Helvellyn & the Dodds

Saturday 2nd April 2005

I was going home on this day so the sun came out; isn’t that just typical! It was still cold and windy, but the rain had stopped and the clouds had lifted (though it was still a bit hazy), which left me with a lovely day to be out on the fells, so it was a pity I was going home. I had one more walk to do, so setting off early I headed up the Glenridding valley, across the beck and then up the hill beside Red Tarn Beck. On reaching the tarn I turned right towards the Hole-in-the-Wall to begin my assault of Striding Edge. To be honest now that I’ve gone along the edge I can't see what all the fuss has been about! I sailed over the very top of the ridge with huge drops either side and with the ridge no more than a foot wide in places. In wet conditions it may be tricky, and much worse with snow under foot, but in the dry and with only a medium cross-wind I had no problems at all. What had I been so nervous about all these years? I have no idea, but now I felt I could do any edge; bring on Crib Goch!

The summit of Helvellyn was as usual bleak in appearance, but unusually it was totally devoid of people at the relatively early time of 11 am, which was too early for the tourists coming up from the main road. I was merely lucky though, as I saw the advance guard approaching from Browncove Crags just as I was leaving. After a lingering look at the scenery from the top of Swirral Edge I headed out over Lower Man and down the ridge towards Whiteside; the fells now came thick and fast. Following Whiteside was the rocky Raise and beyond the Sticks Pass, the grassy Stybarrow Dodd was followed by the inconsequential Watson's Dodd and the massive Great Dodd. 

My descent now began in earnest as I passed over Little Dodd and on to Calfhow Pike before crossing over to Clough Head. All that now followed for me was a steep descent down a steep, grassy slope just to the left of White Pike until I reached the Old Coach Road at Hausewell Brow. Turning left I walked along the old coach road until I reached a gate where I turned towards the north again and followed the fence down the hill of Threlkeld Common. At Newsham I joined a track that took me to Mill Bridge where a footpath beside the river took me over the A66 trunk road and to the church in Threlkeld. After a quick drink at the Horse & Farrier I caught the bus to Penrith and began my journey home. After nine days in the Lake District I was happy to be going home, but I will still miss it and I was looking forward to returning next year. I think an annual holiday in the Lake District is a must as there is no better place.

Red Screes, Fairfield & St Sunday Crag

Friday 1st April 2005

 

This was another cold, wet and windy day, in fact the weather was the worst of my entire holiday, but I still did my intended walk; I'm not afraid of a few drops of rain! When I left Elterwater there was mist in the air, almost a light drizzle, that didn't last long and it stayed dry for more or less the rest of the morning. I walked beside Great Langdale Beck, past the lake Elterwater and past the woefully inadequate waterfall of Skelwith Force. A bit of road walking took me to the start of a bridle path that crosses the southern part of Loughrigg before descending into Ambleside. The village didn't seem too busy as I shopped for some Kendal Mint Cake but it wasn't long before I was heading out of Ambleside and up a road called ‘The Struggle’. 

 

After a mile I turned off onto a footpath on the left that follows the ridge all the way up to the top of Red Screes. It soon clouded over as I ascended the muddy path which robbed me of any views except clouds until I was descending into Grisedale at the end of the walk. After lunch at the top of Red Screes I headed down to the Scandale Pass where it started to rain in earnest and it was a long time before it stopped. Continuing west I followed the path over High Bakestones blindly trusting that the path would take me to the stone wall on the top of the ridge south of Dove Crag, which it did. Turning right I headed over Dove Crag and Hart Crag (presumably, I never actually saw the summits, just clouds) before climbing onto Fairfield. The wind and rain continued as I gingerly descended down to Deepdale Hause and climbed up to St Sunday Crag, where I was hit by a vicious southerly wind. The wind, however, quickly fell away as I descended the northerly side and would you believe it, the sun came out! The clouds broke and a rainbow appeared since, of course, it was still raining. The rainbow, with ends in Grisedale and Glenamara Park, remained as I clambered down to the bottom of Grisedale, lingering above me as I descended. The conclusion of the walk involved climbing over the hill beside Lanty's Tarn, descending into Glenridding and up the valley to the Helvellyn Youth Hostel.

The Coniston Fells (cntd.) & Pike of Blisco

Thursday 31st March 2005

Once again the weather on this walk was cold, cloudy and windy, and I chose to look on that as ideal walking weather so it is a pity about the lack of a view. In the morning I set off from the Coniston Coppermines Youth Hostel down the road towards Coniston but soon I turned off to the left near a row of cottages and headed up the hillside. I don't know where I made a mistake but somehow I must have strayed onto an old miners' track to a disused quarry below Sweeten Crag; I eventually realised I wasn't on the right road when the path petered out soon after the quarry! I went around the edge of a marsh near Kitty Crag and headed north-east towards the ridge I was supposed to have been walking on, crossing over the clear path through Hole Rake on the way. I headed up the side of the ridge but I didn't find a clear path until I finally reached the top of the ridge. Maybe I had taken an unorthodox route, but I eventually reached my destination, so why complain?

Wetherlam was my first big hill in the Lake District, climbed on a warm July afternoon three years before this walk with clear, stunning views across the surrounding countryside. I distinctly remember it having very good views, but then again I had nothing to compare it with at the time, but on this walk the views were non-existent, Wetherlam was completely covered in cloud. The summit seemed much smaller and rather inconsequential when seen under cloud cover, though I suppose I’ve seen a lot in the intervening three years. Heading west I bypassed Black Sails and climbed up Prison Band returning to the fell that I had been at the top of the day before, Swirl How. Continuing west I bypassed Great Carrs and descended the grassy plain of Fairfield before ascending to the top of Grey Friars, a fell that I'd never been to before. The weather was still rather hostile and a strong easterly wind now blew at me as I stood at the top of Grey Friars. Returning to the top of Great Carrs I paused by the wartime aircraft wreck before beginning my descent over Little Carrs and Hell Gill Pike onto Wet Side Edge. At a marker cairn I turned off the ridge and descended to the Three Shires Stone immediately beginning the ascent beyond it up to Red Tarn. The weather now appeared to be clearing slightly to reveal a patch of blue sky above Pike O'Blisco, but the Coniston Fells behind me remained shrouded in clouds. I was no keen on doing the Cringle Crags, so I headed up to the Pike of Blisco and then crossed Wrynose Fell descending the steep, staircase-like path beside Redacre Gill down to the road. After going around the small prominence of Side Pike I climbed up to the top of the ridge and followed a fence across the spine of Lingmoor Fell. Despite limited visibility I was finding this walk highly enjoyable, and was even skipping across the top of the hills; there really is nothing like hill walking, I love it. Beyond the summit of Lingmoor Fell at Brown How I passed a few disused quarries and dropped down the hillside to a byway that led me from Dale End farm into Elterwater.

Harter Fell and the Coniston Fells

Wednesday 30th March 2005

This day started grey and cold, but despite the weather I still headed off on another walk along the road at the bottom of Eskdale before heading up a bridle path straight after crossing Whahouse Bridge. Once out of the trees into open country I had a steep climb ahead of me up to the top of Harter Fell. This may have been a very cold and overcast day, but it seemed almost like ideal walking weather: there were few other people on the fells, and none on Harter Fell. I had the fells to enjoy all by myself. Descending towards Dunnerdale Forest I discovered there were now no trees in the Forestry Commission land but a bleak, barren landscape where the trees had been until recently. Ennerdale is in a similar state in parts where the Forestry Commission has removed all the trees from an area, but coniferous forests have a destructive effect on the ground, poisoning it so nothing else can grow. With all the trees gone we are left with nothing but bare earth across the hillsides, which is not what I came to the Lake District to see. It is not a pretty sight and the sooner the land recovers the better.

After negotiating the steep, barren landscape I reached the bottom of the valley and crossed the River Duddon. I walked south along the road until I crossed a cattle grid where I climbed over Troutal Tongue and passed through Tongue House and Long House farms, crossing several muddy fields in the process. Eventually I reached the beginning of the Walna Scar Road and ascended the track to the summit near Brown Pike. While braving the strong winds that assailed me at the top I headed along the ridge northwards over Brown Pike, Buck Pike and Dow Crag. After crossing over Goats Hawse I climbed up to the summit of the Old Man of Coniston, which was inevitably hidden within the clouds. Heading back north I passed over Brim Fell and climbed up to Swirl How. I was now unsure what to do next. I was planning to go along Wet Side Edge, north of Great Carrs, the next day but suddenly I thought it would be a good idea if I left something else in the Coniston Fells to do as well. With this in mind, and also with uncertainty as to when I'd get to the hostel otherwise, I decided not to go up Wetherlam but descended from Swirl Hawse past Levers Water and down to the hostel in the Coppermines Valley.

