The Malvern Hills

Saturday 8th March 2025

I have desired to walk over the Malvern Hills for a long time, and I didn’t realise how long that had been until just before this walk when I was looking through some old files and I found some pages I had downloaded from the walkingbritain.co.uk website of various walks over the Malvern Hills in 2001. A forecast of sunshine and unseasonably warm weather in March prompted me to take the opportunity and catch a train to Malvern getting off at the Malvern Link station where I walked along the road towards the impressive line of hills ahead of me. My starting point was at a car park on the North Malvern Road, which rises over the northern shoulder of the hills, and where I started to follow a walk from the BBC Countryfile Magazine called Malvern Hills ridge walk. A clear stony path led me up the hill, zigzagging several times and soon provided me with extensive views across the Worcestershire plain, though the distant views were very hazy. A maze of paths provided me with many options for ascending the hill and I soon lost the prescribed route, but I wasn’t too bothered by this as I made my way around the northern slopes while admiring the awesome views.

After gazing at the views over End Hill I finally turned my attention to North Hill which I had been circumnavigating to slowly climb onto the windswept summit where the hazy views were on display in all directions including south along the ridge towards Worcestershire Beacon, the highest point in the Malvern Hills. I enjoyed this climb and relished the opportunity to stretch my legs over the many tops along the ridge so I was disappointed to discover that the prescribed route avoids all of the tops between North Hill and Worcestershire Beacon and decided that I would ignore the route and bag each and every peak I found, keeping to the top of the ridge the whole way. My first target was Table Hill which lies to the west of North Hill and after that I proceeded along the ridgeline of Sugarloaf Hill before finally climbing steeply up to the crowded top of Worcestershire Beacon.

I didn’t linger, but maintained a brisk pace along the top of the ridge with awesome views ahead of me along the range of hills until eventually I reached Wyche Gap, a pass through the Malvern Hills, where I stopped for my lunch while gazing west into Herefordshire. My onward route carried me up over Perseverance Hill and Jubilee Hill before I finally reached Pinnacle Hill where the Countryfile Magazine ridge walk turns back, but I was having too much fun to stop now so I kept going over Black Hill, gradually descending to eventually reach Wynds Point where another road crosses the mostly impenetrable line of hills. Before me now was the steep slope of Herefordshire Beacon, also known as British Camp after the vast Iron Age hill fort at the top and an exhilarating climb took me all the way up to the windswept summit, but I didn’t stop there as I continued south over Millennium Hill before finally dropping off the eastern slopes. The Malvern Hills technically don’t end at this point but on Chase End Hill several miles away, but the continuing hills are less than a thousand feet high and I needed to get back so I turned left onto a bridleway that crosses the eastern slopes and soon brought me back to Wynds Point where I wearily climbed the ridge again.

I had hoped to avoid any more climbing, but that was frustratingly not possible, though I did take advantage of several paths that bypassed some of the peaks until after bypassing Black Hill I crossed the ridge and joined a bridleway that traverses the eastern slopes of the hill before turning north to head back to the start along the originally proscribed route. This took me into woodland for an extended walk that often seemed to be climbing back up the side of the hill when all I wanted was a flat traverse, but instead the path kept undulating up and down, through the woodland below Perseverance Hill. At Wyche Gap a stretch of road walking followed before the path continued through woodland weaving exhaustingly up and down the slopes of Worcestershire Beacon, past St Ann’s Well and around the slopes of North Hill. Eventually I came off the return route of the Countryfile Magazine’s ridge walk to descend onto a road that took me back to the railway station through Link Common where a seasonally early appearance of celandines provided me with a pleasant end to the walk. This was a strenuous walk, which was precisely what I wanted to enjoy the sunshine and remove my winter laziness in preparation for the coming year. It is tragic that it has taken me so long to come to the Malvern Hills as it is a fabulous place to walk. I loved every moment and with what seems like a maze of paths at the northern end of the range I hope it won’t be too long before I return and further explore this awesome place.

Hopton Hall snowdrops

Saturday 22nd February 2025

In the depths of winter, when it is cold and grey and the landscape looks bleak spring seems far away, but then up comes the white flowers of snowdrops to provide some hope and the promise that spring will come soon. Therefore, I have snowdrops in my garden and I like to visit places where there is an abundant display with the most common place for me to go being Dimminsdale Nature Reserve on the Leicestershire and Derbyshire border. After weeks of cold, overcast weather it was a joy to find a Saturday with warm temperatures and sunshine so I wasted no time in nipping up to Staunton Harold Reservoir and walking around the adjacent nature reserve. Although the sun was not yet out the snowdrops were looking superb, at their peak though already showing signs of starting to go to seed. However, I did not spend long there before I had returned to my car and was heading north, passing Derby to reach Hopton Hall where I had previously seen their snowdrops five years ago which had lingered long in my memory because it was my last proper walk before Covid. I have been keen to return ever since and now I finally took that opportunity to once again experience the deservedly popular Hopton Hall Snowdrop Walk. Since the sun was now out the displays were fabulous with extensive coverings of the delicate white flowers throughout the woodland walk and the delights continued past beds of crocuses beside the drive and was followed by a relaxing walk around the Rose Gardens and a lake.

Five years ago, after doing the snowdrop walk, I had walked around the nearby reservoir of Carsington Water, but this time, rather than doing the same thing again, I took my inspiration from a walk on the O.S. Maps app called Hopton Hall snowdrops, which heads in the other direction. I came out through the gates of Hopton Hall and followed the road into the village of Carsington. A track beyond the village gradually climbed around the southern slopes of Carsington Pasture and provided me with views into the low sun across the reservoir while I passed outcrops that decorated the hillside before finally descending into the village of Brassington. The weather was now feeling unseasonably warm, so I was soon stripping off layers as I climbed back out of the village, enjoying the sunshine, although a cold wind encouraged me to keep my cagoule on. I found this upward ascent very satisfying, especially as the rest of my walking this year, since coming back from the Lake District, has been on pretty flat terrain. I was invigorated by the exertion and the sunshine as I strode on up the road, across a field and along Manystones Lane past an industrial site and up to the High Peak Trail. Ahead of me was Harboro’ Rocks and despite my route keeping to the High Peak Trail I couldn’t resist climbing steeply through the crags to reach the trig point that sits at the windswept top.

