John Muir Way: Longcroft to Linlithgow

Tuesday 26th August 2025

After spending the night in Stirling I caught a bus back to Longcroft, between Cumbernauld and Falkirk, where I made my way back onto the Forth & Clyde Canal to start day four of my walk along the John Muir Way. There had been a lot of canal walking on the trail the day before so I was glad, after little more than a mile, to come off the canal at Bonnybridge, dropping down to a tunnel that passes underneath before climbing gently up a hill, at first past residential homes, then industrial units and finally after crossing a railway line reaching the countryside and part of the Antonine Wall. This lesser known Roman wall briefly superseded the better known and much longer Hadrian’s Wall before being abandoned when the Romans retreated back to England. There is not much trace of this wall now, which was never as well developed as Hadrian’s Wall and consisted of a deep ditch on the northern side of a high turf wall with a timber fortification on stone foundations. The ditch is the clearest remaining sign of the wall now and I had a tremendous time exploring the area, walking down to the bottom of the ditch and gazing east and west along the impressive line of the wall. Eventually I made my way up to Rough Castle, where indentations in the ground are the foundations of a Roman fort, but you need a lot of imagination to see the area as such. I wasn’t in a hurry so I just wandered around, taking in the scenery and enjoying the sunshine until eventually I continued along the John Muir Way, which headed into lovely woodland.

The best bits of the John Muir Way were when I was on a good footpath passing through woodland and this delightful section brought me to one of the most astonishing sights in modern day Scotland: the Falkirk Wheel. This enormous piece of engineering transports boats from the Union Canal down to the Forth & Clyde Canal and lifts them back up again. I have seen pictures of it many times but it was awe-inspiring to see it in person and when it appeared before me I just stood and gazed at it for ages, unable to take in what I was seeing. Soon after I arrived, a boat passed along the upper aqueduct into the wheel and, thinking that I had to stay and watch the whole, spectacular mechanism turn, I made my way down to the basin at the bottom where I waited for wheel to turn. While I waited clouds filled the sky so that the sunshine that I had been enjoying during the morning finally disappeared, and eventually the wheel began to turn, slowly and possibly silently, certainly quieter than a nearby noisy lawnmower. Once the boat was down I climbed back up to rejoin the John Muir Way, which climbs up to the Union Canal, but doesn’t follow it into a tunnel and instead heads through gorgeous woodland on a wide straight path that was a pleasure to walk upon. All too soon I came onto a road that took me over a railway line and the canal to more lovely woodland.

I was enjoying the variety on this day’s walk, which was a marked difference to the previous day which had been very flat, but now the path took me up a hill and past Tamfourhill Wood to reach the monument to the Battle of Falkirk from the Jacobite Rebellion. It then started to rain, which I hoped would be a short shower, but it eventually became very heavy. The trail took me through the parkland of South Bantaskine Estate and back down to the Union Canal, soon branching off to reach Falkirk High railway station, on the edge of Falkirk. Soon after I reached the station it started to rain heavily and this continued while I made my way along several roads to reach Callendar Park. In the poor weather conditions I needed clear signposts indicating the route of the John Muir Way, but I did not have that in the park as if the signs refused to acknowledge the John Muir Way. While passing Callendar House the rain eased slightly, but after passing a lake it began to rain heavily again as I climbed into Callendar Wood, so I just kept my head down and hoped that I was on the right route. When I exited the wood, and the park, I crossed a road to enter a delightful wood and follow the Westquarter Burn, which was a spectacular stream, along a fabulous footpath, despite not being sure that I was on the John Muir Way. The stream went through a tunnel under the railway line with the footpath on an excitingly narrow terrace beside it, but soon I emerged beside the Union Canal where the John Muir Way was clearly signposted.

Normal service now resumed as I walked along the towpath for many miles while the weather eventually cleared and the sun came out. It was much more enjoyable walking beside the Union Canal than beside the Forth & Clyde because it was narrower and lined by thick vegetation and tall trees. While brief showers came and went I followed the canal, during a generally sunny afternoon until eventually, after almost five pleasant miles, I crossed the Avon Aqueduct and dropped down to the side of the River Avon for a lovely walk that brought me into the town of Linlithgow where this stage of the John Muir Way ends. Unfortunately the railway station was on the other side of the town so I had to walk all the way through to reach it and catch a train back to Stirling. This was a very enjoyable walk compared with my previous days on the John Muir Way as it had the added interest of plenty of woodland walking, as well as the Roman wall and the Falkirk Wheel, which I loved see being able to see for myself.

John Muir Way: Strathblane to Longcroft

Monday 25th August 2025

Over the summer I had felt very tired, drained of energy, possibly from the heat or simply stress, which is not unusual for me, so I needed a holiday that would not be too strenuous where I could disengage my brain and allow the lack of pressure on the trail to restore my mind and body. The trail I picked was the John Muir Way which celebrates the Scottish-born naturalist who pioneered the environmental movement and traces the journey from his birthplace in Dunbar to the port on the mouth of the Clyde where he set sail for the New World. I had set off from Helensburgh two days previously, climbing over the hills into Balloch at the southern end of Loch Lomond, and then the following day I climbed over the northern slopes of the Kilpatrick Hills on a long stage of the trail that eventually brought me into Strathblane. There are no mountains on the John Muir Way and the hills that I had crossed on the first two days were less than a thousand feet high but were still the highest points on the whole trail. The third stage of the John Muir Way couldn’t have been gentler as I soon joined the Strathkelvin Railway Path, which follows the route of the disused Blane Valley Railway line and is now a cyclepath. The steep hillside of the Campsie Fells escarpment lines the northern side of the valley but was no comfort for me as I walked through the flat-bottomed valley past a mixture of farmland and woodland.

This was too easy a walk for me and I would have perhaps found it better to have been following a trail with a little more undulation, but instead I was stuck on the level, which was very dull while passing through farmland, but later I came into woodland and alongside the Glazert Water, whose environs were more natural and pleasing to my eye, and made the walking much more pleasing. There is something very soothing for me to be walking through woodland and, despite passing the built-up areas of Lennoxtown and Milton of Campsie, the railway path continued to be lined by trees with the river never far away, but the miles began to drag as the cloud began to clear and the sun shone for the first time on this holiday. By the time I reached the end of the railway footpath, after almost eight miles, I was in a daze from the heat, barely able to walk in a straight line, with no strength left. Finally, I reached the town of Kirkintilloch and after climbing past some industrial units I arrived at the Forth & Clyde Canal where I collapsed onto the first empty seat to rest and have something to eat. It was still hot but after eating I felt much more refreshed and able to resume the trail which follows the towpath beside the wide ship canal for more than three miles with stunning views of the trees that run alongside.

My walk beside the canal came to an end near the village of Twechar where I turned right over a bridge and up the hill, soon turning left to continue climbing along a track. After four hours of flat walking I was overjoyed to finally be climbing a hill, which was also providing me with a cooling breeze and brought me to Bar Hill Roman Fort on the Antonine Wall. This briefly superseded the much more famous Hadrian’s Wall before being abandoned when the Romans retreated to that wall in England. There is not much left of the Antonine Wall and Bar Hill contains some of the best preserved examples. I could see the foundations of the fort on top of the hill while on the northern slopes I found a large ditch with what appeared to be the foundations of the Antonine Wall itself at the bottom, though probably not. I was fascinated by it all. I have previously visited Hadrian’s Wall a couple of times but I had never seen the Antonine Wall so I was glad that the John Muir Way was making me take this diversion. The trail continued to follow the remains of the wall through woodland and past more mundane farmland before reaching a road near the village of Croy where the third stage of the John Muir Way ends, but I wasn’t ready to stop yet, despite there being a convenient railway station at Croy, so I kept going to follow the ridge up to Croy Hill.

