FOEL FRAS SUMMIT.

FOEL FRAS SUMMIT.

Monday 28 February 2011

#15.Tal y Fan from the Sychnant Pass.24-2-11.

Feeling better after our bout of flu and with a good weather forecast i decided to take Julie to the Northern Carneddau and walk the most northern Nuttall Tal y Fan which stand's at a height of 2,001 feet.The whole of the northern Carneddau is scattered with relic's of Bronze Age and Iron Age occupation with standing stone's,hut circle's and burial chamber's.
            We drove up the A55 and got caught in some very heavy traffic due to road work's to eventually reach Conwy,we drove through the "Upper Gate" in the town wall's and headed up to the top of the Sychnant Pass driving past the high stone wall's of the Pen Sychnant Estate.Before the railway was built the mail coaches use to come this way whenever the tide was in and they couldn't use the quicker coastal route.
           The view's are great from the top of the pass,this is looking down to the coast.

Crossing the road the path take's you under Craigyfedwen.Looking back to Alltwen.

and to Mynydd y Dref (Conwy Mountain) and it's hill fort Castell Caer Seion.

The path get's quite narrow in places with big drop's down to the Afon Gyrach.

Our first glimpse of Tal y Fan 3 mile away and the Gyrach deep valley below.

The path run's to this small house above the valley,there are no road's to it,the owner's have to drive across the field's in their Landrover!

We must have passed 100 Carneddau Ponies on this walk,we have never seen so many on a walk.

We came across this little lake,Llyn y Wrach (the witches lake) where we had a break whilst i went to find the geocache hidden nearby.

It was very warm in the sunshine and i think Julie is having a nap.

The first stone circle we came across today.

Looking down the Gyffin valley toward's Conwy.

Close up of Conwy Castle.

We followed a decent track up to the quarry on the north east side of Tal y Fan and found our first standing stone.

Couldn't resist a "facedown" on it.

We entered the quarry where i left Julie sitting in the sun whilst i went to find the hidden geocache.I spent 15 minute's trying but failed so i walked back to the edge and called down to Julie,"come and help me".

Julie asked me to read her the clue and within second's she had found it,in this tunnel.

We left the quarry for the last climb up Tal y Fan,looking back to Llandudno and the Great Orme.

We reached the wall that run's to the summit.

At last the summit of Tal y Fan.

We dropped down to the bwlch between Tal y Fan and Foel Lwyd,seen here with Drosgl in background.

Some nice gentle walking now ensued taking us north.

We headed for a small hill called Moelfre,seen here.

There was a geocache hidden here,Bachelor's Baby,named after a plane that crashed here,so Julie grabbed a break whilst i went to find it.

The crash site.


We contoured around Moelfre to pick up the North Wales LDP.

The ponies had found a good spot to graze.


The Druid's stone circle above us.

Another standing stone with Tal y Fan in the distance.

We crossed this little bridge across the Afon Gyrach.

Only 1 mile back to the car now.

Above Penfforddgoch.


The homeward straight.


Back to the car park.

Today we walked 9.5 mile's with 2,050 feet of ascent.


MILES       99
ASCENT   25,600
TOPS         30.

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