowly starting to dry out too.
We could see waterfall plunge pools being shallower than you may expect for this time of year, and any jumps and activities that rely on the depth will need to be adjusted accordingly. Although river levels are still low, full safety equipment is always required for our outdoor activities and Gorge Walking & Canyoning are no different. Ensure you are wearing helmet, buoyancy aid, wetsuit and sturdy footwear. The sky's should be fairly clear and possibly even sunny, but temperatures are definitely dropping and if there is any wind you will certainly feel the cold. Proper thermal protection before, during and after any outdoor activity are going to be vital.
The risk of flashing never goes away on the rivers in South Wales, so you must be aware of rainfall in the mountain regions if you are involved with any Gorge Walking or Canyoning activities, particularly in the few hours previous to the start of the activity.
Friday - Monday could bring in acceptable conditions for Coasteering. Friday in particular is looking good, with very gentle winds and small swell along the South Wales coast. Although swell will pick up into Saturday, with proper planning and experienced guides you should still be able to complete you Coasteering activity.
Sunday starts to become a little more complicated. Swell should stay fairly low, however the wind is set to really pick up, gusting towards 30mph at times. We're lucky however as the forecast if for it to be an offshore wind, meaning Coasteering could still be possible. You will need to keep a very close eye on the wind direction however, as if it changes to an onshore you will need to re-evaluate.
High tide is between 11:20 and 12:35 on Saturday and Sunday, so a morning start will give you the best window for any Coasteering activity.
Bad news for the surfers this weekend. Swell is going to be small to non-existent for much of the weekend. You may find Saturday gives you a small swell, but our advice is to take advantage of some of the other outdoor activities South Wales has to offer. We can arrange Gorge Walking, Canyoning, Coasteering, Raft Building and a host of other outdoor activities.
The mild weather means we're staying nice an busy this weekend. We'll definitely be looking to do some Coasteering activities this weekend whilst the conditions allow. We're also be up in the gorges of the Brecon Beacons for more Gorge Walking & Canyoning with a mix of Stag Do's from Cardiff and a few other groups for both Cardiff and Swansea.
A last word of warning; don't be fooled by the clear blue sky's this weekend. Temperatures have dropped and adequate thermal protection is going to be ever more important over the next few months.
