Hot & Wet Weekend In Wales, What Else!!

Well, yet another very late decision to have a couple of days in Snowdonia taking advantage of the glorious weather that the UK has experienced these last few weeks. Lots of sunny blue sky days with temperatures reaching about 30degree C in places with only the odd shower here and there so with an early finish at work, Jill working lates, there was only one thing for it, tent and essentials in the car and off I go with  plan A,B,C & D going round my head!! I have for sometime now wanted to see the sunset from the summit of Snowdon so that was plan A but I wanted to camp at the best little campsite I've been to and do a couple of walks from there over the two days, meeting up with some walking mates from the Facebook group WFP on the Saturday. Another was to walk Moel Siabod on the Friday evening and do the Snowdon Horseshoe on the Saturday while plan D was still in the planning process!! Decisions decisions!!!
I got to the campsite and all set up for about 3.30pm with the temperature showing a cool 28.5C, a tad warm as I set off from the campsite on plan B part 1, thinking I'd go up towards the Crimpiau area and drop down about 8pm and call in the pub for a pint and something to eat only to realise after half an hour that I'd left me money back at camp!!! No way was I going back so plan B part two it was, do the walk, drive into town and get a takeaway and a few beers and watch the sun go down back at camp, sorted at last :-) It really was a warm one and it soon became apparent that any high level walk would have to wait so I opted for a walk that we have done before but added a bit more on to it and is part of the CAPEL CURIG HERITAGE WALK.
Starting out of the campsite, crossing the road and picking up the path through the fields that brings you out at the Plas y Brenin Centre. A walk down the road and a visit to the old St JULITTA CHURCH the smallest in Snowdonia, before making my way to the stile, opposite the Pinacle Cafe, and picking up the path with a detour to the rocky outcrop of Y Pincin for a great view back towards the Snowdon Horseshoe with the great sound of a Cuckoo echoing around the valley.

My route for the afternoon

Home for the night

The campsite under Moel Siabod :-)

St Julitta's Church

St Julitta's Church

View from Y Pincin

Back on track through the woods to come to the wooden footbridge over the Nant y Geuallt where you take the right footpath which is a well laid out one through open land with good vies before dropping back into the woods with a carpet of bluebells and the sound of the cuckoo echoing around the valley!

Wooden footbridge

Looking over to the Crimpiau

Moel Siabod through the trees

Carpet of Bluebells

Out through the woods passing a Mountain Club Hut brings you out at the Glyn Blo Cafe car park on the A5, across the road and over the bridge at Pont Cyfyng turning right to follow the Afon Llugwy through fields and woods back to the Plas y Brenin Mountain Centre, with the sound of the cuckoo echoing around the valley!!

Mountain Club Hut with Moel Siabod as the backdrop

Old farm building

View towards Snowdon from Plas y Brenin

I picked up the path that took me back to basecamp and got back some four hours after I left, with  plenty of water and stops along the way, made for a great low level walk in very hot conditions. A quick shower then a nice curry and beer to finish the day off very nicely while watching the sun go down and the sound of the cuckoo getting louder!

View to Moel Siabod

On the path back with Snowdon as the backdrop

Couple of locals taking it easy

Basecamp with Moel Siabod as the backdrop

Sun going down behind Snowdon

A couple of folk taking in the sunset from Snowdon summit

Basecamp view at dusk

I'd made my mind up to meet up with some fellow members and friends of the WFP group, to have a linear walk along the Glyderau mountains from Pen y Pass back to Capel Curig, taking in the summits of Glyder Fawr, Glyder Fach, Y Foel Goch, & Cefyn y Capel. Although I have walked the Glyderau before, this will be the first time from Pen y Pass and also the first time back along the route to Capel so was looking forward to the days adventure :-) The forecast was for a few showers early morning but brightening up later with a chance of rain late afternoon early evening but nothing about the cuckoo being quiet for a change!! I know that cuckoo clocks sound out on the hour every hour but surely not in real life!! Well somebody should tell the ones round the welsh valleys to shut up for a few hours to give us all some peace at night, even though they are a pleasant sound to hear during the day but night time!!! Give it a rest. The weather forecast was right though as it did rain in the morning but only for about an hour around 6am before the blue sky and sun returned as I made my way to the car park behind Joe Browns to meet up with the gang. After the usual hellos and a catch up chat we caught the Snowdon Sherpa bus that took us the couple of miles down to Pen y Pass where it was busier than Wembley Stadium on cup final day, which as it happens was today. All manner of folk dressed for a nice summer stroll enjoying the fine welsh weather, while us lot on the other hand crossed the road with our packs packed with wet weather gear, and headed up on to the much quieter Glyderau.