Clouds now covered the sky and with many people around I felt a little disappointed after all my effort. Soon, I made my way back down the hill and onto the High Peak Trail, which follows the course of the old Cromford and High Peak Railway. I followed this for several miles while overhead the dark skies tried to rain, though ultimately they hardly dropped anything. Before reaching Middleton Top I came off the trail and tried to follow a right-of-way heading south, but the route marked on my Ordnance Survey Map was not possible on the ground. Occasionally I came across gates or stiles, but since these were not on the route of the right-of-way it was quite a challenge for me to find my way, though the path did become clearer as I descended and eventually brought me to the road just outside the village of Hopton. Snowdrops decorated the roadside as I made my way through the village and back to Hopton Hall. This was a good little walk and I enjoyed the climb to the top of Harboro’ Rocks even though this is a relatively small hill and the conditions at the top were not so appealing. I enjoyed returning to see the snowdrops at Hopton Hall for the first time in five years and it was great to have a bit of warmth for the first time this year. It is so much more enjoyable to have sunshine and blue skies overhead than to walk under cold, overcast skies. I was looking forward to better weather this year.

Richmond Park and Windsor Great Park

Saturday 1st and 15th February 2025

In February 2024 I spent a day walking around the Royal Parks in central London and so when I discovered there were cheap train tickets available to London I decided I would return and look at some of the other Royal Parks, those further away from the centre of London that I had never been to before. My target at the beginning of February was Richmond Park so after a trip on the London Underground I arrived in the town of Richmond and immediately set off through the streets of the affluent district until I reached Cambrian Gate, which brought me into the park. Unfortunately the weather was not great for this walk with thick clouds and it was very cold so I was soon wrapping myself up in everything I could find in my rucksack as I slowly made my way along the busy path filled with runners, cyclists and other walkers. It was a bit of a challenge for me to weave through the crowds and with poor views across the vast, featureless grasslands I was not inspired by my first visit to Richmond Park. My route followed the Tamsin Trail around the edge of the park, but after passing Sheen Gate I came away from the crowds, to pass to the right of Adam’s Pond, but this just took me onto muddy grass so I soon returned to the surfaced path and followed it around the eastern edge of the park eventually leaving through Robin Hood Gate.

After crossing a busy road I entered Wimbledon Common, which is not a Royal Park, but reminds me of the children’s characters, the wombles, which live on Wimbledon Common and make use of the rubbish that others have left behind: an excellent way to live your life. I didn’t see any wombles, but the walking was much more interesting as it took me through woodland that was more varied than the parkland I had seen in Richmond, though the path was very muddy. After a while I checked when I needed to be back in Richmond to catch the train and I realised that it was a lot earlier than I had planned so I needed to cut short my intended route, which would have taken me through Putney Heath, and instead took a course through the common, avoiding golfists, that soon, despite missing a turning, brought me back on track. Eventually I was back at the point where I had entered the common and now re-entered Richmond Park to continue along the Tamsin Trail through more appealing scenery than I had seen earlier with more woodland as I slowly made my way around the park, eventually climbing a hill to reach Pembroke Lodge whose gardens were beautifully decorated with snowdrops and where I had murky views to the west.

The snowdrops and extensive views continued past King Henry VIII’s Mound and made up for my disappointments with the rest of the walk. Soon, I left the park through Richmond Gate, but the delights continued with the view west from Richmond Hill over a wide turn in the River Thames before I finally returned to the train station in Richmond. Two weeks later I was back in London and further out to Windsor where the impressive walls of the castle loomed over me as I headed south and soon joined the Long Walk, which stretches from the castle and into Windsor Great Park. The weather was no better now than it had been in Richmond Park, even a little worse with drizzle in the morning, so the views were worthless while planes coming into land at Heathrow airport passed overhead. Despite the poor weather and scenery I was enjoying the chance to get out and not be stuck indoors all day. My route, from the O.S. Maps app, took me off the avenue and across grassy fields eventually leading me onto better paths and finally onto roads through the park, until eventually I branched off along a muddy, grassy lane, actually Queen Anne’s Ride, that led me to a statue of the late Queen on horseback erected to celebrate her Golden Jubilee.

My proscribed route would have had me continuing beyond the statue, but I decided that I wanted to avoid the mud and keep to the tarmacked roads, however, if I had tried to continue I would have found my way barred as it is a private area, which I also found later when I tried to follow the route past Round Oak. Instead, I stayed on Duke’s Lane until I reached a track that is open to the public and took me through delightful woodland that brought me to Blacknest Gate where I turned back into the park and crossed Five-Arch Bridge across Virginia Water before branching into the Valley Gardens. These were pleasing for me to walk through even though there were no flowers, despite thick compost lying on the ground, and on the far side I passed the Canadian Totem Pole and turned north to pass the Savill Garden, the Cow Pond and Cumberland Lodge. Once again the private areas blocked my route and this time I was confused as Ordnance Survey Maps show the route of the Three Castles Path also going through the private area. I should have gone around, but instead I kept to my prescribed route even though this necessitated climbing over a tall gate at the end, which brought me to the foot of Snow Hill with the statue at the top to King George III that is called the Copper Horse. From this point the entire length of the Long Walk lay before me disappearing into the mist with Windsor Castle at the far end and so now all I needed to do was follow this all the long way back into Windsor. These were both enjoyable walks, despite the poor weather, and provided me with the chance to start my training for my ambitious plans this year.

Spring Walks

Last spring I did some walks in the Peak District with someone I used to work with and a couple of weeks after a walk around the Derwent Valley near Matlock we were back to do a walk I have done many times before ever since my first ever walking holiday in 1998 and most recently in 2020, straight after lockdown. I have many fond memories of walking through Lathkill Dale so I was eager to show its delights to my friend with the first treat being on the descent into Cales Dale, a short branch off Lathkill Dale, where early purple orchids decorated the steep path.

Once we were in Lathkill Dale the scenery through a narrow gorge was spectacular, though grey skies marred the scene, but the delights continued past the point where water was seemingly coming out of solid rock. Later, when woodland covered the valley floor, an abundance of wild flowers delighted me, including dog’s mercury, red campion and forget-me-not, but it was the bluebells that were most appealing to me.

I always walk around the Charnwood Forest at the beginning of May to see bluebells and last spring was no exception, but hot weather had forced the bluebells to go to seed by the time I was able to do the walk. The best display I saw was near the exit to the Outwoods, which are famous for their bluebells, but it was wild garlic that covered the woodland floor and was the highlight of the walk.

A week later I was walking on my own again and I decided that I would return to somewhere that I had previously visited in 2019 when exploring a part of Birmingham that had been the childhood home of J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of “The Lord of the Rings”. I caught a train to Hall Green station and from there I headed to Sarehole Mill, which I have fond memories of exploring five years previously, so I was disappointed to discover that the museum was closed. Instead I set off along the route of a walk on the O.S. Maps app from Country Walking Magazine that follows the River Cole along a cow parsley lined path that was plagued with litter. At a ford I turned left to pass Tolkien’s childhood home and enter Moseley Bog, which was a fabulous place and I wandered carefree through the nature reserve including Joy’s Wood with no thought of where I was going. Although a small place, because I was completely lost and wandering aimlessly around, it seemed vast and intricate with varying landscapes from the wetland around the bog through the dappled shade of woodland to banks of wild garlic.

