#27.A day geo-caching.23-4-12.

A short walk today from Coddington just over the English border near Farndon,Cheshire along the Bishop Bennet Way collecting the geo-caches that have been hidden with my work colleague John Price.The walk started near the Marsh Caravan Park along a bridle path and soon enter's  field's with some frisky cow's in them.Shoo-ing them out the way we passed Highfield Farm and walked a short distance along a lane before entering another field full of crop's.

Our route took us over the Plowley Brook seen below.

We had been lucky with the weather which was sunny up until now but we were caught in a heavy shower on the bridle path that lead's to Stretton Watermill,seen below.

The last 30 minute's walking back to the car we managed to dry off as the rain had stopped.We walked 4.5 mile today on this boring stretch of countryside.

MILEAGE    192
ASCENT      48,100
TOPS           53.

#26.WEST SHORE,LLANDUDNO.15-4-12.

Me and Julie made the short drive to Llandudno on a frosty morning with hardly a cloud in the sky.Parking on the West Shore we decided to walk anti clockwise around the road that run's around the Great Orme,the "Marine Drive".Even though it was early being sheltered from the breeze it was very hot as we passed the gatehouse.

Looking across to the northern Carneddau i could see the top's of Foel Fras and Llwytmor were clear but they had had a new dusting of snow since i stood on them 4 day's earlier.

Gaining height as the road rises the view's were improving,below looking down the Conwy Valley.

The road rising.We normally take the path high up on the right but with Julie's feet injury we decided to keep to the road.

Julie taking in the view across the estuary.

Rounding the top of the Orme where the road bellies out we caught the full extent of the breeze,and it was freezing,must have been below freezing with the windchill.We quickly made our way to the Rest and be Thankful Tea-room's where we took refuge and had tea and cake.

Fortified with a hot drink inside us we set off again downhill now toward's the pier but with the biting wind in our faces all the way.

The cliff's between the pier and Pen-trwyn are a climber's paradise and today was no exception,there were load's climbing today and we even found a wild camper's tent,can't believe he camped here !

Nice view across to the Little Orme.

We had a little walk in town and then got fish and chip's and walked up to "Invalids Parade" to eat them as we love the view across to the Carneddau.

Here we were sheltered from the wind and it was very warm.After our dinner we headed down to the beach to finish our walk,we sat up against the wall for a few hour's just watching the tide roll in,just like Otis Redding did all those year's ago.

Our walk was 6.5 miles with 1,300 feet of ascent.

MILEAGE    187.5
ASCENT      48,100
TOPS           53.

#25.MYNYDD MAWR and LLYN Y DYWARCHEN.12-4-12.

After a restless night in the bunkhouse when i couldn't get to sleep as one of the cadet leader's,who were staying there,was snoring terribly we woke to a fine dry morning but on going outside could not see the top's of any mountain in the area,including Mynydd Mawr.

We decided to wait a while to see it the cloud would lift so we had breakfast and a few cup's of tea and watch the cadet's and leader's go off on their activities,some break's in the cloud appeared but the top's remained hidden as we made the short drive to the bend in the B4418.We entered the Beddgelert Forest by the south side and made our way through to the clearing where we got a good view across to a now clear Moel Eilio and chum's.

And from a bit higher up showing Llyn Cwellyn.

Gaining height a could hear the whistle of the Welsh Highland Railway and as it neared the old Castell Cidwm Hotel,now a house,i zoomed in to take a photo.

Below now looking across to the hillfort of Castell Cidwm and higher up Cwmbychan.

As we left the forest the weather was improving all the time,occasionally when we got a little breeze it was cold but mostly it was still and very warm in the sunshine.We ambled along slowly as we were not in a hurry,stopping to take load's of photo's and i was pointing thing's out,naming mountain's and telling them stories,particularly about the "floating" island in Llyn y Dywarchen as it came into view,seen partially hidden left behind Clogwynygarreg below,with Y Garn and Moel Hebog making an appearance too.

Dan and Brian on route to Craig y Bera.

Now Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) was the only mountain that was covered in cloud and we were seeing more and more mountain's as we gained height.Everytime we looked down on Llyn y Dywarchen i said "look the island has moved again" and the more i said it i think the boy's were getting convinced.Below the island is now to the right of Clogwynygarreg.

The steep section negotiated we got our first view of a now clear Mynydd Mawr.

And across to the Nantlle Ridge.

The boy's were loving the walk but when we got above the cliff's of Craig y Bera and they saw the view down they were well impressed.Dan scrambled down to pose on the "diving board" seen below.

A black and white photo of the boy's near the edge.

Looking across the valley to Yr Wyddfa the cloud lifted briefly.

So i zoomed in on it's summit.

We now made our way up to the summit of Mynydd Mawr where we met a lovely old gentleman by the name of Edmond,he was waiting for his walking group who were some way below.He kindly took a photo of the 3 of us by the summit cairn.

