Navigational Challenge in the Duddon Valley

After the rather wet day on Ben Lomond the following day was spent traveling down to the Lake District. The weather was really too good to be in the car, but as I passed Ullswater and then along the Wrynose Pass the views more than compensated for this.

Staying at High Moss in the Duddon Valley near Seathwaite the weekend looked to be a promising one. The activity for Saturday was a navigational challenge, control points had been set out and on Saturday we were shown the master map with the points highlighted. In addition information was provided to narrow down the location,

The majority of those taking part were fell runners so they were set to cover a lot of the course. For myself and a couple of others it was to be a more sedentary affair. The weather was good and throughout the day it remained sunny, warm and bright. This made the challenge all the more enjoyable.

Overall it was a good day navigating from control point to control point. It wasn’t overly challenging to find the controls but as a walker impossible to cover the whole area. Needless to say the fell runners got the highest scores, but some of them did pick up a lot of penalty points due to their running overtime.

Perhaps next time I will have to be more minimalistic & maybe try a bit of running. There is a whole year to prepare and procrastinate over it!

Ben Lomond in the clag

This week I found myself acting as a currier for two of my children, driving up to Glasgow via Manchester to drop of forgotten items or the things they couldn’t carry in the first place. Oh the joys of university!

So after a night sleeping on the floor in Glasgow I headed off to Rowardennan Lodge the Scottish Youth Hostel on the east bank of Loch Lomond. The journey took about two hours, slightly longer than I anticipated. As I had not managed to get an OS map before I left, I had to find a supplier en-route. The best option was Harvey’s Superwalker map for Ben Lomond. This was the first time I had used this type of map, although I have used their Mountain maps produced for the BMC, this was a detailed 1:25,000 scale map. It’s clarity was very good and very easy to use.

Parking up at the hostel I set off to walk up Ben Lomond, setting quite late in the morning. I went up the path which initially follows the loch shore and then heads uphill into the woods and then onto the open hillside. This is a less frequently used path as it is well defined but much narrower than the path directly up from the National Trust for Scotland main car park.

The path up was certainly steep and quite rocky in places, the path down in comparison was more of a gentle slope and it was easy to see why this was the preferred route. Throughout the day the visibility was poor as the cloud base was so low. As I reached Ptarmigan ridge a gap in the clouds provided a brief view of the route ahead. However, the final ascent was in the mist and I collected another photograph of a mist shrouded trig point at the summit.

 

Throughout the day I saw just three people who like me were prepared to take on the challenge of Ben Lomond in such unappealing conditions. The predominant soundtrack of the day was definitely water, from the sound of the rain on your jacket hood to gurgling brooks, and the booming of gushing streams rapidly descending the side of the Ben  and bouncing over rocks and other obstacles.

 

Sitting in the comfort of the Lodge I pick up a leaflet highlighting the top 5 things to do here. The top thing it suggests is to climb the Ben for the “stunning views” but not today! It also highlights the fact that this is the most southerly Munro, so one more down and only another 270 to go! The first Munro was June 2011 though.

The leaflet also talks of cruising the loch, and as I arrived at the hostel the ferry was taking on board passengers. The last time I was here was back in the 1980s when Glasgow was a city of culture with a claim of it being ‘Smiles better’ or something similar. For some reason I arrived at the SYHA Loch Lomond on the other side of the loch by public transport for a short stay. A ferry took me across the loch to where I now sit for a days wandering along the West Highland Way. Although on that occasion I didn’t scale the heights of Ben Lomond.

After a day in the hills I now head south to the Lake District for a navigational challenge day around the Dunnerdale Valley & Seathewaite on Saturday. Typically, the weather was beautifully sunny, clear and warm. Ideal weather to sit in a car on numerous motorways!

Another hot Snowdonia weekend

A return trip to Beaudy Mawr hut at Nant Peris in Snowdonia. This time it was a meet with the London Section of the Rucksack Club. The hut was busy with people staying on after a glorious week in the sun and a small contingent of seven from the London Section (although no one actually lives in London & half of those present lived in the north!) The weather looked promising  and unlike May I had plenty of sun cream.