Scafell Pike & Sca Fell

Tuesday 29th March 2005

Bright sunshine accompanied me for much of this walk but despite the good weather I wouldn't rate it as the highlight of the holiday. The night before I was trying to come up with an interesting walk but nothing seemed to work so in the end I had to settle for my original plan: Scafell Pike. So it was that in glorious weather I began a four mile trudge along the road beside Wastwater to Wasdale Head: great views, but what a waste of a glorious morning when I could have been up high. My plan, formulated the night before, was to head up to Sty Head along the bridle path that runs up the lower slopes of Great Gable. I did a walk up this way the year before, but stayed at the bottom of the valley beside the river, which turned out to be a rather difficult route to find as the path pretty much disappears at the head of the valley and leaves you with a steep climb in order to get up to Sty Head (I must try it again). This time I took the main path up to Sty Head from Wasdale Head and naturally I found it to be a very easy path.

The main reason for my going through Sty Head to get to Scafell Pike (besides avoiding the crowds on Brown Tongue) was so I could take the Corridor Route to the Lingmell Col. This superb path hugs the side of the hill below Great End, weaving around the crags and across the top of gullies as it climbs from Sty Head to join the tourist path at the col with Lingmell; it is never boring. I had lunch at the col with my back to the crowds that were passing up the tourist path while I gazed out on Great Gable and the surrounding scenery, which looked amazing on this sunny day. With relatively little effort I quickly dashed up the tourist path after lunch to the crowded summit. The path was full of families with young children who had all climbed up to the highest hill in England; I felt sorry for them, there are far more interesting hills in the Lake District. Clouds were beginning to cover the Pike while I was there but I was still able to see the views almost all around the summit, such as they are. I don't think the view from Scafell Pike is particularly noteworthy compared with others in the Lakes. There are far better viewpoints. Quickly beating a retreat I headed across to Broad Stand and with a quick glance at the start of Lord's Rake I made a careful descent down the scree towards the Foxes Tarn route to Sca Fell. Let's face it, there is no easy route from Scafell Pike to Sca Fell; the Foxes Tarn route may be the only recommended route given the poor state of Lord's Rake these days, but it's still not easy. There is a very steep scree slope to descend and then a lengthy scramble up a gully to Foxes Tarn, which is made trickier by the stream coming down. Once at the small tarn you have yet another scree slope to walk up before you finally reach the summit. It took me an hour to get from one summit to the other, but as the eagle flies it's just 900 metres! It may not be easy, but it's quite fun nevertheless.

By now the day had turned colder with cloud descending everywhere; Sca Fell was completely covered in cloud, but that didn't dampen my enthusiasm as unlike the Pike this summit was almost bare of people. What a difference fourteen metres makes! Ahead of me now was a slow descent over Slight Side into Eskdale. As one looks out from Slight Side the route ahead appears to be over a rather depressing, boggy landscape, but I didn't let that dampen my spirits and I quite enjoyed myself as I made the descent. I climbed this way on my first visit to the Lake District and it is far better as a descent. The path was clear for most of the way and rather enjoyable once I got down to Catcove Beck where I started weaving around the bogs and crags which made for a very pleasant, relaxing descent into Eskdale.

Red Pike, Yewbarrow & the Wastwater Screes

More from my holiday in the Lake District Easter 2005:

Monday 28th March 2005

The weather on this walk was much better than the day before with clear views all day and even though some of the hills were still hidden under clouds they were never the ones I was on. It was a lovely, though overcast morning as I set off from the Ennerdale Youth Hostel across the same fields as my walk the day before but this time I continued straight into the wood and didn't cross the Woundell Beck. After an initial climb I crossed the Silvercove Beck and without crossing the adjacent Deep Gill I headed up the tongue between the two streams. This was an enjoyable climb in the cold morning air with stunning views up and down Ennerdale and proved to be a much better way of getting onto the ridge than the one that I had used the day before. I also got to the top considerably earlier than I had then, and I don't think the weather was to blame.

Once at the top I veered to the right to the cairn on top of the bare grassy plain of Caw Fell before doubling back on myself and following the stone wall. I must say I was having a whale of a time as I enjoyed the glorious weather and stunning views while passing over Little Gowder Crag, Haycock, Great Scoat Fell and Little Scoat Fell. Every step along the ridge was a joy. After passing over the top of Scoat Fell I veered south-east down the hillside and up to Red Pike, a hill that I have missed out on several times in the past, and consequently was the highest hill in the Lakes that I had never been up. Chatting merrily to myself I passed over Red Pike and descended to Dore Head.

To my left was the infamous Dore Head Screes, a steep descent into Mosedale, but now a muddy slope rather than a scree slope. I shuddered at the thought of going down it and instead I ascended the cliff wall of Stirrup Crag ahead of me. Though this is larger and more technically difficult than the Kirk Fell Crags of my previous day's walk (which I'd only been wary of because I had gone completely wrong while attempting them a couple of years ago), it was still not too difficult to climb up them, even if I had to change my line of approach a couple of times. At one time, a couple of years ago, I wasn't too keen on scrambles, but now I can't get enough of them. Funny old bod, aren't I?

After lunch at the top of Yewbarrow I descended the hill down the scree slopes by the Great Door, which was extremely tricky. I had heard that Yewbarrow has an infamous reputation but I wasn't prepared for how difficult it would actually be. For such a low hill (not much much more than two thousand feet) it deserves to be treated with respect so I was thankful when I finally reached the bottom by the side of Wastwater and began a circumnavigation of the deepest lake in the Lake District. After rounding the north-eastern end by the (closed due to a bridge being rebuilt) National Trust Car Park I headed along the south-eastern shore. Most of my walk beside the lake was rather pleasant especially in the increasingly sunny afternoon weather, however the second half of the walk was across the fearsome scree slopes of Wastwater (so infamous they are sometimes called simply “The Screes”). At one section you have to literally hop from one boulder to another in an attempt to get across, so it was almost with regret that I completed the walk along the shore, it was such great fun. On the final stage of the walk I followed the River Irt to Lund Bridge and then along a woodland path back beside the river to the lake and around to the youth hostel at Wasdale Hall (with tremendous views over the lake up to Wasdale Head).

Ennerdale Round (almost!)

Sunday 27th March 2005

The weather for this walk was worse than it had been earlier in my holiday with it staying overcast all day and cloud covering all the tops higher than 2,000 feet. My plan had been to walk all the way around Ennerdale but as will be seen events conspired against me. Leaving the hostel I crossed the fields to the east of Ennerdale Water, passed over the Woundell Beck and climbed up a firebreak in the forest to Lingmell. This was a very steep and exhausting climb that seemed to take me forever, and it probably did. Heading east over Lingmell I crossed the Low Beck and started to climb the Long Crag ridge all the way up into the clouds, onto Steeple and beyond to the top of Scoat Fell. It took me so long to get onto Scoat Fell that I think this must be a major factor in my failing to achieve my original objective.

Heading east along the ridge I passed across the Wind Gap and ascended Pillar, which I was visiting for the second day running though this time in much less agreeable weather. Continuing eastwards I went down the hill, past Looking Stead to Black Sail Pass with Kirk Fell, which I had bypassed the day before, directly ahead of me. Taking a deep breath I tackled the precipitous Kirk Fell Crags trying to remember to follow the rusting boundary posts all the way up. That is without doubt the easiest way up but somehow I still managed to go the wrong way though I soon realised my mistake and returned to the posts. The wind and rain didn't make the scramble any easier though, but eventually I reached the top on my hands and knees. Totally exhausted I staggered up to the summit following the boundary posts all the way through the mist. (The above picture of Ennerdale was not taken during this walk. The weather was no where near this good! I didn't take a camera with me on this holiday so all the pictures illustrating these walks from 2005 are from later visits to the Lake District.)

After lunch I headed down to Beck Head and then followed the Moses' Trod path below the Gables until I hit the fence coming off Brandreth. You will notice that I’d already decided to miss out the Gables even though a true Ennerdale Round should include both Green and Great Gable. Turning left I followed the fence down the hill until it turned sharply left, where I crossed over and continued straight on towards the top of Warnscale Beck. When I reached the main path to Hay Stacks I turned left and headed over Wainwright's favourite hill. Despite it's diminutive stature this is indeed a magical place where the path ducks and weaves around the crags and tarns with stunning views below the clouds across Buttermere.

