During their Thursday visit to the South Wales Valleys, the Prince and Princess of Wales gave abseiling a try by joining mountain rescue climbers at a rugby club.
Both William, 40, and Catherine, 41, were dressed for the outdoors as they visited the Merthyr Tydfil headquarters of the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue Team and then went to the nearby Dowlais Rugby Club to mingle with locals and climbers.
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The volunteer-run group is commemorating its 60th anniversary. It covers the central region of the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park, including Pen y Fan.
The club, which serves as a feeder club for Cardiff Blues, is a favorite hangout for climbers to unwind and socialize after work.
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They had the chance to interact with specific volunteers, supporters of the group, and members of the neighborhood at the club.
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The royal couple will spend Thursday and Friday in South Wales Valleys and Mid Wales, just days before their 12th wedding anniversary.
The newlyweds, William and Catherine, made their home on the Welsh island of Anglesey, off the coast of which the Prince served as an RAF search and rescue pilot, in their first home together.
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When instructors questioned William about his prior experience abseiling, he replied, “It’s been a while.”
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We overheard Catherine saying to William, “We’re not racing” in order to avoid going too far. Catherine was dressed in a red mountain rescue coat, just like her husband, and had her hair pulled back into a ponytail.
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The couple participated in training exercises, saw a search dog demonstration, and spoke with current and former team members to learn about their experiences spanning the organization’s six-decade history.
They will also get to know the proprietors of the Little Dragon Pizza Van, a restaurant that attracts visitors from all over the nation.
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The Prince and Princess will meet with the Central Beacons Mountain Rescue team and then go to the nearby Dowlais Rugby Club, where team members usually go to unwind and socialize. Their Royal Highnesses will interact with mountain rescue volunteers, the group’s supporters, and local residents inside the club. The Prince and Princess will spend some time interacting with the crowd of onlookers after leaving the rugby club.
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This evening, the royal couple will spend the night in a nearby bed and breakfast.