It was only when I referred to a map that the nature reserve suddenly felt much smaller and less fantastical. It is no wonder this place inspired Tolkien to create the woodlands found in “The Lord of the Rings”. The rest of the walk couldn’t hope to enthral me as much as Moseley Bog had as I crossed Swanshurst Park, around Moseley New Pool and onto Billesley Common. In Chinn Brook Nature Reserve I veered off the prescribed route to have a wander around and discovered banks of cow parsley and wild garlic, which I loved walking through and breathing in the rich smell.

At the far end of Chinn Brook Meadows I wandered around the Mill Pool of Trittiford Park where I had stunning views across the water in the sunshine before a slow walk through the Dingles beside the River Cole brought me back to Sarehole Mill. This was a great, though short walk, in warm weather through the Shire Country Park which was very relaxing for me, especially while walking past rich growths of wild flowers. I love walking in the spring, but it is always frustrating to find I am either too early or too late to see the displays at their best. Often they are already going to seed but if I am lucky I can find some late bloomers that provide me with a taste of what I could have seen if I had been there just a couple of days earlier.

By June woodlands are too dark for wild flowers to thrive and they have begun to set seed while meadows now take centre stage. Though not as dramatic as their woodland counterparts, there are still examples of meadow flowers that enthral me, most notably spotted-orchids. My friend and I took a walk through Monsal Dale and Chee Dale last June and I found a fabulous display of spotted-orchids beside the Monsal Trail that I loved to see, but with the fading of wild flowers then other scenes can grab your attention and when the sun is shining light up your life.

Lumsdale Waterfall and the Derwent Valley

Saturday 13th April 2024

Last spring I did some walks in the Peak District with someone I used to work with and have done several walks with before, including up Scafell Pike in 2017 and most recently, in 2022, on Kinder Scout, so it was good to get together again and I took it as an opportunity to revisit some of my much loved walks in the Peak District that, although very familiar to me, was not to my friend. Since I have already described these walks before I was not going to do so again, however, some of the pictures of wild flowers are so gorgeous I can’t resist posting them and this one had enough variation to warrant describing in more detail. It was inspired by a round of the Derwent Valley I previously did in 2022 and also by a list of places in the Peak District that my friend had found on social media. Most were on the far side of the National Park, but there was one that intrigued me because I had never heard of it, despite it being near the town of Matlock. So, I combined his little 2.5 mile walk near Matlock with my walk around the Derwent Valley and I drove up the M1 eventually parking on Lumsdale Road at the starting point of a short walk past Lumsdale Waterfall. We set off down the road and soon we left it to descend steeply beside Bentley Brook which was producing a spectacular display of many small waterfalls and cascades as it dropped rapidly down the hillside through rocks and under the cover of bare trees. My friend and I were spellbound by the display, though I was frustrated when I realised that the battery on my camera was flat so I was forced to rely on my mobile phone for pictures on the whole walk.

On returning to the road the prescribed walk would have soon had us return to my car, possibly past other delights that may been worth seeing (we must make a return visit), but instead I now diverted us onto my round of the Derwent Valley reversing the direction I had taken in 2022. We climbed up out of the valley past Riber Castle and along Hearthstone Lane which led us into Coumbs Wood where we found a fabulous display of bluebells that were only just beginning to flower but still looked great and compensated for the muddy path.

Our route through Coumbs Wood was not precisely as I had intended but it seemed as if my missed turning had led us into such an amazing display that it must have been better than the route we should have taken. At the bottom of the valley we crossed the river and railway to reach High Peak Junction where we stopped for lunch before setting off again, this time beside the Cromford Canal, which took us into the village of Cromford where we were soon climbing again through woodland. This was immediately a delight for me as we passed many wildflowers that had me taking loads of pictures and gushing enthusiastically about the displays of wood anemones, celandines and bluebells, though my friend was less impressed.

All too soon, for me, we climbed out of the wood and across grassland that I remembered from previously had been tricky to navigate over as the path was not clear and this time in the other direction it was only slightly better. Our route took us past the tourist attraction of the Heights of Abraham, which is usually reached by cable car, before gradually descending through woodland that I would normally have loved if not for the spectacular displays seen earlier in the walk. Eventually we branched off my route of 2022, which would have taken us into the centre of Matlock, to drop down to the bottom of the valley and follow the River Derwent around Pic Tor. We now had a problem as my car was stuck at the top of a hill and we had to walk all the way back up, which was even more frustrating as it was beside the busy Chesterfield Road, so by the time we reached the top of the hill we were both very tired. A lesson from this is to never park your car for a walk at the top of a hill as you’ll only have to climb back up to it at the end of the walk when you are already worn out. I loved seeing the wild flowers on this walk while it was the waterfall that was the most memorable part for my friend.

I love the spring and the wild flowers at that time of the year that produce a tremendous display, particularly under woodland, and never fail to enliven my spirit even when my body may be feeling weak. I had been lacking energy before this walk and was unsure of whether I would be able to get out, but once I did I found a new lease of life so that by the time I was passing the wondrous displays of wild flowers above Cromford, I was skipping up the hill like a child. After the long, cold, miserable winter when nothing grows I always look forward to spring with eager anticipation and now that we are at the start of spring again I can’t wait to get out and see the fabulous displays of wild flowers. A woodland walk at this time of the year is better medicine than anything you can get from the pharmacy.

Blea Tarn and High Seat

Saturday 4th January 2025

On my last day in the Lake District I set off from the Borrowdale Youth Hostel initially following the route of the Coast to Coast Walk, which crosses the fields in Borrowdale where the ground was frozen solid and the latches on the gates were frozen shut, while snow covered the fells. The roads in Rosthwaite were treacherously covered in black ice, so I reflected that it might be a good idea to avoid the high fells where crampons and ice axes would be needed. Instead, I thought I’d take to the gentler slopes of the Central Fells, north of Ullscarf, and to start I took the gloriously rocky path that climbs out of Borrowdale with lingering views behind me of the surrounding mountains before descending to Watendlath to linger beside the tarn where the surroundings hills were reflected in the still waters. This is supposed to be a tourist-filled place, but it feels like every time I have been there it has been deserted, probably because the weather is always bad when I pass through since when the weather is good I am always at the top of the high fells. The path beyond climbed steeply up the hillside to a junction where I turned right, ignoring the path that keeps ahead to High Tove, which with hindsight I should have taken. Instead, I followed a sketchy path that crosses notoriously boggy slopes that I had assumed would now be frozen, so I was surprised to discover that this was not the case and made this a difficult traverse.

