Walking

[Helig]

Your account of the walk on Conwy Mountain took me back, Hugo. My father was stationed on the Conwy Morfa camp in WW2. He used to go on Conwy Mountain doing exercises with explosives. He liked to talk about his days there. When we moved to Llandudno in the 1960s, he loved to go and walk over Conwy Mountain and took me with him. We went to Conwy, walked up the road under the castle gatehouse until we came to a path up the mountain which was some way up the road. We climbed up Conwy Mountain and walked all along until we descended down to Dwygyfylchi.  In Dwygyfylchi we stopped in a cafe for a cup of tea and walked to the main road where we caught a bus back to Conwy. It was a full afternoon's walk but beautiful with all the views and items of interest. My father relived his wartime days and was always happy to do this walk whenever he could. He used to say there were more men killed on these wartime exercises with explosives, than on active service.

Helig.

[Hugo]

I'm pleased that the walk brought back some pleasant memories for you Helig and it was nice hearing about the walk that you did with your father that time.
We are quite fortunate to live so near to such beautiful places.  there has been so many changes  since your father was stationed there. 

The A55,  Conwy Marina and the Aberconwy Resort & Spa for instance.

I was just looking at the free November magazine last night and featured in it was the Bowmoor Lodge from the Aberconwy Spa which is on sale at a cool £449,995.00       

A bit different from the barracks that your father would have been in

[SteveH]

Some great photos of The Lone Tree on the edge of Llyn Padarn in Llanberis. , I thought the walkers would appreciate them....  You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

One of 9....

[Hugo]

That's a super photo Steve and it's a must do photo for anyone walking on that quieter side of the lake           

[BrianP]

Great photograph

[Hugo]

Yesterday,  I drove up the A5 to Llangollen and had a short but very enjoyable walk with Mrs H.      I parked the car in the Horseshoe Falls car park and we took the path across the field to St Tysilio's Church in Llantysilio.     The weather was good but after the recent heavy rainfalls we have been having the path was wet and slippy in places, the Church was open so we had a quick peek inside and then took the path by the side of the fast flowing River Dee to the Horseshoe Falls.
The weir supplies the water to the Llangollen Canal so we then walked along the canal, passing under a couple of bridges before returning along the canal path.   The trees were in good Autumn colours but were quickly falling into the canal and slowly drifting away.
On our return  walk we came to the Chain Bridge Hotel and walked alongside the river across the shaky suspension bridge, but stopping to admire the views and take some photos.    The torrent of water coming down the River Dee was both impressive but also frightening by its power and unfortunately I should imagine that there would be some flooding down stream.     What was nice to see was so many people in the Chain Bridge Hotel enjoying the views and their meals.
Crossing the bridge we had a steep climb to the road and just paused to see the neat and tidy Berwyn Railway Station.    We had seen the steam train leave the station earlier on and we noticed that there were about seven carriages behind the engine and we both remarked that sometimes, even at peak times the BR train only has two cars which didn't make much sense to us.
We then followed the road which crossed the river and made our way to the car park.
It was a lovely sunny day and after reading Steve's weather report on Llangollen I'm glad we went when we did as there has been some snow in that area today

[Hugo]

Llangollen

[Hugo]

Yesterday Tellytubby and I drove down to Beddgelert to meet old Uncle Albert and have a walk from Llyn Dinas along the Afon Glaslyn and down the Aberglaslyn Pass and then return along the same route.     It was raining lightly as we drove down and the clouds hung onto the high peaks of the Snowdonia  mountains but we couldn't resist stopping at the Snowdon viewpoint and then again at Llyn Gwynant.    The rugged beauty of this area is breathtaking, even on the dullest of days and the lake was as still as a mill pond.
By the time we arrived at Llyn Dinas the rain had stopped and it turned out to be a dry warmish day, ideal for the walk we had planned.
Crossing over the Afon Glaslyn we followed the path to Beddgelert and it wasn't long until we came to the Sygun Copper mine which was the location for the 1958 film " The Inn of the Sixth Happiness"        A lot of filming was done in the Snowdonia area and it is still remembered fondly by locals of a certain age.
Continuing on the lane we passed many  areas of healthy Rhododendrons along the route and I suppose they are like Marmite, you either like them or hate them but personally they are one of my favourite plants.
At the confluence of the Afon Glaslyn and Afon Colwyn we stopped to look at the Dippers in the fast flowing water and a friendly Robin kindly posed for us on a gate leading to the Aberglaslyn Pass.
We walked along the path to the railway line and then crossed it, but before we continued to  the Aberglaslyn Pass we decided to have our lunch sitting on rocks near to the river.      To anyone who hasn't walked along the Fisherman's Path in Aberglaslyn Pass then it is well worth the walk.    It's set in a dramatic looking gorge with the river nearby and the Welsh Highland railway running above you.  As the path is near the water the rocks can be slippy but it has been made a lot easier and safer by the installation of boardwalks and by grab handles, particularly by the stone buttress.   
At the end of the path we turned around and retraced our steps back to the railway crossing where we crossed over the river and walked towards Beddgelert but resisted going to visit the tourist attraction of Gelert's Grave as the weather seemed to be closing in.  We had had a good day so we didn't want to push our luck any further.

[Hugo]

Beddgerert walk

[Hugo]

Beddgelert walk


A short clip of Beddgelert and the film location     

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[Hugo]

Late on Friday evening Tellytubby said that he wanted to go for a walk on Saturday  "to clear the cobwebs" so we agreed to meet at the boating lake on the West Shore at Llandudno.   When we arrived at a windswept West Shore we knew that that would blow any cobwebs away.
We set off along the Marine Drive past the Tollgate, erosion seems to be a problem in that area and we are always aware of some large rocks further up the slopes just waiting to fall down onto the road.     At  St Petrocks we stopped  to watch a herd of young Goats feeding in the garden and then carried on to Pen Y Ffordd Goch  where we turned up the lane.   Not far up the lane we stopped to have a look at the ruins of the Gogarth Tea Rooms.  In the late 1800's it was run by Miriam Jones or Miriam Yr Ogof as she was affectionately known on account of the fact that she lived in a cave near St Petrocks with her husband Isaac and their many children  (  I've heard of 13 in some books )
Anyway Miriam provided refreshments for the tourists that travelled along the Marine Drive  and what a nice view they must have had from that cafe.
We took the left lane going upwards past a lovely old restored cottage and then made our way up hill to Ffynnon Gogarth and then to the summit,    On our way downhill we passed  Bishops quarry and continued past the Bronze Age Mine to St Beuno's Road where we headed to see the Cromlech.      St Beuno's Church is now a private home but I can remember going to a Baptism there in the 1980's, a little further on is a Chapel that has been nicely and sympathetically converted into a private home.    The old mining community of Llandudno certainly had a number of Churches and Chapels for the inhabitants of the Great Orme
We took the steep steps down near the Chapel and then followed Tyn Y Coed Road all the way to the top of the Zig Zag path and then down the steep steps to Invalids Walk and then back to our cars
It was a short but enjoyable walk despite the wind and it had certainly cleared away Tellytubby's cobwebs but he was off then to take some photos of a rare Bunting seen in the local area

[Hugo]

Great Orme walk