Monday 15 November 2021 - Morfa Mawddach and the Blue Lake

Today's walk with Sue brought back memories from 62 years ago. More of that later.

Having noted Conrad's (Sir Hugh) difficulties on little used paths, we are having a much easier time here, as we are following routes devised by Alex Kendall and published in his 'Snowdonia - Low-level and Easy Walks' guides. They are excellent, and have brought us to parts of Snowdonia not previously visited, on well researched paths.

Today's outing was up to the usual standard. The weather in Porthmadog was less than inviting - a thick mizzle under a 20 metre canopy of cloud. My overtrousers went on before we left the house. The weather was just the same when we arrived back later!

However, 50 minutes away at the station car park at Morfa Mawddach, the weather was fine, if a bit gloomy, so the overtrousers went back in my bag. We set off on an easy stroll to Fairbourne, advertised on a sign as being 1.73 miles away. (See above.)

The walk started on a good path beside a marshy area that appeared to be home to Little Egrets, gulls and ducks. There was a view across to Barmouth and the bridge across the estuary that is currently closed for refurbishment. 

Then we enjoyed the lovely beach of firm sand next to which the small town of Fairbourne is protected by a sea wall.

The sea wall is home to 'Dragon's Teeth and a gun station, WW2 defences when a Nazi invasion via Eire was a serious prospect. 

Beyond Fairbourne, the start of a steep ascent through woodland. A tea break up here was most welcome.

I came to the Blue Lake in 1959, on my first camping trip, with other juniors from the Albrighton school I attended. I don't remember that much about it; I think we spent most of the time in camp, lighting fires, enjoying sing-songs, etc. But I do retain a vivid memory of visiting the lake through a short tunnel and skimming bits of slate across the calm water. Sadly, the tunnel was closed in 2019 due to litter problems, so the lake now has to be viewed from above.

It's 'fungi' time of year. There was no skinny dipping in the copper sulphate flavoured lake, but we did spot this fine specimen of Buttock Fungus.

We rose gently to a height of around 360 metres, passing an isolated house at Cyfannedd-fawr.

A large, four propeller military aircraft thundered over us just as we came across a plaque in memory of some 20 airmen who perished here in a Flying Fortress crash in 1945.

Lunch was taken on a grassy bank with views to the estuary and to neighbouring landmarks, limited due to the misty conditions. 

Continuing our circuit, we passed through a narrow valley with a series of crumbling walled enclosures that I imagine were once sheep pens.

Further down the hillside, trees laden with small red berries.

Farm equipment in a field - a fence post gadget?

On this section of the walk the stiles referred to by Alex have been replaced with fancy gates and yellow paint.

A pleasant descent through trees and past more fungi led to a steep and greasy path down to the A493 road, and a final path back to the car park, via a convenient bench where we finished our (full at last) flask of tea.

Our route is shown in blue below. It was about 14km, with 400 metres ascent, taking a little over four hours. Another fine outing. The only people we saw were a few folk in the beach area, and a shepherd fiddling with his sheep. 

Sunday 14 November 2021 - Coed Llyn y Garnedd

This morning Sue and Jenny joined me on a pleasant woodland stroll from Tan-y-Bwlch, just a few miles down the road from Porthmadog. 

We started up a pleasant path past enormous mushrooms. 

After a while we reached the small reservoir that we passed yesterday - Llyn Trefor.

Then we rose to admire fine views towards the coast, and also across to the Rhinogs and back to Moelwyn Bach.

After a zigzaggy descent where we met virtually the only people seen on this walk, we found a great picnic bench by Llyn Hafod-y-Llyn. The flask was produced, if only half full, and a long camera tutorial took place when Jenny and I were found to have identical cameras (Lumix TZ90) and Sue had a dribble of expertise having just about mastered her very similar Canon G15.

We enjoyed a reflective view from our picnic spot on this warm, calm, overcast day.

After that, Llyn Mair, described on yesterday's route, was soon reached.

A good path leads around this lake, and a Japanese garden is passed. The history of this Oakley Estate was given on information boards. I may insert something later (this link), but it would appear that Mary, for whose 21st birthday Llyn Mair was created, was last in the Oakley dynasty, and after her death in 1961 the estate passed into public ownership. 

Water lilies decorate the margins of the lake - sadly not in flower just now.

The final section of the walk passed over a patchwork of pebbles and beech leaves, with pleasant colouring of leaves that do remain aloft.

The walk was just 6km according to Anquet, but 7km according to my Garmin gadget. It took us a very leisurely 2.5 hours. Here's the route.

Then we returned to Porthmadog for lunch, and Richard and Jenny, needing to work tomorrow, headed back home.