Saturday 8 September – The Glyders & Tryfan

With no real group plan I set off to walk over the Glyders and onto Tryfan. This meant taking the long slog up the Cwm Las path to Llyn y Cwn. There were plenty of views to take in as the path slowly climbs to the Llyn. As one guide book put it the real hardwork is yet to come.

 

Once at the refreshing site of the lake the path skirts around and then heads steeply up through gritty scree to reach Glyder Fawr. On the way up I met a group of doctors and nurses from a York Territorial Army unit out on a relaxing team weekend. Their instructor plodded on and patiently selected suitable resting points for his charges to admire the views and catch their breath.

From Glyder Fawr (999m) the path heads across the boulder strewn plateau to Glyder Fach (994m) with its much photographed cantilever rock. The two peaks translate as ‘Great Pile’ and ‘Little Pile’ and they are rocky outcrops in an already chaotic rocky landscape.

 

There were several options for the route to Tryfan and the scree run to the right of Bristly Ridge was certainly exhilarating with its loose scree surface. Talking to one walker on his way up I learnt that there were some lads doing some ‘extreme ironing’ on Adam and Eve top of Tryfan. Once down to the Bwlch I passed them as they headed for the scramble up Bristly Ridge with ironing board carefully strapped to a rucksack.

My route up to Tryfan was easier without the addition of a rigid board and took in the south ridge. The scramble up enabled good progress to be made and eventually the summit came into view. The prominent monoliths of Adam & Eve proved popular with those present. This was the first time up Tryfan since coming here with the school walking group back in the 1980s. The route down was certainly not the way I came up but it was easy to step down the boulder encrusted face of this mountain.

With water running short I elected to head down to Idwal Cottage via Llyn Bochlwyd and onto the cafe. Unfortunately the area was undergoing renovation and I discovered the cafe was a pile of rubble. Luckily the nearby Youth Hostel took pity on me and I was able to refill my bottles for the return journey.

This time it was along the improved path to Llyn Idwal, this area has undergone some major reworking since I was last here in 2009. The path up to Devil’s Kitchen and passes Idwal Slabs where the climbers were busy packing away for the day. The path is easy to follow and swings to the left to eventually reach the marshy plateau and Llyn y Cwn. On the way up I met the lads with the ironing board again. It turned out they were Scouts from Hampshire and have a county competition to find the most extreme place to set up an iron board. They certainly had a good day in the hills.

The final section was the reverse of my initial climb and as the sun started to set I made my way back to the hut in time for an evening meal and chat.

Sunday 9 September – Moel Siabod

After several years of looking up at Moel Siabod as I drove through Capel Curig and several abortive planned trips to walk on this isolated hill. Finally everything was in place to tackle it, although the good weather wasn’t to last.

Parking near the Bryn Glo cafe in Capel Curig it is possible to follow old quarry tracks out past a lake and then onto an old flooded quarry pit and ruined miners cottages. The path swings round to Llyn y Foel and becomes quite boggy in places. From here on the only way is up and this involves scrambling up the Daear Ddu ridge. By this stage the  cloud base had descended and the wind increased.

 

There had been a steady stream of walkers heading out from Capel Curig and our paths crisscrossed many times. Sadly the weather conditions meant there was no view from the top and beyond a quick snack there wasn’t much reason to linger.

The route down was along the north-east ridge offered some easy scrambling on occasions, although it is possible to contour around below the rocky outcrop. as a group of ramblers demonstrated. However, this would not avail the views of my outward journey as the visibility improved/

After some grassy and heavily eroded sections through slates the path soon re-joined the outward path and within half an hour the A5  and Pont Cyfyng (an old stone bridge) across the Afon Llugwy are within sight.

So ended a weekend of contrast with some great walking opportunities.

Brecon Beacons Walking – part two

 

The second part of the week in the Brecon Beacons proved to be better part with regard to the weather and the views on offer. We would spend one day in the Black Mountain (singular) / Y Mynydd Du and then the final day in the Black Mountains (plural).

