Thursday 15 July 2021 - Sale Sizzler 3

I reported on this year's first Sale Sizzler here.

We missed the second race - we were in Scotland.

This was the third event in this year's series, on a beautifully sunny evening in the park. 418 runners took part.

Sue and I expected to be slow, not having been for a run for more than a week. However, Sue did a PB and finished well ahead of me. I had a jolly time, starting right at the back and overtaking a few people. You may need to click on the above image to see it properly.

The start and finish involves a lap around the lovely track, shown below as folk congregate at the start.

At 7:20 everyone made their way to their socially distanced start positions, based on their estimated finishing times.

I started right at the back, behind Mark and Andy.

The gun went off at 7:30 and the leaders disappeared down the track, whilst those of us at the back shuffled to the start, narrowly avoiding the front runners as they completed their lap on the track and left the stadium.

Starting at the back and speeding up every kilometre has its advantages. Only one person passed me apart from the leading 50 or 60 folk who lapped me.

At 8pm prompt, Fechin went through his usual routine of awarding prizes to the winners in each age category. As usual, I was second in the 70-74 category. A club runner finishes ahead of me every time - always a different person, and always well ahead.

Where am I now?

More memories - possibly of more interest to readers than tonight's 5km 'Sizzler' race. It will be a sizzler!

In 2003 Sue and I enjoyed a trip to the Dolomites, during which our first digital camera took a few pictures, including this one featuring Don, Dave, Sue, Liz, Nick, Andrew and Catherine.

I think it was probably near Rifugio Fondo Savio, before some of us set off along the Bonacassa Way via ferrata, on 21 July.

Won't it be nice to return there one day?

The trip precedes this blog by over four years, but I did record events here, should anyone be interested.

Where am I now?

I don't expect an answer to the question. Thumbing through old photos, this one caught my eye. It brings back the distant memory of a backpack with Andrew and Gary from Kendal to Keswick. Very few pictures were taken on this day, 4 June 2005, but this one stood out. We walked from Kendal Youth Hostel to Windermere Youth Hostel (which is at Troutbeck), via Staveley, near where this picture must have been taken. My camera broke soon after that.

I wonder how much Andrew and Gary remember of this trip. Shall I 'bloggerise' the diary?

Tuesday 13 July 2021 - Bodnant Garden

On our return home from Wales, we spent the afternoon at Bodnant Garden. The grounds are extensive. We walked over 6km and failed again to source a good cream tea. This time we got tea, cake and brownies at the Old Mill café - they had run out of cream tea ingredients. 

I took a few photos, some of which are shown below. The house is private, but the garden is stunning. Well worth a visit if you are on your way to or from the Welsh coast.

Monday 12 July 2021 - The Mawddach Estuary

Today we parked by the Penmaenpool Toll Bridge, a wooden construction built in 1879 to replace a ferry.

We then set off along the Mawddach Trail, a disused railway track for walkers and cyclists. 

We followed the trail for over 7km as far as Arthog, where there's another car park.

Rosebay Willowherb was abundant beside the path.

Cyclists were abundant on the path, but not when the next picture was taken. Cows were paddling in the boggy ground just above the water level in the estuary. It must have been high tide. Jellyfish swam alongside us as we continued along the path.

Navigation became a little more taxing once we'd left the comfort of the old railway line, but Sue was pleased to glimpse a Kingfisher as we walked along an embankment beside a Afon Arthog.

Elevenses were taken in the porch of St Catherine's Church, then we embarked on a delightful, if rather steep, path beside the fast flowing Afon Arthog, with lots of small waterfalls.

By the time we had reached the top, a rain shower had reached us and Sue was fully waterproofed for a picture on a stone slab bridge over the stream.

By the time we reached our lunch spot in the shadow of Pared-y-Cefn hir, the rain had ceased.

From this perch we had wonderful panoramic views. Today, those towards Barmouth and the Lleyn Peninsula were better than the views towards the rocky ramparts of the North face of Cadair Idris, possibly because the latter were engulfed in cloud. 

