This was a day's work for Wales Outdoors, working as part of a team of five guides, looking after about 120 walkers on a fund-raising sponsored walk for the Parkinson's disease charity Parkinson's UK.
After a briefing for the walkers and a chance for them to see us, the five of us left briskly from car park at Pont Ar Daf straight to where we were to man checkpoints on the 9km route. I went to the summit of Pen y Fan, where I stayed for about two hours directing walkers either to retrace their steps back to the previous checkpoint at Bwlch Duwynt (for those on a 4km route), or to proceed to the next checkpoint, which was at the saddle just west of Fan y Big (for those on the full 9km route), and administering minor first aid as necessary.
Later, I joined a colleague at the Bwlch Duwynt checkpoint, where I put up my little Hilleberg tent, (much to the fascination of two small children, who used it as a play tent), in case the expected drizzle turned out to be rather more vigorous.
About two hours after that, we walked off the mountain with the last of the walkers, one of whom needed some gentle encouragement and support as she had accumulated some minor injuries and a wasp sting.
It was not a physically demanding day, but one requiring gentle leadership skills to support and guide the walkers, some of whom were very unfit and unused to any kind of upland environment -- fortunately the weather was fair and the route was well established and easy underfoot. A pleasant day's work.