 

 

 

Thursday – Fan Brycheiniog and Fan Hir in the Black Mountain/Y Mynydd Du

Today was a pleasant change from the first part of the week, the sun was shining and you could see further than one hundred yards! Starting on an indiscriminate path of sorts we left the minor road (SN856223) just below Glasfyndd Forest and headed for Llyn y Fan Fawr. This only come into view as we reached it, being the remains of a glacial lake with its terminal moraines holding back the water.

A short rest to admire the view and we headed out along the side of Fan Brycheiniog and around to the point where we steeply ascended to the cairn on top of Fan Foel. Apart from some small climbs the rest of the day would be ‘downhill’ so to speak. We followed the path along the ridge to the next cairn and stopped for lunch basking in the sun. A group of young women passed and we speculated as to their nationality as we struggled to decipher their language (even with a native French & German speaker in the group). However, near the trig point of Fan Brycheiniog we met them again and discovered they were from Belgium and Holland. We also found this unusual fly or to us at least!)

The rest of the day was a pleasant walk along the ridge with views like the one at the top of this section of the blog with its glacial erosion to expose the Red Sandstone & other layers. After leaving the ridge the path follows the spur before finally reaching the A4067 and Glyntawe with its welcoming pub.

Friday – The Black Mountains

The final day and another one for the suntan cream. Starting at a drop off point on the A479 north of Crickhowell we walked across the fields to Cwmdu and then the lanes that would lead up to the open access land of the Black Mountains. Following much of the Beacons Way we skirted our way around the hillside through bracken, which at times was chest high or more. Regardless of its height it carefully obscured paths whenever possible.

Eventually we escaped from its clutches and emerged onto Table Mountain the iron age hillfort with its historic links to Hywell the Good whose laws survived 300 years until Edward 1 introduced English laws & customs on the principality. The final part of the walk was through farmland to the roads that led to the heart of Crickhowell. Its picturesque qualities were sadly being eroded by the large volumes of traffic passing through on the busy A40.

So ended an enjoyable week leading walks in the Brecon Beacons for HF Holidays. The final nights entertainment and farewells before we all depart for our respect homes.

Brecon Beacons Walking – part one

This week I made a return visit to the HF Holidays house in Brecon. The first visit was last September, which was my first lead with HF. Since then I’ve led  from Sedbergh in the Yorkshire Dales, Dolgellau in southern Snowdonia and Glen Coe in the Highlands. The arrival in Brecon presented some good views of the Beacons, sadly as the afternoon progressed the weather deteriorated.

Sunday – Fan y Big & the Menasgin Ridge

Sunday provided an opportunity to take a group up to Fan Y Big as part of the Menasgin horseshoe. The route started at Llanfrynach and followed the lanes for a short distance before heading up towards the open ridge of Gist wen that would provide our means of access to Fan Y Big. The views presented of Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du were tempting but these summits would need to wait until Tuesday.
The path then follows the edge towards the summit of Fan y Big around the glacial Cwm Oerrgwm with the Nant Menasgin and its rich woodlands. We soon reached the summit and the opportunity to enjoy the fine views of both the Beacons and Brecon our final destination. Fan y Big’s small ‘diving board’ didn’t look too tempting but provides one of those classic photo opportunities. The return to Brecon was down the Cefn Cyff ridge and through the lanes and fields around Cantref. Many of the sunken lanes were historic drove roads and the dense canopy they provided protected us from the afternoon rains. Tantalising glimpses of Brecon could be had through gaps in the hedgerow of the green lane leading down to Christ College and the desecrated sixteenth century bridge across the Usk. 

Monday – Waterfall Country

Today’s walk was along the Afon Mellte and Nedd Fechan with views of the various waterfalls and the features of this limestone area. Starting at the car park on the minor road we followed the path down to the first waterfall of the day, Sgwd Clun-gwyn. As we followed the riverside path up to Porth yr Ogof we had the opportunity to watch some Dippers hopping in and out of the rushing water.
A quick look at the Blue Pool where the river emerges from its quarter mile underground journey. Then on to Porth yr Ogof where the river enters the large cave and makes its way through the softer limestone. Inside could be heard the voices of pothollers whose head torches barely pierced the gloom.



