The Lost Walks of 2004, part two

I have no record of some of the walks I did in 2004 because I didn’t have a camera and I hadn’t started this blog. This has resulted in them disappearing without a trace except in my ever more murky memory, but with no new walks to write about at this time I am going to try to remember some more of those lost walks of 2004

Cadair Berwyn

Sunday 8th August 2004

The day after my walk over Arenig Fawr I drove to the foot of the Berwyn Hills, which is a line of hills that lies outside Snowdonia even though the highest point is of quite considerable height, 832 metres. I was following the directions for the walk from the Walking Britain website, but had a problem as soon as I had parked where suggested. At the time the parking for the walk was on the corner of the road through Cwm Maen Gwynedd beside Tyn-y-ffridd farm, but soon after getting out of my car I was told I couldn’t park there as it would prevent farm vehicles from making the corner. I was advised to try parking beside the bridge over the Afon Iwrch where there were a few spaces. The Walking Britain website now says, “Parking is restricted [by the farm] and you may have to park further back down the road.” After parking correctly I headed back past the farm and up a lane past Maes farm to reach the corner of a conifer plantation as I steeply climbed the northern slopes of the valley. My abiding memory of the weather during this walk is the wind, which was exceptional threatening to knock me over and there was also a storm forecast to arrive before the end of the day.

Eventually I reached the top of the conifer plantation beside the cairn on Mynydd Tarw where a boggy ridge led me towards the main Berwyn range. Despite the wind I think I had clear views, but with no pictures taken during the walk I don’t know. Walking along the boggy ridge I passed over Foel Wen and Tomle before turning right across the craggy escarpment of the Berwyns on a bridlepath that crosses the range at Bwlch Maen Gwynedd where I turned north towards the northernmost peak in the Berwyns, Cadair Bronwen, where I seem to recall there was a large cairn, which the internet confirms. I had been trying to wear a wide-brimmed hat on this walk, possibly for the first time, but by this point the strong winds made this utterly futile so I guess I must have given up at this point. Turning back around I followed the cliff edge to the highest point in the Berwyn Hills, Cadair Berwyn, whose trig point is apparently not at the highest point. I returned to the Berwyns in 2008 just before Christmas, when the picture below was taken, but the weather was considerably more wintry.

Passing over the highest point I made my way to the final peak in the range, Moel Sych before turning around and at the col, before climbing back up to Cadair Berwyn, I turned right across the steep escarpment on a narrow path joining a fence that passes over Moel yr Ewig. My onward route was clear although I could also see the rapidly approaching storm clouds, so I hastily made my way down the ridge passing over the slight rise of Godor before descending through grassy fields to pick up a footpath down to the road in the valley where I had parked my car. The promised rain started half way down and was so heavy I was quite soaked by the time I reached my car. These hills are rarely visited and although I returned in 2008 I have never been back since. There is a dramatic escarpment facing east, but all the other slopes are vast, dreary, boggy moorland with little appeal except that you are unlikely to meet another person. Cadair Berwyn is the highest point in Wales outside of a National Park and for that it must merit more attention.

Saturday 28th August 2004

Moel Siabod and Moel Hebog

My holiday in Snowdonia in 2004 started with an epic trek up two mountains that are separated by ten miles, but I didn’t walk between them. My first walking holiday in Snowdonia was the year before and I was keen to return and do some of the other hills in the area. I started with Moel Siabod and completely failed to do my intended route. I returned in 2005 to attempt again and failed again, and it was only in 2007 that I finally succeeded to climb the Daear Ddu ridge. The key difference is the route that I had taken around Llyn y Foel. In 2004 I had kept to the foot of the steep ground below Moel Siabod and this seemed to lead me onto a steep run of stones in the corner of Daear Ddu and Moel Siabod. This mountain proved to be a real nemesis for me so once I had succeeded in doing the ascent I wanted I didn’t come back until 2019 when I once again managed to complete the whole walk as intended. Moel Siabod is a rather isolated mountain that doesn’t lend itself to long walks so I was back at my car by lunchtime.

Driving to the busy little tourist-filled village of Beddgelert I eventually managed to find a place to park opposite the Royal Goat Hotel despite the Bank Holiday traffic. I set off along a path that now runs alongside the Welsh Mountain Railway, but in 2004 ran alongside the remains of the old railway that has subsequently been rebuilt. Heading uphill I eventually took the excellent path up the great mountain that I climbed again in 2009 and in 2019. The other two times I had poor weather, but I can’t remember what the weather was like for this walk so it may have been good. I remember that after climbing Moel Hebog I crossed the gap of Bwlch Meillionen to reach the top of Moel yr Ogof and Moel Lefn before descending into the Beddgelert Forest. I have little memory of this walk, but Moel Hebog left a profound impression on me that encouraged a return visit four years later, but it is disappointing that the weather has not been friendly to me when climbing it as it is a fine mountain that deserves much more.