A Redeye View: November 2015

The weekend of October 30th through November 2nd saw us have a great few days tucked away across the MAWDDACH ESTUARY overlooking BARMOUTH from our little hideout in the woods of ARTHOG, Southern Snowdonia. This is our annual weekend break at this time of the year and we normally stay in a cottage but thought we'd have a change this year as our favourite cottage is no longer available. Our base, was the SNOWDONIA LOG CABINS and a great base they are too. We had no plans to do any big walks, just more of a look round and see what the weather had in store for us, plus my knee was playing up again so I had to be a bit more careful. We have been to Barmouth a few times in the past, for day trips and also weekends, camped just a few miles from this weekends base and been up and around the CADAIR IDRIS RANGE of mountains a few, that lie just behind our base for the weekend. Having arrived on the Friday afternoon, we had a few hours to spare before the sun went down so we took ourselves off to a place called the Blue Lake, which is basically an old quarry pool in a basin, with the only way in and out is going through a short tunnel that was once a train track in and around the quarry. A good walk and some good views the higher up you get and a good place for a bit of exploring with lots of nooks and crannies. It had rained in the morning so it was a bit damp and slippy in places but was very mild so made for a good few hours. Some kids were also swimming in the pool but not sure I'd be that brave!!

Our base for the weekend

Through the old quarry

Looking over to Barmouth from the quarry

The "BLUE LAKE"

The way in and out to the Blue Lake

On the Saturday we had a look round the Cregennen Lakes which are situated above the village of Arthog within a great area with views out to the coast and Barmouth and flanked by the Cadair Idris Range. We took the easy option of the car and parked in the car park next to the lakes. There are several walks around here and indeed you can walk to the lakes from various places and make it a good day's walking but for us today it was more of a look round. We got part way up Pared y Cefn Hir, which is the main hill from the car park and offers great all round views. Unfortunately my knee said no more scrambling up and over rocks :-( so we stopped off at a level area for a bit.
We didn't follow the marked path that went round the lakes but followed a path that went straight on following a wall and below the crags of Pared y Cefn Hir, it was a bit easier on the old knee and as the weather was warm, turned out to be quite pleasent. We got to a farm house and wondered if it was occupied or not as it's quite remote in the valley with no road near by. It was here that we had a good rest before making our way back again. Another area that needs more attention one day :-)

The short sharp scramble

View down to Barmouth

Cregennen Lakes

The good straight grassy path

Cadair Idris Range

Remote farm house with Cadair Idris as the backdrop

Reflections on Lake Cregennen

Pared y Cefn Hir

The Sunday saw us have a traditional day by the seaside, a walk on the beach, a bit of sunbathing, eating ice cream as we watched the world go by. Yes, summer on the 1st November in the UK, who'd of thought it!! Although it had been warm since we got here, it had been a bit overcast until late on Saturday afternoon and by Saturday evening we were again sat outside looking up at the milky way and was fortunate enough to see a couple of shooting stars, we woke on Sunday to a perfect blue sky day. A bit cool in the shade but by the time we had parked the car at the Morfa Mawddach Station it was starting to warm up nicely. Across the Barmouth Bridge into Barmouth where we watched the RNLI on a bit of an exercise and just had a great few hours in very warm sunny weather. The reports were that it had reached about 21degrees which is an all time high for November. Just a great day for lazing about on the beach :-)