After lunch a cross country journey along sunken lanes and open grassland took us to the Nedd Fechan and the final string of waterfalls. The final one being Sgwd Gwladys, after which the the destination of Pontneddfechan provided a good resting point before the return to Brecon.

Tuesday – Central Beacons

Today’s walk started at the layby just beyond the Storey Arms. A quick ascent to Bwlch Duwynt along a made up path proved that it certainly lived up to its name of ‘windy col’. At this point we turned right and headed out along the descending ridge. The other group who were slowly ascending behind us would quickly reach Corn Du from this point while we would take the more circuitous route & make this our last peak of the day.
As we headed out along Craig Gwaun Taf and Graig Fan Ddu the visibility deteriorated and only as we descended down a rocky path to Neuaudd Reservoirs did the landscape open up before us. A slightly squelchy trudge to the reservoir grounds soon enabled us to enjoy the respite provided by the old waterworks as a desirable lunch spot in the sun. This was not to last as the old Roman/drovers track up to the ‘gap’ soon demonstrated.
At the gap we caught up with a heavily laden walker who trudged ahead of us. While he carefully avoided the highs that the Beacons have to offer we headed on up to the top of Cribyn and into the thickening mist. In record time we had Cribyn, Pen y Fan and Corn Du under our belts in part because there was no reason to linger and admire the non-existent views.

The descent to the Storey Arms provided an interesting route but sadly little to see. The only blessing was the fact that it hid the busy A470 long after we could hear its intermittent drone. The sight of the roadside vender with her friendly welcome & warming tea and coffee’s was something we were glad to savour while we awaited our transport back to Brecon.
So ended the first part of the week, tomorrow was a rest day and the weather was due to break and provide a most promising final two days in the Brecon Beacons.

Glencoe Walking in June

After a Jubilee Street Party on the Saturday early the next morning it was time to drive up to Scotland for a week at the HF Holidays house Alltshellach in North Ballachulish on the banks of loch Leven. A stop off in Glasgow and then on to Fort William for an overnight stop. The next morning provided time to wander around the town & pick up a few things.

Alltshellach had hosted a wedding over the weekend and they were still in the process of taking down the large tepee tent marquees over-looking the lake. A magnificent setting especially with the good weather.

Tuesday – Kentallen Peninsular

An easy walk to start the week around the Kentallen Peninsular and alongside Loch Linnhe. This provided excellent views across the loch and of the numerous birds along its shoreline. Starting from Duror we headed out towards the headland at Rubha Mòr and then along the shoreline and eventually around to Kentallen and then along the old railway to the hotel & pier where we awaited the coach for our return journey.

The walk was a pleasant and relaxing one with plenty of opportunity to admire the views, wildlife and plants. Amongst the birds we saw Oystercatchers and in one field we saw swathes of spotted orchids.

Wednesday – Sgor Eilde Beag and Na Gruagaicheon

After yesterdays easy walk today was a totally different prospect, with one Munro and a lot of ascent. The walk out of Kinlochleven soon became a bit of a slog uphill but it was a pleasant prospect to be out in the hills. Initially we headed along the tracks towards Loch Eilde Mòr before turning our attention upwards to Sgor Eilde Beag (956m). After achieving this we followed the ridge to the unnamed spot height (1062m) from where we could see the silhouettes of two fast moving walkers accenting Binnein  Mòr (1130m). Our paths would later cross enroute to Na Gruagaicheon, where we discovered they were on day 21 of their 60 day trip to bag all of the Munros. They certainly looked capable to achieving this but they struggled to identify the Munro’s they had already achieved that day.

By the time we reached our top we were in the clouds and a little damp, however we enjoyed a quick lunch before descending along undefined paths to join the Old Military Road and through the deer fence to head back to the Ice Factor in Kinlochleven.

