Arenig Fach up.

8°C,light wind and dry. Some cloud above 500m.
I hiked with MapMyRide+! Distance: 10.21km, time: 08:15:00, pace: 48:29min/km, speed: 1.24km/h.

http://mapmyride.com/workout/2142574688

Stuart at about 10.15. The first paths were a bit tricky to find. The map was clear enough but on the ground, no signs, so stiles, nothing. I have always wanted to walk the Migneint Moors, now here’s my chance. It wasn’t as boggy as I expected but kid heather was hard work. This spring has been quite dry, I’m grateful for that.
The trick here is to look well ahead to find strips of grass that run between heather fields for easier passage. It’s worth getting to a ring contours for the view ahead. Even here, grass is in big tussocks, so each stride is awkward. People with shorter legs might struggle. I wouldn’t bring a DofE group here.
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QMD: Cadair Berwyn.

0 to –8°C. April northerly. Mostly clear sky.
Full mountain day, after packing up camp, I heard the car rumble by, my colleagues had arrived. We convened a meeting around an outside table to decide which route.
Choices ranged from 7 to 12 miles. The big one got the go-ahead. Initially, there is a climb out of the valley along well maintained paths. Meltwater ran down and exposed ice on top of slate. Slate can be slippery at the best of times, but with ice!?
Before the first kilometer, it was apparent that we’d headed up the wrong valley. We wanted north and faced West. Oops.
I proposed that we take a quad bike track over the spur and intercept the path. Good.
Route mended, white summits poked above the grassy ridge.
From this point, the walk became fantastic. Fantastic in the sense that we strode out into a wonderland of snow and ice sculptures. Crunchy snow like this offers good grip and filled over those hollows between tussocks.
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The higher we got, the more fantastic the scene became. Wind was the sculptor here, and it had been very creative. Grid wire fences had long crystal growths of water ice, razor sharp and pointing downwind. Either the ice grew quickly, or the north wind had remained this way for days.
Worrying about time, we decided to skip Cadair Bronwyn and descent from the Bwlch before.

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Ice waffles.

The walk out was a considerable distance along sheep filled valleys.
Getting dark, we made camp at about 6pm. I was tired, partially my own fault. I didn’t eat enough. My boots repeatedly unlaced, the laces had iced up and slid loose.

Descend from Yr Aran.

16°C, strong W, clouds from 600m.
Be warm and comfortable, those bits I got right. What spoilt my night’s sleep was the roar from the wind. At fairly regular intervals, the gusts would shake and whip the tarp. Awake at midnight, I pondered over- we’re a month away from mid-summer and it’s surprising how long light lingers, there was still a faint milky glow at midnight.
By morning, the weather was the same, so decamp.
The route: head west along the ridge and find am unnamed reentrant that forms a valley  through complex moraines. Then ago to pass a disused quarry and mine. The only problem here was finding a wall crossing; the tall stone wall followed contours regardless of how steep. The walls were very tall, and not a flaw, gate or stile was to be seen.
In the end, I’m sorry to say, I climbed over. I chose a shorter section with a smaller drop on the other side. It worked, without even a pebble dislodged.

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The quarry offered a good place to filter water and quench my thirst.
These places can be horrifying, especially those mine entrances. This one was just as ominous as any, dark into its endless throat. Inside was flooded from torrents dripping from above. There must be all posts of life forms in there, but it’s no place for human. Out of the derelict buildings was an easy path snaking towards Beddgelert, visible in the valley.
By the time I got to the bottom and the lake itself, my energy faded. Later I decided that on this trip, I hadn’t taken enough food.
Thoughts of a food stop at the excellent Caffi Gwynant drove me on.
Then I got there, the first thing that I noticed was the closed sign.

In conclusion: next time, take more food and ear plugs.

Arenig bothy.

11°C, sunny and calm.
Return with a vague idea to walk to the bothy in the Arenig range. Called in the hiking shops in Betws-y-Coed first. That took more time than it should but I did get some good stuff- a tarp and waterproof bag liners. There was a guy on the campsite with a tarp fitted to a tent the same as mine, that would be useful for cooking in the rain. I still haven’t got a decent bivvy bag though, but Rab seem like a good make.
Anyway, time was running out but the start of the route to the bothy was found after some hunting. The gateway was not signed in any way, I thought they had to put a marker on public footpaths?

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A short walk down to the footbridge confirmed that this is the right place. It’s always good to get your map-reading confirmed.
With the course at Plas-y-Brenin in mind, I fancy more challenging navigation routes, more difficult the better.
More stops on the way home including a walkabout on the Berwins. It looks like fine DofE terrain. With rolling heather and some cliffs to the east.

Rhinog afternoon.

22°C-ish,clearing but rain evening.
Climbed Rhinog Fawr 724m alt (according to my phone GPS app). There were a few groups of people on the summit, mainly those who had taken the same route as I.
We all agreed that Wales was very quiet compared to usual for an end of July weekend. Anyway, after a very slow start that saw us leave at 11.30, the day just got better starting with sunshine on that summit.
Now I’m lying in the tent in the pouring rain on this, the last night before we go home.

Edno

9°C, light cloud My mind is still filled with the magical experiences in Wales. What a special place; I can see how stories of monster and myth arise. I am no religious man, but there is something in those special places.

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llyn Edno on the Molwyns

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Moel Lefn

Look carefully and you may see monsters. They come out of the ground in Wales.

Gwynant morning.

-3°C, clear, calm.

Coldest morning that I have ever woken to in a tent. The water bladder is a slush-puppy inside and the tap is frozen. I cleared it but it’s glazed over again now. However, it’s a dazzling beautiful morning and I am comfortable in my quilted coat and ski salopettes. It’s dangerous on the upper slopes of Snowdon, so probably best to walk on the Molwynion just south of here. The ground should be less marshy between snow fields.image

Tuesday twenty.

8°C,Clear sky, warmer.
Quick dash with MapMyRide! Distance: 22.03mi, time: 01:28:40, http://mapmyride.com/view_route?r=3382856112234561537
Very dry, dusty in places with some lumps of snow remaining. Got an idea for the weekend though- go to Wales and camp by Llyn Gwynant. If the hills are too icy to venture high, then spend time in a canoe, with low-land walks for the rest of the time. Their website says the valley floors are free of snow. I could venture up to the snowline with my main camera. That should mean that it’s easy to get up to the Watkins stone, great photos can be found up there.
Night temperatures shouldn’t be too far below freezing, but forecasts warn of ice and the need for crampons. I should do a course at Plas-y-brenin to be safe.

Erroneous weather

12°C, rain

The Weather was correct last year- early June days reached 24°C, and summer half-term saw me wading into a mountain lake for a paddle while walking up Nantlle Ridge. This year, the air is cool & rain has formed a strip across England & Wales. This is not the correct weather for June.  Weather sometimes errs.

To avoid this cold front, I may camp up in the Lake District instead of (my preferred) Snowdonia. Bank holiday weekend in the lakes is likely to be busy with English visitors. Getting away from this town is more urgent than usual this year. The local Bower fair has driven me away for the last six years at some cost. But to compound the repellance, England has gone Jubilee mad. Wales is probably a better escape from kitsch royal patriotism than Cumbria. I bet there is some daft sod with union-flag bunting on their tent as I write. Not so in a Welsh campsite I predict.

Elements

5°C, wind rain & cold. Dammit.

Two years ago, the days reached 19°C with some consistency. Today, outside looks like one of those awful holidays in Wales- cold rain driven by winds that shake trees as if they think they’re at some sporting event.

There is a grim looking pile of marking that has to be done. What fun will today bring?