A one day Bothy trip

I left home in the most dreadful weather this morning. Howling winds and hosing rain. It seemed like my plans for the day were in jeopardy. After checking and re-checking the weather forecasts, I decided that my initial hunch, still looked like the most favorable option.

By the time we set out, having waited for the worst of the rain to pass, we seemed to be right on the edge of the rain/sun divide. And for our efforts, a fantastic rainbow hung over us.

It was a real battle pushing into the wind as we made our way up into the back of the valley. We were all stumbling and staggering when the big gusts came through.

When the hut came into sight (can you spot it), we decided to make a beeline for it, rather than try to reach the higher grounds. Inevitably, this meant wet feet for most of us, but we were all just relieved to be out of the wind.

Inside, all was calm except for the sound of the chimney rattling.

Using the wood we had carried up, we set about getting the fire going, brew hot drinks and warming up our sausage rolls. Happy days.

It was soon pretty cozy and we were warm enough to enjoy a relaxing lunch. All too soon, it was time to start clearing up and bracing ourselves for the return journey.

Two of the team slipped over in the mud, another went ankle deep and I thought we might lose another as she stepped off a stile and disappeared up to her knees in a bog. By now, there were not dry feet left, but with the wind behind us, we beat a hasty retreat to the bus. A wild day to be in the hills...

Cemlyn Bay, Anglesey

It's a long drive up to the North Coast of Anglesey, but still worth it - even on an overcast day. I've been out hiking another section of the Anglesey Coastal Path - a new bit for me - with a group of students. No amazing photos as it was a bit of a grey day, but we found plenty of treasure on the remote little beaches that we passed by, and possibly a seal sighting through some of Uncle Ken's binoculars!

We also came across this tiny chapel out in a field near the bay. There's not even a track leading up to in. 

There're pew on one side and an aisle on the other. The inscription above the door said 1776. 

Not only do we now have Snowdrops, the Daffodils are also making an early-season appearance!

Moel y Ci Circuit

A last-minute change of plans meant that we had to switch our objectives for today's excursions. There has been a good covering of snow in the mountains, (but not enough for ski travel!). We'd decided to stay off the tops though as the wind is howling and showers have been blowing through all day. Instead, we made the best of the afternoon, by completing a circuit and summit of nearby Moel y Ci.

Out to sea, the sun shone intermittently.

On the ground, the hail from last night's storm remained. No wonder the noise of it hitting the skylights work us up in the night!

Back in The Cottage gardens, the Snowdrops have arrived...

Between the Showers - Local Views

Things are starting to turn cold around here in Snowdonia. Had a nice ebike over the tops from Llanberis - The lake was calm, but things looked dark up in the Llanberis Pass.

Today I've been up in Cwm Idwal and managed to time our trip in between most of the sleet and snow showers that have been blowing past all day. This must be one of my most visited areas, being only a few minutes from The Cottage, but it was my first visit of 2020. Felt nice to be back.

Pen yr Ole Wen had a dusting of snow, on the other side of the valley.

Afterwards, we walked part of the old Roman road to Capel Curig. In contrast, I hardly ever take this route, so it was nice to enjoy the views from a different angle.

Cold Weather Scrambling on Tryfan's East Face

Brrrrr! It was a cold day to be scrambling on the east face of Tryfan, but we decided to go for it anyway. Splitting into three small teams, we all hiked up onto the Heather Terrance with plenty of options in mind.

John's team carried on to the Pinnacle Rib Routes, but Aled and I stayed back on Bastow Buttress, which is one of the first climbing areas that you reach. Depending on exactly where you climb on Bastow Buttress, varies the grade from V.Diff climbing to Grade II scrambling. There are plenty of good belay ledges as well as a few small ones too, which give a good feeling of exposure, as the students soon found out!

While Aled stayed out on the crest, my team moved into the gully on the left of the ridge to try and gain a little shelter and be able to move faster - it was not a day for three people to be hanging around on small ledges. At the top of the climbs, we regrouped on the North Ridge. The mist was down and rain threatened to fall at any moment. We decided to give the summit a miss and descend the North Ridge instead.

This gave the bonus for a quick photo opportunity on the Cannon Stone on the way back to the valley.

Amazingly all three teams arrived back at the minibus within 5 minutes of each other, so in the fading light, we drove straight back 'The Lodge' bunkhouse where we warmed up over several cups of tea and a good selection of cakes and biscuits. The rest of the evening was taken up with hot showers, sorting kit, a big curry, some music and more of Aunty Gill & Uncle David's 'Genius Board' game until it was time for a well earned (and needed!) sleep.

Tracks and Trails

It's been a varied week that's seen me working at the beach, in the forest and on the hill. Newbrough Warren proved to be a great place for some hash running, which was adapted into a forest faith trail.

The usually enchanting Newbrough Beach was a little gloomy when we visited this time.

But we stayed warm around some sand volcanoes that we built.