This was an enjoyable walk as the path undulated around a series of small hills that interpretation boards claimed were the remains of Roman forts, but to my untrained eye I could not see any sign of this. It was still a great walk through fabulous landscape until it all came tragically to an end when I finally descended back down the hill to the canal. The tedium of walking along the towpath beside the Forth & Clyde Canal resumed, eventually passing under the M80 motorway and I finally left the canal at Underwood Lock to head into Longcroft where I caught a bus to Stirling. It is surprising how tiring it was for me to be walking on the flat, though the hot, sunny weather was perhaps to blame for this. The repetition of every footstep being identical to the one before was exceptionally tedious but with navigation being easy beside the canal or along the railway path I was able to switch off my brain and allow my legs to do the thinking, repeating the same action again and again. My rehabilitation was underway.

John Muir Way: Balloch to Strathblane

Sunday 24th August 2025

After a good night’s sleep at the Glasgow Youth Hostel I caught a train back to Balloch where I resumed my trek along the John Muir Way. I was surprised to see that the ground was wet in Balloch despite it being dry in Glasgow, perhaps from the mist that was still hanging around the southern end of Loch Lomond at that time of the morning, which was leaving a damp feeling to the air. I set off along the trail into Balloch Castle Country Park beside the water, which was already providing me with the feeling that this was a pleasant walk for a Sunday morning, but at a boathouse I turned right to climb up the hill past the fenced off castle and along the access road that took me out of the park. My route continued along quiet country lanes that lacked interest for me, but since I was just walking through gently undulating farmland then walking along a road was better than crossed an endless series of fields as now I could easily maintain a brisk pace and get it other with as quickly as possible. This went on for about six miles with strange-looking dummies outside some of the houses failing to relieve the tedium. After passing Wester Cameron Farm the road came to an end and I finally began to climb, so I stopped to eat some of my lunch, and look at the views north towards the Loch Lomond Hills. Unfortunately, grey overcast skies and the distant hills across low-lying farmland meant this view was not particularly picturesque.

Soon I set off again and turned right into a conifer plantation climbing Tombocle Hill on a forestry track before branching left onto a more interesting path that weaved a course through a felled part of the plantation, which provided me with extensive views over the small regrowth and plenty of flowering heather to decorate the landscape. The good footpath took me over the Carling Burn and after passing over Rough Burn took me out of the plantation and towards the dam for Burncrooks Reservoir. With the weather briefly threatening to rain, I followed the path around the reservoir that sits on the northern flanks of the Kilpatrick Hills, and is as hilly as the John Muir Way ever gets. Conifers were never far away and soon I was back amongst the trees and eventually left the reservoir behind descending on the access road for the dam, past the filter station and eventually reached Eden Mill Farm Shop where I couldn’t help stopping to have a cup of tea and a rest. A short walk from there brought me onto the A809 road and into the Carbeth Hutters Community, a delightful place where many wooden huts provide tranquil solitude for their owners, except for those huts disturbed by those on the John Muir Way that I passed while following the path around the wooded landscape of Carbeth Hill. 

I had a brief glimpse of Carbeth Loch before turning left onto a wide path that is the route of the extremely popular West Highland Way. I didn’t stay on it for long as I soon turned right to continue walking through woodland but then the path widened onto a forestry track which eventually brought me into the village of Strathblane where the second stage of the John Muir Way ends. The weather, which had been poor all day, rallied at the end with the sun attempting to push through the clouds and, though blue sky never made an appearance, I had good views of the Campsie Fells escarpment with Dumgoyne Hill drawing the eye. This made for a welcome improvement to what had been a dull day with long stretches of monotonous walking, but perhaps this was exactly what I had needed. Coming into this holiday I had been feeling very tired so I needed something to help me relax and disengage my brain and, since the John Muir Way is very well signposted, navigation was never a problem for me so I was able to blindly follow the directions and not have to think about anything. Ironically, this is one of the longest and hilliest sections of the whole trail, but compared with the Cambrian Way, which I had completed earlier in the year, it was easy and just what I needed.

John Muir Way: Helensburgh to Balloch

Saturday 23rd August 2025

A few years ago, while studying a map of the long distance trails in Scotland, I came up with an idea to combine several trails into an awesome trek across the central belt of Scotland and down the east coast into Northumberland. The first trail, and taking up more than half the distance, is the John Muir Way, which starts in Helensburgh at the mouth of the Clyde. John Muir was a nineteenth century naturalist who pioneered the environmental movement, especially in the United States. He was born in Dunbar, in Scotland, but while still a child he immigrated to North America where he campaigned for the formation of the first national parks. The John Muir Way follows his final journey from Dunbar to the Firth of Clyde where he set sail for America. However, rather than following in his steps, the trail is usually done in the other direction, retracing John Muir’s journey, starting from Helensburgh. I had a troublesome journey up to Scotland, starting with train strikes on the line to Birmingham, which forced me to travel Friday evening and stay in the Backpacker’s Hostel before the catching the train to Scotland early the following morning, which arrived in Glasgow late, but I eventually reached Helensburgh where I was finally able to begin my trek across Scotland. First, I made my way onto the pier from where the steamers used to set sail across the Atlantic, though not anymore and the pier is now deteriorating. The start of the trail is on the landward side of the pier beside a memorial to John Muir and from there it heads up the hill, through the town and away from the coast.

The trail took me past some grand houses, around Helensburgh Upper Station, and on to reach Hill House, which is regarded as an architectural masterpiece, designed by Charles Rennie Mackintosh, but I couldn’t see it as it was covered in scaffolding and I wasn’t there to look around houses. Instead I headed through a strip of woodland along the edge of Helensburgh that brought me onto the main road to walk along a cycle path beside it, which was enlivened by many wild flowers including crocosmia, rosebay willowherb and knapweed. I knew I was not going to be traversing any mountains on this holiday, so the sight to the north of the hills of the Loch Lomond & the Trossachs National Park filled me with a longing to be heading in that direction, but I needed gentle walks on this holiday so maybe this was for the best. I had hardly done any walking over the summer, since completing the Cambrian Way at the beginning of June, partly due to the heat, but also stress and poor sleep, so my primary goal for this holiday was just to let go of the noise of everyday life and embrace life on the trail. There is nothing better for me than walking and I had loved doing the Cambrian Way so it had been a shock for me to return to normal life afterwards. Now that I was finally back on the trail I could let it do its miraculous work on my psyche. When I eventually came off the cycle path I turned onto a path that is often closed for tree felling, so I was curious to see what I would find. I had expected a thick conifer plantation, but instead deciduous trees lined the path while the conifers were so young I could see over their tops which let me see more of the mountains to the north and of Loch Lomond to the east.

