In the current ‘age of technology’ with the average adult spending up to nine hours a day online, the world of phones, tablets and computers is consuming huge areas of our free time. With the internet evolving so quickly, people are turning their backs on the natural world and the great British countryside.

Step up the Off-Grid holiday: free from the temptations and distractions of WIFI, phone signal and even charging ports, the vacationer can step back from the virtual world and step into the real one, revelling in the company of those around them instead. Where better to disengage then in the beautiful landscapes of the Brecon Beacons National Park stretching from the English border to the heart of South Wales? Home to a variety of natural wonders, it’s the perfect place to switch off.

My home for the weekend was Ty Donkey, named after the cheeky animals that live in the field just up from the site (who gladly accept visits from guests bearing gifts).

Pinned to the side the Black Mountain valleys, the pair of buildings have been crafted from locally felled oak by owners Mr and Mrs Valentine-Powell who live at the top of the hill.

Big on minimising environmental impact, the couple live off grid themselves, with nothing but telephone cables linking them to the outside world. The whole site gets all of its electricity from renewable sources (hydroelectricity from a own section of river further down the hill), and have even gone as far as vaccinating the local badgers against bovine TB so you can have a chance of seeing one of the nocturnal mammals.

Back down the hill and the first building you come to is the old railway carriage, accessed through the sliding wooden door, which houses the kitchen and bathroom quarters. Although seemingly cut-off, Ty Donkey doesn’t sacrifice comfort and there is mains hot water, perfect for a glorious soak in the free-standing bath with a glorious view towards Tabletop Mountain if you leave the door open. Opposite the bath is everything else you’ll need to survive under your own steam for a couple of days including a gas cooker and the bare cooking essentials to rustle up some warming meal. On the other side of the door is the small patio area which will serve well for a cup of hot chocolate and a clear starry night.

Further down the hill are the cosiest living quarters imaginable, with a wood-burning stove in the corner to keep you toasty warm and endless rugs, blankets and cushions, a large double bed for adults with a small window to the world outside and some child-sized bunkbeds underneath. A chest full of cards and board games enables you to while away the nights like they did before the days of television and boxsets.

If you can peel yourself away from the cabin you won’t be at loss as what to do. One of the major highlights is The Four Waterfalls walk, a truly enchanting stretch of river. You’ll come across Porth-Yr-Ogof, a huge black hole that swallows up the river and spits it back out downstream. With the largest cave mouth in Wales, this subterranean complex is a Mecca for cave exploring. You’ll then come across a footbridge which enables you to see the Sgwd Clun-Gwyn as it pours off the rocky shelf. When in full flow, the falls cover the whole width of the river, which manifests itself as a thundering wall of water. The next two falls are Sgwd Pannwr and Sgwd Isaf Clwngwyn, actually a ‘staircase’ of Waterfalls, ending in a beautiful pool hemmed in by mossy covered cliffs. However, the real star of the show is the last waterfall Sgwd Yr Eir which makes you work hard for the fantastic view, then passing directly behind the falls. A marvel of Mother nature’s engineering.

Also well worth a visit is Pen-y-fan, the highest mountain in South Wales (886m). Depending on your fitness and timing, you can make the shorter walk from Pont ar Daf which heads straight up the mountain. If you’re up for more of a challenge, make the steeper climb from Nueadd Reservoir, which took around four hours.

So If you ever need to escape from the virtual world, come to this little corner of the real one and revel in your new found freedom.

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