Author Topic: Walking  (Read 821983 times)

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Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1590 on: August 19, 2015, 03:43:11 pm »
Morfa Bychan walk

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1591 on: September 06, 2015, 06:37:44 pm »
   Yesterday I met Tellytubby and we drove to Llanefydd to do a walk that I hadn’t done before.      It’s a circular walk that we started  from the car park in the village but  first we had a look at St Mary’s Church and then the  Hawk & Buckle and then headed back on the road towards Llanfair TH.    We hadn’t gone far before we stopped to look at hundreds of House Sparrows on top of a roadside hedge, neither of us had ever seen so many in one spot before,  it was just incredible to watch.    It wasn’t much longer before we stopped to admire a wooden building built for the local football team. It was very impressive considering the size of the small village. Shortly after that we took the public footpath across open farmland that was to take us up to Mynydd Y Gaer and the Iron Age hill fort.
We were so fortunate at the top because the visibility was excellent and we could clearly see Snowdon and the Glyderau to the west. Cumbria to the north and the Wirral Peninsula and the Clwydian Hills to the east.   No wonder this landscape inspired the 19th century poet and Jesuit Priest Gerard Manley Hopkins to write “ In the valley of the Elwy”
We wandered around the ramparts of the fort before making our way down through the bracken and the woods and crossing a footbridge and came to a large Oak tree where we sat under and enjoyed our refreshments in the warm sunshine.   Once refreshed we set off across the field and then made our way across a new plantation of mixed deciduous trees that were planted on the hillside.   A bit of a pull up the hillside  took us to a lane which we followed down hill to a lovely arched bridge that crossed the River Elwy. We took some photos of the bridge and the nice caravan site opposite and it was just as well that  we had a breather there because there was a long and very steep pull ahead of us.   After puffing and panting our way to the top of the hill we took a public footpath on the right  that came out on the road back to Llanefydd which we followed it back to the village.   We had to laugh when we got to the car park as my walking book gave the walk as two and a half miles, Tellytubbys book gave it at 5 miles and yet the GPS was showing seven and a half miles!      Whatever the distance was  we still had a really good and enjoyable walk.


Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1592 on: September 06, 2015, 06:40:58 pm »
Llanefydd   Mynydd Y Gaer walk

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1593 on: September 11, 2015, 10:37:56 am »
We had to do it by the 1st October, as that's when the tour of South Stack Lighthouse stops this year.    But what a beautiful warm day to choose to go on that tour.    We  picking up our tickets ( OAP rates) at the cafe and walked along the road to the start of the long descent to the lighthouse.    On our way, we passed a shepherd and had a nice chat with him as he was tending his flock of Hebridean sheep (the black ones)  Manx and another breed whose name I've forgotten.  These were the same flock that are on Llanddwyn Island at certain times of the year.   He was controlling his dogs by whistle and commands in Welsh and it was interesting to see how effective these dogs were at their job.
We said goodbye to him and then  started the descent of those steps!       The Puffins had long gone and there were only a few other varieties of sea birds remaining on the steep cliffs and no sign of the Dolphins that had been seen near the stack recently.    The bridge across the sea is now a girder one but the remains of the old suspension bridge are still there and I have strong memories of crossing the original shaky suspension bridge nearly 60 years ago!   Once over the bridge we waited to be called and had a very interesting and informative chat with a guide once we had made it to the top of the lighthouse.  I'm sure that he said that there were 1126 steps in total  from the top of the cliff to the top of the lighthouse and return  but we never bothered to count them.
After the tour it was time for lunch so we made our way back up the steps and had our refreshments on a picnic table by the cafe.  Afterwards we moved on and had a short walk along the rocky headland to view a sea arch and then back to the car for the return journey home.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1594 on: September 11, 2015, 10:42:03 am »
South Stack Lighthouse

Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1595 on: September 11, 2015, 11:41:13 am »
Impressive photos there Hugo. You certainly picked a good clear day for it.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1596 on: September 11, 2015, 12:55:32 pm »
Thanks Hollins,  it was a beautiful day out, shorts & T shirt and no need for a rucksack.  The cafe and car park were full and it was so good seeing so many people eating outside in the warm weather.
The steps weren't a problem either although some were very steep but we just took our time and enjoyed the experience.      $good$