Despite the overcast skies, this was a picturesque walk with the purple flowers of devil’s bit scabious and heather adding to the scene as I crossed Bannachra Muir gradually climbing around Ben Bowie. On the eastern slopes I came across a barrier across the forestry track and a sign that indicated there were felling operations ahead and I would need to take a diversion. This forced me to descend back towards Helensburgh along a great path with stunning views across the Firth of Clyde while heather lined the path. Before returning to Helensburgh the diversion eventually took me left across the hillside on a tedious, wide track to reach a farmer’s road and finally climb back up the hill, past the farm and eventually return to the John Muir Way below Killoeter escarpment. This diversion took me over an hour and was very tiring, so I relieved to be back on the trail, which soon led me onto Stoneymollan Muir with views down to Loch Lomond and the end of this stage of the trail, in Balloch. Unfortunately I forgot to take any pictures at this point so I have nothing to preserve the memory of that delightful descent until I reached a line of trees that marked my coming off the moor and onto a road that led me into Balloch. This fabulous descent started my treatment to refresh my body from the summer’s hardships and by the time I reached the bottom I felt much better.

The John Muir Way took me over the busy A82 road and into the Loch Lomond Shores complex, which I had previously visited at the start of my first walking holiday in Scotland, back in 2004, before doing the West Highland Way. Now, I rushed past the crowds and shops and through the woodland that lines the southern tip of Loch Lomond to eventually reach the railway station in Balloch, which is at the end of the first stage of the John Muir Way. This first day of my holiday was a brief taste of the walking that was ahead of me, made a little longer due to the diversion around Gouk Hill, which I could have done without. The weather was never bad, but sunshine was rare and fleeting while persistent cloud covered the skies and ensured that it was never too hot, so this short walk was a relaxing start to my holiday.

Cambrian Way rerun: Llyn Ogwen to Conwy

Friday 6th June 2025

Three weeks after I set off along the Cambrian Way, last spring, I began the twenty-first stage of this challenging long distance trail. It was a relief after the rain of the day before to find sunshine as I left Idwal Cottage Youth Hostel early in the morning for the longest stretch of high-level walking on the whole route that takes in six mountains more than three thousand feet high. First I crossed the road above Rhaeadr Ogwen falls to join the rough path that crosses the foot of the steep slopes of Pen yr Ole Wen along the shore of Llyn Ogwen. A path climbs from the bridge straight up the mountain, but it is not recommended as it is very steep and eroded so the Cambrian Way deliberately avoids it by following the route that I have always taken on previous visits here. The path beside the lake is very rocky with some scrambling required around boulders and after the heavy rain of the day before the ground was very wet which made my way even trickier than normal, but it gradually improved and eventually I reached the Afon Lloer beside Tal y Llyn Ogwen where I turned left to climb the hillside beside the stream. The weather often seems to be poor when I take this route into the Carneddau Mountains so I felt lucky to have good weather for my final day on the Cambrian Way as if I was being rewarded for my efforts not only for the day before but for the past three weeks on the whole trail. Before finally moving away from the stream I made a point of refilling my water bottle because I knew there would not be any more chance to do so for a long while.

A clear path led me to an enjoyable scramble up some rocks, but any hope I may have had that my way would now be easy were dashed as I saw at the top of the scramble that the eastern ridge of Pen yr Ole Wen continues to rise steeply all the way up to the summit of my first three thousand footer of the day. A cold wind was blowing at the top of Pen yr Ole Wen which prompted me to put on my cagoule before setting off along the stony ridge that led me over Carnedd Fach while I enjoyed extensive views north and towards the highest mountains in the Carneddau. Soon I reached the summit of Carnedd Dafydd, my second high mountain of the day, and immediately I set off along the fabulous ridge that snakes around the head of Cwm Pen-llafar above the crags of Ysgolion Duon. There was often no wind blowing while I was on this path which always feels magical at the top of a mountain and added to my enjoyment as I made my way along the long, variable ridge over grass, loose stones and large boulders that kept me entertained until eventually leading me to the lowest point on the ridge before the final steep climb to the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn, the second highest mountain in Wales. Some dark clouds were gathering over the summit and on the far side it was misty so views were now intermittent and as a few drops of rain were falling I continued along the ridge through the mist to pass over Foel Grach and reach mountain number five, now known as Carnedd Gwenllian, but it was called Carnedd Uchaf when I first visited the mountain. My route now turned east, to my right, and as the weather began to improve, or as I left the bad weather behind, I climbed up to Foel-fras, my final three thousand footer of the day, however, I still had a lot of walking to do. I would have loved it if my way was downhill from here all the way into Conwy, but tragically that was not the case. 

With awesome views towards the Conwy valley and out to sea I descended over the small rises of Drum and Carnedd y Ddelw before turning right to descend more steeply down to the pass of Bwlch y Ddeufaen. I was dismayed while I realised that at the pass I would have to climb the steep heather-covered slopes beyond, so I resignedly set off up the hill which went on for much longer than I hoped until eventually I reached the summit of Foel Lwyd where I followed a wall across a col and over the craggy hill of Tal y Fan. The broad grassy slopes beyond revealed a tremendous view that for the first time included Conwy Castle, so, after three weeks my ultimate goal was finally in view, and after reaching a standing stone I followed a wide track on a gentle descent that I hoped would lead me all the way there. Unfortunately Cambrian Way was not going to end that easily for me as it left the wide track to cross a low ridge and descend into a valley. When I eventually thought of checking my location I realised that I had missed a turning and should not have been descending into a valley. Rather than turning around and climbing back up the hill, which with hindsight I should have done, I tried to take a shortcut, but the only route I found was ridiculously steep climbing straight back up the hill. When I eventually reached the correct path I was completely exhausted and staggered along the path around the side of the hill to Sychnant Pass. The finale to the Cambrian Way follows a meandering route over Mynydd y Dref, known as Conwy Mountain, where I had stunning views towards Llandudno and along the ridge towards Conwy Castle, which looked fantastic as it heralded the end of my three week trek along the Cambrian Way.

This felt like a grandstand finish to the trail, but I felt it had put the start to shame which was pathetic in comparison. In an attempt to contrast with the end at Conwy Castle, the Cambrian Way begins at Cardiff Castle, but it lacks the same gravitas. Rather than a castle to castle trail, it should be coast to coast and while walking along the ridge of Conwy Mountain I felt like I had reached the north coast of Wales, but Cardiff Castle is a long way from the coast. I tried to correct that by starting from Cardiff Bay, which is perhaps a better starting place. All too soon I came off the hill and into the streets of Conwy, through the town walls and to the foot of Conwy Castle where I found the plaque that commemorates the end of the Cambrian Way. After three weeks, and nine months since my first attempt at doing the Cambrian Way, I had completed the trail, but this final stage, especially my exhausting climb back out of the valley near the end, left me so tired I couldn’t think clearly to reflect on my achievement. This is an epic trail that I thoroughly enjoyed doing, so much so that I didn’t want to go back to work afterwards. Ordinary life paled in comparison to the highs of life on the trail, especially after three weeks. Few other trails are able to match the variety, including the grand traverses over many different mountains that are included on the Cambrian Way. As I caught a train home the following day all I could think about was how to tackle the Cambrian Way a third time.