 

Thursday -  North side of Ben Nevis

The walk today was to go as far as the CIC hut from the north side and then return along the Pony Track or tourist path. We started at Torlundy and headed into Leanachan Forest, slowly making our way uphill until we emerged on its western boundary by Allt á Mhuilinn. Our path was mostly following the course of this stream until we eventually reached the hut below the north buttress. The northern gullies still held snow.

We only passed a couple of people during this stage of the walk, a few lads who camped overnight and a German family who had done the tourist route before and wanted something different. This was certainly a pleasant and interesting introduction to the Ben.

After the hut we skirted around below the northern buttress passing Lochan Meall an t-Sudhie before joining the heaving tourist path. Our peaceful day was shattered and it was a shock after having our side of the mountain almost to ourselves. The route down was along the tourist track which is heavily warn  and rutted. We were certainly pleased to reach the end and the Nevis Inn.

Friday – A Strontium Wander

The final walk of the week was to be across the the other side of Loch Linnhie, this involved catching the Coran ferry and then driving on to Strontian. The walk initially passed through a Beech woodland before heading out into the open moorland. Our target being Meall Iain (502m) with its multiple tops.

The view before us encompassed several of the islands of the Inner Hebrides including Rum, Eigg and some thought Skye. Certainly the visibility was good. The rest of the route took in an area of disused quarries before passing through Scotstown and along the road to Strontian. Along the way we passed a phone box together with umbrella and newspaper ready for the next user.

Beaudy Mawyr Weekend – Snowdonia in May

My first weekend with the Rucksack Club at their hut near Nant Peris in Snowdonia. When I arrived around 9pm there were quite a few people sitting outside still enjoying the evening. The hut is pleasantly situated just south of the village and beside the main road from Pen y Pass to Llanberis.

Saturday – Y Garn and Elidir Fawr

A glorious day in the hills lay before me, while the majority headed off on a 70 mile bike ride! A steep path near the hut provides good access to the Glyders ridge and the slopes of Y Garn. Excellent views into the Ogwen Valley were to be had from this vantage point. I then followed the ridge fence to Foel-goch, at the summit I met a man & his dog sitting admiring the view from the other side of the fence. we would later meet again down in Nant Peris in the pub.

A short back-track presented a stile to cross the fence and the route down to join the main path at Bwlch y Brecon. It had been pretty windy on the ridge and as a result I failed to realise how strong the sun actually was. The option here was to go straight for Elidir Fawr or head along to reach a few further summits before turning my attention to this summit. I chose the first option and was soon on Mynydd Perfedd with its small stone circle shelter & heading across the rocky plateau to Carnedd y Filiast before returning the way I had come.

The path to Elidir Fawr was fairly painless unlike the route back to Nant Peris. For the second time I struggled to find the path clearly marked on the OS maps as running down the hillside & alongside the Afon Dudodyn. It is possible to make a rout along here but it is not the easiest, a higher route above the valley seems the more preferable, maybe next time!

 

Nant Peris proved a welcome sight after a long days walk in the blistering heat. A refreshing drink & then on to the hut for a most welcome evening meal & time to relax.

The results of too much sun on the Saturday and continuing heat persuaded me to put on hold the proposed walk up Moel Siabod. This is one I’ve been meaning to climb for several years now but something always intervenes. maybe next time.

ITTH in the Peak District

The prospect of a along weekend in the White Peak with a group of 70+ Scouts and Guides from Hertfordshire presented a range of interesting challenges. Arriving at Orchard Farm centre in Staffordshire mid-afternoon meant I was in advance of the minibuses which would arrive later in the evening. Two others were present busy erecting tents around the grounds & we soon had the final tents ready for their incumbents.

An early alarm call at 5.45am was greatly appreciated by all present on the first day of activities. ITTH gave the Scouts & Guides an opportunity to take part in a range of outdoor activities. They would spend half-days climbing, cycling & orienteering and a whole day walking. My involvement was with the latter and each day I had a different assistant with the mixed group of Scouts & Guides.