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1597 on: September 21, 2015, 12:54:10 pm »
We have been talking about doing the walk for years after seeing Julie Bradbury doing it on TV on her Railway Walks and on Saturday we finally did it.      The walk is part of the Mawddach Trail and we started the walk from Penmaenpool and followed the line of the disused railway track into Barmouth.     The walk is on the southern side of the Mawddach estuary in an area of outstanding natural beauty with stunning views in all directions.      Walking along the track was easy and even stopping to look at the scenery and taking photos, it wasn't long before we came to the well known wooden  railway bridge that crossed over the river into Barmouth.      The town was heaving with tourists all making the most of the warm sunshine as we made our way along the front.  Old Uncle Albert made the comment that many many years ago he remembered having a meal at the cafe called  Davy Jones' Locker and as we passed the place, he was pleased to see that the name remained the same after all these years.     We carried on because we were heading for The Mermaid which was described as Wales' No1 Fish and Chip shop and we can now see why.     The fish and chips were superb and the queue stretched outside into the street so it's reputation is well known.
Feeling full up after the meal Tellytubby,  Uncle Albert and I had a walk along the main street while Rhuddlan sat contentedly on a bench waiting for us and for a bus to take us back to Penmaenpool.    Once there we walked over the wooden toll bridge and sat in the sunshine on the balcony of the George III Hotel  enjoying a pint of beer and looking at the stunning scenery.    Life doesn't get much better than that

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1598 on: September 21, 2015, 12:59:20 pm »
Mawddach Trail

Offline Gwynant

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1599 on: September 21, 2015, 05:15:09 pm »
             That's a good walk with some great photos Hugo, and even better as it's totally flat all the way!  Mrs. Gwynant and I did the return journey on bikes from the start of the cycle path from  the bridge in Dolgellau when we were camping there about ten years ago, and like you we also had fish and  chips from "The Mermaid" while we were in Barmouth. I noticed  that there was some talk in the press recently about  Gwynedd County Council removing the funding for the upkeep of the estuary bridge to accommodate the cuts in council spending, which would be a tragedy for tourism in the area.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1600 on: September 21, 2015, 07:05:21 pm »
It's a  great walk like you say Gwynant and the track is good and quite wide in places.   As you would expect there were dozens of cyclists and walkers on it making the most of the good weather on Saturday.
We have thought about it for years but it was the prospect of the Barmouth Bridge closing that prompted us to do it.    The toll booth is closed now but the footbridge looks in better nick than the other toll bridge at Penmaenpool.   
I liked this house which was on the track because of the unusual feature on the wall.

Offline rhuddlan

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1601 on: September 22, 2015, 07:53:48 am »
Here is a panorama from the Barmouth bridge looking up the Mawddach Estuary.

Offline hollins

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1602 on: October 01, 2015, 09:10:49 pm »
Action man Mr Hollins and his mate were out walking/climbing today.
They walked from the Llanberis pass to Cwm Glas. Then up a climb and across to Crib Goch and down the north ridge.
Here are some pics. What beautiful weather they had for those views.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1603 on: October 02, 2015, 12:52:20 pm »
On Wednesday, we had what will probably be our last walk up Snowdon this year before the bade weather kicks in.  We'll leave all the hard stuff to action man Hollins while we take the more leisurely routes lower down the mountain.
Our plan of action was to park our cars for free in Llanberis and catch the bus from there to Pen Y Pass and go up the Pyg Track to the summit of Snowdon then come back via the Lliwedd and Miner's track. 
Tellytubby and Uncle Albert had both checked the web for the bus time tables so we agreed to catch the 9.00am bus so we waited at the bus stop and waited and waited and nothing turned up and we found out that the first bus on the Winter Timetable starts from 10.00am!
So off we went to Pete's Eats for a coffee until the first bus arrived at 10.00am.  The only consolation we had was that we had a nice conversation at the bus stop with a pretty young Latvian girl who had been waiting there since 8.00 am.  She had also checked the same web page as us.
Anyway this affected our plans so we decided to go up the Pyg track from Pen Y Pass and return via the Llanberis path.   As we have done this walk many times before I'll just post some photos instead of a commentary.   At the bottom of the Llanberis Path we popped in to Pen Ceunant and had a cup of tea with Steffan before heading off home.

Offline Hugo

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Re: Walking
« Reply #1604 on: October 02, 2015, 12:57:33 pm »
Snowdon walk 30th Sept 2015