A cooling down walk in the forests surrounding Betws-y-Coed followed by a little shopping. I might even treat myself to some chips!

Its been too long since I last walked over the Carneddau. The morning started at Pont Pen-y-benglog next to Llyn Ogwen with a vertical climb up Yr Ole Wen towards Pen yr Ole Wen. Then over to the ancient cairns on Carnedd Fach, followed by a trek to Carnedd Dafydd. (dd is pronounced 'th'). Then over Ysgolion Duon towards the peak of Carnedd Llewelyn. A quick look at Yr Ellen before the the descent down Penywaun Wen, Craig yr Ysfa then a steep drop down to Ffynnog Llugwy Reservoir. A very steep walk along Afon Llugwy takes me down to the Capel Curig Road. Bring your map and compass, good pair of strong boots and your cheese sandwiches, its a long walk.

Today I will spend half a day finally climbing my favourite mountain Tryfan. Pack your map and compass, food and drink and good strong boots. Be prepared for anything!! You know what happened yesterday. The welsh mountains are full of surprises.

Todays adventure begins at 'The Devils Kitchen' just above Llyn Idwal in Cwm Idwal. Above the 'Devils Kitchen the path goes up tp 'Glyder Fawr', then up to 'Glyder Fach' finally dropping down and then back up to the summit of Tryfan and a drop into the Nant francon Valley via Llyn Bochlwyd. That was the plan! Things don't always go to plan in the 'Mynddoedd Byw'. You are welcome to join me on this walk but don't forget your map and compass and a pair of strong boots, you'll need them!!!

The beginning of a 6 day visit to 'Y Carneddau a'r Glyderau' mountain ranges in North Wales. Known as 'Mynyddoedd Byw' The living mountains. I stayed at the Capel Curig Youth Hostel and either walked or used public transport to get to the destination of the day. The first task was to have a look at the 'Devils Kitchen' in Cwm Idwal the beginning of tomorrows climb.

Kate badly needed a break from the wild mountains so we took an early morning bus to Bethesda. Bethesda is a Hebrew place name, one of the many adopted by Welsh villages whose nonconformist religion liked to borrow the authority and grandeur of Biblical titles both for communities, and for personal names. Bethesda itself means "House of Peace", but the quarrying community had been anything but peaceful during the three bitter years of the slate quarry strike.

Betws-y-Coed is the principal village of the Snowdonia National Park. The Snowdonia National Park in North Wales covers more than 800 square miles, it is a region of haunting beauty and grandeur, of wild rocky mountains, hidden valleys, cascading rivers, still glacial lakes and deep forests. North Wales is an old country; geologically old, with some of the most ancient rocks in the world; old in its economy, based still on the immemorial pastoral or sheep-rearing way of life; old in culture, with traditions in poetry and music that may date back to the Bronze Age; and old in language, for the Welsh you will hear spoken everywhere in the mountain villages is Europe's oldest living language. No wonder the deep valleys seem still to hold the echo of the myths, legends and bardic traditions of the past. The relics of the past lie undisturbed still in the hills the Neolithic stone circles, the Bronze Age chambers, the fortifications of the Celtic Iron Age, the Roman fort, and the monuments of the great Welsh princes. Compared to southern Britain, Snowdonia is truly wild.

Croeso i Gymru.
'Wednesdays child is full of woe'
This is the dark album, the weather turned cold, dark and windy. This is not unusual in the Welsh mountains at any time of year. It shows why walkers and climbers must be fully prepared. Many people have lost their lives through not being prepared. I decided to stick to the low level paths from Llyn Ogwen along the old Roman road towards Capel Curig. Capel Curig used to be the hub of walkers lives back in the 1970s and 1980s. It had one or two shops which just sold essentials and a Climbers shop. I have met people from all over the world in this tiny hamlet. Our walk skirted Tryfan which showed its dangerous side. We also passed through 'Willies Barn' which is a Welsh sheep farm that rented camping fields and spaces in the barns. I have camped and stayed in the barns since I was 15 years old. Mr Williams has long since passed away but the farm is still in the same family. It was here that i met the Australian girl Jenny from my black and white, long hair album.

Dedicated to my very dear friend Kate. On this walk she was a Super Hero. She was more scared of coming down than going up, and that was hard enough. She persevered and with a little instruction on how to descend a steep slope she got there in the end without too much trouble. MY HERO :)

Cofiwch : Ewch â map a chwmpawd hefo chi bob tro.
Remember : Always take a map and compass with you.

From Llyn Ogwen up the very steep slope alongside Tryfan. Tryfan is one of Wales’s most popular peaks – its distinctive shark-fin profile is instantly recognisable from miles around. It is however, a tough mountain to climb, with all the walking routes to its airy summit involving at least some use of the hands. Fortunately it’s not necessary to actually climb the mountain in order to appreciate its beauty. A tour around its base offers plenty of fine views of its towering rock walls without quite so much effort, or the need for mountaineering skills. But even this is no walk in the park, with over 500m of ascent in total, and a few very rough, rocky and steep paths to follow. The rewards make it worth the effort though. The rock architecture of the mighty Glyderau range is without equal in Wales; and Cwm Bochlwyd, jewelled with the glistening blue waters of a stunning mountain tarn, is as beautiful as any valley in Snowdonia. The River Ogwen (Afon Ogwen in Welsh) is a river in north Wales draining from some of the greatest peaks in Snowdonia before discharging to the sea on the eastern side of Bangor.

Ewn yn ol trwy'r oesoedd...
Mae'r llwybr o'r maes parcio i Gwm Idwal yn eich arwain trwy un o'r enghreifftiau mywaf trawiadol o dirwedd sy'n esblygu. o'ch cwmpas i bob cyfeiraiad mae tystiolaeth o'r grymoedd berw a greodd creigiau Cwm Idwal fwy na 450 miliwn o flynyddoedd dau gyfandir enfawr yn erbyn ei gilydd. Gannoedd o filiynau o flynyddoedd wedyn , gwyaeth y dadmer a ddilynodd oes yr la gerfio Cwm Idwal a'r dyffrynnoedd siap-U o'i gwmpas. Felly dyma'r olygfa o'ch blaen heddiw wrth ichi gerdded i gyfeiriad y Cwm.
TRANSLATION.
Take a step back in time...
The footpath from the car park near Cwm Idwal takes you through one of the most spectaculsr examples of an evolving landscape. All around you, there is dramatic evidence of Cwm Idwal's turbulent birth more than 450 million years ago when two huge continents came together with an explosive force. Hundeds of millions of years later a glacial thaw took place, scooping out Cwm Idwal and its surrounding U-shaped valleys. It can be enjoyed in full panaramic glory along the path that leads you to Cwm Idwal.

Croeso i Gymru. My good friend Kate and I went camping at Idwal Cottage Youth Hostel in the Nant Francon Valley, North Wales. Our first encounters were Lynn Ogwen and the Ogwen Falls with views of my favourite mountain Tryfan, parts of the Carneddau and a spectacular view over the Nant Francon Valley towards Bethesda.

A windy day at Llandudno North wales.
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Exploring the ancient rock formations and the rock pools on Poppit Sands.
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How a very wet, rainy day ended.
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Traeth Poppit and St Dogmaels in Mid Wales.
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Cwm Idwal. Llyn Idwal. Idwal Slabs. Tryfan. Carnedd Llewelyn. Glyders. Devil's Kitchen. Ogwen Falls.
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Caernarfon Castle. North Wales
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Harlech Castle. Wales Please leave comments or sign my guest book. Thank you.

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