From the summit of Hay Stacks I descended to the Scarth Gap Pass and realised that it was already quarter past four and far too late for me to begin the High Style ridge. My slow ascent in the morning and the inclement weather had conspired together so that the High Style ridge would have to wait for another year (I wasn't too disappointed, I had been over the ridge before). So I descended into Ennerdale and walked the four miles along the forest road all the way back to the youth hostel.

Fleetwith Pike, Great Gable & Pillar

This continues the account of my walking holiday in the Lake District at Easter 2005:

Saturday 26th March 2005

I felt rather tired and weak during this walk; I didn't feel like I had the energy for a full Lakeland walk, but somehow I still managed to do a fairly strenuous walk even though I might have enjoyed it more in better circumstances. The walk started with a pleasurable stroll along the shore of Buttermere before beginning the seemingly unending ascent of Fleetwith Pike. There were tremendous views behind me over the lake as I undertook the great climb with good weather following me up that unfortunately wasn't to last. From the summit I headed past the quarry to the Drum House on the dismantled tramway and up the path opposite heading across the western slopes of Grey Knotts. I crossed the fence near Brandreth, bypassing the top of the hill and followed the cairns to Green Gable where I had brilliant views across the Borrowdale Fells and all the way to the Langdale Pikes. I don't think I had ever been up there in such clear weather before, even Great Gable was clear, which I have never been on in clear weather. I was really looking forward to enjoying the extensive views from the top but my curse was soon to strike. As I ascended Great Gable the clouds swept in, the temperature dropped and the wind picked up. What do I have to do to see anything from Great Gable? I was able to see the impressive views of Wasdale across Wastwater from the Westmorland Cairn below the summit but that did not make the descent to Beck Head any warmer or less windy. Bypassing Kirk Fell by the northern traverse I took a path from the Black Sail Pass up over Looking Stead. My goal, even though I was very tired by this point, was the Shamrock Traverse to the Pillar Rock, which I have planned to do many times before but never done. And I’ve still not done it. Before I got to the Robinson Cairn I lost the path and eventually ascended the hillside to the top of the ridge near Hinds Cove. When I realised my mistake it was too late to do something about it; I should have stayed on the level or even descended the hillside a little. I need to try the walk again some time (though not unfortunately during this trip).

Following the main path at the top of the ridge I climbed onto the top of Pillar and admired the view from the northern edge looking out over the Pillar Rock and into Ennerdale. I decided that it was now time to leave the top of the hills so I descended into the valley over White Pike (this is a steep stony descent, I don't want to ascend that way!). At the valley floor I was blocked by the wide River Liza with no bridge for miles, so instead of a long walk round I found a good spot and tried crossing the river. When my foot inevitably slipped into the water on the wet rocks I decided to dash across the river as fast as possible since I was already wet. My socks and trousers took hours to dry! Eventually I reached the Ennerdale Youth Hostel, which is a much more basic hostel than Buttermere and was much more to my liking.

Grisedale Pike and Hopegill Head

As I haven’t done any hill walking since September I think it would be a good idea to post reports from my old blog written in 2005. They begin with my walking holiday of Easter 2005:

Friday 25th March 2005

Over Easter I spent over a week in that most gorgeous of places, the Lake District. I have been going there every year for four years and I enjoy the walking every time; this year was no exception and as always it was a pleasure to be there. There really is nowhere quite like the Lake District with its wide opportunities for great walking. Everywhere you turn there is a great walk to be had with absolutely stunning scenery. I always look forward to going there and this holiday was no exception as the Lake District is never disappointing.

The journey up took me rather longer than it needed to, a total of six hours, but that included ¾ hour in Nuneaton station, ½ hour in Crewe and an hour in Penrith. Everything in my travel arrangements for this trip seemed to conspire against me with the return journey being even worse. C'est la vie. Eventually I arrived in Braithwaite with the whole afternoon left for me to enjoy the hills so immediately I set off up into the hills at the western end of the village quickly gaining the top of the ridge. So began a slow climb over Sleet How and onto Grisedale Pike in near perfect weather with the warm sun alternating with a cooling wind when the sun went in. The views were, as ever, magnificent as I made my ascent with a gloriously rocky final section that was simply the icing on the cake to enjoy before I reached the summit. The climb up to the top of the first hill of the day is always a drag, especially if it's the first day of your holiday, but this one was as pleasurable as it could be. During lunch at the top of Grisedale Pike the clouds descended which put a cold spin on my remaining time in the hills. I proceeded along the ridge around Hobcarton Crag and arrived at Hopegill Head where I attempted the rocky descent north towards Ladyside Pike. This proved to be rather tricky in the damp, misty conditions that I found myself in, but soon I was down the steep rocky slope and heading on the path to Ladyside Pike, which rewarded me with glimpses of the scenery to the north through the clouds. Most importantly, however, I had the hill all to myself as the crowds on Grisedale Pike were left far behind. While making my return towards Hopegill Head I found the conditions less slippery than before and had great fun tackling the rocky scramble head on while keeping to the highest point on the ridge, but soon unfortunately I found myself back at the top of Hopegill Head.

Now my route was straight ahead of me: over Sand Hill, across Coledale Hause, between Grasmoor and Crag Hill, and over Whiteless Pike all the way down to my overnight in Buttermere. As I descended the clouds began to lift and the sun came out resulting in a pleasingly warm end to the afternoon. As a diversion in the glorious weather that I now found myself in I decided to end the walk by climbing over Low Bank and Rannerdale Knotts. These may be tiny hills compared with the giants that I had just visited but there was still a lot to keep my interest on a path that was full of adventure particularly during the steep descent to the road; I thoroughly recommend it. A bit of road walking through the village of Buttermere brought me to the Youth Hostel, which was rather crowded (well, it is Good Friday) and is a little too family-orientated for me as I prefer more basic hostels, which is what I stayed in during the rest of the holiday.

My second visit to the Black Mountains

Since I’ve recently been posting some reports of previous times I’ve spent in the Black Mountains I thought I’d post another one, this time from the second time I ever visited the area. This was at Easter in 2000 following my first visit the year before. Unfortunately I didn’t write a report on my holiday at the time and I didn’t say anything about it in my diary afterwards so a lot of the details of the walks are now lost in the swirls of time.

Sugar Loaf

Tuesday 25th April 2000

The first walk that I did on this holiday was up a distinctive hill that overlooks the town of Abergavenny which is situated at the southern end of the Black Mountains. This was my first time through Abergavenny and it was my most trouble-some visit. For whatever reason there were lengthy traffic jams through the town that delayed me for ages. I have never had any problems getting through Abergavenny since but I have been wary of driving through the town ever since. I parked in a lay-by near the farm and caravan site of Pysgodlyn on the A40 a few miles out of Abergavenny and immediately started climbing through woodland. I have little memory of the walk up the hill until I reached the open hillside, but the directions that I was following appeared to have taken me through three farms as I slowly climbed the hill. Once away from enclosed farmland I headed straight up the bracken-covered hill towards the summit of Sugar Loaf. This 596m hill must have extensive views across south Wales and north into the Black Mountains, but I’ve never been back to Sugar Loaf mainly because it has no ridges linking it to any other hill, it sits all on its own, which is a pity as it is a striking hill that is instantly recognizable from a distance. From the summit I slowly walked back down the hill by a route that I have forgotten and whose directions don’t sound familiar.

Grwyne Fawr

Thursday 27th April 2000 The next day I went back to Hay-on-Wye to have a long browse around the thousands of books that are available there and the following day I returned to the Black Mountains and parked for the first time at the top of the Gospel Pass. I did not park there on my first visit but I wished that I had after the steep climb to the top of Hay Bluff from a stone circle where I had parked, so on all my subsequent visits this is where I have parked. From the top of the pass I climbed up Twmpa and continued across the moorland to the broad top of Rhos Dirion as I did last September. On this occasion I passed over the hill and dropped down into the valley beyond. I remember looking at the hills on the far side of the valley, which include the highest points in the Black Mountains, with some fear, mainly because the tops were covered in cloud. At this point I was still quite new to hill walking and I had never walked in cloud before. From the top of Grwyne Fawr I headed down the valley past the Grwyne Fawr Reservoir where I think I had my lunch and eventually reached the northern edge of the Mynydd Du Forest. From the forest car park I climbed up the eastern hillside to reach the Blacksmith’s Anvil (whatever that is) for the first time and then down the steep hill opposite. I have mentioned a couple of times recently how I slipped over at this point on the walk. I remember that I was wearing jeans and got them very dirty as I tried to get down the muddy slope all the way into Capel-y-Ffin. From there I was left with another steep climb in order to get back to the car as I’d parked it at the top of the valley and I was at the bottom. I climbed past Pen-y-maes farm onto the bridlepath that skirts Darren Lwyd precariously making my way along a muddy path up to the road just beyond a cattle grid and for the only time I then walked along the road back to the top of the Gospel Pass. I think by the end of this walk I may have been fed up by the muddy condition of the paths which may explain the route I took back.