Saturday – The Roaches

The walk started at the small car park at Gradbach near the Youth Hostel. A short walk to the forest and the track leading up to the rocky chasm known as Lud’s Church. There are various stories behind its name, but it is a most atmospheric place and considering the numbers of people in the area very tranquil.

After an exploration we ascended back into the forest and then uphill through the moor to the boundary and on towards the minor road at Roaches End. From here the path meanders along the top of The Roaches with opportunities to explore the millstone grit outcrops. These provided ample scope for simple scrambling and other activities.

 

Descending before Hen Cloud we saw many enjoying the afternoon bouldering and climbing. By the road we met Rangers from the Wildlife Trust and National park who were observing a nesting pair of Peregrine Falcons. The powerful scopes enabled the group to get a close view of the birds.

Sunday – Shining Tor

It was a different group of Scouts & Guides today as we drove up to the ruin of Errwood Hall, beside Errwood Reservoir in the Goyt Valley. The mansion had been demolished in the 1930s following the construction of the reservoir, but its foundations and plantings were still evident.  We headed off through the woods and eventually came to a small chapel or shrine.

A section of minor road led to Oldgate Nick, where we walked across the ridge along at times a made up path of flagstones and other materials. The destination was Shining Tor at 559m from where we could see the valley below us and the surrounding countryside. A pleasant walk back past Shooters Clough returned us to the car park and the awaiting minibus.

Trekmates Flameless Cook Flask

For some time I have been trying the Trekmates Flameless Cook Flask. This consists of a metal cup that sits inside a plastic outer casing with a protective sleeve. The idea is that you cook without the use of gas or other heating implements. They also make a Cook Box for cooking whole meals.

The cooking is achieved by the use of a special sachet that reacts when it comes in contact with water. This produces the heat that heats up the liquid. To initiate the reaction the sachet is removed from its waterproof packet and placed inside the plastic casing. By pouring on the specified amount of water the reaction is initiated. The metal cup is then inserted, the cap fitted and the liquid inside it will heart up.

So far I have used this in the Lake District, Cairngorms and even on long distance train journeys. This particular flask can be used to make hot drinks or the pasta snacks that require hot water. It is great for heating up something when you are out on the hill, especially when you don’t have access to a stove. On the train you do get some odd looks but it is better than the usual fare they offer. The heat sachets work out at about £1.40 each so it is not necessarily that cheap but its flexibility outweighs this.

Certainly as an emergency heat source it is invaluable, but there are a variety of self-heating meal packs coming on the market that could fill this niche. 

A Walk in the Moelwyns

For what turned out to be the best day of the extended weekend in Snowdonia I headed over to Croesor. Tucked in the valley between Cnicht and the Moelwyns this pleasant village has a small National Park car park and toilet, nearby is a small friendly cafe.
Most books seems to suggest going round in a clockwise direction, taking the higher Moelwyn Mawr first. However as it and Cnicht across the valley where shrouded in clouds, the best option was to take the lower Moelwyn Bach first in the hope that the cloud base would lift.
The walk therefore started by heading out along the road towards Tan-y-Bwlch, after passing a farm you eventually reach a block of forestry. Here the footpath takes you through the moss covered trees to the open moorland. The footpath actually heads out along the boggy valley but the route up to Moel Bach is best tackled by heading uphill and following is NW shoulder/ridge to the summit.

After admiring the view of distant Portmadog and the ___ estuary, the path descends steeply on the east side overlooking the Lyn Siwlan reservoir. Then from the Bwlch a easy scramble up Craigysgafn gains access to Moelwyn Mawr, which sadly was shrouded in cloud at the time. A brief chance to admire the obscured view and the path then descends on the west side and then skirting around the open wound of the former quarries. The destination being the top of Moel-yr-hydd with views into Blaenau Festiniog below.
 