A fleeting day of stunning weather was used for some Duke of Edinburgh's Award training. Up above Colwyn Bay it was bright and warm, but a thick cold mist was trapped down in Cowny, leaving the summit of the Great Ome standing out like an island from a sea of cloud. Totally spectacular but no photos!

Good fun cooking up a mess, practicing using the Trangia stoves....

The Boulder Hut

Got the chance to stop off briefly at the new bouldering wall at Ellesmere Port today. It's been open a little while now, but I'd not yet had the opportunity to check it out. It's been worth the wait! It's a really big area, so plenty of problems to go and has a really fresh, bright feel.

The central freestanding boulder even has a 'top-out' so you can climb to the top and then slide down a (very fast) slide, which was good fun.

For those with enough muscles, there's also a good-sized training area, campus zone and plenty of gym toys and yoga mats too. The day rate was a little pricy for a quick hit, but if you live nearby, the monthly passes were a real bargain. It's minutes off the M56, so a much better option than a service station stop off on your way to North Wales!....Go check it out...

Winter sun at The Fort

Snuck away from the mountains and nipped down for Fort Martin for a quick visit. Spent a very peaceful frosty morning, watching the birds from the warmth of the kitchen, then had a lovely day working outside in the sunshine (even an al fresco lunch on the terrace!). Pre-birthday roast dinner and some good fireside nattering too. Happy days...

Winter views from Carnedd y Filiast

Perfect conditions across Snowdonia for my first winter mountain day of 2020. I was with a small group of students doing some navigation practice in preparation for a Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Award Expedition late this summer. The initial plan had been for a low-level hike, but the weather was so good, we decided to go high and get the views. It was worth the effort.

After setting off on the shaded north side of the mountain, the sun soon got high enough to provide a little warmth and we hiked up towards the snowline.

A layer of clouds drifted over the sky briefly around midday, blocking the sun and we really noticed the drop in temperature that this caused.

There was no need for crampons to get to the summit and we arrived on top with the whole national park in a 360 view.

To continue along the ridge looked tempting, but a bit too ambitious for the days objective.

So instead, we had lunch and took in the view, identifying the surrounding peaks and landmarks.

Back at base, the sunset was one of the most spectacular I've seen in ages. A real stunner. I wasn't able to get any photos, except for this quick snap in the last of the light as I was driving away. Incredible.

The Crossing of Holy Island - a Mini-Expedition

I've been away for the last few days on the Isle of Anglesey with a group of students who were taking part in a mini-expedition. More specifically, I've been on Holy Island, where we made a two day, east coast to west coast crossing, via the highest point - Holyhead Mountain. At only a meager 220m above sea level, it does well to claim it's mountain status, but as the highest point on the Island, it seems a worthy title. At last, the skies have cleared, temperatures dropped and the winds faded, allowing us to enjoy some glorious winter sun for our ascent. 

We watched the ferry pull out from Holyhead harbor and head off towards Ireland, which was visible as a silhouette on the horizon, from our summit lunch spot.

After crossing over the tops, we picked our way along small paths, down by the climber's cliffs and onto the track.

This was where the navigation began and the real adventures started. Navigating in the mountains is a breeze compared to navigating through fields and farmland - the exact territory we now found ourselves in. Public rights of way may exist on a map and may indeed still exist on the ground, but that's not to say that anyone has ever actually walked that way in the last forty years!... After entering into a maze of gorse bushes and bogland, we found hope in the form of this old sign...

After passing some large horses, followed by a field containing two pigs and a large lady dressed in pajamas and wellies, we also had to admit defeat at the sight of this sign. Thankfully, a further search revealed a 'yellow arrow' footpath marker indicating the direction of our salvation from underneath the grasp of a dense bramble bush.

Then, of course, there were the gateways. Any narrowing of thoroughfare of a waterlogged field inevitably resulted in a mud-fest. 

Even the most nimble of hikers couldn't avoid the shin-deep quagmire.

As we struggled on towards the bunkhouse, the sun dipped ever lower in the sky, feet became tired, socks became wet, trousers became muddy, bellies became empty and the full expedition experience of having to encourage your weary body 'push on' was enjoyed/endured by all.

Sometimes my students say the funniest things and I always think I should write them down in a book. As the sun began to set, one lad sat on the ground and claimed he could carry on no further. I went over to attempt a motivational pep talk, but received this reply in the most serious of tones: "Sir, you don't understand... It's too hard and I can't carry on... I need a double expresso and three sugars". It was kind of funny and sad at the same time. The students weren't even teenagers. 

Digging deep, (and unable to magic up the requested caffeine boost), we pulled together the required mental and physical resources to make it in time for a much needed hot dinner, without (just) needing to use our torches. Some of us were even able to marvel at the colours in the sky.

After dinner, we spent some time star gazing on the nearby beach and playing my new favorite game, courtesy of Gill and David - thank you - it's been getting plenty of action!)

The following day (Saturday), saw us back at the beach for more activities, before completing our journey.

We stopped for lunch on a beach in a deep zawn.

As saw some good rock arches on the walk across the range.

Finally, we arrived at our pre-placed minibusses. It had been an emotional journey!