I thought I'd pay the HIGH CARNEDDAU in Snowdonia another visit as I do like this area and its been around two and a half years since I last did this walk, February 2018 to be precise. (Click Here) Despite its location to the OGWEN VALLEY and all the mountains in the area, it can still be relativley quiet even when other areas are busy and this was definatly the case today, even though all available car park spaces were taken up, I managed to grab one of the last places very near to the start of the walk at the Glan Dena Mountain Hut. The day started off quite overcast with a chill in the air but started to warm up as I made my way up the slopes of PEN Y OLE WEN @ 978 m (3,209 ft) with the sun doing it's best to burn off the cloud that was hanging around the at all levels. Not thick cloud but enough to make it a hazy start that left you wondering wether it would all clear or just be like a stubbourn old fool and stay putt! Following the path that follows the out flow stream of FFYNNON LLOER, criss crossing it several times as I made my way up to a short scramble close to Ffynnon Lloer. I did take a couple of five minute rests as it was warming up and also there was a couple of the CARNEDDAU PONIES having a look round this part of the range which is always a good sight. I reached the summit of Pen y Ole Wen to a change in the weather as the wind on the exposed high ground had really picked up and was to become a fixture for the rest of this high level walk.
As it was quite windy on the summit and there's no shelter, I didn't hang around so made my way along the wide ridge towards the next summit of CARNEDD FACH, @ 959m (3146 ft), which is a Bronze Age Burial Cairn and where I had chance to get out of the wind for a bit, sheltering behind the large cairn, before heading up to CARNEDD DAFYDD @ 1,044 m (3,425 ft) and taking in the views that kept on coming and going in the strong wind that kept on teasing me with the idea of a good cloud inversion that never materialized, unfortunately. One minute blue sky with the cloud rolling off the high ground, the next minute the mist rolled in on the wind. All good fun that added to the atmosphere of this high ridge walk.
Misty view down to Ffynnon Lloer
Carnedd Fach Summit Burial Cairn
Blue sky over Carnedd Dafydd
Clouds rolling in
Part inversion rolling in
Leaving Carnedd Dafydd proved to be quite entertaining in more ways than one as the wind really whipped up heading along the ridgeline of Cefn Ysgolion Duon (The Black Ladders) which is a popular climbing area for the more serious climbers out there. Clouds falling off YR ELEN @962 m (3,156 ft) & CARNEDD LLEWELYN @ 1,064 m (3,491 ft), was a great sight that the photo's don't capture. The blue sky being replaced by the misty hazy low cloud being blown in on the wind. Oh yes, that wind! Bwlch Cyfryw-Drum was where the wind really picked up to a speed that nearly sent you flying. I had to get down on my knees a couple of times while some gusts were just a bit strong on the more exposed part of the ridge before you get on the approach to the scree of Carnedd Llewelyn where I eventually found shelter behind the wall that runs up to the summit. The summit was also the place where I encountered the most other walkers in one place of the day, around a dozen or so, all sheltering from the wind. There was a few taking in this great ridge walk but as it's a good long stretch, I was always on my own or there abouts, and it was good to be out enjoying the solitude of this high ground.
Clouds rolling off the high tops and disappearing
Clouds hanging over the Black Ladders
Looking back and it's all clear
All clear in the valley
Looking back over the Black Ladders towards Carnedd Dafydd
Looking back along the windy ridge
Carnedd Llewelyn summit view across to Carnedd Dafydd
As I left the high ground by way of descending down towards Bwlch Ergl Farchog, the wind and cloud was slowly disappearing and being replaced by blue sky, sun and warmth, a very welcome change. Passing over the rock face of Craig yr Ysfa, another quite popular climbing area in Cwm Egiau, I watched some climbers doing there stuff on the steep crags below and couldn't help wondering if they had been hindered by the wind. Hair raising stuff. Getting to Bwlch Ergl Farchog, I had another rest looking down on FFYNNON LLUGWY , before heading up a nice little scramble that takes you onto PEN YR HELGI DU @ 833 m (2,733 ft), my final summit of the day and one that has great views, especially on a fine clear day, down CWM EGIAU and also over to the big guns of the Ogwen Valley as well as the whole of my high ridge walk of the day. There was also a few more of the Carneddau Ponies enjoying this quiet area as most people made there way off by going down to Ffynnon Llugwy and onto the service road down to the main A5.
Hazy view down to Ffynnon Llugwy and Pen Yr Helgi Du
Looking down into Cwm Eigau and the climbers on Craig yr Ysfa
Climbers on Craig yr Ysfa
Climbers on Craig yr Ysfa
View of Cwm Eigiau
Pen Yr Helgi Du & Ffynnon Llugwy
Scramble up to Pen Yr Helgi Du
Hazy summit view over to Tryfan and the Glyderau
Carneddau Ponies
I spent about 30 minutes up here just taking in the hazy scenary and the quietness before heading off the summit plateau by way of a fenceline onto the service road. Pen Yr Helgi Du is one of those places that I can just sit and watch the day go by without feeling the need to go anywhere else and everytime I've been up here, I've just done that for at least 30/40 minutes, just chillin and with the weather being a lot more settled than before, it was also a good relaxing walk back down to the car to end another great day around the High Carneddau.
Summit views back to the High Carneddau
Hazy view down the Ogwen Valley
Looking back to Carnedd Llewelyn on the left & Pen y Helgi Du on the right
Hazy view of Tryfan on the left, Y Garn centre & Pen Yr Ole Wen on the right
Looking back at a now clear High Carneddau from Pen yr Ole Wen to Carnedd Llewelyn
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