I have not walked along this path much and certainly not in the last ten years and, based on the lack of footprints, it seems no one else had been there recently either. Slowly, I made my way along the path, towards Blea Tarn with a crazy idea of climbing Bell Crags which lies to the north of Ullscarf, but my slow progress eventually convinced me that this was a foolhardy enterprise, so I came off the path and crossed the heather-covered, snowy ground to reach the fence that follows the watershed across the Central Fells and turned north to follow it. I now tried to keep my pace up as I was worried about the bus that I had to catch in Keswick, but my way was slowed by the snow and lack of a path. It had been intention to visit Armboth Fell, which lies to the east of the fells, since I’ve only ever been there once before, but this is a nondescript blip on the side of High Tove and is undeserving of the attention that Wainwright paid to it. The diversion looked too demanding to appeal and soon I realised that I would have to leave it for another day. I continued to battle through the snow and heather passing over several minor tops before finally reaching the cairn on High Tove as the mist started to descend producing almost white-out conditions. However, there is a clear, manufactured path between High Tove and High Seat that provided me with a reliable guide and sure footing through the bogs until I began to climb up to the trig point at the top of High Seat.

The snow that covered the fell was satisfyingly wintry so I stopped for my lunch to take in the view while the low cloud eventually cleared to reveal stunning views north across the fells to the lakes of Bassenthwaite and Derwent Water, and to Skiddaw in the far north whose top shines a brilliant white in my pictures. It was great to be sitting in the snow with these scenes before me, especially since it is a long time since I had last done any walking in this sort of weather, so it was a shame about the grey clouds, which rather spoilt the scene that would have been amazing under clear blue skies. It was still very satisfying to have that familiar, though now rarely heard, sound of snow crunching under my feet as I made my way from High Seat to Bleaberry Fell. I know from past experience that the path is indistinct but in the snow I could just follow everyone else’s footprints, even though this once led my astray and forced a retreat. Eventually the footprints led me up to the mist-covered top of Bleaberry Fell and after passing over the summit I began to descend steeply, which was very difficult in the icy conditions on the stones of the manufactured path, which did not help with my footing, so I veered off into the heather to find surer ground.

Eventually I emerged out of the snow and with a good surface underfoot I continued across the vast fell until I climbed up to the top of Walla Crag where I had tremendous views across Derwent Water and Keswick, despite the overcast conditions. Most times I have been to Walla Crag I have walked along the clifftop path that provides an exciting route through the trees and excellent views, but for a change I decided that on this occasion I would keep to the fellside and follow the wide path down the hill, past Rakefoot, beside Brockle Beck and into Keswick where I waited for my bus. My holiday over the New Year was in two very different halves with wet and windy weather at the end of 2024 that prevented me from going very high, but after the New Year the weather turned cold, which provided me an opportunity to do some very satisfying fell walks that were both exciting and fun. It is always great being in the Lake District, despite how stupendously busy it is, but for that reason I try to ration myself so I don’t add to the crowds too often.

Steel Fell and Sergeant Man

Friday 3rd January 2025

On my walk the previous day to this, in icy cold weather, I had followed the crowds around the Fairfield Horseshoe and made a few mistakes that meant I hadn’t kept warm enough for the conditions, so for this walk I made a point of wearing more layers and eating more and this resulted in my having a much better day, even though it was perhaps even colder with more cloud cover and less sunshine making things feel more arctic. After spending the night in the Youth Hostel in Grasmere I set off for my first target, Steel Fell, which I had first tried to climb seventeen years ago, until I was turned back by strong winds, and subsequently, in 2012, I came down from Steel Fell by this route, but since I had never successfully completed the ascent from Grasmere I decided that this would be my first goal. I enjoyed walking up the ridge that had interesting variety including three bands of rock that were cunningly negotiated with easy walking on grass in between until the gradient finally eased and a simple traverse brought me to the summit of Steel Fell where I had views north down Thirlmere while the lack of crowds at the top was a very pleasant change from the previous day on the Fairfield Horseshoe.

The broad ridge that links Steel Fell with Calf Crag is usually horrendously boggy, but in this weather the bogs were all frozen so I had a fabulous time slowly making my way across while the sun came out to cheer me on and provide me with good views. While the terrain is not the best on this ridge, it is usually boggy, the sunshine and sense of openness with no one else around more than made up for the lack of rock. Eventually the gradient steepened and brought me to the summit of Calf Crag where I took a path to my right that weaved around the undulating ridge to reach the head of Far Easedale where the well-trodden route of the Coast to Coast Walk crosses, while I kept on ahead towards Deep Slack.

I had previously come this way in 2015 and once again I now enjoyed exploring this complex, craggy area on a path that was too vague to be reliably followed and while this provided me a bit of a challenge to find my route, so long as I kept heading uphill I couldn’t go far wrong. The main challenge was the lack of sunlight on this north-facing slope, which made the surroundings less appealing and particularly cold, so when I stopped for lunch I put on a second fleece, but I never felt too hot. When I finally emerged back into the sunshine I had views all around me from an unnamed peak that were sensational and included looking back over Calf Crag and Steel Fell, and down Easedale towards Grasmere.

It is a shame this viewpoint is not named as it was a fabulous place for me, though it might be the small peak mentioned by Wainwright as appearing from Grasmere to be the summit of the fell. The ascent continued to Codale Head, which is insignificant, but Sergeant Man, lying across a depression, was much more prominent and could not be missed. However, the tiny summit was covered in ice which made it extremely treacherous so I didn’t stay long and very carefully made my way back down and headed towards the dull, featureless dome of High Raise. The best feature of this broad fell is the view north towards Borrowdale, but it had now clouded over and a thin sprinkling of snow covered the fell which made walking tricky. I had to be very careful while descending past Low White Stones to Greenup Edge where I joined the route of the Coast to Coast Walk and hoped I would find easier walking but this was not the case as a lot of ice covered the path, which now uses flagstones on Greenup Pass. This does not help in icy conditions, but worse was to come on the steep descent past Lining Crag.

To avoid the black ice on the path I veered right onto the grass which provided me with safer terrain as I slowly made my descent until finally I reached the bottom, but still a long way away from Borrowdale. The skies were now covered with dark clouds, which made this an ominous walk for me along the valley, still being careful with my steps on the icy ground, until I eventually reached the branch that took me into the small village of Stonethwaite and as I made my way along the road into Borrowdale it began to rain. This was an amazing, enjoyable walk where my change of tactics to keep myself warm worked perfectly, but the weather conditions were now very different to what I had enjoyed the day before and proved to be a lot more difficult and treacherous during the descent.