Bal Bach and the Offa’s Dyke Path

Friday 28th April 2000

My final walk on this holiday started from Llanthony Priory, which was the same place I’d started the last walk on my first visit to the Black Mountains. As mentioned last week I climbed up the southern bank of Cwm Bwchel as I was directed that way, but it made my route a lot more difficult and less interesting than the proper path to the saddle of Bal Bach. Unlike in 2005, on this occasion that was as high as I went as I took a path through the heather that crosses the hillside east of Bal Mawr and slowly descends back down into the Vale of Ewyas. Following the edge of the farmland I walked up the valley until eventually I dropped back down onto the road through Y Fferm to Capel-y-Ffin. Now once again I began the climb that had so enthralled me the previous year even making the same mistakes, going the wrong way as I had done before. It would take my first descent of the path the following September for me to find the correct route up the hill. At the top of the broad ridge I joined the Offa’s Dyke Path and headed south all the way to a right branching path that took me steeply down to the picturesque ruins of Llanthony Priory. In retrospect this was not a great walking holiday, but it was just the start of many more to come and continued to lay the ground works for my love of hill walking and the Black Mountains.

Black Mountains part 2

Saturday 19th February 2005 

 

I was staying at the Capel-y-Ffin Youth Hostel and decided that my walk for this day would start and finish from this hostel, which is something I'd never actually done before in all my previous visits to the Black Mountains. In fact I'd never stayed more than one day at a time there. So on a crisp Saturday morning I took the footpath that goes through the hostel, which I'd never taken before, passing the stables of the Black Mountains Holidays horse riding centre and rounded the hostel emerging onto the hillside. Turning left I headed up the hill to join the bridle path that skirts the side of Darren Lwyd. At the end of the hillside tongue I descended the slope past Pen-y-Maes onto the road through Capel-y-Ffin turning right off the road at the first farm and up the track to Y Fferm. I couldn’t see any footpath signs so I was afraid I might soon be hearing from an irate farmer; however my map indicates a path, even if it is now rather old. 

 

Once out onto open country I headed straight up the hillside turning slightly right when the hill steepened to climb up and join a bridle path. This is the path that I had taken the day before and with hindsight I wish I had used that path from its start at the Grange as this alternative route was muddier and steeper, but that's life! While climbing the hillside I realised that this day was going to be much colder than the previous as the mud underfoot was now mostly frozen solid. After passing over the top of the ridge I descended into the Grwyne Fawr valley and plunged into the Mynydd Du Forest. On reaching the valley road I crossed the river using a footbridge and climbed the hillside through the forest on the opposite side of the valley. Here I must admit I made a mistake (another one!). I wanted to walk up to Pen y Gadair Fawr and I intended on walking up the hill to the north of the forest, however, the best way would have been to have stayed in the forest and followed the tracks up the hillside, but I didn't do that. When I saw what I was doing I descended the steep hill again back down to the river and emerging from the forest began a long tedious climb up the hill. If I ever do this walk again please make sure I stay on the forest track. 

 

The summit of Pen y Gadair Fawr was very cold and windy, as the weather stayed for the whole day, but at least this was a proper summit unlike the top of Waun Fach, which was where I headed to next. Crossing the quagmire to Waun Fach was fun since it was still frozen, but it was already beginning to thaw so when I trod on the wrong bit of frozen mud my foot went straight through the thin ice. The summit of Waun Fach itself is also infamous for being a bit of a mud pit. The point on the plateau that most people take to be the summit is a big lump of rock surrounded by a huge pool of mud. The first time I was there was at Easter in 2002 when I was unable to reach the rock because of the mud. Later that year when I visited the summit again after a hot summer the mud was bone-dry so I was then able to reach the rock. This time I was also able to reach the rock but this time because the mud was frozen. Waun Fach is a rather depressing hill being less interesting than Pen y Gadair Fawr, but it does just happens to be the highest point in the Black Mountains. 

 

I descended along the northern ridge passing over Pen y Manllwyn traversing the col at the head of the Grwyne Fawr valley, climbing over a wire fence in the process. I was now on the northern extremities of the Black Mountains looking out over the wide Wye Valley. The views were stunning but the wind was also very strong and became stronger as the day progressed. While passing the trig point on Rhos Dirion I noticed that the ice encountered earlier in the day was now melting under the full heat of the sun. It had been convenient while it lasted during the crossing of the bog fields near Waun Fach but proved to be short-lived. Traversing the next wide col I ascended Lord Hereford's Knob or as I prefer to call it, Twmpa. I went to the top of this hill on my first day in the Black Mountains all those years ago  and enjoyed stunning views from the summit across the Wye Valley. I have returned many times since and each time my breath has been taken away by the views. I was now in very familiar territory in an area I have walked many times before.

Descending the path from Twmpa felt like being in such a perfect place; it was such a joy. The path is a little eroded in places but it still brought back memories of all those previous times that I have been in the Black Mountains. The col is known as the Gospel Pass and has a road passing through it with a car park that I have used many times in the past. Ahead of me was the rising bulk of Hay Bluff, a prominent feature that can be seen from a long way off. I had quite a battle to get to the top even though it's not steep, but the severity of the wind was making it very difficult. Eventually I reached the trig point and headed south towards the Offa's Dyke Path. Immediately the wind dropped as I moved away from the exposed edge of the escarpment. The rest of the walk was now simply a pleasure as I had a wonderful stroll along the Offa's Dyke Path on a section that I have walked many times before including on that first time in the Black Mountains. 

When I reached the crossing of paths where I'd joined the Offa's Dyke Path the day before I turned right and started descending the hillside on the same path I'd taken then. I was now walking down my favourite path back to Capel y Ffin in failing light as the day came to it's early February end. This path is always a pleasure and I don't know when I'll be walking on it again so I was feeling some regret when I finally reached Capel y Ffin and I had to say goodbye to the "End of the Rainbow". The ideal start and finish point for this walk would had been Capel y Ffin but instead I had started it from the hostel which was a couple of miles up the road so with aching limbs I struggled up the hill onto the bridle path and back to the hostel. 

 

I had a very pleasurable two days of walking in an area that contains a lot of memories for me. I spent one more day in the area but that was not spent walking, but in Hay-on-Wye, the Town of Books, somewhere I just have to visit at least once a year, if not twice. Even though I don't walk much in this area these days I still have to visit Hay-on-Wye, so maybe I will return to the Black Mountains again soon. I hope so.

The Black Mountains Revisited

After the report last week of my tenth anniversary walk in the Black Mountains I was reminded of the previous time I was in the area not long after the fifth anniversary. I am re-posting my old blog entry on that walk from 2005.

Friday 18th February 2005

I want to talk about a long weekend in the Black Mountains when I spent a couple of days' walking in the area where I cut my walking teeth. My first walk in the Black Mountains was in 1999 while I was still a walking virgin; the only walks that I had done up to that date were in the Peak District. By choosing to venture into the Black Mountains and ultimately the rest of the Brecon Beacons National Park I was engaging in my first walks on hills above 2000 feet. It was the start of my walking career, and now I was coming back to where it had all begun. I hadn't visited the Brecon Beacons the previous year and the year before that I'd been to the park twice but neither time had I been to the Black Mountains on the eastern edge of the national park. You have to go back to 2002 for the last time I did any walking in the Black Mountains and it was in 2002 that I first went to the Lake District. I had graduated from the Black Mountains school of walking and was ready to have a go at the best that England has to offer. So it was with a great deal of nostalgia that I drove to the Black Mountains on that Friday morning in February. Besides nostalgia, my goal for this weekend was to walk the small areas of the Black Mountains that I had never walked before, most of which I was able to do on the Friday. I parked at the car park beside Llanthony Priory in the Vale of Ewyas having always had a soft spot for this isolated valley and being back it seemed like it had never changed. Once ready I set off from the car park across the road and down a short lane across a footbridge. Following the signs for Cwm Bwchel I turned right and headed up the side of the hill past Cwm Bwchel farm beside the stream up to Bal-Bach. When I was here in 2000, still a rookie on my second trip to the Black Mountains, I had headed up the southern side of the valley rather than the northern side as here. If memory serves I think I was directed that way (probably via Troed rhiw-mon) by a sign that indicated the other way was blocked. I think I must have made a mistake five years ago, but there were no such worries this time as I quickly reached the col at the top of the valley. Five years before I had headed back down the hill across the moorland to the east of Bal-Mawr bypassing a hill that I had not been up until this day.

