Author Topic: Walking  (Read 821208 times)

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Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #690 on: May 15, 2012, 06:50:42 pm »
That seems a great walk Pendragon, we're arranging one there soon and we will be going down the mines on an escorted trip so I'm looking forward to going there now.

Offline DaveR

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Re: Walking
« Reply #691 on: May 15, 2012, 07:37:42 pm »
There is actually still a Mining Company (Anglesey Mining PLC) operating at Parys Mountain, they have a compound by the side of the road that passes through it. You can buy shares in them if you wish...although it's often said on the stock market that the definition of a mine is 'a hole in the ground with a liar at the top of it'...

http://www.angleseymining.co.uk/


Offline Pendragon

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Re: Walking
« Reply #692 on: May 15, 2012, 09:25:26 pm »
Hugo the walk I did to Porth Wen brick works on the same day was fantastic, follow the link below to see the photos.  I just haven't got time at the moment to tell you all about it, the walk starts from just before the Bull Bay Hotel on the hill and it's easy flat terrain from then on the coastal path for about approx 2.5 miles.  the views are breath taking my friend I promise you.  If your a bird watcher by chance we saw several varieties inc Peregrin Falcons, Ravens, Wheat Tails (might not be the official term) a Heron....a black and white little bird that for the life of me I can't remember what it was called  ??? oh yeah I do it was a Pied Wagtail....Ducks, Geese, Chuffs (red necks, red beaks...see I'm learning)  and lots of more besides.

http://my.opera.com/pendragonnw/albums/show.dml?id=11765522
Only hindsight has 20/20 vision
Angiegram - A romantic notion derived from the more mundane truth.

Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #693 on: May 15, 2012, 11:43:14 pm »
You must be pretty fit to do those two walks in the same day.  My favourite Anglesey coastal walk is that Bull Bay to Cemaes Bay walk with a return via the Llanbadrig Vinyard.   
The first time I did that walk was in April a few years ago and immediately after leaving the Bull Bay car park we saw 2 pods of Dolphins just offshore and that Raven's nest on the cliff that  you pictured in your photos had 6 eggs in it.  It's a fantastic walk if you do the whole section and the wildlife is great too.
I'm glad that you enjoyed that walk as it's so rewarding and the memories stay with you for ever.
I've enjoyed your reading about your walks around Penmaenmawr and the photos too and I'm starting to do some of them this year. I was thinking about the Huw Tom walk sometime but there's only so much you can do     

Offline Fester

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Re: Walking
« Reply #694 on: May 16, 2012, 08:35:20 pm »
There is actually still a Mining Company (Anglesey Mining PLC) operating at Parys Mountain, they have a compound by the side of the road that passes through it. You can buy shares in them if you wish...although it's often said on the stock market that the definition of a mine is 'a hole in the ground with a liar at the top of it'...

http://www.angleseymining.co.uk/

Anglesey Mining PLC...  (AYM)
I was tempted to stick a few bob into AYM shares a couple of months ago, on rumours of a new production facility, and an increase in demand for their output.   Since then they have fallen about 10%, so I'm glad I didn't.

Come to think of it though, the rest of my shares have fallen a lot further than any 10% in that same time!
Fester...
- Semper in Excretum, Sole Profundum Variat -

Offline Blodyn

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Re: Walking
« Reply #695 on: May 18, 2012, 12:03:21 am »
Pendragon, thanks for the photos and very interesting account of Parys Mountain.  Like ME, it must be about 30 years since I went there!  In my case it was on a botany field trip and we were studying the plants (not many) which were able to colonise that very harsh environment, with high levels of copper in the soil or spoil and very acidic conditions.  We tested the pH in some of the pools and it was only pH 4. 

Offline snowcap

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Re: Walking
« Reply #696 on: May 18, 2012, 12:11:59 am »
not many can remember what happened when they were only 2 or 3 years old never mind going on botany field trips at that age , well done blodyn

Offline Blodyn

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Re: Walking
« Reply #697 on: May 18, 2012, 12:13:49 am »
Snowcap, you are a flatterer!   ;D

Offline snowcap

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Re: Walking
« Reply #698 on: May 18, 2012, 12:44:00 am »
no church of england

Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: Walking
« Reply #699 on: May 18, 2012, 06:38:48 am »
I drove myself there!
A pigeon is for life not just Christmas

