Chop chop!

It’s not an activity many of us have ever considered, but with a big part to play in this month’s Royal Welsh Show, we investigate the world of lumberjack sports across Wales with a high number of skilled foresters”

Let’s start with some basics. What are lumberjack sports?

Well, there isn’t a definitive answer, but they do all involve some form of wood-based competing! The sport’s origins go back to 19th-century Australia, when foresters would compete outside of working hours, putting their skills to the test.

In Britain, interest dates back to 1966 when Australian woodchopping athletes toured several British country shows. Visitors loved what they saw and wanted to get into the sport. Following trips to Australia and New Zealand to learn more, axe

A secluded saunter

Our friendly walking guides at Ramblers have shared this short, undulating route with exceptional views around Bryn Alyn, Denbighshire

Difficulty: Moderate

Walking time: 2 hrs 30 mins

Distance: 6.3km/3.9 miles

Away from the higher Clwydian range, this secluded area of tiny villages and limestone hills o ers tranquillity and exceptional views, exploring the sloping limestone pavement on Bryn Alyn with a superb all-round panorama.

Start: Pystyll Gwyn old quarry car park, Llanarmon yn Ial, off the A494 road, about 1 mile south of Llanferres. Turn right from the car park, then in 50m turn right up the dead-end lane for Bryn Haidd. Follow this narrow tarred lane to its end at Tan y Marian cottage (on your left in 1km). Use the gateway into the pasture, then immediately fork half-right onto the path rising below low limestone. At the grassy T-junction (200m) turn right, then bend left uphill on the good path. Just clubs began to spring up around Great Britain. Many of these remain active today, and unsurprisingly the sport has thrived across Wales, where access to wood and a high number of skilled foresters make it a natural sport to try.

The Welsh Axemen, Clwyd Axemen, Gwynedd Axemen and Wye Valley Axemen can all be found on Facebook, for anyone interested in joining or finding out more.

Axes and saws

As the sport grew, Stihl Timbersports (www.stihltimbersports.com) became established as the major worldwide league of lumberjack sports, attracting highly skilled athletes to compete with axes and saws. The league consists of six disciplines, three using an axe: Springboard, Standing Block Chop and Underhand Chop, and three using a saw: Stock Saw, Single Buck and Hot Saw. The series started 37 years ago in the US and arrived in Britain in 2012 with the first British Championship.

Other competitions, most run by the clubs themselves, incorporate many of the same skills and one of these is the event at the Royal Welsh Show from 18th-21st July. Details at www.rwas.wales/royal-welsh before the securely wired gate in the cross-wall, look left for a thin path snaking steeply down to reach a lower ladderstile. Use this, then head slightly left across the rough, sloping field to the distant corner and an awkward wood-frame stile onto a track. Bear right on this to find a set-back field-gate on the left (100m). Climb the nearby stile into access land, then follow the obvious path half-right (waymark arrow is not aligned). Keep left at the grassy fork above walling (40m), then simply head uphill on the well-walked path along the wide ridge to the rounded top of Bryn Alyn. Look right as you near the summit for the distant firm fieldroad, which is the onward route. Views all-round are extensive, including some of Snowdonia’s highest mountains. For the full route and details visit ramblers.org.uk