5 to 7 February 2022 - Three Days in Snowdonia

Richard and Jenny joined us for the first two days of our most recent trip to Porthmadog. Above, they are with Sue, in Beddgelert at the start of a walk to Pen-y-Gwryd - Walk 21 in Alex Kendall's 'Snowdonia South' book.

This, and a further posting, simply flesh out my postings made at the time by way of annotated photos that can be viewed in web version as a slideshow. Two batches each covering three days.

Saturday - original posting here.

We started in Beddgelert, crossing the footbridge over Afon Glaslyn.
 

After a pleasant walk past Sygun Copper Mine and Llyn Dinas, we reached the excellent Gwynant Caffi coffee shop at Bethania. Richard's hot chocolate drew much admiration.

Good paths led past Llyn Gwynant, above which a grassy bank provided a good spot for lunch.

The path near Afon Gwynant led to the hydroelectric power station, the pipes to which scar the landscape here.

The path ascends from here, nearly reaching the car park at Pen-y-Pass before contouring to reach the road near the Pen-y-Gwryd Hotel.

Here's the view back to Yr Aran.

Here's our route - 15km with 500 metres ascent - a thin blue line starting in Beddgelert and finishing in a 'free parking' lay-by beyond the hotel. It took us 4.5 hours. I'm still getting flashbacks of the 'near miss' due to my incompetent driving from this lay-by; thankfully the other driver was more alert!

Click to enlarge

Sunday brought another overcast day on which a low level walk (as for the rest of the week) was the best option for an enjoyable outing. So we chose a circular walk from Dolwyddelan - Walk 9 in Alex Kendall's 'Snowdonia North' book. The contemporaneous entry is here.

We parked on the wide road by St Gwyddelan's Church.

Our path crossed to the south of Afon Lledr and followed the railway for a while, with good views across to Dolwyddelan Castle and Moel Siabod, upon which it would have been very windy today.

The torrent of Afon Hafod-Ilian was crossed via an ancient stone slab bridge.

The woodland offered good protection from the wind for an elevenses break.

We crossed the main A470 road, passed Pont Rufeinig station, and left the railway to find its tunnel under the Crimea Pass road, built during the Crimean War in the 1850s, with the surrounding stone walls being built by Russian prisoners of war.

Turning back towards Dolwyddelan, the track became a road for a while, rising above the castle before descending to pass it.

We tried to find a lunch spot up at the castle, which dates from the early 1200s in the time of Llywelyn the Great. We failed, but we found a sunny spot nearby, in view of both Moel Siabod and the castle.

From the castle, it was an easy stroll back to the car.

Here's the route - about 10km clockwise from Dolwyddelan, with 200 metres ascent. It took us 3 hours.

Later, Sue and I both took snaps from our living room window. We have an estuary outlook this time, as opposed to our usual harbour outlook. 

Monday (see here), and rain drew us to the excellent Roberts' cafe in Dolgellau in the forlorn hope of the weather easing.

Then we went to nearby Rhydymain and embarked on a 12km circuit described by Alex Kendall as Walk 18 ('Afon Melau') of his 'Snowdonia South' book.

After crossing the river, we ascended to mountain tracks below the 705 metre summit of Rhobell Fawr. In better weather we'd have visited the summit. Next time, perhaps.

Rhobell Fawr is up there somewhere...

Eventually we emerged from the murk to a forest path leading back down to the farmland of the valley, returning to Rhydymain above its churchyard.

Here's the clockwise route - 12km with 350 metres ascent, taking us about 3 hours.

That's it for now - the other three days will follow in due course.

Grey Mare's Tail, near Trefriw

Just to keep Dot happy, here's a picture from last week's visit to Trefriw. An excellent waterfall. More pictures to come.

Saturday 12 February 2022 - Wythenshawe parkrun #460

Here we are, pictured after finishing today's local parkrun. Sue and I had enjoyed an overnight visit from grandson Jacob and his mate, Seb.

Seb turned on his turbo-charger and made it around the 5km course in an excellent 24:53, a PB for him in his 5km running career - well done Seb. I tried to keep up with him but failed. Sue kept Jacob company and they were even further behind. But we all enjoyed the outing, and that's what really matters.

Here's Jacob, sprinting to the finish.

Seb went back down the course to keep Sue company on her rather slower sprint to the finish.

The we all went to the cafe and after all the runners had finished we sorted out the 201 finishers' barcodes ready for them to be handed out to next week's finishers.

Here are Seb and Jacob, playing Pokemon before the barcode tokens arrived.

Then it rained, so we were very lucky to have enjoyed the run in good conditions.

Full results are here.

Friday = Isabella Day (2)

Just a few snaps for Great Grandma Dot, from today's activities...

                    Heading purposefully to the swings in Walton Park

But not forgeting cappacinos from the local cafe

Admiring the February blossom

Spring cleaning?

"I've nearly finished these beans, fish fingers, mushrooms and baked potatoes, Grandma"

"And now I need more yogurt, banana and mixed fruit!"