Cambrian Way rerun: Dinorwig to Llyn Ogwen

Thursday 5th June 2025

The weather forecast for this walk was for rain, on and off, which should have convinced me to not do a mountain top route over the Glyderau, but the winds were not too high and after almost three weeks on the Cambrian Way I wanted to keep to the correct route. When I first attempted to do the Cambrian Way last year bad weather intervened which prevented me from following the route throughout most of Eryri (previously known as Snowdonia). This year, so far, I was more successful, but I still encountered bad weather in southern Snowdonia which had prevented me from going over Cadair Idris so, if possible, I wanted to keep to the route for the rest of the Cambrian Way. The penultimate stage of the Cambrian Way starts from Pen-y-Pass, but a lack of accommodation at the youth hostel meant I had spent the night at the Dinorwig Hostel above Llanberis. Rather than going via Pen-y-Pass I decided I would take the direct, mountain top route over Elidir Fawr and Y Garn, which initially meant heading north before turning back towards the mountains on an access road for the Marchlyn reservoirs. At Marchlyn Bach Reservoir I turned right to climb along a clear path heading south towards Elidir Fach with views behind me out to sea while temporarily enjoying an easing of the rain.

There were many places on this walk when I could or should have turned off the treacherous mountain top route and the first of these was at the start of the access road where I could have followed the Snowdonia Slate Trail to Bethesda, which is what I did last year. Instead I slowly headed up to Elidir Fach, soon disappearing into the clouds, and at the top I turned left to follow a fence steeply up the hillside as the rain inevitably came back. Despite the promise of low winds, this was a blustery location which gave me a lot of problems as I tried to put my waterproofs on. With hindsight, I should have put my overtrousers on before leaving the hostel and as a result my trousers stayed wet for the rest of the day. I got very annoyed and frustrated with my difficulty in putting my waterproofs on in the windy weather but eventually I was ready and set off up the stony hillside. The wet conditions meant the rocks were very slippery so I had to take extra care as I climbed up to the summit ridge and along the top in the murky weather. I love Elidir Fawr as it feels like a proper mountain, like a Munro in Scotland, but I often have bad weather when climbing it, so I want to return some time in good weather so I can really appreciate its merits and this route up appears to be the best. Eventually I reached the stone shelter that marks the summit and since it was already almost noon I stopped there to have my lunch.

When I set off again I slowly made my way along the bouldery ridge until I eventually came off the rocks and onto a path which negotiates an excitingly narrow ridge with glimpses through the clouds to my left down to Marchlyn Mawr Reservoir. As I crossed the head of Cwm Dudodyn I was rather frustrated to see the sun shining in the valley, around Llanberis, while I brooded under dark clouds with rain never far away. At the lowest part of the col I saw the stile I had crossed last year after passing over the windswept hills of Carnedd y Filiast and Mynydd Perfedd. I had escaped the winds on that occasion down the grassy slopes into Nant Ffrancon and I could have taken the same escape route this year, but instead I kept going along the ridge, though I bypassed the minor top of Foel-goch, before climbing the zigzags all the way up to the top of Y Garn while the weather slowly improved around me. At the summit I was astonished to encounter some people, my first of the walk, with many more wearily climbing the broad grassy slopes on the other side. At Llyn y Cŵm, at the bottom, I could have turned left into Tŵll Du, the Devil’s Kitchen, but this was another escape route on this walk that I ignored as I set off up the horrible scree slope of Glyder Fawr. This is one of the worst paths in Britain, either in ascent or descent, and so I soon wished that I hadn’t decided to take this route. Initially it zigzags up a scree slope but eventually deteriorates into a steep, featureless slog on a path that is heavily eroded down to bare earth.

Half way up it started to rain again, which just added to my misery, as I slowly headed up to the summit of Glyder Fawr. The Cambrian Way takes a different route up Glyder Fawr, climbing the southern slopes from Pen-y-Pass and now I wished I’d taken that route, which I have previously taken only once before, back in 2006 in descent. With the rain now falling quite heavy, I made my way across the barren summit to Bwlch y Ddwy-Glyder where I was confronted with a wall of rock and no sign that the path ascends that way, but I knew that I had to scramble up the rocks. Trusting in my memory of the route and taking extra care on the wet rocks, I scrambled up and after a brief rest, and a check of my bearings, I continued the scramble until I reached the rocks that mark the summit of Glyder Fach. This was a very difficult place to walk in this treacherous weather and so I couldn’t help thinking of all the opportunities I had ignored to escape this torturous terrain, but I had no choice now except to keep following the route of the Cambrian Way and trust in my experience of walking in mountains to see me safely down. The path eventually led me to a large cairn where a trail of helicopter bags seemed to mark where a path was being constructed, however this didn’t match the path marked on my map so I stayed at the top of the ridge until I reached a much more slender path which finally swung into Cwm Tryfan to descend across the steep hillside, but this was a very difficult path to follow in the wet weather. 

Further down I came upon a clear manufactured path, the bottom of the path I had seen earlier, and probably should have taken, but the good path was short-lived and soon I was struggling again along a narrow, rough path until I eventually reached Bwlch Tryfan. A good, manufactured path led the way beyond, but was still slippery in the wet weather, although the rain had now eased as I slowly made my way down to Llyn Bochlwyd and the path continued beyond beside Nant Bochlwyd on a tricky, steep descent until eventually the gradient eased and I was finally able to accept that I had survived a traverse of the Glyderau in wet weather. It has been said that I am a fair weather walker because I will usually not go walking in bad weather, which is true. I walk purely for pleasure and not to challenge myself so I don’t see the need to walk in bad weather, which is why on the Cambrian Way I didn’t go out of my way to reach every checkpoint if the weather was not right. This is my holiday and I do this for enjoyment, so I don’t care if I miss a few checkpoints so long as I am enjoying the walk. However, on this walk I had challenged myself to keep to the mountain tops despite the bad weather and I survived and my waterproofs kept me dry, except where I had failed to put them on in time, though I was very relieved to safely reach the youth hostel at Idwal Cottage.

Cambrian Way rerun: Nantlle to Dinorwig

Wednesday 4th June 2025

By this point my trek along the Cambrian Way had been going on for two and a half weeks and over the remaining three days I was faced with traverses over the highest mountains in Wales. I could say that after two and a half weeks of strenuous walking across Wales starting from Cardiff I didn’t have the energy left to climb those mountains but I could also say that I was now so fit from all that walking I could climb anything. The reality, of course, was in between with the weather being a key factor. In my second week on the Cambrian Way I had a lot of rain and strong winds that prevented me from keeping to the trail, but fortunately the weather on my third week was better, though not as good as on my first, and so now with the weather on my side I felt revitalised and able to set off towards Yr Wyddfa, better known as Snowdon. When I attempted to do the Cambrian Way last year the weather was so bad I rarely followed the trail during the second half of my trek, including on the day when I should have gone over Snowdon, but on this, the rerun, my second attempt, I was going to reach the highest point on the Cambrian Way, the highest point in Wales. The demands of accommodation meant that I started this walk a long way from the route of the Cambrian Way, so instead of being in, or near, Beddgelert, where this stage begins, I was actually in the village of Nantlle, almost eight miles away. After walking just over half that distance along the road to reach the village of Rhyd-Ddu, instead of turning south towards Beddgelert, I kept heading east to head straight up Snowdon along the Rhyd-Ddu Path.

