Sunday 24th August 2008
This was a day of changeable weather that started with rain first thing but ultimately turned out well and provided me with a great day's walk over some quite scintillating scenery. I parked near the Gwern Gof Uchaf camp site and walking through the site I made my way to the byway that runs along the bottom of the valley. This often wet and muddy track took right into Capel Curig and I actually quite enjoyed it. It was along the level so really was easy to walk and reminded me of some long distance paths; I don’t know if I’m getting older and a little unfit but I never used to like that sort of walk! With a view before me down the valley, past Capel Curig, I began my climb up the hillside through heather and outcrops onto the wide boggy ridge that led me all the way onto the Glyderau. I've never been on this path before and despite the extreme wetness I enjoyed the walk through lovely purple heather.
Eventually I left the worst of the bogs behind me and started to climb Gallt yr Ogof, branching away from the path to bag the top. From the summit I surveyed the scenery ahead of me, which included the Glyderau with Y Garn beyond, but the weather at this time was not agreeable as it was grey and overcast with occasional showers. During the climb I had glimpsed rain in the distance so I put on full waterproofs to prepare myself for the worst, but in fact it never happened and fortunately later in the day the weather improved. A little further along the ridge I reached Y Foel Goch where I had my lunch behind a small stone shelter while looking eastwards across the wide ridge I had just walked across and the dark clouds overhead. After lunch and with the weather still looking ominous I began to climb up to Glyder Fach. This is a great mountain that always attracts many people and this day was no exception. Moving past the crowds at the cantilever I walked up to the summit rocks and climbed onto the rock that is usually considered the summit. I have been up there quite a few times but it’s always necessary to make that attempt because just as on the nearby Tryfan it is the difficulty that makes the attempt worthwhile.
With that task completed I attempted the more difficult job of actually getting back down again, which I eventually accomplished, though not without difficulty. After crossing over to Castell y Gwynt I passed to the left of this magnificent assortment of rocks that also has its share of admirers and descended the gloriously rocky terrain below to make my way over to Glyder Fawr, a mountain that I have absolutely no love for. Glyder Fawr does have some good parts but none of them are near the summit which is bleak and inhospitable. Despite being bigger than Glyder Fach there were markedly less people at its summit (and they were only at the summit, unlike on Glyder Fach, which had people spread all over the top), and I also didn't linger long before beginning the tedious descent to Llyn y Cŵn. Once I had finally traversed the bleak, never ending scree slopes I started to climb up to the top of Y Garn, taking the right hand path to the cliff edge rather than the more direct route. The view from this path at the edge of the cliff was simply exhilarating especially when looking back towards the Glyderau. The weather by now had improved markedly with bright sunshine replacing the grey scenes of earlier in the day and enabled me to be able to take some quite good pictures of the Glyderau.
Once over the summit I began my descent back into the valley down Y Garn’s magnificent north-easterly ridge, but I was distressed to discover that the path had been ruined! As I was going down I was just thinking that this was a wonderful route, possibly even better than the Devil’s Kitchen because it didn’t have a heavily manufactured path. And then just around the corner I saw lots of large black bags full of stones that had been helicoptered in, while a little lower down the path had already been manufactured which spoilt my fun challenge of trying to get down the steep, rocky hillside. Steps in the side of a mountain just ruin all sense of fun in the walk, making it too easy and is also harder on your knees. I guess the trick to avoiding abominations such as this is not to walk anywhere that is popular, but that can’t be helped when the scenery is as good as this. Overall, this was a great walk over territory that I love so much I keep returning year after year. There is nowhere else in the country to compare with the scenery in Cwm Idwal; it is a truly awesome place, but just a little too popular. I guess I should try and find an unorthodox route like I did a couple of months ago for Scafell Pike. A short walk along the road brought me back to my car.
Once over the summit I began my descent back into the valley down Y Garn’s magnificent north-easterly ridge, but I was distressed to discover that the path had been ruined! As I was going down I was just thinking that this was a wonderful route, possibly even better than the Devil’s Kitchen because it didn’t have a heavily manufactured path. And then just around the corner I saw lots of large black bags full of stones that had been helicoptered in, while a little lower down the path had already been manufactured which spoilt my fun challenge of trying to get down the steep, rocky hillside. Steps in the side of a mountain just ruin all sense of fun in the walk, making it too easy and is also harder on your knees. I guess the trick to avoiding abominations such as this is not to walk anywhere that is popular, but that can’t be helped when the scenery is as good as this. Overall, this was a great walk over territory that I love so much I keep returning year after year. There is nowhere else in the country to compare with the scenery in Cwm Idwal; it is a truly awesome place, but just a little too popular. I guess I should try and find an unorthodox route like I did a couple of months ago for Scafell Pike. A short walk along the road brought me back to my car.
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