Walking

[Hugo]

Thanks Jack.    I also noticed that a lot of the trees on that side of the lake had been chopped down but I never took a photo of that side.    Every time I have done that walk I have always walked on the road where the picnic area is as I think the view is better from  that side.    I've never walked on the path on the other side of the lake but I could see the path quite easily now.

[Hugo]

Yesterday my friend Tellytubby took me on a delightful native woodland and farmland walk in Ffynnongroyw.  The walk started in the car park at the end of Garth Lane where we crossed the Afon Garth by the footbridge and had a good look at Garth Mill which is just over the ford before starting on the walk.   Garth Mill was built in 1743 and was in regular use for grinding grain for flour and cattle feed until the 1950’s.   It also produced feed for the pit ponies that worked underground at the Point of Ayr Colliery.   The Mill has since been renovated and is now a welcoming inn.
We took the road uphill and then followed the footpath into Garth Woods crossing four sections of wooden walkway where there is a carved wooden lizard bench..  It’s a commemorative bench in memory of Dale a local teenager who died in 2003, it must have been a lovely bench at one time but is now showing signs of decay.
We continued walking uphill and came to a steep flight of steps known locally as “The steps of Heaven” and these steps took us out of the woods onto open farmland. We crossed a field and walked along the tarmac lane until we stopped at a farm and called to see a nice lady who was a friend of tellytubby and then continued on our way until we stopped on a piece of raised ground overlooking a field set up for equestrian sports.
We had our refreshments there in the warm sunshine before moving on and returning back to Garth Mill through another delightful woodland setting.  It was a pleasure just walking along through the tall trees with just the sounds of the birds singing and the  flowing waters of the stream accompanying us   It was a short circular walk of just under five miles and we were lucky to have had the perfect weather for it.

[Hugo]

Garth Mill walk Ffynnongroyw

[DaveR]

Yesterday was a lovely  warm sunny day and we were able to enjoy it by having a walk in the beautiful Crafnant valley and then on to  Llyn Geirionydd.  It's an easy circular walk of about 5 miles and one that many people will be familiar with.
We started the walk at the Llyn Crafnant car park and walked along the northern side of the lake and returned on the other side until we came to the old ruined Chapel and phone box.   We then took the forest path which climbed uphill and over the shoulder of Mynydd Deulyn and then descended on a winding forest track to Llyn Geirionydd.   By then we had built up an appetite so we had our refreshments in the picnic area by the lake, after about half an hour it was time to move on so we continued along the lane until the end of Llyn Geirionydd and then followed the path past Taliesin's monument and an old mine until we arrived back at the car park.
We stopped at Surf Snowdonia on the way home to have a nice coffee and watch the surfers doing their stuff.     It is always an enjoyable walk to do but yesterday we had the perfect weather to do it in.

One of my favourite walks. 

[hollins]

Yesterday I finally got round to doing the walk from Bull Bay to Porth Wen on Anglesey.
I was sorry it had taken me so long but you were all right about it being beautiful. I had my circular walk book with me but it was so gorgeous walking by the sea that I walked back the same way rather than go inland.
The brickwork site is incredible and slightly intimidating and spooky as I went down there on my own!

[hollins]

Porth Wen.

[Hugo]

An observation and a chance remark by our walking buddy Uncle Albert led to a really nice walk yesterday in some beautiful countryside.   He had driven past Trawsfynydd and noticed a disused railway track and wondered if it would be suitable for a walk in the future. A bit of research later and we discovered that it was part of the Trawsfynydd to Bala railway line that had been abandoned in the 1960’s when the Liverpool Corporation flooded the valley of Capel Celyn  but there was a spectacular section of the track in Cwm Prysor which had a nine arched viaduct which  was 105 feet high.
We drove up the A 4212 towards Bala and on our left we could see the railway track high above us carved into the steep hillside.   We parked the car at the top of Cwm Prysor and immediately we were rewarded with stunning views down the valley.   The linear walk we did was just under 7 miles in total, it starts at 1280 feet and dropped to just over 900 feet before we came to a stone bridge over the disused track.   The walk was very easy but there are a few slightly boggy parts at the start  but the highlight of the route is the 105 feet high, nine-arched Viaduct which was built in 1882. This is only 0.6 miles from the parking area, so if you just want to visit that, it's worth it.   The walk offers great views across the valley to the Arenigs and Rhinogs and on the way passes Castell Prysor but there is little evidence now although traces of the tower’s foundations still survive.   Apart from the stunning beauty of the area there is plenty of wildlife to be seen and heard, Buzzards  flew overhead and a pair of Peregrine Falcons that were nesting nearby kept close watch on us as we walked past.   Much further away and higher up was a Mare and her foal but the most amusing thing we saw was a Bat in broad daylight flying around very close to our heads obviously feeding on the thousands of insects that were on that part of the railway track.
After reaching the stone bridge we retraced our steps and drove to see the old Cwm Prysor railway house and then on to the Trawsfynydd  lake cafe where we had some nice drinks and I had a massive wedge of Victoria sponge cake.    A nice way to finish any walk but we’ll be doing this walk again for certain in the the future
 

[Hugo]

Cwm Prysor viaduct walk



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[hollins]

The expert walkers on this forum have already described this section of the Anglesey coastal path before so I won't go into detail.
I was so lucky with the weather at the weekend and everything looked so beautiful that I ended up staying for an extra night.
I was on my own so I did shortish stretches there and back.
These snaps are on the section between Amlwch and Point Lynas Lighthouse and then Moelfre and the beach just a bit beyond LLigwy.
Super walks and gorgeous wild flowers at this time of year.

[hollins]

From Moelfre....

[Hugo]

Great photos Hollins and two good walks,  you were so lucky with the weather too.     Point Lynas is one of the best places to see Dolphins and Porpoises, did you manage to see any?

[hollins]

No, sadly I didn't see any but I was looking out for them.
I did walk out right to the edge at Point Lynas mainly because I heard what I thought was screaming for help from two canoeists but in fact they were whooping with delight as they surfed back and two amongst the waves there. Rather them than me.
I was going to ask on here if this bird is a seagull? It was absolutely huge, about twice the size of a normal seagull and had black wings. I saw this bird just before the lighthouse.

[Hugo]

It's probably the Great Black Backed Gull, quite vicious birds but I'm sure Jack or someone else would know for certain.

[Jack]

You're absolutely spot on Hugo, it is a great black backed gull! Much bigger than the chip and sausage roll stealing herring gulls on Llandudno promenade!

[hollins]

Thanks both. It was a scary looking thing. I tried to take a photo as it took off in flight but I only got one small part of the wing in the photo. Must try harder!