Initially I was on a wide gravel path that brought me to a junction and a signpost that directed me to turn left along the Rhyd-Ddu Path while keeping to the wider path would have brought me to Bwlch Cwm Llan where I could have rejoined the Cambrian Way at the start of the ascent along the southern ridge of Snowdon that passes over Allt Manderyn. Instead I decided to keep to the Rhyd-Ddu Path, partly because it is more direct, but perhaps more because I had only once before been on the Rhyd-Ddu Path, back in 2009, when there was snow on the ground and so conditions were much worse. Now, my only problem was a large crowd of people standing around on the path that I had to negotiate around before reaching the point where the terrain steepens on a great path with awesome views behind me back towards Nantlle while a cold wind picked up. As I slowly climbed, the path became less distinct amongst the stones until I eventually reached the top of the ridge, Llechog, where I had views across Cwm Clogwyn and up towards the top of Snowdon, but I still had a lot of walking to go. When the path steepened again a fence guided me up the zigzags that meander across the slope before passing to the left of a sharp peak, which the Cambrian Way traverses and on the other side I was finally reunited with the trail for the exciting traverse of the narrow ridge of Bwlch Main. 

My ascent continued as the ridge broadened until I eventually reached the visitor centre with the crowded summit just beyond. I was last on Snowdon in 2019 and before that in 2015, both occasions starting from Llanberis. At one time I was climbing Snowdon twice a year, but by 2012 I was fed up with the crowds so stopped, and so this was the first time since 2012 that I had climbed Snowdon from somewhere other than Llanberis. Although Snowdon is a great mountain, I don’t understand why so many people climb it, other than its superior height, but at least it leaves those discerning few to enjoy all of the other great mountains in Wales. After lunch I rushed down the busy path, mainly to get away from the strong, cold wind, past the tourists who were struggling to climb up, and down, the path, and to avoid the crowds I branched off onto the Snowdon Ranger Path which is a route I have often taken, mainly because it is relatively quiet. However, if my goal was to escape the cold wind then this was not the path to have taken. The Cambrian Way goes in the other direction to descend the Pyg Track which may have been more sheltered. This stage of the trail ends at Pen-y-Pass where there is a youth hostel, which I stayed at last year despite not going over Snowdon, but this time there was no accommodation available there so I once again had to divert off the Cambrian Way.

Gradually I descended along the ridge of Clogwyn Du’r Arddu before traversing steep rocky terrain on zigzags to reach a more sheltered, grassy landscape with views back towards Snowdon and the ridges that I had taken in ascent and descent. After crossing a fence I turned right to follow a good path up to Bwlch Maesgwm and down into the valley. This was the route I had taken off Snowdon in 2015 and I enjoyed the good, clear path that provided me with a relaxing route off the mountain and all the way into Llanberis. After buying some food I followed the route of the Snowdonia Slate Trail, and my own of last year, through the woodland up the slopes above Llyn Padarn until I reached Dinorwig where I stayed in an independent hostel. Despite the crowds, Snowdon is a great mountain so any walk over it is going to be amazing especially if the weather is kind, which it was on this occasion, despite a cold wind.

Cambrian Way rerun: Vale of Ffestiniog to Nantlle

Tuesday 3rd June 2025

While planning my accommodation for the final week of the Cambrian Way I tried to avoid a problem I’d encountered last year when I first attempted to do the Cambrian Way. The accommodation in Beddgelert is very expensive and I didn’t want to camp again, so I eventually booked a B&B that was a little further away, but without checking where it was and in fact it was almost eight miles away, in the village of Nantlle. Coincidentally, I passed through Nantlle last year after bad weather forced me to take a course around Yr Wyddfa, better known as Snowdon, on the Snowdonia Slate Trail. Since Nantlle in nowhere near the Cambrian Way I decided to make an alteration to the route, which would take me through the village. Therefore, the day before I had come off the Cambrian Way while descending the Rhinog Mountains and headed to the town of Porthmadog rather than to the Vale of Ffestiniog on the Cambrian Way. My intention for this day was to climb the long slopes of Moel Hebog before crossing the Nantlle Ridge, but after more than two weeks of walking along the Cambrian Way, and following a poor night’s sleep, I didn’t fancy the strenuous walk. A similar thing happened to me last year at this point when I ignored the mountains of Moelwyn Mawr and Cnicht for an easier route between them and now once again I decided to take a low level route. However, I was not in Porthmadog, despite finishing my walk there the day before as I had actually spent the night in the Vale of Ffestiniog, at the same campsite I had stayed in last year. 

My plan would have required that I catch a bus back to Porthmadog, but instead I thought I would just walk straight to Beddgelert and then decide which route to take. So, I set off from the campsite, past Maentwrog and the Oakeley Arms Hotel, climbing up to Tan-y-Bwlch Station on the Ffestiniog Railway. I now had a pleasant walk on a quiet, narrow road that weaved through the landscape, undulating up and down across the lower, western slopes of the Moelwyn Mountains with views to my left towards Porthmadog, while ahead of me was the distinctive peak of Cnicht. Despite a weather forecast for showers, the sun was out, and even though it was cloudier than the day before, I felt hopeful for a good day. Soon, I reached the village of Croesor and joined the Snowdonia Slate Trail, which is the route that I had followed last year, and after climbing out of the village I was rejoined by the Cambrian Way, fresh off Cnicht, which dominated the view behind me. The path down was very wet following the heavy rain of the past week, including the previous night, which had left a stream of water pouring down the path and adding to the erosion. Eventually I reached a road that led me through woodland and into the village of Nantmor, soon reaching Pont Aberglaslyn and the start of an awesome path through the Pass of Aberglaslyn beside the roaring waters of the Afon Glaslyn.

Despite coming this way last year I was overjoyed that my change of plans would mean that I was walking along this fabulous path again. This was an epic walk along a rock-lined path that was not too easy as it hugged the raging torrent that was the river through gorgeous woodland, but all too soon I was through the Pass of Aberglaslyn and in the village of Beddgelert. After stopping for a cup of tea and something to eat I set off again along the Snowdonia Slate Trail while the Cambrian Way headed into Nantgwynant on its way towards Snowdon. My route took me onto the slopes of Moel Hebog, which I had originally planned to climb this day, but since the morning sunshine had now disappeared under heavy clouds I decided to keep to my route of last year along an excellent cycle path that took me through the conifer plantation of Beddgelert Forest and it wasn’t until I finally emerged from the trees that the long promised rain arrived. Fortunately the rain didn’t last long and had stopped by the time I reached the village of Rhyd-Ddu and, after passing through more conifers, at the top of a ridge I was afforded with views through the gap of Drws-y-coed and into the valley of Diffryn Nantlle. 

I enjoyed the walk at this point through the tremendous scenery dominated by the rock plug of Clogwyn y Garreg as I slowly descended against a strong wind into the valley where a stretch of road walking led me to a campsite, around Llyn Nantlle Uchaf and into the village of Nantlle and my accommodation. This walk was surprisingly enjoyable, despite not being anything like I’d planned and mostly covering paths I’d walked the year before. The distance was about twenty miles so it took me just as long my original route over Moel Hebog would have done, but without climbing any mountains. Nevertheless, this was an awesome walk.

Cambrian Way rerun: Cwm Bychan to Porthmadog

Monday 2nd June 2025

My second attempt to do the Cambrian Way was more successful than my first last year because I managed to walk over the Rhinog Mountains which I had previously gone around on the route of the Ardudwy Way. The day before this walk I had climbed into the hills from Barmouth through low cloud and strong winds to the two hills that name the range, Rhinog Fach and Rhinog Fawr, before descending into Cwm Bychan where I camped. I knew that better weather was forecast so I had battled through the bad weather and as I descended I was rewarded with sunshine as the clouds cleared to reveal the complex, craggy terrain of the Rhinogydd. The campsite was dominated by campervans which did not provide me with a comfortable atmosphere to camp in and in the morning the air was filled with midges so I set off as soon as possible up the side of the hill, through bracken to a clearer path that took a gentler course below the steep crags of Clip while behind me were gorgeous views across Llyn Cwm Bychan. 

