That was my old stomping ground when I worked for South Wales Electricity Board, used to drive a fully loaded transit van over the mountain road between Skirrid Inn and Hay on Wye. The dead silence was only interrupted by the deafening roar of RAF fighter training - we used to instinctively look up into the sky and miss them, as they were mostly down in the valley below us !
Glad to say, no jets arsing around at the weekend. My legs are still aching from the double ascent of Sugar Loaf of Saturday and a walk along Llangattock Ridge yesterday. I love it around there. Brecons and Yorkshire are my favourite plces to go adventuring.
The electricity board used to get all the work other contractors wouldn't bother with- rewiring old farmhouses in the middle of nowhere. Often had no mains water or gas, so storage heaters were often on our vans as well. Those country lanes used to cost us a fortune in smashed wing mirrors. Next time you are there, take the mountain road from the Skirrid pub to Hay on Wye, it runs along the side of Hay Bluff.
We almost took that route yesterday but opted for a drive out along the road by Talybont On Usk Reservior. Nearly lost a wing mirror to someone in Porsche 4x4 who was scared to go on the grass verge - can't go off road can they??? Love the drive up past Lathony.
I'm always having to go off road to make way for small membered 4 x 4 drivers who don't want to dirty their tyres. I'll avoid road rage by ranting on here!