Fairfield and Stone Arthur

Thursday 2nd January 2025

For most of my time in the Lake District over the New Year the weather was very poor with rain and strong winds, but after the New Year it dramatically changed with cold, northerly winds sweeping away the clouds to reveal clear, blue skies and icy tops. My plan for this day was only to walk a few miles from Ambleside to Grasmere and in these amazing conditions I couldn’t think of anything better to do than to follow the route of the extremely popular Fairfield Horseshoe walk. This must be the one of most popular walks in the Lake District with only Helvellyn and Scafell Pike that could possibly be more popular, however, I have been up Fairfield many times myself so I certainly didn’t need to go up there again, but I could not think of anything better. The Fairfield Horseshoe can be done in either direction, and done anticlockwise is usually started by crossing Low Sweden Bridge, as I did in 2008, but Wainwright recommended taking a more scenic route up to the ridge via High Sweden Bridge, so instead of leaving Ambleside along Nook Lane I followed Sweden Bridge Lane onto a delightful enclosed lane. Ice lay everywhere while the sun hid low in the sky, failing to reach the lane as I carefully made my way up, passing through woodland with the Scandale Beck unseen, but heard, in the ravine to my left. Eventually I reached High Sweden Bridge, which was also sheltered from the sun, so not as picturesque as normal.

Soon after crossing the bridge I emerged into glorious sunshine and at a junction turned right to head up the hill, bypassing the notorious rock step on Sweden Crag, and onto the ridge that slowly climbs all the way up to Fairfield. The marsh that lies before Low Pike was frozen, so I was able to easily cross it and ascend up to the top of Low Pike whose summit is crossed by the wall that follows the top of the fabulously rocky ridge. The enthralling walk continued with a brief descent before ascending again to reach the top of the High Pike whose summit is much broader than on Low Pike but beyond the terrain was less interesting with hardly any drop before the now predominately grassy ridge begins to climb much more gently to finally reach the sprawling fell of Dove Crag. Rock dominated the landscape as I crossed the gap from Dove Crag and up to the top of Hart Crag where I stopped for my lunch. It was very cold now I was no longer climbing, so I put on a neck warmer and woolly hat, but with hindsight I should have also put on a fleece as I my hands soon became numb with the cold and I could not get them warm either with gloves or by putting my hands in my pockets. As I slowly climbed the rocky ground that defends the approach to Fairfield I felt in a terrible state and could not understand why until eventually, almost in desperation, I decided to put a fleece on.

This was exceptionally difficult for me to do with numb hands, but once I had succeeded I immediately felt relief and realised that my problem had been due to my core temperature dropping too low, even though I had not felt cold. This was a lesson learnt. Now that I was properly clothed for the cold conditions I made my way up to the summit of Fairfield where I was in awe of the stunning scenery all around me under clear, blue skies. It was totally mesmerising. I looked back over Hart Crag towards the Far Eastern Fells, east towards the whale-backed St. Sunday Crag, north along the craggy, indented ridge that leads up to the snow-dusted top of Helvellyn and west across the heart of the Lake District with the distinctive dome of Great Gable on the horizon. Finally I returned to the crowded summit where a scattering of stone shelters provides protection for the fellwalker from the harsh cold winds that blow across this popular mountain. To resume my walk I made my way south towards the western ridge of the Fairfield Horseshoe with a view down the Vale of Rydal all the way to Windermere in the distance. Soon I reached the top of Great Rigg where the stunning views south seemed to be better than ever with the lakes of Grasmere and Coniston Water now adding to the scene. Not long after beginning the descent from Great Rigg I came off the route of the Fairfield Horseshoe to take an alternative route down that would lead me more directly to Grasmere.

With the mesmerising views continuing I slowly descended the grassy ridge that led me down to Stone Arthur, which I had previously reached in 2013 so I thought it was time for a return visit and I enjoyed getting away from the crowds on the Fairfield Horseshoe, though I was never going to be totally on my own in these weather conditions. On the descent towards Stone Arthur, you can be forgiven for wondering which of the outcrops on the ridge Stone Arthur is, but it is in fact the last one and has hardly any rise with a tiny crag perched high above steep, grassy slopes and views over Grasmere. My first visit to Stone Arthur was in 2006 in diminishing light, while in 2013 the weather had been poor so it was good to finally be able to visit it in good weather and appreciate the views around to the surrounding fells and over Grasmere. Steep, icy, wet ground led me down the grassy slope from the summit so was tricky to negotiate until thankfully, gentler slopes on a good path led me all the way down the hill and into Grasmere. The weather on this walk was amazing, though exceptionally cold, but a lot of things didn’t go right which detracted from what should have been a great walk, most notably not wearing warmer clothing while on the highest fells. This walk taught me some important lessons. On a positive note, when I reached the ridge and joined the many people also ascending the Fairfield Horseshoe I made a point of going at my own pace and lingering over every rocky step, ignoring the people who passed me by. In the past I would have delighted in rushing past everyone, but now I just wanted to enjoy a glorious walk up rocky ground in fabulous weather.

Tarn Hows and around Holme Fell

Wednesday 1st January 2025

Ignoring that it was the start of a new year, I went to bed at a normal time and got up the following morning as usual, preparing to leave the Coniston Youth Hostel where I had been spending the last few nights. When I set off the weather was no better than it had been in the previous year as it was still raining and there was a brisk wind, though it wasn’t as bad as the torrential weather of the day before, which had left the ground very wet. I walked along the path that follows the main road out of Coniston, passing the turning to Tilberthwaite and Yew Tree Farm to reach the start of a path that climbs through woodland beside Tom Gill, which was now a raging torrent thanks to the heavy rain. The walk up was interesting and the falls were spectacular, compensating for the poor weather, but I think I would have still preferred to have been there in better weather as I had done in 2008 on my way to Coniston, though the falls then were merely a trickle. At the top of the path I was confronted with the Tarns that are the centrepiece of Tarn Hows and with the rain easing at this point I had a pleasant walk beside the lake heading north until I reached a signpost that directed me onto a good path that brought me to the byway that links Oxen Fell High Cross with Knipe Fold. The rain now returned, off and on, accompanied by a strong crosswind that made putting on my new Mac in a Sac poncho very difficult, in fact extremely frustrating as I was unable to straighten it up out without the assistance of someone else.

Eventually I gave up and left the poncho off, and after crossing the main road at Oxen Fell High Cross, I continued along the track until I reached a gate where I turned south onto the undulating ridge that heads towards Holme Fell. I had come this way in 2017 in misty conditions and I had been unable to appreciate it then so I was keen to return, but the wind and rain made this time no better, even though the visibility was better. The rain prompted me to put my new poncho back on, but the wind convinced me that this was a waste of time as the constant flapping became annoying. The poncho had been bought for the wet and humid days of summer when waterproofs just leave you hot and drenched in sweat, and it had been taken to the Lake District for a trial as I’d just bought it. It remains to be seen if it will work in the season intended. The maze of paths across Holme Fell made navigating along the undulating ridge difficult and prompted me to abandon it even when there was no alternative. One attempt to descend to my left proved to be futile and I had to climb back up onto the ridge, but finally I made another attempt that was more successful and led me onto the clear path that descends from Uskdale Gap to Yew Tree Tarn. A fast moving stream of water was flowing down the path washing away the loose stones so the path was not in a good state and I had to be careful as I made way down to Yew Tree Tarn where I turned left to pass through a waterlogged area north of the tarn.