After crossing a wall I branched left to climb up to Bwlch Gwylim where I turned left again to reach the top of Clip where I had extensive views in all directions with the most notable being across the estuary to Porthmadog, while the high mountains to the north around Yr Wyddfa / Snowdon and Rhinog Fawr to the south sulked under dark clouds. My route north took me across a complex terrain of crags and small lakes that was a joy to walk over in this clear weather, negotiating a fascinating landscape that left me wishing I could have stayed longer. My instinct was to seek out every single top adorned with a cairn, a pile of stones, but there were too many so I fought the urge to explore and concentrated on sticking to the trail. I returned to Bwlch Gwylim and then crossed the top of Craig Ddrwg before descending to Llyn Corn Stwc and around a craggy hill to another lake, Llyn Du, where a clear path took me around another crag before heading up grassy slopes to the top of Moel Ysgyfarnogod which is decorated with a trig point. 

Beyond that was Foel Penolau, then the broad top of Diffwys before crossing the narrow top of Moel Gyrafolan and finally descending to join the bypassing route that I had taken last year. However, due to problems with my accommodation and to keep my pack as light as possible, I needed to come off the trail and head towards Porthmadog. With hindsight I wish I had stayed on the trail longer and completed the traverse even if that meant having to climb back up out of Cwm Moch. Instead I turned off before Diffwys and descended the broad slopes west of Cwm Moch until I reached the path that I had taken last year which took me to a bridleway that led me down the hill with stunning views towards Porthmadog. A walk through beautiful, lush scenery eventually brought me to a farmer’s access road where my descent continued through the woodland of Coed Caerwych. Even though I was off the trail, I was still enjoying the walk in warm sunshine through a part of Eryri / Snowdonia that is little visited and better for it. 

It was lovely countryside and I had a relaxing walk, however all too soon I was walking on roads or pavements that didn’t help with my sore feet following my trip through the bogs of Rhinog Fawr the previous day. Narrow country lanes meandered through low hills until I finally reached the main road beside the coast, and crossed the Afon Dwyryd, passed through the town of Penrhyndeudraeth and over the Cob, the seawall that led me into the town of Porthmadog. By this time my feet were really aching despite repeatedly tending to them and frequently changing my socks. It was surprisingly early in the afternoon and I felt a little frustrated at not maximising the good weather, but I was so tired I didn’t really care. I took advantage of the supermarket in Porthmadog before catching a bus to my pre-booked accommodation. 

Given how late I arrived in Cwm Bychan the previous evening I couldn’t help thinking that this was the wrong place to stop and it should have been earlier, perhaps before Rhinog Fawr, since if I had stayed on the Cambrian Way I would have also reached the end of the stage very early. Nevertheless, I loved finally being able to traverse the Rhinog Mountains, which had been my biggest disappointment from last year’s failed attempt at the Cambrian Way. Almost as soon as I came home from that holiday I had started to make plans to return to the Rhinogydd, though this ultimately became a complete rerun, but it was my desire to traverse the Rhinog Mountains that was always my primary goal and having done that I was satisfied. The rest of the Cambrian Way could have been a washout for all I cared and I would still consider it a success. But the poor weather I encountered on the first day prompts me to consider making another visit to the Rhinog Mountains and why not?

Cambrian Way rerun: Barmouth to Cwm Bychan

Sunday 1st June 2025

The previous day to this walk I took a day out of the Cambrian Way, which is something I’d never done before on any other trail, but after my experiences last year, when I first attempted to do the Cambrian Way, I planned to take two whole days off the trail, of which this was the second, and I found it to be a great help for me, especially during a three week trail like the Cambrian Way. The following morning the weather did not look too bad, though there was strong wind blowing, which is not pleasant to walk in as there in nothing you can do about it except battle through. I don’t like to walk in very strong winds, but I judged these to be at the peak of what is bearable and I was hopeful for the better weather that was forecast for later in the day. Plus, I desperately wanted to do this section of the Cambrian Way after bad weather last year had forced me to take a diversionary route along the Ardudwy Way instead. So, I set off from the Bunkorama bunkhouse that had been my home for the past two nights back onto the Cambrian Way and along a ridge towards the Rhinog Mountains. At first I was sheltered from the winds, but it wasn’t long before I emerged into their full force while walking along a rocky path with heather decorating the hillside. I would have really enjoyed this walk if it wasn’t for the wind that kept me walking slowly and pausing frequently, including at Bwlch y Llan, where I had passed through last year on the Ardudwy Way, but this year I was determined to keep going on the Cambrian Way, which took me along the ridge slowly climbing over the tops of several unnamed hills while enjoying the shelter of a wall. 

It was great to be walking over these hills while sheltered from the wind and admiring the views under overcast skies which stretched over the mouth of the Afon Mawddach and back up the river. Beyond Bwlch y Rhiwgyr, which I had also passed through last year, I was more exposed to the wind while the terrain was grassier and less interesting, and soon I plunged into low cloud which robbed me of any views for the next four hours. The gradient eased and I had a relatively easy walk, except for the winds, along the undulating ridge, beside a wall, heading into the hills of the Rhinogydd until I eventually reached the top of Diffwys. I had previously visited these hills in 2005 when the weather was not much better so I was glad to be back but disappointed not to have better weather now. I encountered the strongest winds on the walk while crossing the saddle beyond as the ridge narrowed, becoming craggy, which required that I take my time, choosing each step with great care over the rocky terrain. The ridge of Crib-y-rhiw would have been a pleasure to traverse in good weather but I was not that fortunate and eventually the gradient steepened to reach the top of Y Llethr, the highest point in the Rhinog Mountains, even though it is just a grassy dome with a tiny cairn in the middle. On the northern edge beyond the summit a heavily eroded path zigzagged down the hillside and was difficult to follow with many loose stones underfoot.

This was very difficult terrain and at some point I took a wrong turning where the trail turns sharp right and I continued to descend so when I realised I had to find a way across the steep terrain until I reached the path that was now beside a wall. The lake Llyn Hywell was suddenly revealed to me as I carefully made my way along the craggy path across the saddle and up a gloriously rocky path towards Rhinog Fach. I previously climbed this mountain two days after my walk up Diffwys and Y Llethr, but in perfect weather, which is one reason why I had never been back until now. I enjoyed the climb up to the summit of Rhinog Fach, but the descent was horrible as an increasingly steep, narrow path led me down the other side through the heather. When I climbed this mountain in 2005 there were no paths on this side, but now clear paths lay like scars across the mountain. I didn’t enjoy this prolonged, steep descent so I was glad when I eventually reached the pass of Bwlch Drws-Ardudwy, but the Rhinogydd was not done with me yet. While the weather slowly improved with the view opening out eastwards across Coed y Brenin Forest I began to climb Rhinog Fawr initially traversing the eastern slopes which were saturated after the recent rain and at one point I sunk into the mud and water all the way up to my knee, so my tricky ascent continued with a wet foot.

