Chop Chop

The major reason for delaying my departure to Scandinavia by a couple of weeks was to enable me to assist with the delivery of 20 tonnes of materials, tools and equipment to the new bothy project in the Elan Valley.
Given the limited access other than on foot the estate had budgeted for a helicopter lift due to the quantity and bulky nature of items required and the date had duly arrived.
Last week's hot weather had drifted away and we worked in typically upland conditions which at least kept the midges away. Six of us arrived at the bothy site first thing and shortly afterwards the pilot flew across to check out the location before returning with the first of more than 30 loads that had been assembled at the farm a mile or two away on the west shore.

The awesome experience of unclipping the slings as the machine roared only a few metres above our heads was a first for all of us and after initial concerns we soon slipped in to a well practised routine as timber, roofing sheets, tools, sand, scaffolding, generators and guttering arrived. Cement, lime and the new doors and windows were placed out of the elements in the tin shed we had cleared out last November and after a short lunch break whilst the machine also refuelled we were back at work. The use of such advanced technology contrasted sharply with the methods the original inhabitants must have used to both build and live in such an isolated place - the house was probably last occupied in 1953.

It was a great team effort with everyone chipping in and looking out for each other due to the obvious potential for hazards. The powerful down draft was more than capable of sending 8x4 sheets of ply spinning and no one fancied a free ride across the chilly waters if they got caught in the nets.
The pilot was highly skilled even dropping bags of aggregate with precision right in to the building itself  as well as coping with blustery conditions and loads of varying weight, dimensions and fragility. After 6 efficient hours all was done and he set off on the return to Cardiff which would take around half an hour leaving the bothy still and silent once more. Paul and his team of one (!) have a fair task ahead of them and progress will be heavily dictated by the summer weather - I will return in the autumn when we hope to be able to make a start on the internal works - floor, sleeping platform and stove installation to name a few.
Once again the cooperation between the estate and MBA members was heart warming and congratulations are deserved all round. There is positive interest from the local farming and wider community and combined with other bothies in the area there will soon be the potential for a 5-7 day mid Wales circuit of what is to my mind one of the real Welsh landscape gems.
My ferry is booked for an ungodly hour next Friday morning so my next post will originate from either Germany or Denmark en route to Sweden so meanwhile enjoy the photos HERE  (again select slideshow from the 'v' to the right of the 'Add photos' block' and keep an eye on me HERE as I head across northern Europe with the intention of crossing the Arctic Circle and possibly reaching the Nordkapp in the land of the midnight sun.