Heading across to the quarry building near Llyn Creosor I joined the path down to the large quarry building footprint and track back to the village. This last part being the culmination of a walk I took my sister on nearly a year ago as part of her training for a charity walk in the Grand Canyon. On that occasion the walk was to stretch the muscles after her first ascent of Snowdon the previous day.
This year like last the cafe provided a welcome end point with its refreshments and homemade cakes. A good days walk with some unexpected views. This wasn’t the end of the weekend as i then had another two days in the area as I had to attend a 16-hour outdoor first aid course.

Snowdon Geology for MLs

Today was to be a day on Snowdon learning about its geology with Paul Gannon, author of the Rock Trails books. This was a CPD day organised through the Mountain Leader Training Association. During the day we learnt all about the different volcanic rocks, its different formations etc.

The route went up the Miners’ Track passing the Lower Rhyolitic Tuffs, Basalts and there various sub forms. Despite the appalling weather  we made good progress up Snowdon discussing the effect of tectonics on the structure of the mountains. The subsequent effect of glaciations was evident in the  four cwms that once held the glaciers. As we ascended each got progressively smaller.

The importation of rocks to stabilise the paths provided additional discussion material, and not just of a geological nature.

The route down was quicker but no less informative. Concluding with a hot mug of coffee in the Pen y Pass cafe, this was a good day on Snowdon.

Moel Hebog ridge walk

This weekend I headed off to Wales on a Thursday evening , arriving at Snowdon Ranger Youth Hostel around 9pm. The drive through Snowdonia was pleasant and it made a change not to have to carry all my stuff, unlike the earlier trip to the Cairngorms.

This was the first time at this hostel, which was a pleasant enough place. A good location for the west side of Snowdon. Not too far from Rhydd Ddu where I was staying at the end of February.

On Friday I headed down to Beddgelert and then walked up to Moel Hebog. The route started at the Royal Goat Hotel and then passed through the area now occupied by the Welsh Highland Railway. Once past this the route follows the road to just before the farm and then heads out across the open moorland. The gradual climb steepened & passed through an area of simple scrambling and scree. The summit was shrouded in mist and covered in a fresh layer of snow, which indicated no one had been up since it settled.

After locating the trig point the path descends down the north side alongside the drystone wall.

The route then passed through a cleft in the rock and up to Moel yn Ogol and then mostly along a ridge to Moel Lefn. This was mostly the same as the first day of my ML practice expedition. The difference was today was wet and claggy whereas then it was boiling hot and parched. On that occasion we had headed down to the disused mines and camped near the reservoir. This provided my first and so far only experience with ticks!

This time the route headed into Beddgelert Forest, which proved to be a nightmare. The footpath through  the forest was a cross between quagmire, bog and stream bed. After finally extracting myself from its grip it was a short walk along the road into the village.

Easter in the Cairngorms

Easter 2012 was spent in walking in the Cairngorms with The Rucksack Club. The first challenge was to get there by public transport. Luckily there were no hiccups along the way and the three changes of train to get to Aberdeen. From there it was a two hour bus journey to Braemar. It total it took 10.5 hours to get up and 12 to get back as I ended up having to spend over two hours in Aberdeen before catching the train home. In total the costs of getting there by public transport was around the cost of a full tank of petrol.

Entrance to Stable Block

We stayed at the National Trust for Scotland’s Mar Lodge Basecamp, which was well appointed for 12 people in four bedrooms, with a good sized kitchen, dinning room and lounge area. The latter had a TV for checking the weather forecasts, mobile reception being very poor.
Situated in the old stable block the basecamp is ideally situated for access to the mountains in this area of the Cairngorms. Over the Easter weekend the adjacent lodge was open to the public and we had the opportunity to see the rooms which are not often open to the public. The sheer number of deer skulls in the main reception rooms and the ballroom is not to everyone’s taste!
On Good Friday I walked from the Lodge down to the Linn of Quich and then followed the track up through the forest and intro the hillside beyond. After the recent snowfalls there was still plenty of snow on the ground, although it was fairly soft going. After following the track for some time the route took me uphill on a non-descript path to Carn na Criche and its cairn. From here it was a case of following the ride to the summit of Carn na Drochaide with its wide stony plateau. The path down constantly disappeared into the snow but the way down was across the spur of Carn Dearg and then across the boggy area towards the woods above Alanaquoich.

