Bank Holiday monday in Snowdonia, and the weather is beautiful.... Which means one thing, TOURISTS! The cars, the lack of parking, the waiting on climbing routes, the hundreds of people going up and over Tryffan, the Glyders, Snowdon. Anyone fancy a days walking?
I was due to meet a chap called Toby. Now Toby is a friend of a friends whom I had met only once, for a few hours in a climbing wall. It was an odd situation, because I had known of him and he of I for a long period of time, but we had always managed to miss meeting each other.
Well Toby and I decided to go for a walk, but we wanted to get away from the trade routes, away from the couple of valleys that attract the most attention in Snowdonia. We met just after breakfast in Pete's in Llanberris. Where we decided to head south. We fancied a North-South Traverse of the Rhinogydd, but that was a bit too long. So we headed to Talsarnau and possibly the most unpronounceable mountain in Wales.
I was due to meet a chap called Toby. Now Toby is a friend of a friends whom I had met only once, for a few hours in a climbing wall. It was an odd situation, because I had known of him and he of I for a long period of time, but we had always managed to miss meeting each other.
Well Toby and I decided to go for a walk, but we wanted to get away from the trade routes, away from the couple of valleys that attract the most attention in Snowdonia. We met just after breakfast in Pete's in Llanberris. Where we decided to head south. We fancied a North-South Traverse of the Rhinogydd, but that was a bit too long. So we headed to Talsarnau and possibly the most unpronounceable mountain in Wales.
We left the BBV at Talsarnau, the plan was simple; to head up Mole Ysgyfarnogod then head south and walk for as far as we wanted before turning west and finding a train station which would talk us back to the van.
The day started well. The sun was shining, as we left the van and headed along the road towards the ever present mountains. We made our way up hill and quickly gained the fields of a farm. Now the day began. Toby is working towards his Mountain Leader Award, so he was navigating while I followed along (also navigating but not telling him where we were) we made our way through fields and slowly up towards the summit of Mole Ysgyfarnogod. Im not typing it again!
This area of Snowdonia is stunningly beautiful. Not the dramatic ridge lines of further north, but a rugged area that you could walk all day in and not meet another person. It was a real pleasure to feel so alone in Snowdonia.
We mad our way up the mountain until we reached a large lake on the North side of the mountain, where we stopped for lunch. Curiously Toby didn't eat the wraps that he had mentioned earlier, but clearly he wasn't hungry (he confessed later that he had forgotten them but didn't want to mention it incase I judge him for it). We then had a good few hours of scrambling up sharp rock. We decided to stay on the crest of the hill and go to a point marked 'clip' on the map.
The day started well. The sun was shining, as we left the van and headed along the road towards the ever present mountains. We made our way up hill and quickly gained the fields of a farm. Now the day began. Toby is working towards his Mountain Leader Award, so he was navigating while I followed along (also navigating but not telling him where we were) we made our way through fields and slowly up towards the summit of Mole Ysgyfarnogod. Im not typing it again!
This area of Snowdonia is stunningly beautiful. Not the dramatic ridge lines of further north, but a rugged area that you could walk all day in and not meet another person. It was a real pleasure to feel so alone in Snowdonia.
We mad our way up the mountain until we reached a large lake on the North side of the mountain, where we stopped for lunch. Curiously Toby didn't eat the wraps that he had mentioned earlier, but clearly he wasn't hungry (he confessed later that he had forgotten them but didn't want to mention it incase I judge him for it). We then had a good few hours of scrambling up sharp rock. We decided to stay on the crest of the hill and go to a point marked 'clip' on the map.
By the time we reached clip it was getting late in the day so we decided to head down to the valley and back towards civilisation. Some hours of road tramping later we got to the station. Only to find that the storms that had caused devastation in the South West over the christmas period had washed away the railway in this part of Snowdonia.
Fortunately being Britain, there was a rail replacement bus service. Good Old Britain! We love rail replacement bus services, they are always so reliable, and get you there just as quickly as the train does. Unfortunately as it was a bank holiday there were only 2 busses. So we ended up hitchhiking.
All in all a long but fun day out.
Fortunately being Britain, there was a rail replacement bus service. Good Old Britain! We love rail replacement bus services, they are always so reliable, and get you there just as quickly as the train does. Unfortunately as it was a bank holiday there were only 2 busses. So we ended up hitchhiking.
All in all a long but fun day out.