Saturday 13 November 2021 - The Vale of Ffestiniog

With Richard disabled due to a knee injury caused by excessive exercise, he was available to take Jenny, Sue and me to Blaenau Ffestiniog for a walk back to Porthmadog through the Vale of Ffestiniog. 

We started from the Queen's Hotel soon after 10am, after shopping for drinks to substitute for a forgotten flask of tea.

Good paths led to Tanygrisiau Reservoir, where we enjoyed coffees and a chat with cyclists at the excellent Lakeside Café, before heading onwards and skipping across a stream, where we disturbed a large brown trout in the shallow water.
 

Hereabouts, a causeway trundles off into the reservoir. Before the reservoir, this was the course of the railway, which now takes a different route.

Lunch was taken by Llyn Mair (Mary's Lake), an artificial lake built by Mary's father, owner of the estate and nearby quarries, to celebrate his daughter's 21st birthday. 

A little further on, we passed a small reservoir, Llyn Trefor.

Meanwhile, on a slightly drizzly day, we spotted a good rainbow.

Towards the end of the walk we skirted Portmeirion, with good views to Porthmadog and Moel-y-Gest. 

By the time we got back to the harbour, after a good stroll along the cob, the sun had set and night was falling.

Richard had not (mostly) been idle, and a fine meal was soon produced.

The map is shown below. We were walking for over six and a half hours, and covered an undulating 23 kilometres. A lovely route that we had been aspiring to for some time.

Click on the image for more detail

Friday 12 November 2021 - Return to South Snowdon Wharf

We are back in Porthmadog for a few days. Above, the familiar view from our deck. Below, the view across Llyn Bach to Moel-y-Gest, topped by cloud this afternoon, as we embarked on our regular 5km stroll. 

Despite occasional drizzle, a low sun appeared through the trees. 

The woodland near Tremadog still retains some autumn colour, though by now the sun had long gone.

Tales from the Trans Pennine Trail

Why don't I like cycling on roads? This picture provides one of the reasons. Not everyone cares where they park, and many drivers have little time, or space, for cyclists. But even cycle routes like the Trans Pennine Trail find an occasional need to utilise tarmac, in this case to get past Altrincham. Luckily the van that was parked here earlier had gone before the arrival of the car.

The ditch that borders Dairyhouse Lane, shown in the picture below, taken from a few metres on from the previous picture, has recently been dredged. Perhaps the driver who parked his or her car in it was on a mission to block the drains? Or is there a bicycle trapped somewhere in the foliage?

This was another cloudy day with mizzle in the air. The autumn colours would be great in sunshine, but I fear the leaves will have dropped by the time we get any of that particular commodity.

Tuesday 9 November 2021 - A 'Virtual' 10K

Sue took part in the Knutsford 10km race on 17 October (report here) but I had to miss out due to Plantar Fasciitis. Having paid the fee, and being too late for a refund, I switched to doing a 'virtual' 10km within a month of the race. My foot isn't fully repaired yet, but I was able to walk/slow jog a route in the Bollin Valley, to enable me to submit a time - 1:28:34 (runners will appreciate that I wasn't really 'running') - and thereby complete the race. Hopefully the Garmin download and the picture at the foot of this posting will provide the necessary evidence.

It's a pleasant route, and reporting the following morning, I can confirm that the injured foot seems to have coped with it, albeit it's still not properly better; I won't be attempting to run properly for a while yet. The Garmin 'download' is here.

Monday 8 November 2021 - A Pennington Flash Circuit

A Monday morning bike ride with Paul and Jeanette. This was a repeat of the 70km route I cycled with Cary on 19 July this year. Other visits are described thus (click on the text):  

22 October 2018,  

29 October 2018, 

1 July 2019.

Just a few photos today - Paul is pictured above at Water's Meet, after only about half an hour.

The sun arrived for the next two pictures, taken from the same spot, on the Bridgewater Canal towpath between Worsley and Leigh.

Finally, the disused Sankey Canal at 'Mucky Mountains Nature Reserve'.

Coffee breaks at Pennington Flash and in a cafe in Stockton Heath broke the journey. The 70km ride took us a shade over 5 hours, including an hour's worth of breaks.

There were a few minor diversions due to path widening and maintenance, and we noted lots of earth piled up by way of new landscaping near the site of a new fishing lake in the Sankey valley - the earth excavated to create the lake hasn't been taken away, it has just been plonked nearby and shouldn't look too bad once it's grassed over.

Thanks for your company, P&J, I enjoyed that ride.

PS Moorhens seem to have had a good year in the Sankey valley, the place seemed almost overrun with them!