On the way up Lochnagar

Saturday started early with a drive over to Spittal of Glenmuick and the start of today’s walk up to Lochnagar. The weather forecast was for an unpromising afternoon, hence the need to start walking early, despite this the car park was already filling up. Despite this we didn’t see an awful lot of people during the day.
There was a fair amount of snow as we ascended and we followed the main route up to the summit. Visibility was poor on top and following compass bearings we passed the first cairn and then onto the cairn on the top of Cache Carn Brag. The route down was to take the path down via the Falls of Glasalt and onto Loch Muick and the shore path back to the carpark.

On Sunday a couple of us headed out to tackle An Sochan. Parking by a woodland at the side of the A93 we followed the valley up until the second side stream and then headed uphill to the cairn and on up the bleak summit. As we ascended we came close to a small group of Mountain Hares still resplendent in their white winter coats. After admiring the view  from the summit cairn we headed back to a shelter cairn for some refreshments. The return was merely retracing our steps.

Looking down upon Mar Lodge

Monday morning everyone else departed the area on their way home or to tackle other peaks. My stay was to continue for another day, this time staying at the Youth Hostel in Braemar. After the two Munros of the previous days I headed up Montone  the local Corbett. The trig point on the summit is completely overshadowed by an enormous transmitter mask and associated buildings. Despite that the views from the summit were very good and it was possible to look down upon Mar Lodge and see Carn na Drochaide from the walk on Friday. A Ptarmigan loitered for a while in from of me and allowed an excellent view of this interesting bird.

This was a great few days in the Cairngorms, with reasonably good weather, fantastic accommodation and good company.

Aran Fawddwy in the snow

Looking towards Pen Main

This weekend was spent in the Arans a fantastic walking area in North Wales. The drive up on Friday night was uneventful and relaxing, even getting through Birmingham on the M6 was easy going. The lanes around Dinas Mawddwy were on the other hand more challenging.
Saturday morning and the sun was shining and it promised to be a good day despite the ominous weather forecasts. Beyond Dinas Mawddwy there is a small car park near Cwm Cywarch. The path leaves the track by a bridge across the stream and then a sunken lane takes you out into the valley above Afon yt Hengwm. The path slowly climbs above the valley and swings around to Drysgol.

View from Drysgol to Aran Fawddwy

 The snow was increasing in depth by this stage and the icing on the mountains was rapidly becoming more of a reality. As we followed the ridge keeping the fence on our right Aran Fawddwy could be seen in its full winter glory.

The path passed a memorial cairn for Mike Aspain of RAF St Athan mountain rescue team who was killed by lightning here. The path would normally be fairly straight-forward but with snow and ice covered rocks it was a more interesting experience.

Following the ridge, looking towards the memorial cairn by Drws Bach

The summit of Aran Fawddwy

 The final trudge led to the summit of Aran Fawddwy with its snow caped trig point & time for a bite to eat. The snow in places was up to knee deep and invariably your boot slowly descended through the snow layers making it tough going.

The descent was along the fence line running in a south-westerly direction towards Glasgwm. An extremely boggy path even at this time of year. The sections of board walk were more of a hindrance with their ice covering, but no doubt a blessing at other times of the year.


After 2 km or so the path veers downhill along a gully. The pond beside the fence marks the beginning of the path down which becomes very steep. Now below the snow line the path was still slippery due to film on the rocks and a saturated top soil. The path crosses a few side streams before reaching a wide footbridge and a more gentle path down to Bleaencywarch. The path passes around the farm and back to the car park. In total this was a 12 km walk which took around 5 hours of walking through snow and bog.

The view or lack of it

 The Sunday was an altogether different day, with poor visibility and gusting snow/sleet showers all day. as the day progressed it descended further into the valley and a slog up to the pond below Glasgwm was the limit of the days activities.
The lure of warm soup and time to dry out before the journey home proved too strong.