The weather had already been showing signs of improving with breaks in the clouds even while I was on the Oxen Fell byway, but it had remained mixed with rain dominating in between the brief moments of sunshine and it was only now that the rain finally stopped. The ground was everywhere very wet as I slowly made my way over the pass beside the main road, passing Oxen Fell High Cross and continuing to Tongue Intake Plantation on a path that I had never taken before, so I loved the opportunity. In the wood I followed a bridleway that descends through woodland and felt very remote with no sign of civilisation across the grassy fields to the River Brathay that was meandering through the valley and reminded me of the Scottish Highlands. At a junction I turned left to cross Ben Beck and join the familiar route of the Cumbria Way, which I have taken many times and as the weather continued to improve with the skies clearing I followed the popular path to Skelwith Bridge. From there I kept to the south of the valley following minor roads climbing up to the hamlet of Skelwith Fold and back down to the river along Bog Lane. The views in the distance up Langdale were stunning though marred by the foreground being sheltered from the low sun as I followed the road into Clappergate and finally reached Ambleside.

It is a shame that I abandoned Holme Fell and failed to reach the summit, but since I had a long way to walk to Ambleside I felt I was short of time and didn’t need to waste time struggling up to the summit. This was a very frustrating day when the weather was better in the afternoon when I was uselessly making my way towards Ambleside, though this was an enjoyable walk and the improving weather held a promise for the rest of the week of better weather.

Claife Heights

Monday 30th December 2024

After a good night’s sleep I set off from the Coniston Holly How Youth Hostel into the centre of the village where I caught a bus to Hawkshead. The weather forecast for this and the following day was very poor with strong to gale force winds and heavy rain, but as I set off along the road out of Hawkshead it wasn’t raining. I thought it would be best if I kept low for this walk so I decided to walk over Claife Heights which is a low range of hills between Hawkshead and Windermere largely covered with conifers. Wainwright described a walk over these hills in his guide to the Outlying Fells of Lakeland and that was my inspiration for this walk, however I was starting from Hawkshead whereas Wainwright’s route started from Far Sawry. To get onto Wainwright’s route I walked along the road as far as Colthouse where a rocky lane, that was a joy to walk along, took me steeply up the hill, but when the gradient eased my ancient green lane was transformed into a modern forestry track, though while climbing the grassy hill I was provided with views back towards Hawkshead and towards the conifers ahead of me. Soon after entering the conifer plantation I began to descend, past a crossroads and onto a narrower footpath signposted Belle Grange, which was not on Wainwright’s route, but I thought it would make an interesting diversion, and was definitely better than the wide forestry tracks and was an enjoyable path to follow as it descended the hillside, sheltered from the strong winds.

Before reaching Belle Grange on the shore of Windermere I turned right onto a path that slowly climbed back up the side of the hill and provided me with views across the lake to Bowness, though they were very misty. Near the top of the ridge the winds were picking up, helped by the trees in the area being mostly felled, and on crossing a wall I turned right to head towards High Blind How, the highest point in Claife Heights. When I was there in 2015, the summit was still surrounded by trees that hadn’t yet been felled, but not anymore so I was now easily able to see where I needed to go and made my way up onto the summit crag where a trig point provided me with some shelter from the strong winds. I had views in all directions with the best looking south over the scattered, young trees on Claife Heights with Windermere extending into the distance. A slender path meandered through a craggy landscape passing over High Pate Crag before descending through the trees to reach the main footpath. Now, I headed south with the path slowly improving as I followed a wall gradually descending apart from the short, sharp descent down Low Pate Crags and on into the incoming, but brief, rain. When I eventually reached the village of Far Sawry, which I hadn’t been to before, I took the opportunity to stop and sort myself out before setting off again.

My route initially followed a tarmac road that climbed north back up the hill, until I came off the road and onto a much rougher track that led me onward past Moss Eccles Tarn and Wise Een Tarn. As the skies darkened and it started to rain again I entered the conifer plantation and at a crossroads I turned left, soon reaching the crossroads where I had been earlier in the day, when I had taken the path towards Belle Grange, and now I turned left to retrace my steps over the hill and down the recently made, unnecessarily wide, forestry track that led me down to the bottom of the valley and finally return to Hawkshead. This was a funny little walk with weather that was never as bad as predicted, though it soon worsened. I enjoyed walking on the narrow, rocky paths that are typical of the Lake District, but it was more tedious when on the wider forestry tracks. The following day the weather was terrible and just as bad as forecast, so I was tempted to stay in the hostel all day, but there is an advantage to walking in prolonged heavy rain as it gives you an opportunity to see if your waterproofs are any good, so I decided to take a low level walk from Coniston. When I set off it wasn’t raining, which made a mockery of all the waterproofs I’d put on, but it wouldn’t be long before I needed them.

From the centre of Coniston I turned up a lane that climbs steeply beside Church Beck into the Coppermines Valley, but this was not the way I’d wanted to go, so when I reached Miner’s Bridge I crossed the beck beside some waterfalls and came back down into Coniston. The Coppermines Valley is usually an interesting place to explore, but with a strong wind blowing down the hill it was soon clear that this was not the day to do so and as I descended back into Coniston it began to rain. This was a good opportunity for me to test my new Mac in a Sac poncho so I put this on and continued to walk round to the old station car park where the track of the railway can be walked and provided me with a good surface to walk on in these conditions. Having never walked on it before I enjoyed the opportunity and the path took me over the main road, past Park Coppice Campsite and alongside the road to finally reach the village of Torver. Sadly, I now left the railway behind and followed a farmer’s road to Mill Bridge where I rejoined the main road and followed it back to Torver, which was not the correct way as I should have gone in the other direction. Frustrated, I walked back along the busy road past the turning to Mill Bridge and finally reached the path that led down to the shores of Coniston Water where a fabulous path led me back to Coniston.

This was an interesting path that undulated, weaving around the trees and over the roots, until eventually the path widened and I passed through the campsite again. I had previously come along this path in 2016, in the other direction, and I enjoyed the opportunity to return, despite the heavy rain. I finally returned to the youth hostel in Coniston before two o’clock, which may be early, but understandable in this weather. It was curious to note how well or poorly my waterproofs had faired as I was dry under my poncho and waterproofs, but where my new poncho hadn’t covered me, on my arms and legs, my waterproofs had not protected me, so the key seemed to be to wear two waterproofs. Although the rain had come through my poncho it had not been able to also get through my regular waterproofs. This was a very useful walk for the future and quite an experience to walk in that weather.

