The Lost Walks of 2004, part three

The Nantlle Ridge

Sunday 29th August 2004

I am continuing to look at my walks that have disappeared into the mists of time having taken place before I started this blog and before I got a camera so my only record is my faulty memory. The weather on this walk was terrible as I parked in the village of Rhyd-Ddu and crossed the River Gwyrfai before climbing the steep grassy slopes of Y Garn on a path that I remember being sketchy, but is probably much clearer now. It was raining as I made the climb and I was soon enveloped in clouds so by the time I reached the top I had no view. Somewhere around there I must have bumped into someone else who was also walking the Nantlle ridge as I remember setting off along the ridge with him. On the narrowest part of the ridge, around Mynydd Drws-y-coed, it was very windy and my woolly hat was whipped off my head by the wind and disappeared down the steep eastern slopes followed by a desperate search from me. My fellow walker immediately said I wouldn’t see the hat again and he was proved right as I reluctantly gave up looking for it and grumpily joined him back on the narrow ridge. Fortunately after this point the weather started to improve so that by the time we reached the tall obelisk on Mynydd Tal-y-mignedd the sun was out and it was becoming a very nice day.

Continuing along the fabulous ridge we dropped down to Bwlch Dros-bern where we tackled the crags of Craig Pennant head on. At the cairn on Craig Cwm Silyn my fellow walker decided he’d walked far enough and turned back while I wanted to keep going to the next peak on the ridge even though the ridge was now broadening tediously. With little variation in height I reached the cairn and trig point on Garnedd Goch where I had extensive views out to sea into the vast Cardigan Bay. Now my problem was how to get back to Rhyd-Ddu with no obvious route except for simply turning around and retracing my steps all the way back. Instead, I descended the pathless eastern slopes eventually reaching the end of the road in Cwm Pennant. I think I had some challenges trying to get down, but I don’t remember any of the details so I was left to take the bridleway through Bwlch-y-Ddwy-elor into Beddgelert Forest finally returning to my car after a walk that I must have felt needed to be done again as I was back in 2005. However, I again had bad weather and this time it didn’t improve so I was back in 2009 and had bad weather again. I have never had much luck with the Nantlle ridge.

Cnicht and the Moelwyns

Monday 30th August 2004

For my final walk over the August Bank Holiday weekend in 2004 I moved south to the tiny village of Croesor that lies at the foot of one of the most distinctive mountains in Wales, Cnicht. As I climbed out of the village and turned towards the mountain, Cnicht looked increasingly dramatic with a sharp peak that stands out against the horizon. This was a very satisfying climb as I slowly approached the summit on steepening terrain until finally I reached the top only to find that behind the summit was not an equally steep descent, but a flat ridge. This may spoil the view from the east but the spectacular view from the west remains and when ascended from this direction proves to be very satisfying climb although it is disappointing that beyond the summit the terrain broadens and deteriorates significantly. At the time I had a meaningless desire to reach the top of all the mountains in Wales so I felt compelled to cross the undulating landscape and climb to the top of shallow rise of Ysgafell Wen before nipping up Moel Druman and then I crossed over to Allt-fawr. Having done that worthless task I passed by Llyn Conglog and dropped down into Bwlch Cwmorthin to the abandoned mine buildings that litter this area.

Climbing past the disused quarries I assume I diverted to the top of Moel-yr-hydd and may have also bagged Foel Ddu, although since that doesn’t reach two thousand feet I may not have bothered. I certainly reached the top of Moelwyn Mawr as this is the highest point in the immediate area and from there crossed the gloriously craggy ground that lies between Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach. I returned to this area in 2019 to do a version of this walk visiting the same mountains but from the other side starting with the Moelwyns. They are fabulous mountains with plenty of rock adorning their eastern slopes and the traverse of the two is an excellent exercise in route selection, however I have no memory of my walk between them in 2004. I vaguely remember being at the trig point on Moelwyn Mawr and I have a clear memory of the descent down the gentle grassy slopes of Moelwyn Bach, but nothing else. It is annoying that I have a better memory of walking along the road back into Croesor than I have of the tremendous rocky traverse between the Moelwyns. That is why I have described these as the lost walks as they have almost become lost in my memory following many other fabulous mountain walks in later years.