Friday 9 December 2022 - Pete Varley, Around Timperley, and Nessit Hill

Friday was a sad day. I attended a wake following the death from cancer of a fellow TGO Challenger, Pete Varley (aka Lilo). Pete was a real character, a really nice bloke, and a role model to which few people could aspire. Sue and I met him on several Challenges, and we spent a few days with him and Trish in Chamonix in 2009. 

The picture above shows Pete finishing the TGO Challenge with me in 2013, at a very windy spot in Frazerburgh.

Pete's life was celebrated with speeches, readings, pictures and music, and we got to know a bit more about his multifarious activities. The TGO Challenge and other long distance walks were a love of Pete's life, and five of us - John Enoch, Dave Wood, David Milton, JJ and I were present to pay our respects, as did other Challengers - in particular Biaggio, Sue and Ali - on this sad occasion.

Pete loved the outdoors, and I'm sure that he would be quite content to share this posting with a few contemporaneous images. A bike ride that passed through Wythenshawe Park found me surprised that some of the trees had retained their leaves so far into December.

A couple of days later, and Lindow Moss on a bright, sunny day, was altogether more wintry, with leafless trees towering over the frosted moss next to Black Lake.

Later that day, I admired sunset from Timperley Bridge, looking towards Altrincham.

A few minutes later, the sun was still in evidence as I walked from Timperley Bridge towards Brooklands.

After Pete's wake in Otley, I returned to Manchester, to wrestle my way past closed roads with a long, foggy, single track diversion, to Trentabank, for our annual winter walk up Shutlingsloe. Sue arrived separately, but unsurpisingly, nobody else turned up. 

We were not inclined to risk the slippery rocks (frosted with a thin layer of snow) on the final foggy ascent of Shutlingsloe this time, so instead we took the track over Nessit Hill in a 4km clockwise circuit from Trentabank.

After failing to fall over, and meeting just a couple of dog walkers, we got back to our cars, then headed down to the Leather's Smithy for refreshments.

It was a tedious drive home, trying to get around closed roads and roadworks. And in my case failing, but comforting myself by imagining Lilo's laughter if he could see the antics involved in what should have been a straightforward journey home!

Monday 5 December 2022 - The Worth Valley Hot 7 with Ruth Gardziel at Eagley Jazz Club

We enjoyed another of Eagley Jazz Club's Annual Christmas Dinners, this year with the excellent Worth Valley Hot 7 and their brilliant guest singer, Ruth Gardziel.

This full house event was a fine way in which to start this year's festivities. Thanks go to Reg, Ann, and all the other committee members for their considerable efforts in achieving a very successful 2022 for the club. Well done.

Monday = Isabella Day (33)

Just back from holiday, and the car needed its MOT, packages were to be delivered, etc, so Isabella's commute to Sale was with Sue, while I got on with an assortment of duties.

I think she enjoys the commute as much as the destination - a pre-booked play area at a cafe in Sale.

Saturday 3 December 2022 - Dolgellau parkrun and The Precipice Walk

After a quick cup of tea, we drove over to Dolgellau to join 20 or so other joggers for their Saturday morning 5km parkrun.

We both made it up and down the old railway line route twice, before adjourning to the delights of breakfast at the TH Roberts café. 

Results of the parkrun are here. Numbers were lower than usual due to support for the Bala event, which started up today after a long break.

Then we went for a stroll along the nearby Precipice Walk, previously walked on 10 July 2021. I think some new signage has been installed since then, but thankfully no parking meters. (Yet.)

The view across Llyn Cynwch was lovely, despite today's overcast sky.

The dull conditions didn't stop Sue from attempting to identify fungi...

Shield Lichen was as close as she could get to identifying the lichen below, whereas the one above was clearly Gray Reindeer Lichen.

Several more lichens were identified - see Sue's Facebook page if you are interested.

Our walk continued around the fine belvedere path, with more superb views.

After a good 3km we got back to the Llyn Cynwch reservoir and, just for a change, returned by way of the path along its eastern bank.

Here's the fine 6km circuit, from which we returned home for what would have been a late lunch had we needed one.

Then Sue popped out to stumble up and down the gnarly nearby peak of Moel-y-Gest,  from which excursion she posted these final three pictures.

And on Sunday we drove home...

Friday 2 December 2022 - Cnicht, Mawr Moelwyn and The Cob

Sue enjoyed a romp over Cnicht and Moelwyn Mawr - these first three pictures - whilst I stayed in Porthmadog recovering from a cold.

On Moelwyn Mawr, Sue met a chap who had been encountered two months earlier on Ben Wyvis, where she had also been observed identifying fungi! It's a small world!

I went for a walk along The Cob and back.

Sue was over there somewhere...

Moel-y-Gest looks like a substantial peak, seen above Porthmadog from the path around Llyn Bach. 

Low sun over the harbour, and a final image before I returned to base.

Thursday 1 December 2022 - Coed Llyn y Garnedd

After a lovely meal at Y Sgwar restaurant last night, we rose late, for an easy day.

We took a 7 mile drive to revisit Walk number 26 in Alex Kendall's 'Snowdonia North' book, last done on 14 November 2021.

Fine sunny weather again. 

Lunch on a sunny bench half way round.

Leaf litter exposed a couple of Blewit mushrooms that we will enjoy fried in butter.

Llyn Mair was in shadow, with nice reflections.

Here's the 6km route on which we spent a very pleasant couple of hours.

 

We met a group of four today, and a couple of folk yesterday, but the roads and the paths are very quiet at this time of year, despite the town of Porthmadog being pretty busy.

Wednesday 30 November 2022 - Nant Gwrtheyrn and Pistyll

Today we ventured into the Lleyn Peninsula, for walks numbered 24 and 25 in David Berry's 2007 guide book.

It was a lovely sunny day. We started from the car park above Nant Gwrtheyrn and strolled down the steep road, with good views across to the quarries that ceased operations in the 1930s.

There's a residential Welsh Language Centre at the foot of the hill, with a good café. The students must all have been studying!

After enjoying coffee and cake, we went down to the stony beach and worked our way around to a quarry the other side of the bay. The views back to the Centre were excellent. 

A steepish climb out of the quarry led to a nice lunch spot, then a white post pointing along the Wales Coast Path.

The well engineered coast path took us all the way to St Bruno's Church in Pistyll. The church is dedicated to the Celtic saint who founded a church here in the 6thC.

The floor inside was laid with straw, and illumination was by candle light. 

From there we headed along a marshy path all the way back to the car. At a farm by Ciliau-uchaf we found a freshly dead fox. Poisoned?

This ancient iron ladder stile provided some amusement. 

Here's the 10km route. It took us 3-4 hours and proved an excellent way to combine the two routes in David Berry's guide book. 

Oh yes, en route we encountered numerous feral goats, and in the air choughs and buzzards dominated at times, with lots of wrens in the hedgerows and a cormorant on the beach.

This was a fine day for a return to the peninsula.