The paths were well signposted today, and Alex's route description was wholly accurate (as usual). We seemed to be on several signed routes, including the Cambrian Way that I thought about walking last year, but I was thwarted by Covid, and in particular by not being allowed into Wales. 

After walking down to a road we encountered quite a few folk. It seems the area is favoured by Outwood Bound, and a school bus from Solihull was on duty to complement the supervised teenagers who were seen near Llynnau Cregennen, beside which there was a large car park.

Meanwhile, we enjoyed views to the summit of Pared-y-Cefn hir, languishing high above a hillside, the higher slopes of which are dominated by a carpet of bell heather.

It would be convenient to use the car park and ascend the hill from here.

After a fine path beside the lake and beyond, some steep descending through woodland got us past a deserted Youth Hostel to the main A493 road. We felt sorry for any hostelling cyclists who would have to negotiate the steep ascent after a long day.

Across the main road, we headed through an avenue of giant redwood trees, towards Abergwynant Farm. 

Soon after that, Abergwynant Woods were entered. This is an area where timber (oak etc) was taken for shipbuilding and other uses. Then conifers were planted. Efforts are now being made to get rid of the conifers and return the area to its natural state  thus benefiting wildlife and plants.

A short 'dog-leg' took us to a viewpoint over the estuary, the tide having now gone out some way.

Then it was down to the old railway line for a bike dodging (they were all very polite) stroll back to the car.

Here's our route - about 20km with 350 metres ascent, taking about 5.5 hours.

That's it from Porthmadog for now. I'll leave you with two views from our deck. In one of them, note the convoy of Canada Geese. At about 5:30 every afternoon a group of 60 geese paddle serenely, in single file, through the harbour and into the estuary, where yesterday a Peregrine falcon sat for hours on a rock.

This next picture was taken around sunset.

Sunday 11 July 2021 - Cwm Pennant

This was a half day walk, taking account of needing to be back in Porthmadog by early afternoon to see Maggie, whose house we are staying in, and also in view of forecast rain at 1pm.

The road took us to a car park at the far end of Cwm Pennant, reached after opening and closing four gates. It would have been easier to park in a grassy spot with a £1 honesty box 2km down the valley.

Our route set off along an easy path after a stile beyond the picnic tables (pictured above) and soon ascended a steep, tussocky path, marked by posts with yellow arrows.

The next picture shows the view back down the valley beyond the car park and its sole occupant.

From a small ridge, an old slate quarry could be seen. This was the Prince of Wales Quarry, generally known for being a failure, as were other quarries in this valley. It was opened in 1873 and closed only 13 years later.

After passing between the two thick walls of the former winch house, we descended beside the old incline towards the old mill buildings.

The paths today were dominated by luxuriant bracken. Not many plants could compete with its dominance, but foxgloves, bog asphodel, tormentil and thistles like the one pictured below were doing their best.

Our walk took the route of the old railway line from the quarry for a while.

When the bracken was inhibited by deeper bits of bog, bog asphodel was taking its chance.

After a short section along a deserted road, we crossed the valley and headed, guided by blue arrows, past the conservatory of a holiday house, through the garden and past an outhouse.

Thus we entered another bracken zone. This walk may be better before the bracken growing season.

Looking across the valley, three peaks dominate the horizon. In the middle is Moel-yr-Ogof, 'hill of the cave', named after a cave on its far side where Owain Glyndwr sheltered for several months towards the end of his 1400 to 1415 rebellion against English rule. He was never captured, thanks to the people of Beddgelert, who supplied him. The higher hill on the right is Moel Hebog, 'hill of the hawk' (we saw a pair of red kites and a buzzard), also linked with Glyndwr - who may have recorded the first rock climb in history by escaping, when cornered by the English, up a cliff, 'Glyndwr's Ladder', which the English refused to follow.

We are admirers of the metal gates that frequently appear in this part of Snowdonia. 

Eventually we found a ladder stile that delivered us through an orchid meadow to the narrow road that led in 2km back to the car park. We had seen nobody until we reached this road.

Here's our route, starting and finishing at the car park/picnic table sign. 12km with 300 metres ascent. It took us about 3 hours. An excellent morning's walk.