Posts about Snowdonia
Beddgelert disappears behind me as I tackle the steepest part of the walk and head for the climax of this trip. This is a time to enjoy the finest mountains in Wales, but also to get used to seeing people again, for soon I have to re-enter civilisation. Continue reading “Planning the Cambrian Way – Part 9: Beddgelert to Conwy”
And now things get serious with the most controversial section of the Cambrian Way. Rough walking over demanding terrain, nowhere to stay overnight, but in the eyes of Tony Drake the most rewarding part of the whole route. Except in my case, I don’t have the accommodation issue… Continue reading “Planning the Cambrian Way – Part 8: Barmouth to Beddgelert”
Ah, a short one but a good one. Two of the best 100 (according to Trail) mountains in the country, and depending on where my main training trip before the Cambrian Way takes me, this stretch could see me pass through the halfway mark in the Trail 100. But then if it doesn’t, it will be in the Rhinogs instead. Either way, this section could be, and should be, one of the best chunks of the walk. Continue reading “Planning the Cambrian Way – Part 7: Dinas Mawddwy to Barmouth”
A quick section to plan this one. On paper of a similar length to the previous section, I knew I could knock this one out quickly, so that’s what I’ve done. It may be longer and hillier (slightly) than stage 3, but it’s not caught my imagination in the same way. Continue reading “Planning the Cambrian Way – Part 6: Devil’s Bridge to Dinas Mawddwy”
Our annual gathering of ex-university friends saw us take a cottage in the Hiraethog area of North Wales. Although not a primarily walking-focussed holiday, we did get out a few times: Continue reading “Trip Report: Snowdonia April 2012”
Snowdon (or to give the actual summit its correct name, Yr Wyddfa) is probably Britain’s most touristy mountain, but under the right conditions can also be a serious mountain on which people die or hurt themselves every year. This post is dedicated to the melting pot and mountain of contrasts that is Snowdon and the people you see up there. Continue reading “Snowdon from various angles”
Tryfan and the Glyders are wreathed in cloud as I sit here in the cottage writing this. Patches of sunlight highlighting the yellows of the moor. Yesterday we were up there, as my legs and in particular my knees are reminding me. We picked a good day for it, although the range of weather we experienced might indicate otherwise. Continue reading “Getting Some Rock”
“The where ?” I can almost hear people asking. Mynydd Hiraethog, often just called the Hiraethog is an area of moorland between Denbigh and the A5 in the north east of Wales. It lies just outside the Snowdonia National Park, and so doesn’t get quite the same level of footfall. There’s not much there apart from a few isolated farms and reservoirs. This was where we chose to stay for our annual Easter get together this year, and our cottage was situated just above the Alwen Reservoir and commanded views over the moors – I could clearly see the key mountains of Snowdonia from my bedroom window. But more about that in a later post. Continue reading “Easter in the Hiraethog”
Given the weather, which has been windy every day and wet most days, I’ve had a reasonably successful trip. The only slight regret was losing Sunday, but that might not have been a great success anyway given my injury – I’m sure a day’s rest helped, although I’m still in pain Continue reading “Snowdonia 2011 – Debrief”
On this trip I stayed in two places: Continue reading “Snowdonia 2011 – Accommodation and Meals”
The whole trip has been built around doing this and it’s my last day so it’s obvious what walk to do. I deliberately left this to last because today had the best weather forecast and it’s also the hardest walk – in that it’s an all or nothing walk and although there are escape routes none of them are that convenient for buses back.
I get off the bus at the Rhyd-Ddu car park and walk across the fields heading straight for Carn Drws-y-coed (Y Garn on the map). Unusually Continue reading “Snowdonia 2011 – Day 7”
The forecast today is for wind and rain and then clearing in the afternoon (so not much change there then!). I’m not going to wait to see it improve as when I did that on Sunday, I ended up with no walk. I also have to bear in mind last bus times. So I decide to go out on the first bus after breakfast and hopefully the weather will clear as I go.
I alight from the bus at Capel Curig and walk along the A5 and then the river until I get to Pont Cyfyng, where my route starts. Moel Siabod’s top is Continue reading “Snowdonia 2011 – Day 6”
Today, I’m up, breakfasted and ready in time for the bus as I have a potentially long walk ahead of me – from Nantgwynant over Gallt y Wenallt, Y Lliwedd, Yr Wyddfa and Yr Aran.
It doesn’t start well with the bus driver dropping me off ¾ mile beyond where I wanted. But it’s good to warm the legs up although it eats into the time and weather window I’ve got.
I cross the river and head steeply uphill through the farmland, pass through a gate and head east up through the trees across the flank of Y Lliwedd until the path ends at an abandoned mine.
I crossed the stream and headed up the grassy slope of Gallt y Wenallt, heading for the summit. As I gain the summit outcrops, I’m hit by Continue reading “Snowdonia 2011 – Day 5”
I’m in agony and can’t sit down without wincing. I don’t think I broke anything, but I must have one hell of a bruise. Unfortunately I can’t see without a highly complex arrangement of mirrors.
And the weather forecast isn’t good. Rain and high winds for most of the day, with only a small chance of a clear patch at some point. So Continue reading “Snowdonia 2011 – Day 4”
Today I met up with sunnysky from the LFTO forum.
We parked in Croesor and took the path up onto the ridgeline above the village. The summit of Cnicht stood out against the background of cloud enveloping the other mountains.
We made good progress and despite a strengthening headwind very quickly we reached the steeper ascent onto the summit, scrambling Continue reading “Snowdonia 2011 – Day 3”