The afternoon nap can be a bit of a struggle to bring on, requiring the calming influence of Eric Newton's clarinet, and some 'Relaxing Melodies for Jazz Guitar' from another well known musician...

Thursday 10 February 2022 - Llyn Arenig Fawr

Today's 10km jaunt was on the way home. A pleasant outing in cool, clear weather, on moorland paths and tracks. Walk 19 in Alex Kendall's 'Snowdonia South' book.

Under the slopes of Arenig Fawr, we walked to the eponymous small reservoir that was the target of this route. There's a small dam, and a bothy that could accommodate three people. Far below, and pictured above, is Llyn Celyn, a large controversial reservoir created for the benefit of Liverpool. A village was drowned and the opening ceremony for the dam became a galvanising force for Welsh nationalism.

Good to end this trip in bright sunshine. More pictures etc will appear here in due course.

Wednesday 9 February 2022 - Around Trefriw

Today's 10km walk from Trefriw featured, at last, a decent quota of sunshine. After a coffee break at the café opposite the Fairy Falls pub, we set off past the falls and over a high footbridge with a bird's eye view of them.

Beyond this we climbed to paths through forestry, with views across to Llanrwst and back to Trefriw, before arriving at a car park from where there are some enticing looking mountain bike routes. Many blackbirds and robins were rummaging for goodies in the leaf litter.

En route we had diverted to admire the Grey Mare's Tail waterfall, one of seven so named cascades in the UK, the rest being in Scotland. We've paid good money to view less attractive falls than these - the diversion was most worthwhile.

Then it was down to the river for a good stroll in the sunshine, all the way back to Trefriw, much of it on an embankment that is intended to contain the river when it's in spate. Other walkers were about today, including one local man with whom we had a long chat.

A stone bench provided the best lunch spot of this trip, with nuthatches and tits nearby, and woodpeckers chipping away in the distance.

On return to base in Porthmadog, we had time to enjoy a leisurely afternoon, admiring some of the wildlife in the estuary, which today includes little egrets, oyster catchers, wigeon, redshank, a variety of ducks, and a number of small unidentified specimens. 

Tuesday 8 February 2022 - Tomen y Mur

Mist, but no rain, was our companion on the second day's outing during which we have seen no other walkers.

We started from the car park at Tomen y Mur, a Roman fort, pictured above, that must have been one of the most desolate postings in their empire.

Its history extends to the Dark Ages and the Norman Conquest right up to the Welsh princes and the many myths that surround them. An interesting spot.

Once we had explored the antiquity, we headed along ancient sunken farm paths nearly as far as the A470 main road. This took us below the cloud to the site of a disused railway. We then rose along farm tracks, leading to moorland. We marched across this, imagining the splendid views that would be available on a day with a higher cloud base.

Above 300 metres the wind was brisk and cool. We were back at the car, after a 9km stroll, in time for a cosy lunch therein. There was then a wait for the interior to demist before we could embark on the ten mile journey home, for the pleasure of a relaxing holiday afternoon, watching the numerous birds feeding in the estuary.

Monday 7 February 2022 - Rhydymain and Afon Melau

After enjoying coffee and cake in the Roberts cafe in Dolgellau, Sue and I drove up to Rhydymain for a 11km jaunt in mist and light rain.

There should have been good views to Rhobell Fawr and other summits, but we were foiled by low cloud today. So this is a walk we'll have to revisit.

We did see frolicking lambs, three buzzards and a kestrel, as well as flocks of small hedgerow birds, and there's a green tinge to the hedgerows as the first leaves of spring emerge - blackthorn perhaps - to join the catkins that are in evidence in all the deciduous woodland.

Back in Porthmadog, we can't even see across the Cob to Portmeirion. The cloud really is down!

Sunday 6 February 2022 - Around Dolwyddelan

Another good walk with Richard and Jenny. Our 10 km circuit from Dolwyddelan on a cool, breezy, day even found a bit of sunshine as we ate our lunch near the medieval castle, with Moel Siabod lurking in the background. There's very little snow on the mountains despite the time of year.

This was walk number 9 in Alex Kendall's 'Snowdonia North' guidebook.

Saturday 5 February 2022 - Beddgelert to Pen-y-Gwryd

We are back in Porthmadog for a few days, with Richard and Jenny for the weekend.

Today's linear walk in the Glaslyn valley on a warm, breezy, day was thankfully free from rain and enjoyed by all. Richard, Jenny and Sue are pictured above on the bridge over the hydro pipes near the power station. Snowdon towers over us - unseen today in the mist.

This is walk number 21 in Alex Kendall's excellent 'Snowdonia North' Cicerone guide.

Unfortunately, with no Wi-Fi and a very poor phone signal, I'll have to keep reports very brief with just one photo each day this week. I'll top that up with more pictures when we get home.

Friday = Isabella Day

Just a few pictures from a well behaved girl, especially for Great Grandma Dot.