Heading uphill I achieved the summit of Bal-Mawr which is blessed with a Trig Point but sadly is a couple of metres short of the all important two thousand feet mark. The weather on top of the hill was very cold with a strong westerly wind that tested my winter clothing to its utmost. I couldn't help thinking about what I must have been wearing that day five years before. I had worn jeans and the cheap pair of walking boots that I had bought when I'd first started walking, which was a world of difference from what I was now wearing especially in the footwear. This weekend I was wearing my third ever pair of walking boots, Karrimor KSB 300 GTX, which I had recently bought and was now being subjected to its first mountain walk with no problems to report. If I was wearing the clothes that I'd worn five years before I think I would have had serious problems on top of the hill, but those conditions were nothing compared with some that I have experienced over the last year or two.

Continuing along the ridge I was amazed by how narrow it was since most of the ridges in the Black Mountains are fairly wide but this one was so narrow you could see the valleys on either side, which just shows what I had been missing all these years. The highest point on the walk was passed at Chwarel y Fan Quarry before heading down to a cairn beside the stone marked on maps as the "Blacksmith's Anvil". In the thick mist and high wind I wasn't sure if the cairn was the one I wanted but a path crossing mine at that point convinced me that it was, so I headed down the north-easterly path back down into the Vale of Ewyas. As it happened that wasn't exactly the path I wanted but it soon joined the main path from the Blacksmith's Anvil. Even after all these years I still make mistakes, but don't we all!

Descending the hillside I was once again reminded of previous times when I had been down this path. Five years before during the same week though not on the same day that I had climbed up to Bal-Bach, I recall having enormous difficulty in this descent, slipping over and getting rather muddy, on more than one occasion. Don’t forget that I had been wearing those cheap boots (made by Johnscliffe, whoever they are!), they must have had very poor treads on them. My new Karrimor boots were perfect in what must have been similar conditions underfoot, which just shows what three times the price can do! As I descended the hillside it started raining and a rainbow appeared with the end of the rainbow in Capel-y-Ffin at the head of the Vale of Ewyas. Since 1999 Capel-y-Ffin has  held a special place in my heart so that rainbow endorsed my feelings about the place and for this whole valley. For me it really is like a pot of gold. After eating my lunch sitting on the bridge over the Nant Bwch in Capel-y-Ffin I headed up the hill to the east of the hamlet (it's must be too small to be called a village, probably too small to be called a hamlet as it's just one house and a church!).

This path is very special to me. I have walked either up or down it many times and every time I have been struck by the amazing views that it affords of the valley. The bowl shaped glacial valley is shown at its best half way up the path and I have always had to stop while on the path to admire the view. I went up this path on my very first day in the Black Mountains on a hot day at the beginning of September in 1999 and at a similar time of the day as now, that is only about an hour past midday. I remember sweating buckets on that first climb and really struggling to get up the admittedly steep path. This time however it was a much colder day and even though I have put on a bit of weight over the winter I am still lighter than I was five years before and I hope considerably fitter. I had no real difficulty and relished experiencing the path on which I have many fond memories again. Despite the difficulties of five and a half years before I remember feeling ecstatic sitting on a stile enjoying the shade from the sun in the wood near the Vision Farm. The sheer joy of that experience has stayed with me and fuelled my walking ever since. That is why I hold this path in such high regard and why I keep coming back to it even now two and a half years since I was last on the path (and as I recall that walk in 2002 had been for old times sake being a reverse of the first walk I did in the Black Mountains in 1999).

Eventually I reached the pile of stones that marks the crossing of the Offa's Dyke Path on top of the ridge. Turning right I headed south-east along the ridge mimicking the walk I did five years before when I'd walked to Bal-Bach before descending slowly down into the valley. That walk had been the second time I ascended the hill from Capel-y-Ffin; curiously it wasn't until I descended it on my next trip to the Black Mountains that I discovered the correct way up the hill. Both those times up I went the wrong way not once, but twice! As I proceeded along the ridge it occurred to me that that walk five years before had taken me all day to complete having arrived back at Llanthony Priory after 5 pm. My walk now was surely longer and yet I reached the path to descend to Llanthony at 2.30, which was far too early. I guess I really must walk a lot quicker these days (especially when going up hill). I then remembered that I had never walked along the Offa's Dyke Path between the two paths from Llanthony so I continued along the ridge south until I reached the col just before Hatterall Hill. On my second ever day in the Black Mountains I walked from Llanthony Priory onto the ridge at this point and headed south along the Offa's Dyke Path past the remains of an iron age fort and round to the start of the valley at Cwmyoy. Now I returned to the Priory from this point and to my car by going over the path that I had used on that day.

All and all, this was a great walk down memory lane as well as a chance to walk a few bits of the Black Mountains that I had still never walked. From Llanthony I drove up the valley to the youth hostel situated just over a mile north of Capel-y-Ffin that is not only the highest hostel in either England or Wales but also one of the nicest I've ever stayed in. It was a pleasure to make its acquaintance again after all these years, so it is sad to reflect that this hostel has now closed, which is truly a great tragedy and a loss to the hostel network.

The Black Mountains Memorial Walk

Saturday 5th September 2009

Not to be confused with the Black Mountain which I’d walked over the day before this walk, this was the area where I made my first mountain walk. In fact it was almost exactly 10 years ago since my first walk in the Black Mountains that was the start of all this fun, so it was with the feeling of doing a sort of memorial walk that I parked at the top of the gospel pass where I have started many a walk in the past, and began my latest venture into the Black Mountains. My first target was Twmpa, a grassy topped hill with a steep northern face that overlooks the vast Wye Valley. The weather for this walk was less agreeable than it had been the day before being dull and overcast with a strong, cold wind blowing in from the north.

While battling these winds I followed the edge of the escarpment past the summit of Twmpa, down to the top of a valley and up to the top of the vast broad hill of Rhos Dirion. At the summit trig point I turned south-east and followed the top of the long, muddy ridge as it slowly descends and narrows towards Chwarel y Fan. Eventually I reached a cairn marked on maps as the Blacksmith’s Anvil, but I have no idea whether the messy pile of stones I’d reached was the actual blacksmith’s anvil or whether it even still exists. What I had found didn’t deserve such a grand title. The first time I visited the Blacksmith’s Anvil was on my second visit to the Black Mountains at Easter 2000 when I remember slipping all the way down the hill in my cheap boots. There were no such difficulties on this occasion as I turned left and descended steeply down a rocky path into the Vale of Ewyas and the picturesque hamlet of Capel-y-Ffin.

Now began the climb that was most memorable ten years ago when I climbed the steep hillside above Capel-y-FFin in hot weather. This time the weather was much cooler and hopefully I am fitter than I was ten years ago. Since that first occasion I have done this climb many times, and in both directions, and I have never failed to be thrilled by its stunning views of the sweeping curves of the valley. This was a fitting memorial to that first walk, but did I have to copy it so closely at this point? On that occasion I made a mistake and lost the path while still near the bottom of the valley, and now I did exactly the same thing coming across the river, Afon Honddu. Shamefully I crawled back up the hill and rejoined the path which hadn’t descended to the river and continued on my way thinking that I needed to do this path more often! It is almost five years since I was last on it and it was showing. When I reached the Offa’s Dyke Path at the top of the ridge I hunkered down on the ground and had my lunch. After eating I continued over the ridge dropping down again, into the Olchon Valley. I'd visited this valley only once before and I was keen to repeat my earlier walk along the narrowest and probably the best ridge in the Black Mountains. After successfully crossing the farmland at the bottom of the Olchon Valley I began the steep climb up to the top of Black Hill, and the fabulously narrow ridge of Crib y Garth. This ridge is narrow by the standards of anywhere and is a great walk along the often rocky top of the ridge before it finally widens beyond the summit and becomes standard heather-clad moorland once more. My walk continued through gorgeous in-bloom heather-clad moorland back to the Offa’s Dyke Path and across to Hay Bluff and the stunning views of the Wye Valley once again.