Whilst we were having a break at the summit i could see one of the Snowdon Train's chugging it's way up to Clogwyn Station.

We said our farewell to Edmond and made our way back down retracing our step's and passed his friend's who were making there way up.The cloud's were lovely and the sky above very blue.

Disturbing a robin on the stile,seen below,we headed down to the breached dam.

Crossing the dam we walked passed the derelict house,seen below with Mynydd Mawr in the distance.

We now walked up to the col of Clogwynygarreg to get a great view of Llyn y Dywarchen and the legendary floating lake.

We picked the road up for the short walk back to the car.Today's short walk was 5.5 miles long with 2,050 feet of ascent.Below is the story of the floating lake.

It’s the lake that Gerallt Gymro (Geraldus Cambrensis – an early historian) described when he wrote about a floating island on a lake, as he and his party passed the lake on the way to Caernarfon, while they were enlisting men for Third Crusade in 1188AD. The floating island was either made of turf, or a slab of peat that broke away from the mainland, or detached itself from the bottom of the lake and floated to the surface, and was being kept afloat by the gasses, such as methane  that came out of the marshlands. He noted that farm animals would often be seen marooned on the island, as they would walk on the island while it was resting on the shore, and it would suddenly drift off.  The scientist Edmond Halley (of the comet fame) confirmed that the island was indeed floating, as surrounded by on-lookers, he swam out to the lake, and started rowing – to which the lake floated along! But, unfortunately, the Island we see in the lake today, isn’t the famous floating Island.




MILEAGE     181
ASCENT        46,800
TOPS               53.

#24.Northern Carneddau Circuit.11-4-12.

After receiving a message off Dan (willowisp) saying he was heading up to Snowdonia a 2 day trip was arranged with the stopover in the Pentre Bach Bunkhouse in Waunfawr.Brian (cotswold stroller) was the only other invitee who said he would like to join us so i put together an itinery as Brian said he was going to wild camp the night before and me and Dan would walk up to meet him and we would then continue on.Dan said he would like to see Aber Fall's as he had never seen it so the route i chose to walk was my old favourite of the northern Carneddau circular walk.Meeting Dan at 9 a.m. at the lower car park at the base of the fall's we set off along the Afon Rhaeadr-fawr.

Dan had forgotten something so dashed back to the car and as i was waiting for him i saw a dipper down stream and zoomed in on him to get this photo.

Dan soon caught up with me and we headed off to see the fall's which were in spate.

The forecast was for the chance of a rogue shower,rain or snow, and for it to be 90 per cent clear at the summit's.The weather was decent for the first hour and then i received a phone call off Brian to say he would be waiting at the summit of Foel Fras,whilst talking to him i could here that it was very windy up there and i was worried that he would be cold as we were a good 1.5 hour's away.After photographing the fall's we headed up the scree traverse to arrive at the "bad step",this crossing is tricky on a dry day but today it was very wet and slippery and we had to be very careful as we inched our way across it.The view back to Anglesey was good but i could see that the cloud's were getting darker and we would catch a shower.

We hadn't reached the snow line yet and it was very wet underfoot.Below,Dan looking up the valley with Bera Mawr behind.

Crossing the Afon Goch the going get's tougher with a very steep ascent involved to reach the summit of Llwytmor,and as we made steady progress we got caught in a hail shower that lasted for 30 minutes so i quickly put my coat on and we carried on up to the summit.As we neared the summit the hail stopped and the cloud's lifted to give us some decent view's for 10 minutes.

Summit cairn just before the cloud decended and the hail/snow started again.

A quick phone call to Brian to tell him we were leaving the summit and wouldn't be long we made the short walk up to a very cold and frozen summit of Foel Fras to find Brian sheltering behind the wall.

A quick drink and a bite to eat and we headed off to Drum through some deep snow,still in the mist but at least it had stopped hailstoning.Brian had wild camped on Pen y Castell and this was his third visit to the summit of Drum in less than 24 hour's.

I guaranteed the boy's the rest of the walk we would have glorious weather as you alway's do seem to get this side of the Carneddau and sure enough by the time we had reached Carnedd y Ddelw the cloud's started to lift and the sun came out.

Below,the view from Drosgl to Pen Bryn-du and chum's.

Leaving Drosgl the walk back is a delight,this little ridge is rarely walked and people are missing out on a lovely part of the Carneddau.Below is the quartz marked summit of Pen Bryn-du.

A short walk to the next summit,Orddu where we grabbed a break.

Looking back up Cwm Anafon the summit's of Foel Fras and Llwytmor were now clear.

Next up on this mini rollercoaster of a hill walk was Foel Ganol,seen below with Brian enjoying the view.

We headed down to the large enclosure and were treated to a great sky.

Today's great walk was 9.5 mile long with 3,650 feet of ascent and we crossed 8 top's,this was rounded off with a great meal and a few cask ales in the Snowdonia Brewpub in Waunfawr.

MILEAGE    175.5
ASCENT      44,750
TOPS            52.