Pictures from last weekend spent in Snowdonia (click images below to see more).
Accommodation was provided by the Pen-y-pass youth hostel. The Tyn-y-Coed is also most definitely the new Bryn Tyrch.
Saturday: Snowdon Horseshoe
Sunday: Carneddau
Thanks to everyone for a great weekend, and best wishes to Andrew, Alison and Gemma who all celebrated significant birthdays.
First real holiday of the year. I recently spent a week in the Lake District, Keswick to be exact. A huge thanks to Kate for organising the accommodation and to the wonderful chefs that provided delicious meals each evening!
My knowledge of the Lakes before this week had been somewhat lacking. I did a number of walks there some 10 years ago whilst in Uni, but apart from trips to Langdale during the last few years I really hadn’t a clue on geography, notable peaks or valleys. I’m pleased to say that I’ve been vastly educated somewhat over the week long stay.
Diary for the week…
Monday: Blencathra from Halls Fell, then on to Bowscale Fell (Fiona)
Tuesday: Red Pike, High Stile, High Crag, Haystacks from Buttermere (Fiona). Thanks to Rebecca for the lift back!
Wednesday: Run (Ade) from Keswick – Walla Crag (7 miles). Walking in Wythop Woods (Andrew), 6 miles.
Thursday: Sam’s big run (see next post).
Friday: Linear walk… Rowling End, Causey Pike, Sail, Crag Hill, Grasmoor, Wandope, Whiteless Pike (Fiona).
Saturday: Helvellyn via Striding Edge, from Glenridding, return via Swirral Edge, Catstye Cam, Brown Cove.
Sadly I began the week with two flat camera batteries, hence no pics. But Ade has kindly sent me these – click the image below for more.
Pictures from last weekend, spent around Langdale in the Lake District. I have resolved myself to learn more about the Lakes!
Click on the photo above to see more…
I spent the bank holiday weekend camping in Snowdonia with my good friend Andrew. We arrived on Saturday evening and checked into a campsite near the Bryn Tyrch hotel in Capel Curig. I recently acquired a new one-man hyper light tent – MSR Carbon Reflex 1, so this was an excellent opportunity to put it through its paces. After several thirst quenching beverages in the Bryn Tyrch we retired to our tents, and received rain and strong winds during the night. My tent held up very well with no issues. On Sunday we were joined by some companions and did an excellent walk to the summit of Arenig Fawr – my first venture into the Arenig mountains. The weather was very annoying and interchangeable, hot/cold, windy/sunny/wet.. We celebrated the walk with a tasty curry in Bangor. During Sunday night I realised I’d been rather optimistic taking a 1-season sleeping bag and got very cold. Monday was essentially a wash out, the rain was perpetual until we returned to Chester. A day mostly spent in Penrhyn Castle near Bangor was the solution. Nice weekend.
A truly awesome day’s walking on the Glyderau. This comprised of Tryfan (South Ridge) with some additional scrambling thrown in, Bristly Ridge taking a tougher initial climb than Sinister Gulley, fun on the Cantilever stone, Glyder Fach with scramble to the top, Castle of the Winds with scramble, summit of Glyder Fawr, and descent via the Devil’s Kitchen. Weather was superb. Great day.
Pictures from a walk along the Nantle Ridge with Matt. A very nice outing indeed. Many thanks to the old couple and their labrador for giving us a lift all the way back to the Cwellyn Arms in Rhyd Ddu.
Click on the image above for more…
I spent last weekend down in Devon and visited Lydford Gorge on the edge of Dartmoor. This is the deepest Gorge in the South West, with an impressive 30m waterfall set amongst lovely forest walks. There’s also some cool platforms that allow you to climb down into the “Devils Cauldron”, a deep well that has been carved out of the rock by fast flowing rapids over thousands of years.
Click the image above to view more photos…
This sunday Andrew and I scrambled over the Bristly Ridge of the Glyderau. Was great fun and quite challenging in parts. We also threw in the scramble up to the Castle of the Winds and then a scramble down the Y Gribyn ridge. This scrambling stuff is quite addictive… Could this be a new drug? 
Click the image above to see more pics…
Did a very good walk today up Snowdon, ascending via the Rhyd Ddu path then descending by the Ranger path. It was nice to see the mountains from a different angle, and there were gorgeous views across to Y Garn (Nantle) and Moel Hebog. Unusually the weather was bright and sunny for most of the day, however having reached the summit of Snowdon the cloud descended upon us to ruin the view, for what was the only time we saw cloud! The descent down the Ranger path is quite swift going, and near the bottom its possible to take a track that leads roughly south west through a disused slate quarry back to Rhyd Ddu, making a very good circular route. Think this was approx 9-10 miles.
Click the picture above for more images.
Decided to go walking somewhere different on sunday and chose the Long Mynd in Shropshire, near Church Stretton. It’s a glacially formed series of hills and valleys that are primarily sandstone, and older than life itself. On the other side of Church Stretton are the Wrekin hills, similar in size and appearance but formed by volcanic activity and much younger. I did a 7.5 mile circular walk which encapsulated the summit of Pole Bank, crossing Cross Dyke, and descending back to Little Stretton. The weather was bizarre, ranging from lovely sunshine, to hail, rain, and eventually snow! Winds were very high all day, but lovely walking (and possibly running) territory.