Twmpa and Hay Bluff were my first mountains but they were not the highest point of that walk ten years ago. That was actually on the ridge that the Offa’s Dyke Path passes over which surpasses 700 metres. From Hay Bluff a short walk led me down the easy slope while battling winds back to my car. This was a fabulous memorial walk and made me think that it would be a good idea to return in five years time for another memorial in this area that means so much to me. Even though Twmpa and Hay Bluff were my first mountains I don't think they are essential for a memorial walk, nor even an exact replica of that first walk, which this certainly wasn't as it was considerably longer! All that is really required for a memorial walk in the Black Mountains is that climb from Capel-y-Ffin as that was the defining moment of the walk and always screams to be repeated. That climb was a defining moment in my life where I started mountain walking and has to be memorialised. I will be definitely making a date five years from now, wherever I am, to come back to the Black Mountains and do a memorial walk over these fabulous hills once again.

The Black Mountain

Friday 4th September 2009

Finally on this walk I had some good weather during my holiday with hardly any rain at all. I had now moved south to an area I visited frequently five to ten years ago, the Brecon Beacons National Park, and coming back to the area was really bringing back memories of the many trips that I had used to make there. My first mountain walks were in the Brecon Beacons and now I’ve moved on to bigger and better things! It has been three years since I was last there, but on this walk I was visiting an area I’d not been in since 2003. The Black Mountain covers a vast area on the western part of the park, but I’ve only ever walked in one corner of the mountain, and this walk was no different as most of the Black Mountain is a vast featureless upland with little of interest. The most interesting point on the Black Mountain is its highest point at its north-eastern corner so that has always been my target for any walk there. This walk was in fact a variation of the one I made in 2003 except that it was being walked in the reverse direction.

As before I parked near the Gwyn Arms pub but the walk was started at the foot of the long ridge of Fan Hir, rather than ending there. Once into open country I veered away from my 2003 route by staying below the steep slope of the ridge, rather than on top of it, following the course of the Beacons Way as it climbs up the hillside with the steep slopes of Fan Hir ever to my right. The weather was fantastic as I climbed beside the stream, Nant Tawe Fechan, until I neared the top where the wind picked up. While braving the cold wind I made my way up to Llyn y Fan Fawr, which is a really picturesque lake in its mountain setting. I hadn’t visited this lake on my previous visits to the Black Mountain, so it was extra special for me to be able to finally visit this most beautiful lake. A manufactured path beside the lake had clearly not being able to cope with the excessive rain of the previous days and was showing signs of erosion as a result. I found it bizarrely amusing that the path had failed to cope with the bad weather, how malicious am I! Climbing up the steep path by the lake I reached the summit of the Black Mountain at Fan Brycheiniog, where I had lunch in the shelter.

Moving on I kept to the edge of the escarpment as I walked around the high tops at the north eastern corner of the Black Mountain. The views were stunning and the walking was great despite the strong winds. All too soon unfortunately I came to the end of the escarpment at Bannau Sir Gaer so I moved away from the edge across the featureless, boggy moor trying to find a path. Eventually I found a faint one and followed it down over a stream, the infant Avon Twrch, and on for hours across the moor as the path gradually became better and clearer while the terrain became increasingly more interesting. To my right the upland stretched for miles across featureless moorland crossed by few paths with little variation in height. Once my path improved however, I was able to enjoy the walk across the vast moorland passing many shake holes and rocky outcrops as I made my way back to my car. In 2003 I visited many of the tops of the significant outcrops along the way rarely touching the path, but this time I stuck to the path all the way as it slowly dropped down to the main road. I quite enjoyed this walk, if only because the weather was good, which was a welcome change. The climb up to the lake was good in the sunshine while the walk alongside the edge of the escarpment was spectacular and the traverse of the moorland was very relaxing. So a good walk then.

Cadair Idris

Wednesday 2nd September 2009

Cadair Idris was the latest mountain in my round of Great Welsh Mountains and the latest mountain for me to become drenched on. In the morning, though, the weather was very good as it wasn't raining, and briefly the sun even came out. I parked near the Minffordd Hotel so I could walk up Cadair Idris by the same route that I had used last time, in 2004, which is the best route, the Minffordd Path. After paying my parking fee I proceeded up the path that climbs steeply beside the Nant Cadair, past many stunning waterfalls. After a long tiring climb the path finally levelled off and I was able to enjoy the surroundings in the increasingly good weather.

On reaching Llyn Cau I walked to the shore and had a good look around while taking many pictures. The cliffs around the lake are stunning and give the surroundings a great alpine atmosphere that must rank as one of the best in Wales. Reluctantly I left the side of the lake and returned to the path climbing up to the top of the cirque along the rocky top to Craig Cwm Amarch. This was a fantastic walk on wonderfully rugged terrain in surprisingly good weather. By now the clouds had lifted from the summit of Cadair Idris and the sun was out as I enjoyed the best weather I had experienced all week. It was looking like it was going to be a fantastic day, except for the dark clouds that were quickly approaching. Continuing the climb along the top of the cliffs, Craig Cau, I descended to a col and up the steep rocky slope to the summit of Cadair Idris. By the time I reached the top it was already covered in clouds and rain was not far off.

Going for shelter in the small building near the summit I had my lunch and planned my onward route while heavy rain hammered into the roof. When I went up Cadair Idris in 2004 I had walked along the eastern ridge all the way to the end at Gau Craig but that had been in excellent weather. Now, when I eventually emerged from the shelter during a lull in the storm there were fleeting views of the Mawddach estuary, but the bad weather had not gone far. By the time I’d walked a short distance across the summit plateau it had started raining again and I knew what route I would take down. I would descend by the usual return route for the Minffordd Path down the southern slopes of Mynydd Moel.

Soon the clouds had enveloped me once again which made route finding a little tricky especially at one point when I wasn't sure where to go until the clouds opened up slightly and opportunely. The terrain at this point was particularly rock-strewn and I would have been quite enjoyable had I been able to see anything as I was perched near the top of steep ground. The views in good weather across the Llyn Cau bowl from this point must be tremendous. Eventually I reached a stile over a fence where the path subsequently followed the fence down the hillside through a beautiful display of heather. One of the advantages of walking at this time of the year is the heather that populates many a moor and mountain landscape, but this was a particularly fine display of that most dominant of moorland plants. The path continued down the hill and crossed the Nant Cau rejoining my outward route. This walk had some fantastic moments, mainly in ascent when the weather was good, but the terrain at the top of the mountain was always first class. It’s a pity the descent was spoiled by rain and thick cloud, but I was getting used to that by now! Even in the rain this mountain didn’t fail to satisfy, it is most assuredly one of the Great Welsh Mountains.

The Nantlle Ridge and Cnicht

Tuesday 1st September 2009

My tour of the greatest mountains in Wales continued with the Nantlle Ridge, a fabulous narrow ridge near Snowdon. After parking near the village of Rhyd Ddu I set off across sodden fields and up the steep unrelenting slope of Y Garn. This is a fabulous path that has not been blighted as others have been in the area: it’s not been manufactured, so it’s simply formed by the tread of many walkers in the past, including myself. I have climbed this slope several times and each time I have been rained on during the climb; as this was the norm for this week it’s obvious I was also rained on this time as several showers passed over me before eventually I reached the summit of Y Garn and the northern end of the Nantlle Ridge. Astonishingly I had clear views from the top as the skies cleared and from this point I began a fantastic walk scrambling along the top of the ridge. The scramble up to Mynydd Drws-y-coed is first rate, while the sheer cliffs to my right and the wet rocks ensured a hair-raising experience. I have never been on this ridge in good weather, so I was enjoying the clear views that I now had, but as I reached the top of the mountain clouds descended onto the ridge and normal service was resumed. While battling strong winds I made my way along the ridge to the top of Trum y Ddysgyl. With the Nantlle Ridge half complete I sadly had to leave it behind and make my way back down into the valley. The Nantlle Ridge is a wonderful walk, it’s really quite special, but it does not lend itself easily to round walks so after walking along the best part of the ridge, the scramble up Mynydd Drws-y-coed, I decided to descend the south ridge of Trum y Ddysgyl and go elsewhere for another walk.

Near the bottom of the descent I looked back at the Nantlle Ridge and found the whole ridge completely clear of clouds. I was almost angry with the ridge for waiting until I’d descended before clearing! Fortunately it didn’t stay clear for long. At the bottom of the grassy ridge is the pass, Bwlch-y-Ddwy-elor, where I joined a bridlepath that passes through into a lovely display of the pink flowers of heather. One of the advantages of walking at this time of the year is the wonderful colour of the heather-clad moors that make a real treat of what at other times is dull terrain. On plunging into a wood a wet, muddy path took me all the way down to my car. Immediately, I drove through the Pass of Aberglaslyn to the village of Croesor and a car park where I had my lunch.