Since I was now sheltered from the wind which was also easing, I embraced the climb and slowly made my way all the way up to the summit of Rhinog Fawr, which was still briefly clinging to the clouds, before setting off back down the other side towards Llyn Du. The Cambrian Way takes a wide route west before turning east towards this lake, but there are paths that take a direct route and I was keen to get down as quickly as possible since it was getting late. As the cloud continued to lift and the sun came out, revealing a fabulously rocky landscape ahead of me, I carefully made my way down until I reached Llyn Du where a rejoined the Cambrian Way but it was still difficult to keep to the route as I continued to descend, now in glorious sunshine, to reach the path known as the Roman Steps. There I turned left to follow this over the pass of Bwlch Tyddiad and down to eventually reach Cwm Bychan where there is a simple campsite. This was an amazing, though very tough, day that finally saw me do the traverse of the Rhinog Mountains that I had wanted to do for a long time. I wish I hadn’t had low cloud and strong winds, but I was so determined to tackle it I refused to let this stop me. I particularly enjoyed the climb up to Rhinog Fach, but I did not enjoy the steep descent down the other side or the boggy traverse of the eastern slopes of Rhinog Fawr. This was a long day that left me exhausted by the time I reached Cwm Bychan, but I was glad to have accomplished it.

Cambrian Way rerun: Dinas Mawddwy to Barmouth

Thursday 29th May and Friday 30th May 2025

After my walk the day before this, I had a very pleasant evening in the Dovey Valley with warm sunshine that encouraged me to wander into Dinas Mawddwy and explore the area, but when I got up the following morning it had started to rain. I had been blessed with sunshine throughout my first week on the Cambrian Way, but on the Monday of this, my second week, it had started to rain and, except for a break on Wednesday, it was still raining. I had previously attempted to do the Cambrian Way in August last year until bad weather half way through forced me off the trail so that I never even reached Dinas Mawddwy. I don’t like being at the top of a mountain in strong winds so, even more than with rain, I was diverting off the mountain-top trail to avoid them, though the previous day’s respite had enabled me to briefly resume walking along the Cambrian Way. This stage would have taken me over the lesser known Eryri hills of Maesglase and Waun-oer, and is surprisingly short. I previously climbed them in 2008 when they failed to leave much of an impression on me, so I didn’t want to do so again in strong winds and rain. The A470 road goes to the north around these hills over the pass of Bwlch Oeddrwsm but this didn’t look like a good route to walk, so I turned my attention south to where a narrow country lane snakes through the conifers of the Dyfi Forest. However, the constant backdrop of trees was frustratingly monotonous for me, so I was relieved when, at noon, I finally reached the old mining village of Aberllefenni where a bus shelter provided me with somewhere to escape the rain.

After eating my lunch I set off up the valley of the Afon Dulas, past the remains of the former slate mines and colourful displays of foxgloves and some early bell heather. The rain had now stopped, which greatly helped with my enjoyment of the walk, though the cloud was still very low and on exposed parts it was very windy. I appreciated being able to put some of my waterproofs away as I gradually climbed up the valley on a road that became a cycle track and eventually led me over the pass to the point where the Cambrian Way comes down off the hills. This stage of the trail ends at Bwlch Llyn Bach, a pass that carries the A487 road, even though there is nothing there. Options for accommodation are either to turn left into Cwm Rhwyddfor, where there a hotel and a campsite, or to turn right and head into the town of Dolgellau. Since I had nowhere booked I thought I’d have better luck finding somewhere in Dollgellau and so, rather than taking the byway that starts from Bwlch Llyn Bach and climbs over the shoulder of the hill, I stayed on the cycle lane passing through Gwerngraig. The improving weather and early hour made me doubt my ending the walk so soon, but it was still very windy and after my long walk the day before I appreciated an easier day. In Dollgellau I found a B&B that had a room available, despite being my most expensive accommodation of the whole holiday, but I really enjoyed having a room to myself and further reinforces my dislike for camping.

The following morning the weather was no better with rain and strong winds so I dispelled any thought of going over Cadair Idris on the Cambrian Way and instead plotted a course across the northern foothills. I could have followed the Mawddach Trail along the course of an old railway, but I dismissed this as being too easy in favour of something more interesting, so I climbed the hill behind the town and soon I found myself enjoying the walk, despite the poor weather. After a section of road walking I followed a narrow, enclosed, rock-filled lane that brought me into a valley beside Kings Youth Hostel and back up through woodland, beside a pretty little stream before emerging onto open hillside through thick cloud with a strong headwind. My Cicerone guidebook to the Cambrian Way gives directions for a diversion via the youth hostel and I was now on that route as it returns to the trail, rejoining beside the picturesque view over Llynnau Cregennen. I was now also on my route of last year when that view had been poor due to the weather, but now it was even worse due to low cloud, though as I sat eating my lunch the cloud slowly lifted from the surface of the lake. I now followed the Cambrian Way again across a series of fields that brought me to an old clapper bridge that heralds the start of an epic path beside the Arthog Waterfalls. Even though I came down this way last year I was eager to revisit this path that winds down the hillside past many small falls through thick woodland, though the path was very wet and slippery which meant I had to be careful of my footing.

I took many pictures though it was difficult to get close enough for a good shot and mist filled the air, but eventually my epic descent ended and I headed out to the estuary where I had views towards Barmouth. The route here is complex and after my difficulties of last year I tried to ensure that this time I stayed on the correct path, but I still couldn’t find the exactly route around Fegla Fawr, which may not actually be possible. Eventually I crossed the wooden railway bridge, while a train passed over, and brought me into Barmouth as the weather continued to improve. After buying some supplies I climbed the steep hillside above the seaside resort, enjoying the sunshine and stunning views across the mouth of the estuary. I stopped frequently to enjoy the view, including towards Cadair Idris, but it was the views across the estuary that I most enjoyed and hearing the whistles from the little engines on the Fairbourne Railway that runs across the mouth of the estuary. The following day I had a scheduled day off the trail and I spent it on that railway, riding the little train or walking beside the coast enjoying the scenery. It is not much fun walking in the rain, but when the sun shines there is nothing better.

Cambrian Way rerun: Dylife to Dinas Mawddwy

Wednesday 28th May 2025

Following the rain and wind of the previous day that had prevented me from doing any walking along the Cambrian Way I was disheartened to discover that it was still raining when I set off from the Star Inn in the former mining village of Dylife. The thirteenth stage of the trail is the longest at twenty-three miles so, with a lot of walking ahead of me, more rain was not welcome, however it soon stopped and rewarded me with clear weather in the midst of what was otherwise a poor week for weather. The waterproofs that I’d put on at first were soon found to be unnecessary as I climbed the hill with views over the valley behind me towards the hills I should have walked over the day before, rising to Plynlimon, the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains. My route took me over a hill, passing through low cloud and fields filled with sheep on faint paths that forced me to keep a close watch on my location to stay on route. I consoled myself with the thought that at least I was now walking a section of the Cambrian Way that I had not done the year before when I first attempted the trail before bad weather forced me to seek an easier route through Machynlleth. After descending the other side of the hill I entered a conifer plantation to climb again, navigating a complex network of paths that zigzag up the hill until I finally emerged at the highest point having successfully found the right way.