Offline Jack

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Re: Walking
« Reply #700 on: May 21, 2012, 09:07:21 pm »
I went walking in the Carneddau again yesterday.  I parked above Rowen and firstly walked up to the summit of Drum.  While the weather was delightful in Llandudno there was a lot of swirling low cloud on the mountains which made photography difficult and navigation only possible by map and compass.  As I was up on the summit of Drum by 7am I had the mountain to myself and only saw half a dozen other walkers all day.  It was beautiful listening to the skylarks even tho I couldn't see them in the mist.  From Drum I walked up to the summit of Foel Fras at 942 metres, then across to Garnedd Uchaf (now known as Carnedd Gwenllian) which stands at 926 metres and finally across to Foel Grach at 976 metres.  I then dropped down past Dulyn reservoir which is the location for three fatal WW2 airplane crash sites before skirting PenyGadair and back to the carpark.  Eight hours of walking in quite testing conditions.
There were occasional breaks in the cloud and so I got a few photos!
Photo1 - View from Drum looking towards the coast at Llanfairfechan
Photo2 - Llyn Anafon and a couple of Carneddau ponies
Photo3 - View from Foel Fras looking towards Garnedd Uchaf and beyond
Photo4 - View from Garnedd Uchaf with Foel Grach, Carnedd Llewelyn and Carnedd Dafydd

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #701 on: May 22, 2012, 10:55:38 am »
Sounds like a very good walk Jack and the weather was good too once the Sun burnt off the mist.  That start's too early for me though.

Offline Pendragon

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Re: Walking
« Reply #702 on: May 24, 2012, 05:22:24 pm »
I've been in practice for a sponsored walk in aid of the Blinded Soldiers (ST Dunstans).  I'll be walking 18 miles on Monday from Beaumaris to Moelfre and I'm quite looking forward to it.  Like Hugo I think Jacks walk started way too early and as a rule I don't start until at least 9.30am but the walk on Monday starts at 7.30am  :o 
Anyway on Monday this week Dad and I went up to Llanrwst for a walk around aParc Lake and Mines on the mountain.  The walk was in total between 8 and 9 miles and the scenery as always was breathtaking.
We started our walk along the footpath alongside the river just before  Ty Hwnt Y Bont tea rooms (pic 1) We passed through a kissing gate then up through the fields towards the Forestry Commission buildings.  You follow the road up until you see a rough path just beyond the gap in the fence to your left.  This is quite a trek up hill and the ground is wet and full of tree roots lying in wait to trip you up, believe me I stumbled a few times  :roll: at the top of this path turn left again.  On the way up we saw this really old moss covered wall where two fallen trees rested(pic 2)  It's a shame as walls like these are robbed of the stones bit by bit for people prepared to pay good money to have them around garden ponds and the like.  We followed the road up through the natural forest where you can hear all kinds of birds singing (not that I would have a clue which song went with which bird though, which is where Dad comes in handy  D) ) we even spotted a Buzzard but it was far too fast for me to get my camera, you reach a fork in the road and again you turn left then cut down the bank to walk round aParc Lake (pic 3) this lake supplied the water for the many mines in the area and there's bits of cast iron pipes and valves discarded in the undergrowth.  It was here we sat and ate our sandwiches and had a coffee.  We sat admiring the view and just in front of us there was a Pied Wagtail sat on a rock in the lake (pic 4) it was quite happy running up and down the rock.  This place is truly beautiful and you can only reach it by walking which makes the lake even more peaceful.  We gathered up our stuff and carried on around the lake and followed the posts back up towards the main path passing ruins of old houses or maybe farmsteads then off towards the mines.(pic 5)
Only hindsight has 20/20 vision
Angiegram - A romantic notion derived from the more mundane truth.

Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley

Offline Pendragon

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Re: Walking
« Reply #703 on: May 24, 2012, 05:55:00 pm »
Once back on the main path you can follow the signs with a red pick and axe on them.  All along this route you can see fenced off areas with "Danger Mines" signs on them and in some areas there's shafts that have been capped off to prevent accidents, although quite what would possess someone to venture too close to one of these shafts eludes me but then you can bet your life it would be me rambling through the forest who "simply didn't see it"  :laugh: (pic 1)
This route takes you up to Hafna Mill, built in 1879 this Mill was used to sort the ore taken from the mines in the area until production ceased in 1915. (pic 2) in (pic 3) you can see the full mill with the large chimney to the left, children used to squeeze through small pipes to clean soot etc from within.  In Victorian Britain we weren't very nice to our kids were we.  Leaving Hafna Mill we headed back down the track towards Llanrwst (pic 3)
Only hindsight has 20/20 vision
Angiegram - A romantic notion derived from the more mundane truth.

Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley

Offline Pendragon

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Re: Walking
« Reply #704 on: May 24, 2012, 06:08:40 pm »
We took a little detour at the foot of the path and walked round to the left of this lovely little cottage and over a small river with it's bed stained orange due to the minerals in the water.   On the right is a style which we climbed over and followed a zig zag path down through the woods to the Mares Tail twin waterfall.  This was my favourite visit of the day.  I've never been here before in fact I've never heard of it either.  It's wonderful, all you can hear is the rush of the waterfall and the birds singing.  We sat here and finished off our flask of coffee, planned our next walk in a couple of weeks and rested.  It was now time to head back to the car having had a brilliant day  $walesflag$
Only hindsight has 20/20 vision
Angiegram - A romantic notion derived from the more mundane truth.

Truth is, everybody is going to hurt you; you just gotta find the ones worth suffering for." -Bob Marley