After I had eaten I began the second walk of the day as I climbed up to the top of a mountain that is sometimes described as the Welsh Matterhorn, for its conical appearance from Croesor: Cnicht. Climbing steeply at first I turned into an area of heather and bracken where Cnicht could be seen ahead of me looking intimidatingly steep, but annoyingly with its top covered in clouds. As I climbed higher the path became more fun as rock was more prevalent while the gradient was steeper. After much fun I plunged into the clouds with the howling wind blowing around me and soon, after more scrambling, I reached the summit, where I found a grassy ridge behind the perfect mountain peak. This was still fun to walk along until the ridge deteriorated and widened into moorland where I had to take great care in the poor weather as I made my way across the moor to a path that crossed mine.

Turning right I followed this path across the undulating terrain, though it does not seem to agree with that on the map but parallels it heading south past the lakes, LLynnau Diffwys, until I reached the bottom of the saddle on the top of Cwm Croesor at a miners' road. Turning right it was really fun walking along this track that was perched high above the valley on a ledge that would have required some great engineering in its construction, but soon stopped at the top of a steep incline down to the valley floor. An attempt to descend the incline in the wet weather would have been suicide so I sensibly decided to return along the track to the point where I’d joined it. There I found a much more disintegrated miners' path that descended over a stream and ingeniously crossed the slopes of the southern side of the valley. I love miners’ tracks on mountains because even though the mining ceased decades ago they remain as a testament to the skill of those long-forgotten miners.

Before long I was at the top of another incline though this one was grass covered and less steep. Without a moment's thought I took the plunge and started walking down the incline but soon, inevitably, I slipped over on the wet grass so deliberately allowed myself to slide all the way down on my backside. There’s not a more fun way down a hillside! At the bottom I walked along the bed of an old tramway all the way back to Croesor. Despite the bad weather and the difficulties with the path on the moor I really enjoyed this walk, especially the climb up Cnicht, a truly great mountain. This is a fascinating area from a mining point of view and I would love to return and explore the old miners’ tracks some more, but preferably when it’s not raining. I’m getting a bit fed up of being rained on.

Snowdon via the Horns

Monday 31st August 2009

Once again for an August Bank Holiday up Snowdon it was raining and for the second day running I had heavy rain, low cloud and strong winds. I was becoming resigned to not being lucky with the weather on this holiday. After parking in Nant Peris car park I caught the bus up to Pen-y-pass. I am astonished at how expensive it's becoming to walk up Snowdon these days. The parking at Pen-y-pass is now £6 and there's even a ticket machine in the Nant Peris car park, though fortunately on the day of this walk it was covered up. On reaching Pen-y-pass I started along the Miner's Track, but I didn't get very far along the track before branching off onto a faint path that climbed the hill to the right. This is a well designed path that zigzags up the hillside towards a line of hills called the Horns. In all my expeditions up Snowdon I’d never been over the mighty Horns of Snowdon before, probably because they are a small line of hills that are no more than two thousand feet high whereas Snowdon is more than three and a half thousand feet high. Nevertheless it was enjoyable to walk over the undulating tops, especially in the low cloud. Looking at an old map it would appear that the well designed path that I took at first was the original route of the Pyg Track built by miners hundreds of years ago before the steeper, rougher modern track was built that passes through Bwlch Moch. I didn’t stay on this path for long though as it doesn’t go over the top of the Horns but crosses the western slopes. Keeping to the top I passed over the highest points on the Horns relishing the bad weather that was making these low hills much more dramatic than they actually are. If I’d been able to see Crib Goch and Snowdon towering over me then the Horns would have seemed as insignificant as they actually are but in this weather they were the mighty Horns of Snowdon. From the top of the Horns I descended onto the Pyg Track at Bwlch Moch and followed the path all the way up to Snowdon.

The Pyg Track has become badly eroded in recent years, probably due to poor construction of the path in the past. The main problem appears to be a lack of drainage so when it rains heavily (which happens occasionally in Wales) the water pours down the path washing it away. Drainage is the single most important consideration in path construction but the people who built the current surface of the Pyg Track failed to take that into account. I am not a great fan of constructed paths but when it has to be done then the least that they can do is make sure they do a good job so someone doesn’t have to come along a few years later and do it all over again as is clearly going to be done here. Footpath construction is expensive; if the path isn’t going to last very long then it's money down the drain. Rant over. Eventually the brilliance of the original designers of the Pyg Track was revealed as the path cunningly crosses the hillside below Crib Goch incorporating some fun little scrambles up the natural rock faces. Despite the terrible condition of the path in places and the strong wind and rain, I still quite enjoyed this walk, especially once the scrambling started.

After battling the strong wind I eventually reached the Llanberis path at Bwlch Glas and made my way up the steepening slope to the summit of Snowdon. After visiting my old friend, the summit, I tried to get into the new visitor centre and found that it was closed, again. Last time I was here, in March, the centre hadn’t opened yet so it was understandable, but the centre opened in June and there were workers in the centre, but since the train wasn’t running it was shut. Instead I sheltered, as I had the last time, behind the centre, the most expensive wind-break in the world, and had my lunch. After eating I made my way down off the mountain, quite happy to be getting away from the wind and rain. My route of descent was the Llanberis path, a route that I've not used since February 2004 when I took a group of friends up Snowdon under clear blue skies. This path seems to be in just as bad a condition as the Pyg Track though there are signs that work is being done to repair the old repairs to the path. The weather gradually improved as I descended though the rain was never far away. Once in Llanberis I had a look around the tourist trap before quickly leaving along the main road making my way back to Nant Peris.

Nant Peris is a spectacular valley but it is difficult to walk in, which is a great tragedy. I was able to walk through the Nant Peris Park and enjoyed this small part of the valley, but relics of former quarrying and high, sheer walls on either side of the valley that stretched all the way up to Pen-y-pass bar any route up to the top for walkers and that is really frustrating as it is a stunning valley that can only be enjoyed from a car. During my walk through the valley of Nant Peris, returning to the car park, I enjoyed the best weather of the day, a brief respite from the rain, but despite the bad weather that accompanied me for most of the time it wasn’t a bad walk. I really enjoyed walking over the Horns and Snowdon is always a delight, despite the poor quality of the paths. I believe it is possible that if the paths had been left them alone in the first place they wouldn’t be in the condition that they are in now.

The Carneddau

Sunday 30th August 2009

This time last year on the August Bank Holiday Monday the weather was terrible and this year I seemed to be having similar weather with persistent rain, low cloud and high winds. Last year I went up Snowdon in bad weather so when I woke up to rain this year I decided it would be the Carneddau that would get the bad weather treatment and unfortunately the rain would continue for the rest of the week. I had decided that I wanted to do a repeat of the very first walk I made over the Carneddau in 2003 when I was still quite green as far as hill walking is concerned. The weather on that occasion was much better and served as an excellent introduction to the delights of the Carneddau and to scrambling. After driving over from the youth hostel I parked near where I’d started my walk the day before, below Tryfan. The walk began by going past a farm at the western end of Llyn Ogwen and up a very muddy path marked by wooden posts beside the stream, Afon Lloer with views through the mist of a rainbow around Cwm Idwal. Eventually I reached Ffynnon Lloer where I had a look at the lake and the low cloud that lingered around the cliffs that surround. Returning to the path I climbed up the east ridge of Pen Yr Ole Wen on a fabulous scramble that I remember from the last time I was here in 2003. It was a good introduction to the delights of scrambling being an easy and short climb, but in stunning surroundings, however, I’m sure I remember not enjoying the scramble back in 2003. Now I enjoyed it immensely despite the shortness and the ease of the climb, but of course back in 2003 I had never done anything like that before having before this point mostly walked along grassy ridges. Its amazing how back then I preferred a grassy ridge to a rocky slope. How things change! Once at the top I followed the ridge to the summit of Pen Yr Ole Wen and from there I followed the ridge over the large cairn of Carnedd Fach and up to the top of Carnedd Daffydd. Beyond the summit I continued along the boulder-strewn ridge taking extra care not to slip on the wet, slippery rocks. This is a fabulous ridge but the weather was making it quite tricky. I feel that thick mist adds a closed-in, slightly comforting feeling to a walk. It gives me the feeling that I am walking miles away from civilisation and from anybody else, when, in fact, this isn’t the case. I suppose the challenge of braving the bad conditions is also part of the appeal of walking in weather like this. However the wind was very strong which was making the traverse quite unpleasant at times but eventually I managed to climb up to the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn where I had my lunch while listening to the Belgian Grand Prix.