Our linear route for the day

Looking back over a busy Pyg Track snaking up towards the bottom of Crib Goch with Snowdon just poking it's head out

Looking up to a very clear Glyderau

We made good progress in the very warm conditions and soon made it to LLYN CWMFFYNNON where we had one of a few stops along the way taking in the fine views. It really was a pleasure to be out on a day like this.

Making our way up the grass bank below Glyder Fawr

Llyn Cwmffynnon with Moel Siabod as the backdrop

Rest stop looking down on Llyn Cwmffynnon

It was at this point where we noticed that Snowdon was disappearing under the mist rolling in and that is was heading our way. Maybe the wind, that had now picked up a notch or two, would blow it over as it was also beginning to make Glyder Fawr disappear quite fast! Oh well, on-wards and up-wards picking our way through the jumble of rocks, boulders and soft ground as the mist became more intense and the warmth was slowly disappearing in the wind!

On our way up with a distant Pen y Pass disappearing fast in the mist

Making our way through some short scramble sections

Anybody there!! :-)

We made our way up through all the rocks and boulders that make up the summit plateau of the area, said to represent a moonscape area, and it is impressive when you can actually see it!! We eventually found the summit rocks and some shelter out of the now strong wind but thankfully no rain although with the mist rolling around, it was a bit damp. From here we made our way to Glyder Fach, passing under the Castle Of The Winds, and onto the Cantilever Stone, where you have to go on it because it's there :-)

Onto the rocky plateau of Glyder Fawr

Glyder Fawr summit

Glyder Fawr summit

Coming off Glyder Fawr

Glyder Fach summit

On the Cantilever Stone

Admiring the fine view of the Cantilever Stone :-)

As we made our way off Glyder Fach the weather really did take a turn for the worst as the rain came down and the wind picked up to be around 25-30mph in places making taking photo's just about impossible. On the more serious note, route finding became more of an issue but with half a dozen GPS units, compass and maps we were able to find our way, slowly but surely. Not only was it wet and windy but also the next leg of the route around Llyn Caseg Fraith and on to Y Foel Goch is very boggy and can't really be avoided, so it proved to be a wet walk from here onwards. Despite this, it was enjoyable and certainly a testing time in the conditions that you wouldn't want to find yourself in on your own and not be able to find your way. I was recently on a navigation course and it's for conditions like these that these courses come into there own, although it's still a very testing and potentially a dangerous position. It's with thanks to all the group that it stayed relaxed and a happy atmosphere.

Waterproofs at the ready as we prepare to head into the wet weather

A wet and windy ascent off Glyder Fach

We arrived back at the car park around 6.30pm so a good nine hours in this amazing place with about five hours in the rain and wind. Despite all being like drowned rats, we reflected on the day and I said my goodbyes as I had to go and pack up my wet tent from the camp site.
Another fantastic day despite the challenging conditions and a great big thanks to the group and especially Shirley who organized and led the walk and made sure we all stayed together and got down in one piece. I'll certainly look to do this route again and hopefully in more dryer and clear conditions. We did wonder how all the folk going up and down Snowdon must have got on in the weather. Certainly a learning curve for some who were dressed for a day on the beach. I certainly hope that everyone on the mountains had a great day and all got down from their place of choice without any mishaps.
Only one thing left to do was get home and sit in the garden with a fire and beer, :-)
Cheers