The navigational exercise continued over the hill through cloud before descending, with views to my left down the Gwydol Valley, to the pass at Bwlch Glynmynydd where the path beyond took me beside young conifers that delighted in drenching me as I passed. The sun was now beginning to break through the clouds so it wasn’t long before I dried off while trying to find my way through the grassy fields on the other side of the hill gradually descending to a woodland track that eventually brought me into the Twymyn Valley and the village of Commins Coch. After crossing the main road, railway and river I headed back uphill, soon stopping for lunch at a handy bench, before continuing to climb along the road, keeping straight ahead onto a track when the road turned sharp left. Ahead of me was an ominously steep hill, the southern slopes of Moel Eiddew, though fortunately my route soon veered left to cross the western slopes until I reached the access road for the Mynydd y Cemmaes wind farm. While wearily climbing the hill I realised that I had missed a turning, but, rather than descending back down, I kept on going until the gradient eased and then crossed over the fence to make my way through tall, boggy grass desperately looking for the correct route of the Cambrian Way. When I finally found the trail I was disgusted to see hardly any sign of a footpath which made the walking no less tiring.

While to my right the blades of the tall wind turbines whistled through the air, I tried to follow the trail along the western edge of Mynnydd y Cemmaes, which is supposed to provide you with fine views of the Dovey Valley. However, despite a great improvement in the weather, I never felt the views compensated for the difficult path when there is a wide track that serves the wind turbines, which would provide me with considerably easier walking. The access road was a pleasure to walk along and all I encountered whenever I tried to follow the bridleway was no path through rough, tussocky grass. At the northern end of the wind farm I came off the access road to come to the edge of a conifer plantation and then descend pathless slopes in the adjacent field until I eventually entered the wood where I finally had a path to follow, albeit very boggy, which led me out of the wood and down the hill beside a developing stream. With great views before me into the Dovey Valley this was an enjoyable descent, but when I reached a track I was frustrated to realise that I now had to turn right and climb back up the hill. One could take a direct course from the conifer plantation, but rough tussocky ground would probably make this even more tiring and take just as long. According to the Cicerone guidebook my route later turned left steeply up the hillside at a waymark, but I somehow missed this and stayed on the track until I eventually realised my mistake.

Again, rather than backtrack, I turned left to climb the rough grassy slope, wearily cursing the complex path which had been difficult to follow on this stage of the trail. I had hoped I would be able to go around the hill, but this proved hopeless and after much effort I eventually reached the steep eastern slopes where I was afforded with great views across Cwm Tafolog. When I was finally rejoined by the Cambrian Way I descended the steep hillside along a faint path to a ruined farm building at Craig-For where a farm track provided me with much needed easy walking for the rest of the day. I audibly moaned whenever the path began to ascend, but generally the track maintained a level course around the hill, first on the eastern slopes and then round to the north, until I finally descended into the Dovey Valley and the village of Mallwyd. The Cambrian Way crosses the valley and then climbs quite a way up the western slopes before descending through woodland to reach Dinas Mawddwy, but I was too tired for this and just walked along the road at the bottom of the valley until I reached the campsite when I stopped for the night. This was a very tiring, frustrating walk because of the lack of a good footpath to follow which made the walking difficult and forced me to be constantly checking my location. There was nothing to interest me on this stage of the Cambrian Way, except for the weather which improved markedly compared with the last two days and notably at the end of this walk I entered Eryri, better known as Snowdonia.

Cambrian Way rerun: Domen Milwyn to Dylife

Monday 26th and Tuesday 27th May 2025

When I attempted to do the Cambrian Way last year the weather was not kind to me and half way through the trail, after passing over Plynlimon and before descending into the village of Dylife, I abandoned the route of the Cambrian Way to take a lower level route on the rest of the holiday that avoided the mountain tops due to poor weather. Therefore, I was keen to do the Cambrian Way again this year, not only to cover those parts that I’d missed last year, but to do the whole trail again, and so I started again from Cardiff and at this point in the trail I had reached a hill called Domen Milwyn in the Cambrian Mountains. When I got up that morning it was overcast and already attempting to rain, even though up to this point on the Cambrian Way, my ninth day, I had hardly seen any rain and certainly not for a significant duration. I was up early to beat the rain and was soon descending into the valley and village of Cwmystwyth, and on climbing back out of the valley I crossed a field that last year had been terribly waterlogged, but was now bone dry with a clear path, for which I was thankful. Beyond, I entered a conifer plantation with Gelmast Farm in the middle providing me with a respite from the constant view of trees. 

My route took me through a two hundred year old arch, built to commemorate George III’s jubilee, and onto a wide track where I had easy, level walking with views across the Mynach valley and towards the Vale of Rheidol. A strong, cold wind prompted me to put on my cagoule but breaks in the clouds temporarily let the sun show itself and when sheltered from the wind I soon felt too warm, so my cagoule came on and off several times. It wasn’t long before I reached Devil’s Bridge where last year I had caught the steam train to Aberystwyth, but now I kept to the Cambrian Way which took me over the railway line and steeply down through gorgeous woodland to the bottom of the valley. After crossing the Afon Rheidol the Cambrian Way turns right onto a minor road, to head up the valley for a bit, before climbing steeply to eventually reach the main road at Ponterwyd where I had planned to catch a bus to Aberystwyth. However, a couple of weeks before starting the Cambrian Way, I had realised that this day was a bank holiday and the bus was not going to run, so I thought I would just take the steam train again, as I had done last year. 

But, since it was a bank holiday the trains were busy and because of the lack of rain they were not able to run use steam so diesel-hauled trains were running instead with a reduced service, consequently the trains were all full. When I was informed of this at the station in Devil’s Bridge, I decided that my only option was to walk to Aberystwyth. Since it was still quite early, mid-morning, and even though Google smugly told me the walk was going to take four hours, I eagerly set off and when I reached the bottom of the Vale of Rheidol I turned left, instead of right, to follow the road along the bottom of the valley all the way to Aberystwyth. Soon after I joined the road, to add to the drama, it started to rain and it kept raining, sometimes heavily, all the way to Aberystwyth. I had enjoyed some great weather prior to this day, so it was a shame for it to end and not far from where it had deteriorated for me last year. The forecast for the next day was even worse with strong wind and rain, which you really don’t want on top of a mountain. My plan had been to catch the bus back to Ponterwyd and continue along the Cambrian Way over Plynlimon, the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains, into the village of Dylife. Technically, I would have failed to have walked along the section between Devil’s Bridge and Ponterwyd, but since I had done that bit last year I wasn’t bothered about it. The weather in the morning was just as bad as forecast so I decided I would also skip the stage between Ponterwyd and Dylife and get there by the easiest route. 

I caught a bus to Machynlleth and then walked along the road, initially through the peaceful, leafy valley of the Afon Dulas, but eventually the road climbed over a mountain pass where I was exposed to the winds and rain that I had been trying to avoid. With hindsight, I could have caught another bus to Llanbrynmair and then walked along the B5418 road through the valley of the Afon Twymyn, though this might not have been much better. Dylife is an old mining village and sits high amongst the hills of the Cambrian Mountains, so it is not easily walked to from any direction. Coming from the west was an interesting experience, but eventually I reached Y Star Inn, where I was booked to spend the night and who were very welcoming despite my arriving very early and soaking wet. When doing a long distance trail in Britain over several weeks you will inevitably have days when it is very wet and windy, which is a problem for the Cambrian Way that takes a high level route. In strong winds it is not advisable to be at the top of a mountain, especially if it is raining, so I had no choice but to avoid Plynlimon on my second attempt at the Cambrian Way. It must be wondered if it is ever possible to keep to the whole trail without braving bad weather at the top of a mountain.