After lunch I descended the grassy slopes of the southern ridge until it narrowed into a wonderful walk with rock under foot along a narrow ridge. It was an absolute delight to walk. Why had it taken me so long to do this walk again? There were some great scrambling moments that were made particularly tricky in the wet conditions, particularly at the end of the narrow ridge as I climbed up to the top of Pen Yr Helgi Du. I am sure that even when I did this part of the walk back in 2003 I loved this section including the scramble at the end. Despite not liking the scramble to Pen Yr Ole Wen I had been won over by the wonderful delights of the walk over the Carneddau and was thoroughly enjoying the scrambling moments even though  I was now in considerably worse weather. Once at the top I made a gentle scroll through the strong wind and rain along the wide grassy ridge down to a water channel which I followed to a tarmac road. Dropping steeply down this track took me back to the main road where a walk along the road eventually brought me to my car. Despite the awful weather I really enjoyed this walk mainly because it was over such fantastic mountains. This is one of the best walks in Wales and in years past acted as my introduction to scrambling. During this week in Wales I was aiming to do some of the greatest walks over the greatest mountains in Wales. Even in bad weather this was just such a great walk.

Cwm Idwal and Tryfan

Saturday 29th August 2009

To start of a week in Wales I visited an area of outstanding and dramatic rock scenery: Cwm Idwal, which seems to draw me back again and again even though it only a small area. The weather was poor throughout this walk and gave me the first downpour of the holiday, which was unfortunately something I would become tired of by the end of the week. After spending the morning driving over the lovely purple heather covered moors of the Peak District from Sheffield I started the walk at lunchtime parked below the impressive tower of rock known as Tryfan. I wanted to explore possible routes out of Cwm Idwal on this walk so I started by climbing up the path towards Y Garn before going off to look at a prospective path that climbs beside the stream to Llyn Clyd. This ultimately proved futile even though I did find a faint path beside the stream that would favour exploration another time. Moving back into Cwm Idwal I made my way across the heather clad slopes of the cwm while rain began to fall heavily, though it was short-lived. Upon reaching the fantastic Cwm Idwal path I climbed to the top of the coomb in the mouth of Twll Du, the Devils Kitchen, before descending along the path back down to the shores of Llyn Idwal. Leaving the main path behind I climbed the grassy hillside towards the bottom of the Y Gribin ridge. I had never been on this path before and I was really just following the clearest path I could find which seemed to be actually going towards the Nameless Cwm and hard scrambling territory. After finding the proper path again I passed over the top of the ridge to the lake, Llyn Bochlwyd where I joined the heavily constructed path that took me up to Bwlch Tryfan in rocky surroundings that were a sheer delight. After all my off-path excursions in Cwm Idwal it was wonderful to be able to relax and follow a clear path while enjoying the spectacular scenery. At the pass I took a path on the eastern side of Tryfan to the col with the far south top and scrambled all the way up the rocky terrain to the summit. Tryfan is one of the few mountains in Britain that can’t be walked up, even though the necessary scramble from this direction is relatively easy. In the damp conditions, however, it was a little tricky as the rocks were slippery but it was all right so long as I was careful. This was not the weather for a hard scramble (for me no weather is!). On reaching the summit it was very windy even though it hadn’t rained for a while so I turned around and headed back down to the col and onto the Heather Terrace.

I had never been on the Heather Terrace before and since I like terrace paths I was looking forward to this one but I had a mixed reaction to it: it's fantastic, clearly defined and narrow at the beginning, but deteriorates lower down becoming indistinct. It was still an enjoyable descent, but not as good as it could have been or as I’d hoped. This was quite a good walk, but marred by the poor weather. The main problem was the lack of a clear objective at the beginning. It might have sounded like a good idea to explore but it lacks a goal so it was only once I was heading for Tryfan that the walk became more satisfying and purposeful. I think exploring is only something that can be done in good weather which is what I didn’t have for this walk. The various paths I found would be worth exploring, even those into the Nameless Cwm, but they would have to wait for better weather.

A Kirkstone Round

Saturday 25th July 2009

A Saturday when I wasn't working happened to coincide with good weather this summer so I got up extra early and drove to the Lake District. It is always a thrill to walk in the Lake District but this time I was walking through some stunning scenery in glorious weather over no less than ten Wainwright fells. I had parked at the car park near Brothers Water, in the valley on the northern side of the Kirkstone Pass, the highest road pass in the Lake District, and started walking through the village of Hartsop, and up the picturesque valley to the Hayeswater Reservoir. I had never been up that path before and it was a pleasant walk through a narrow valley with pretty cascades on a wide, easy track that soon ends at the bland surroundings at the mouth of the lake. The views back down the valley compensated for the bare slopes encircling the reservoir. From the dam I climbed the tedious, steep, grassy slopes of Gray Crag to the northern end of the ridge and proceeded along the top of the nicely rock-featured ridge to the summit of Gray Crag, my first Wainwright of the day.

From the top I crossed the broad ridge and up to the top of Thornthwaite Crag where the beautifully made and distinctive beacon, a tall column of stones, stands sentinel over an awesome view down to Windermere and the southern half of the Lake District. From the summit of my second Wainwright I followed the wall down the steep scree slope to Threshthwaite Mouth and climbed the fabulous rocky terrain opposite. This brilliant climb brought me up to Caudale Moor where I visited the summit at Stony Cove Pike (my third Wainwright of the day), before having a look at the stunning views towards Patterdale from the top of Caudale Head. After paying a visit to the Atkinson Memorial I resumed my walk along the top of the ridge following it all the way down the sadly dull terrain to the inn at the top of the Kirkstone Pass. I was dumfounded by the sight of helicopter bags of stones on the ridge-top path, a sure sign that the path is going to be ‘repaired’ in the near future, but I couldn’t see any reason why it needed to be. The path did seem to be a little boggy, but that was easily solved by walking on the other side of the wall, as I was.

After crossing the road I began a fabulous climb up to the top of Red Screes. This is an awesome route that snakes up the steep rocky terrain along glorious ledges, but was really tiring. Exhausted I finally reached the summit where I collapsed and had my lunch. The only other time I’d climbed Red Screes from the Kirkstone Pass was in 2006 when I did an epic walk over many fells. By the time I’d reached the top of Red Screes on that occasion I was already exhausted, but I still had a long way to go, eventually reaching the hostel in the dark. Fortunately during this walk I was refreshed after eating so with some vigour I set off down the ridge of Smallthwaite Band to Middle Dodd, my fifth Wainwright of the day. Unfortunately, there I abandoned all common sense and wore myself out by crossing the steep, craggy and boggy slopes of Red Screes to the Scandale Pass before crossing the steep grassy slopes of Little Hart Crag to my next Wainwright, the insignificant High Hartsop Dodd.

This pointless exertion was all for the benefit of bagging two more Wanwrights for the first time. As I learnt on this walk, it is never a good idea to go out of your way to ‘bag’ a summit. If you want to visit the top of a hill it is much better to devise a logical route that incorporates that summit. Having successfully and completely worn myself out I then climbed back up the ridge to the top of Little Hart Crag before crossing the dreary landscape of Bakestones Moss to Dove Crag. Slowly I dragged myself up to the top of the popular fell where Fairfield Horseshoe walkers were common place. Following the crowds I crossed over to Hart Crag before leaving most of the crowds behind and ventured down the deliciously steep, rocky fell onto the Hartsop Above How ridge. Although I had been down the rocky fellside before I had never been along the Hartsop Above How ridge before this walk, but by now I was feeling so tired I fear I was unable to really appreciate it. Following the ridge I passed over the top of my tenth Wainwright of the day gradually descending as I made my way along the top of the ridge. At a stile I came off the ridge and walked through bracken and later steeply down through woodland back to the car park. This was a fabulous walk in good weather but it was awfully tiring. There were some fabulous moments, most notably the steep, rocky climbs up to Caudale Moor and up to Red Screes, but the diversions to bag Middle Dodd and High Hartsop Dodd were unnecessary and a waste of energy. If I had left these two to be done as a separate walk then I could have maintained a straight course over the Scandale Pass, but after bagging these two Wainwrights I can now say that I have visited all the Wainwrights in the Eastern Fells and so I have now bagged all the fells in three of the seven areas of the Lake District. How sad am I?!