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Aberdare Wetlands & Dare Valley Country Park

Date:

Wed, 11th November, 2026

Meeting point: Lower Car Park, Sobell Leisure Centre, Aberdare CF44 7RP

Meeting time:

9:15 am

Start time:

9:30 am

End time:

2:00 pm

Come and explore Aberdare with us! Today we’ll be walking through the Wetlands of Cwmbach, along the old Cynon railway line around the villages of Aberaman and Cwm Dare as well as a visit to the lovely Dare Valley Country Park and its’ lakes and old colliery sites. Loads to see and talk about along the way!

There are a few walk options available today – the full 7.5 miler or shorter 5 mile or 3.5 mile routes too.

Useful information

Meeting point
What3Words

Meeting point map

Our route today

Leader information

Ceri

On the day

What to Expect Along the Way
This is a sub-urban route that takes us around the villages of Aberdare where we’ll be passing through the Cwmdare Wetlands, along disused railway tracks and into Dare Valley Country Park. Underfoot the paths are all good walking surfaces. There is one steep section as we leave the wetlands and walk into Aberaman. The full walk covers a distance of 7.5 miles but the route offers a number of shorter distances of 3.5 (Monk Street exit) or 5 miles (shorter loop of Dare Valley Country Park). We’ll be stopping for a mid-way refreshment break in Dare Valley Country Park cafe.

Arrival
We recommend arriving at least 15-20 minutes before the walk/event start time. It’s a great opportunity to meet the event leaders, register and catch up with your fellow Marauders before we start.

Parking
Pay and Display parking is available at the Sobell Leisure Centre car park charged at £2.90 for the full day. Please park in the LOWER car park.

Registration
You will be asked for your name, your mobile telephone number along with an emergency contact name and number. If you have any relevant medical conditions or medication that may be relevant to declare, please pass this information to the event leader during registration.

If you already have your Marauders digital ID, great – we’ll just scan you in. If not, you can pre-register and get your very own QR code beforehand here –

Become a Marauder

Be Prepared – Health, Wellbeing & Weather
Participation in this event is entirely at your own risk, and it is your sole responsibility to ensure you are physically fit and well enough to take part. This includes being appropriately dressed for the event/weather and carrying any personal or emergency medication you may require during the activity.

Dogs
Well behaved dogs are welcome on this walk but must be carefully supervised at all times and kept on a lead when necessary. We may at times walk on/near to busy roads and/or in fields with livestock roaming free.

What to bring

This is a Grade 3 Walk
Designed for 4–7 miles involving mixed terrain and some hills.

    • Footwear: Sturdy walking shoes or boots to provide stability on hills and varied surfaces.
    • Clothing: A waterproof jacket and moisture-wicking layers, as you will be active for around 4 hours.
    • Refreshments: At least 1 litre of water and high-energy snacks (nuts, fruit, or bars).

 

Photo album

We have set up a Google Album to store our photographs and capture our memories of the day:

Volunteering support

This event requires some volunteering support to make it run smoothly and we’d love to hear from you if you are able to lend a hand on the day. Thank you!

Walk & Talk Support Team
Our walk leaders will need help on the day to welcome and organise the attendees and to keep an eye on the group throughout the day. This may involve taking the register, being a walkie-talkie holder for the day, nominating yourself as a first aider or being a front or back-marker. If you can help, just turn up a little earlier and make yourself known to the walk leader on the day.

Befrienders
It’s natural for some guys to be anxious when they first turn up at a Marauders event and so we’d love to have some of our more regular guys to keep an eye out for new attendees and to make them feel welcome. If this is something that you can help us with, please make yourself known to the event leader either before or on the day.

Bring a mate with you

Our events are free and open to all men aged 18+. If you know of anyone that may enjoy this event, click to copy the page link, to paste and share with a friend. 

Disclaimer

By participating in this event, you acknowledge and agree to the following:

  • Assumption of Risk: You are voluntarily participating in this activity and assume all risks associated with it, including but not limited to: falls, slips, trips, injuries, illness, or other accidents.
  • Medical Conditions: You are in good physical health and have no medical conditions that would prevent you from participating in this activity. Please ensure any essential medication is kept in an easily accessible pocket and that its location is shared with a walking buddy or leader for your safety.
  • Personal Responsibility: You are solely responsible for your own safety, equipment, and actions during the activity.
  • Waiver of Claims: You hereby waive any and all claims against the organisers, leaders, or participants of this group for any injuries or damages that may occur.

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