Of the three mountains encircling Abergavenny, Blorenge (561m) is the closest to town – the round trip is only 5 miles – but it is a steep and strenuous outing, and good walking boots are recommended. This is one of Britain's finest paragliding and hang-gliding sites. In fact, it's so good that the South East Wales Hang Gliding and Paragliding Club (www.sewhgpgc.co.uk) purchased the mountain in 1998 and holds regular competition events here.
From Abergavenny, cross the bridge over the River Usk on Merthyr Rd and immediately turn right and follow the lane past the cemetery and under the main road. Cross the B4246 road in Llanfoist and follow the lane beside the church until it bends left; continue through a tunnel under the canal and then follow a steep path straight uphill (a former tram road that carried coal down to the canal). When you emerge from the woods, there is a final steep climb up an obvious path to the summit.
