Author Topic: Walking  (Read 821927 times)

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Offline Gwynant

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1080 on: June 02, 2013, 10:37:07 am »
               Hugo, just as you say that my seashore walk from Llanfairfechan to Llandudno prompted you to try that route, (but I used the cycle path on the section from Llanfair to Pen as I wasn't sure if you could go round the headland on the beach at the time) you have now prompted me to do it! I have seen the road viaduct and the railway line from the "Balmoral" on the round Anglesey trip a few years ago and I have also been lucky enough to fly alongside it in a Cessna light aircraft when I knew someone with a Private Pilot's Licence and it does make you appreciate the workmanship and effort put into the construction of the viaduct. I will be doing the walk in the near future (after checking the tides!). I seem to recall a story from the sixties about a lad who didn't know the area was giving two girls a lift on the road between Pen and Llanfair at night (before the Westward tunnel was built) and he stopped and hopped over the wall for a pee on the viaduct and after a few minutes passed and he didn't return the girls got out to look for him and realised there was a huge drop down onto the beach.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1081 on: June 02, 2013, 05:56:52 pm »
I remember that story too and that he died after jumping over the wall.    We were pleasantly surprised by how far we could walk on the prom bit by the railway and the only bad bit was where water was lying on the path.  There are even escape ladders along the way but you won't need them on a low ebbing tide as the water is well away from where you walk.
Hope that you enjoy it as there are lots of things to see along the way.


Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1082 on: June 09, 2013, 10:42:41 pm »
The injured climber's dog was found on the mountain  10 days after it's owner was airlifted.     $good$


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-22832224

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1083 on: June 30, 2013, 01:13:54 pm »
Yesterday was busy in Betws Y Coed as we set off from the Railway Station car park to do our Llyn Y Parc walk.  We followed the fast flowing River Llugwy to Pont Y Pair and then crossed the bridge and then followed the river to the Miner's Bridge. Swallows and Dippers seemed to follow us along the way and we saw a Yellow Wagtail strutting his stuff on a rock in the middle of the river.  From the Bridge we went uphill and crossed the Forest road and took the path opposite which is a lovely terraced track that runs diagonally through the forest. Just after the top of the track you come to a ruin on the left and there were spectacular views of Moel Siabod, Snowdon and the serrated summit of Tryfan could be seen.  In the next field we were treated to a pleasant surprise when a Deer came to the edge of the field and just carried on feeding as if we weren't there, it even seemed to be posing to let Peter take a photo of it.  We carried on and came to a pretty white painted stone house called Coed Mawr  and followed the well signposted blue route until we came to Llyn Y Parc where we had our refreshments.  We didn't stay long there though because we were plagued by midges and Pete and I were wearing shorts and have the bite marks to prove it!     We retraced our steps and took a path which took us to a wide path that overlooks the gorge on our left and just before we came to a ruined farmhouse a large Buzzard flew from a bush in front of us and took off in the air.   At the  farmhouse we stopped to had a good look round the old buildings.   Just before the farmhouse was a very steep path that we took that eventually brought us back to Betws and after stopping at a cafĂ© by the bridge we headed back to our cars and to home   

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1084 on: June 30, 2013, 01:16:18 pm »
Llyn Y Parc

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1085 on: June 30, 2013, 01:17:58 pm »
Llyn Y Parc