Black Fell and Elter Water

Sunday 29th December 2024

My unsuccessful walk along the Cambrian Way in August had left me in a poor state of health and having used all of my holiday entitlement from work it was a long time before I could do some serious walking again. In previous years I have been able to go to the Lake District just before Christmas, but this was not possible last year since Christmas was in the middle of the week so eventually I decided that I would go after Christmas instead. I had been eagerly anticipating this holiday throughout autumn, but then I fell ill again over Christmas and feared that I would not be able to get away. However, a slight recovery encouraged me to go and on the Saturday after Christmas I got up very early to catch a train north, but the train was delayed going through Wolverhampton which led to me missing my connection. Other cancelled trains then left me standing in Manchester Piccadilly for two hours before I was finally able to catch a train that brought me into Windermere two hours later than planned and so my planned walk was abandoned. The weather was miserable with thick clouds enveloping the whole country, which wouldn’t inspire anybody to go for a walk so I decided that initially I would catch a bus to Ambleside, but my bad luck was still with me as the bus broke down and I had to wait for a replacement, finally reaching Ambleside at two o’clock, with only two hours of daylight left at this time of the year.

To get a walk in before it got dark I decided to retrace my steps from the last time I was in the Lake District, Christmas 2023, when I had walked from Hawkshead to Ambleside along an excellent cyclepath that initially runs alongside a road before passing through Pull Woods and past Blelham Tarn. Despite the poor weather I had an enjoyable walk even when it started to rain as this gave me a chance to try out my new Mac in a Sac poncho. I had read on a random website that ponchos are very good for walking in warm, humid weather, so since I had received the poncho in time I decided to take it to the Lake District and try it out. The first problem I encountered was with my walking pole getting in the way, but after a while I began to enjoy wearing it and I looked forward to further opportunities to trial my new poncho in the Lake District. As the light began to fade I arrived in the village of Hawkshead where I caught a bus to Coniston and the following morning, after a troubled night’s sleep, I was feeling very tired, so I was unsure what walk to do or anything except go back to bed.

My plans for the day were all rejected and I just wandered out of Coniston along good paths beside the road that took me past the head of Coniston Water and eventually led me into the woodland on Hill Fell, where I had come down the year before, and this delightfully relaxing walk refreshed my soul and body as I slowly climbed along the path that led me past a weir and eventually brought me to a car park, near Tarn Hows. After coming out of the conifer plantation, I took to the path that encircles the Tarns, that is the large lake that is at the heart of Tarn Hows, and despite light rain and strong winds I had a wonderful walk with stunning views across the Tarns to the surrounding hills. At the northern end I came across the path that goes to Iron Keld and towards Black Fell, and, despite thinking that it would be too windy to go up the fell, a moment later I came off a good path and onto the horribly boggy path that took me towards Black Fell. Since I had no plan for this day you can’t say I was going the wrong way, but I certainly hadn’t anticipated climbing Black Fell when I’d left Coniston. When I reached the rough lane between Oxen Fell and Knipe Fold I crossed onto a permissive path that weaved an interesting route through Iron Keld Plantation before joining the popular path that led me across the windswept fell with the summit of Black Fell before me.

The wind and mist did nothing to diminish the feeling of being at the summit of a fell in the Lake District with views in all directions, but soon I continued north along a narrow path that is relatively new. I previously took it in 2017, but it was so misty then I had been unable to appreciate it so I had planned to follow at some point during this holiday, little realising that I would do so now. The sketchy path had me doubting the route on occasions and later the path was so wet on steep ground it was difficult to stay upright, but eventually I reached woodland where a good path led me onto a road and down to the bottom of the valley at Skelwith Bridge. Ignoring Skelwith Force, I crossed the river and walked along the popular path that passes Elter Water to reach the village of Elterwater and beyond continues beside the river before turning south to slip past a slate quarry and climb through woodland that I have fond memories of walking through in 2021. While walking past Elter Water the weather had been relatively good with even a spot of blue sky, but by the time I had begun to climb again the skies were darkening.

As I crossed Little Langdale it started to rain while strong winds swept down the valley and into my face. The views across Little Langdale Tarn with the fells behind were still awesome, though I couldn’t take a picture of it while I battled against the wind and rain on a slippery, muddy path across the valley and over the precarious Slater Bridge, which I remember crossing in 2002 on my first ever visit to the Lake District, but never since. As the rain got heavier I put my waterproofs on, though my poncho soon came off again as I found it doesn’t help in windy conditions. At a turning to the left I branched off to pass disused quarry workings and reach Hodge Close where I followed the road out to Coniston. Considering that I had started this day very tired after poor sleep, this walk was surprisingly adventurous and was easily my longest walk since August. I always love being in the Lake District and it was already starting its rejuvenating effect on me.

Completing the Cambrian Way

Tuesday 27th August 2024

On the twenty-first and final stage of the Cambrian Way I should have been walking from Llyn Ogwen to Conwy Castle over the Carneddau Mountains, however, just as on many days in the second half of the trail, the weather was bad with strong winds and rain, so I wasn’t going to be following the mountain top route. I had considered following the Snowdonia Way starting from Bethesda, but the distance was thirty-five kilometres and would take me ten and a half hours, which was not possible when I needed to get a bus to Bethesda first and then catch a train home when I reached Conwy. My next thought was, what is the most direct route from where I was in the Nant y Benglog valley, east of Llyn Ogwen, to Conwy? So I plotted a course on my map through the mountains and along the eastern slopes above the valley of Dyffryn Conwy to finally reach the town of Conwy, which would take me six or seven hours and give me plenty of time to catch my train. After overnight rain I was surprised to wake up to dry weather and a dry tent when I put it away for the last time on this holiday. From the campsite where I had been staying I set off across the A5 road and onto a bridleway that climbs the hillside, passing the rental property of Tal Y Braich and after crossing a stream became a very boggy and indistinct path. This soon bore no resemblance to the route of the bridleway on my map and brought me to a leat, a water channel that diverts streams into a reservoir, and provided me with a good surface to walk alongside it. Eventually I reached a point overlooking Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir where strong winds pushed me along just as it started to rain.

Once I had managed to put my waterproofs on I followed the bridleway down to the side of the reservoir, which was much more sheltered from the winds, and eventually led me to the dam. The access road now provided me with a broad track to follow and led me into the valley of the Afon Ddu which was marred by a large pipeline that traverses the landscape from the reservoir. After a while I realised that I should have come off the access road and taken a path that the Ordnance Survey characterises as ‘other routes with public access’ and is marked by green dots. To get onto this I had to walk up to the pipeline and squeeze underneath it before I could reach the path that I should have been on, and which aerial views don’t show until the point where I joined it. My route brought me past a herd of cows, over the blustery hill and down a stony path into the valley of the Afon Porth-llŵyd where I found a road which would largely take me all the way into Conwy, though I still had a long way to go. Judging by the strong winds blowing through the valley I felt I was right to come this way and not brave them from the tops of the mountains. When the weather is this bad I don’t mind walking along a road as it’s the best way of getting through tedious scenery.

