South East Wales
When you mention Wales, or the Welsh Valleys, most people immediately think of coal mines and black slag tips, with narrow streets and terraced houses. Unless you‘ve visited the area in recent years, you may not realize just how far from the truth that image is today. With the mines long since closed, nature has been busy reclaiming the land and greening the valleys once more.
Vast acres of open common land cover hill tops which neatly line up north to south, and stretch from Rhigos in the west to Abergavenny and the Blorenge in the east.
To the north of the valleys are the Black Mountains, and the spectacular scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Acre upon acre of open countryside, all within less than an hours journey of Cardiff.
The topography of Wales in general, and SE Wales in particular, makes it an ideal location for anyone with a yearning to fly hang gliders, paragliders or sailplanes.
The SE Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club has around 15 flying sites in the area, covering most wind directions.
Some are quite small, but others like the Blorenge, Hay Bluff, Nant-y-Moel, Merthyr and Pandy are large enough to host major hang gliding and paragliding competitions.
Many of these are open sites, where visiting pilots are always welcome. But some are very sensitive and access has therefore been restricted to Club members only.
Transport
The area is well served by road, with most flying sites within 30 - 45 mins of the M4 corridor. There are mainline railway stations at Cardiff, Newport and Abergavenny, and frequent local trains serving the Valleys area. Cardiff boasts an international airport, and even London‘s Heathrow airport is only 2 - 3 hours away by road or train.Accommodation
A wide range of accommodation is available in the area, including camp sites, youth hostels, bunk houses, pubs, bed and breakfast accommodation, and luxury hotels.Further Information
If you‘d like to know more about the area, why not check out some of the following web sites:i-know wales
Lonely Planet Wales
Accommodation Wales
Data Wales
Welcome to Abergavenny
Visit Wales
Wales Online
You can also check out our SE Wales links page.
If you‘d like to know more about the Club and it‘s activities, please visit the SE Wales Hang Gliding & Paragliding Club page, or contact the appropriate Club Officer.