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1086 on: July 06, 2013, 11:35:22 am »
Late on Thursday evening my friend phoned me up and asked if I wanted a walk on the Friday.  The forecast was good and it was only going to be a short walk so it was too good an opportunity to miss.  We started from the car park by the Ogwen Lake and walked up to Llyn Bochlwyd and took the Criben Ridge to Glyder Fawr.    It's a nice ridge walk, steep in parts but you are rewarded with good views all around.  We had made some height when we heard a noise of a jet engine and saw the jet plane flying way below us.  The day was perfect we thought, as we did the final rock scramble to reach the rocky plateau of Glyder Fawr.   Moving on further onto the plateau we stopped to have our well earned sandwiches and drinks but very soon the conditions and our day took a drastic turn for the worse.  The mist came down quickly and very thickly and we weren't able to see very far and this happens sometimes on the Glyders.    I couldn't see any paths so we opted on the side of safety and went down westwards in the valley away from the cliffs on the east side.
There were no paths there so we had to make our way through the bracken and heather and boggy ground until we came to a path we knew.   Half way down the valley the clouds cleared but at this point it was easier to go down than up so we followed the contours of Glyder Fach until we could see the Pen Y Gwryd to Tryfan path.   It was quite energy sapping and I nearly tripped at one point but Harry following me did take a nasty tumble and was lucky to get away with a bad graze on his knee and a sore back.      When we reached the style to get to the proper path this is when we made our second and biggest mistake.     I hadn't brought my map with me and didn't know the distance from there to the Ogwen.   Hindsight is a wonderful thing and on reflection we should have walked the half  mile down hill to Pen Y Gwryd and caught the Sherpa bus back to the Ogwen  but instead we went uphill to Bwlch Tryfan and then down to the Ogwen Lake.        We had made good time of 2 hours getting to Glyder Fawr but then it was another five hours of continuous walking to get back to the car and spoilt the day a bit.    Hopefully there are a few lessons to be learnt from this walk.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1087 on: July 06, 2013, 11:36:36 am »
Y Gribin

Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1088 on: July 06, 2013, 11:53:19 am »
Glad you still had some energy left to take the photos to show us. Thanks Hugo.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1089 on: July 06, 2013, 02:46:22 pm »
Thanks Hollins,  I'm still aching after all that walking yesterday.  I've looked at the map today and it feels and seems like we did the equivalent of two of our normal walks!
I've also looked at the Sherpa Bus timetable and if we would have gone down to Pen Y Gwryd we could have caught the 2.27pm bus back to the Ogwen.       :(
I was due to go for a walk today with two other friends but had to call it off last night as I knew that I wouldn't be up to it today

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1090 on: July 14, 2013, 12:41:28 pm »
The weather was already in the high 20C's when we started our walk in Penmorfa and when I saw the cliffs of Craig Y Gesail I was pleased that Pete was taking us on a circular walk around the outcrop and not directly up it.  The walk itself was across farmland and was quite undulating with one or two steep pulls uphill.  By the time we had got to the farm Gesail Gyfarch the temperature had risen a bit and we stopped to have a drink and admire the first of many magnificent views that we would encounter on this walk.   Because it was so hot it was very hazy and the distant views were restricted but we could still see Criccieth Castle and parts of the Llyn Peninsula.
From the Farm we changed direction and had a steep pull up hill and were rewarded with outstanding views to the East.  Nantle Ridge was towering above Cwm Pennant and the mountains of the Eifionydd   range encircled Cwm Ystradlyn.   In Cwm Ystradlyn we could see the ruins of Ynys Y Pandy Slate Mill and other old ruins,  We carried on and stopped for refreshments on the edge of Craig Y Gesail and looked down on the villages of Penmorfa and Tremadog with impressive views of Porthmadog in the distance.
The views are unbelievable and makes you appreciate the area that we live in.   From this point it was downhill all the way, thank goodness and we passed some ruined buildings and old tramways until we arrived at Tremadog a village that has suffered a bit as a result of the new Porthmadog bypass.  We completed the walk by a long trek along the main road to the lay by in Penmorfa where the car was parked.  After changing gear we sat in the car and by then the temperature on the gauge showed 33C so we drove to the Slate Mill with all the windows down in an effort to keep cool.   The ruins of the old Mill were impressive and we are going to have a walk in Cwm Ystradlyn soon so I'll post some more photos then

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1091 on: July 14, 2013, 12:45:47 pm »
Penmorfa Walk

Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1092 on: July 14, 2013, 03:22:55 pm »
Hugo, brave of you to go walking uphill and down dale in this heat. Not many walkers about on the footpath near us in this weather.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1093 on: July 14, 2013, 03:50:33 pm »
The saying "there no fool like an old fool" is quite appropriate in our case.   There were four of us and our average age was 64+ so we should know better, if anyone saw us they'd think we were like the cast of " Last of the Summer Wine".
To top it all the walk details said 3 miles so how come the GPS said 4.77 miles     :-[

Offline Micox

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1094 on: July 15, 2013, 03:16:26 pm »
 &well& Hi Hugo.

The detail in the photos and text of your walks is wonderful. Mouth watering places for an exile who can no longer walk.

Have you thought of doing a 'Wainwright' type booklet. I'm sure it would be readily snapped up commercially.

Heddwch.

Mike.
Micox