After climbing out of the valley and then down into the valley of the Afon Dulyn I came off the road for a brief spell to pass through woodland, across the stream and along an enclosed path. From the road at the far end I now stayed on narrow country lanes that followed the edge of the Eryri National Park for many tedious hours. At one point I thought I must be nearing Conwy so I checked my map and discovered that I had another hour and a half of walking to go which was soul-destroying, but I kept on through the improving weather until eventually I came into Conwy and picked up the route of the Cambrian Way. Even though I hadn’t followed the trail over the Carneddau Mountains, I was still going to complete the Cambrian Way which I had started many weeks earlier. I passed through the old walls and into the narrow streets of the medieval town, turning left into High Street and then right into Castle Street before finally reaching a roundabout beside the Guildhall with the imposing walls of the thirteenth century Conwy Castle ahead of me. One and a half months earlier I had stood before the gates of Cardiff Castle with the noise of a demonstration behind me and now I was before Conwy Castle with many tourists crowding the streets. Even though I had come off the Cambrian Way on the northern slopes of Plynlimon to take a bad weather course around the mountains I still managed to cross Wales from Cardiff to Conwy and I could be satisfied at reaching my goal.

The bad weather that had plagued me over the last nine days on the trail was just one thing that didn’t go well as I also suffered from fatigue that could have also prevented me from taking the mountain route through Eryri/Snowdonia. I don’t think I was mistaken in my belief that I could do the Cambrian Way and with the lessons learnt it is very tempting to try again. I reached Conwy by two-thirty and with my train not due for another two hours I had some time to wander around the town and begin the long recovery process from my strenuous walk along the Cambrian Way.

The Snowdonia Slate Trail from Llanberis to Nant y Benblog

Monday 26th August 2024

Last summer I attempted to walk the Cambrian Way which starts in Cardiff and crosses the length of Wales taking a high level route over the mountains before finally reaching Conwy on the north coast. However, half way through the trail bad weather had forced me onto lower routes that took me around the mountains and this continued on the day before this walk when I should have been climbing Yr Widdfa, better known as Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales, but strong winds and rain forced me to follow the Snowdonia Slate Trail to the west of Snowdon. This finally brought me into the village of Llanberis where I caught a bus up to the Pen-y-Pass Youth Hostel, which is where stage nineteen of the Cambrian Way ends after coming down from the top of the Snowdon on the Pyg Track. The following morning I had to decide whether to resume the Cambrian Way over the Glyderau Mountains or continue to go around on the Snowdonia Slate Trail. The weather was not great, though dry, with low cloud covering the tops and strong winds forecast. I was mindful of the fact that I had not come to Pen-y-Pass by my own steam and I had a strange compulsion to reach Conwy honestly, by walking the whole way, even though I hadn’t followed the exact route of the Cambrian Way. So strictly speaking I needed to catch a bus back to Llanberis to pick up the trail that I had left the previous afternoon, even though that was not the Cambrian Way, and therefore I caught a bus back to Llanberis and set off on the Snowdonia Slate Trail again.

After more than two weeks spent walking every day I was feeling tired, especially of carrying a rucksack weighed down with a tent, sleeping bag, stove and everything else to do with camping. It would have been a lot easier to climb these mountains if my rucksack was lighter. I was happy to be resuming my walk along the Snowdonia Slate Trail because it was giving me an opportunity to explore areas of Eryri/Snowdonia that I had never been before and now took me around Llyn Padarn and past the remains of quarrying while gradually climbing through woodland until I eventually emerged out of the trees to misty views across the western foothills of Snowdon. Roads and footpaths took me across the lower western slopes of the Glyderau with views that should have extended west to Caernarfon and Anglesey but they were buried in the mist. At the end of the road a sketchy, often boggy footpath led me across an open moor that initially seemed uninterestingly flat, but to my right the ground rose towards the mountains of Elidir Fawr and Carnedd y Filiast while ahead of me were the vast Penrhyn Slate Quarries and across the Ogwen Valley I could see the foothills of the Carneddau. As the path developed it became drier and the clouds away from the mountains began to break up with blue sky appearing while I slowly began to enjoy walking across the moor.

At the far end I joined a road which took me down the hill, across the Afon Ogwen river and into the town of Bethesda where the Snowdonia Slate Trail ends at a memorial, but I was not done and continued to follow the largely circular trail back across the river. This took me into the woods of Parc Meurig where the orange flowers of the invasive crocosmia dominated the scene, however I really like them and don’t mind that they are now becoming almost as ubiquitous in late summer as daffodils are in early spring. Soon I crossed a road and was on the route of the old mineral railway that used to carry slate from the quarries down to the port at Bangor, but is now the Lôn Las Ogwen cycle path and provided me with an easy walk up the valley. This led me past the quarry workings on my right and the fast moving river, the Afon Ogwen, on my left, which provided me with photo opportunities until I eventually reached a sign that mentioned a permissive path that climbs the mountain along the edge of the quarry. The evening before I had considered climbing these mountains, but there didn’t seem to be a good route and I had been feeling too tired, however, I couldn’t resist taking up the offer and nipped onto the wide track that meanders up the hillside. This was actually a vehicle track used to take people up to the launch point for a zip wire that descends across the old quarry workings and I was passed by many large ex-army trucks filled with people ascending the mountain the easy way while I toiled up the wide gravel track.

At the top I took a sign that directed me off the track, through a gate and onto the open hillside where the path soon disappeared and I had to find my own way up. A path is marked on Ordnance Survey maps, but is not on the ground, so I had a very tough time crawling through the heather and bilberry until eventually I reached the top of the ridge where I miraculously found a narrow path. This took me slowly up the hill towards Carnedd y Filiast, but it was very windy which would have put me off if I had known in advance. I fought against the wind over the north top and up the stony path to the bouldery top of Carnedd y Filiast from where easier, grassy slopes led me to the top of Mynydd Perfedd. While coming down the other side, all I could think about was how soon I could get out of this wind and off the mountain, and then at the col before Foel-goch I saw a ladder stile and immediately took the opportunity to descend the pathless grassy slopes. This was a long, sometimes arduous descent, especially much lower down when I had to fight through bracken until I finally reached the road at the bottom of the valley where the Snowdonia Slate Trail had been calmly heading up the valley while I had been fruitlessly climbing over the wind-swept mountain tops. Now, a relaxing stroll took me all the way up to the top of the valley at Idwal Cottage where I crossed the road to Pont Pen y Benglog and back onto the Cambrian Way I walked alongside the lake, Llyn Ogwen.

This was an interesting rocky path that I had not previously taken before, with the iconic shape of Tryfan across the lake, and eventually brought me to the far end and into the valley, Nant y Benglog, where I found my campsite. This was a curiously enjoyable walk, mainly because of the relatively good weather that I had most of the day, though maybe not on the mountains tops, which I rather surprised myself by attempting it and was punished by the strong winds and lack of a path.