Saturday 26th - First day, eager beavers, so away from Rhynys Farm early, breakfast bun at Ogwen Cottage and up to the Idwal Slabs, Cneifon Arete, Glyder Fawr and the Devil's Kitchen; a tad more than Sue was expecting on her first day out in Snowdonia... OK; I survived, but there were moments when I wasn't certain that I would. And Sue can now tie a clove hitch...!
Top of the second pitch of "Hope" on the Idwal Slabs
Exposed ground on the Cneifon Arete
Y Garn and Nant Francon from high on Glyder Fach
Hanging out over Lliwedd
The Idwal Slabs from below the Devil's Kitchen
Sunday 27th - A beautiful day, stuffed on breakfast from the cafe at Capel Curig and taken aback at being charged a measly quid for all-day parking Gwen Gof Isaf farm, we were literally full of beans as we wandered past the source of the Llugwy onto Pen Yr Helgi Dhu and the Carnedds ridge. Comprising the largest stretch of hills over 2500 feet in Wales, we were to spend almost 4 1/2 miles above 3000 feet including 3 summits (Carnedd Llewelyn, Carnedd Dafydd and Pen yr Ole Wen) - a long day in blazing sunshine.
Glyder Fach, Tryfan and Foel Goch across the Ogwen valley
Tryfan and Pen yr Ole Wen
Y Foel Goch and Tryfan from the zig-zags above Ffynnon Llugwy
On the ridge just below Carnedd Dafydd summit...
Tryfan and the Glyders from Pen yr Ole Wen - Sue bottom left
To anyone thinking of the direct descent from Pen yr Ole Wen to Ogwen Cottage, just one word of advice - don't! There is a far gentler path down the east ridge which leads to the Afon Lloer and the valley below. Use it, especially if you need to finish your walk with a few miles of tarmac to the car (or, strike it lucky and have the first car that passes stop and give you a lift!). We were both shattered after the long day in the sun; Sue's genius struck and we were straight into the Chinese in Betws y Coed for a top-notch feed, rehydrating on soup and shandy before dinner! One of my best days walking in Snowdonia for sure.
Monday 28th - and the rains came with a vengance. Very timely though, given that we were both feeling the after effects of two long days out plus too much exposure to that Welsh rarity - sunshine! A good day, lounging about, eating, drinking, searching in gear and book shops before speaking with Carol who insisted that we should leave our tent pitched and gear in it, despite us decamping and moving into the White Horse at Capel Garmon for the next few nights.
Tuesday 29th - off to Bala and Sue's first visit to the "mighty" Tryweryn. Despite an early, impressive start, the speed and strength of the water was just a little too much. Finding herself upside down in the kayak, unable to communicate with fishes and avoiding large chunks of granite just didn't do it for her. Strange, some folk! No worries though, a relaxing evening watching the locals was just as much fun.
Wednesday 30th - loose plan was to drive out to the west and see where we ended up - kind of. Sue had mentioned that she quite fancied Port Merion, so, strangely enough, that's where we found ourselves.... After a couple of hours, it was back in the car and to Caernarfon, more shop-window gazing before heading back toward Llanberis and the Beacon climbing wall.
"I am not a number....!"
Beware the big white balloons
Thursday 31st - Plas y Brenin and the Llugwy
The nice lady at the Plas y Brenin reception said that we could park in their riverside carpark; so down we toodled for a few hours paddling around the buoys and getting Sue well up to speed in the Madness. Before moving downstream (and having Dave Luke ask why I was swimming - again!) onto the Llugwy, Sue took her life in her hands and ran the drop from Llynnau Mymbyr down into the river...
Going for it on the jet below Plas y Brenin (note the colour co-ordination...)
There are no photos of our paddle down the Llugwy towards Jim's Bridge; suffice it to say that the sun shone, there were lots of wild flowers in the meadows and walking the shuttle to bring the car back only took 20 minutes... To round off a fun day, we went and did our best ringer impression at the White Horse, beating the locals in their monthly pub quiz; we know how to win the hearts and minds of the locals!!
Friday 1st - having swum across the farm to get away from the tent, we drove over to Pen y Pass for a blast up (on?) Snowdon. It was raining as we arrived and determined to keep on raining. From the Pass the path gradually climbs to Llyn Llydaw and the causeway, passing the old mine workings and onward to Llyn Glaslyn (the blue lake). As we turned a corner above Glaslyn, a sudden gust almost sent Sue for an early bath and a halt was called. We jumped (squeezed?) into my group shelter (small group?) for a brew and to share the view - not the one that we could no longer see, but the one that saw us about-face and walk off the mountain. Discretion, valour and all that... It really was so much worse than the photos suggest.
Hmm - are we really going up there?
Nope, thought not!
Saturday 2nd - and the sun came out to play again. For a while. We'd been walking for maybe 20 minutes when the first spots of rain hit us, 10 minutes later it was time for waterproofs, but we sucked it up after yesterdays aborted mission and were determined; Moel Siabod or bust (or, maybe, pub and early lunch?). The weather teased us for much of the day, but all was good, some scrambling on the SE ridge, occasional views from the summit and a (long?) walk out through the woods above the Brenin and along the Llugwy; although wild raspberries before arriving back at Pont Cyfyng made up for some of that.
Deja vu?
On the SE ridge above Llyn y Foel
Sunshine trying to break through - Nant Gwryd with Crib Goch in the disance
A bit of a swell under St Bees South Head
