Author Topic: Walking  (Read 822265 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Online Ian

  • Administrator
  • Posts: 8949
Re: Walking
« Reply #1815 on: January 09, 2017, 10:04:13 am »
Indeed, and the number who actually carry ice axes and crampons at this time of year you can count of the fingers of one hand.
Nothing is so firmly believed as that which we least know.  ― Michel de Montaigne

Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes.

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 12990
Re: Walking
« Reply #1816 on: January 11, 2017, 03:03:07 pm »
Permits and quotas needed to stem huge tide of visitors heading up Snowdon.

Article with comments below.... http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/permits-quotas-needed-stem-huge-12430957


Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1817 on: January 12, 2017, 10:21:20 pm »
The Weatherman Walking series returns to BBC Wales tomorrow evening at 7.30 pm.   I believe that it covers the Portmeirion area so it should be an interesting walk

Offline SteveH

  • Management Board Member & Newsgroup Editor
  • *
  • Posts: 12990
Re: Walking
« Reply #1818 on: January 15, 2017, 12:17:49 pm »
A report from the DP blog.........

A 37-year-old walker with a suspected broken lower leg was carried down a mountainside on a rock.”   &shake&

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1819 on: January 16, 2017, 10:37:28 am »
Iolo Williams' Great Welsh Parks is on BBC Wales tonight at 7.30 pm and it's from Padarn Park Llanberis.     There are lots of interesting walks in that area and once when we were in the highest part of the quarry Tellytubby heard the Ring Ousel and we were lucky enough to get a brief glimpse of it just above the mill.




http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b088q1ml

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1820 on: January 26, 2017, 03:15:49 pm »
Uncle Albert had a special birthday at the weekend so Tellytubby and I met up with him yesterday and drove to Llanystumdwy to have a short circular walk along the banks of the River Dwyfor.   It's nearly a year since we last did this walk and then the Snowdrops were out in their masses so we hoped that it would be the same on our visit yesterday.
The village of Llanystumdwy  is where David Lloyd George, the former British Prime Minister lived until he was 16. The centre of it probably hasn't changed much since he lived there as most of the old buildings still remain and a lot are listed too. By the three arched bridge of Pont Fechan, we turned right and walked to Lloyd George's grave   His grave in the village was designed by Sir Clough Williams-Ellis (who also designed the village chapel, Capel Moreia)
We then descended to the river bank for a two mile walk alongside the fast flowing River Dwyfor.   It's a very pleasant and easy walk but was muddy in places but it is so peaceful and quiet with the only noise coming from the sound of the fast flowing waters and the various birds that live in the woods.  A Dipper kept us amused as it preened it's feathers on a rock on the other side of the river. It was moving about so much that it was hard to take a photo of it.   Just past there, there is a wooden bridge so we decided to sit on a fallen log and have our refreshments before moving on.    When we came to the end of the walk we decided to take the lane back to the village and on our way back we passed some lovely old country properties including Ty Newydd where Lloyd George spent his final years. It was quite a different property to the humble cottage in the High Street where he had lived till he was 16.
When we got back to the car we drove to Uncle Albert's house where we had a wedge of coffee cake and a cup of tea, a really nice way of finishing off the day,   Then it was back in the car for the homeward journey.
 

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1821 on: January 26, 2017, 03:18:52 pm »
Llanystumdwy walk

Offline PhilMick

  • Member
  • Posts: 120
Re: Walking
« Reply #1822 on: January 26, 2017, 05:09:51 pm »
During the war, my mother was evacuated from Liverpool to Llanystumdwy - she hated it and ran away back to Liverpool. She was only 12. I don't think she could bring herself to visit there again.

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1823 on: January 26, 2017, 08:01:27 pm »
There isn't a lot there now so it would have been even quieter then and also most people would have spoken Welsh in those days.
It must have been a nightmare for your mother.

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1824 on: February 12, 2017, 03:40:25 pm »
Yesterday, four of us met in a little lay by on the A470, just past the Ty Gwyn Hotel to do a circular walk up to Capel Garmon.   First of all we had to walk single file up the hazardous A5 until we reached the public footpath that was to take us up a very steep zig zag woodland path to a lane that went into the village of Capel Garmon.   The weather forecast had been dry but very cold with high winds so we had all donned on our finest Winter gear but instead there was light rain, no wind and a mild temperature , so by the time we reached the lane we were really quite warm.    The walk up to the village is up a gradual slope passing open farmland and before too long we had arrived in Capel Garmon.  It's changed a lot even in my lifetime because I can remember calling at the local shop and post office to ask for directions when I was out working.   Sadly that shop has closed and is now a second home and both the Chapel and Church have closed too.    On my previous walk here the White Horse Inn had also closed and was looking very neglected.  Thankfully though the pub now looks clean and tidy as apparently a local farmer with ten children bought the 400 year old pub in 2015 and with his family has made a good job of refurbishing it.
It was still raining when we arrived there so we took refuge in the bus shelter and had our refreshments there.     We had a quick look around the Church yard and the old school before setting off to see one of the finest Neolithic Burial Chambers in the area.  It's often called the "Tomb with a view" because of the panoramic views you can get from the site.   Sadly yesterday with the rain, the visibility was restricted and we could only just make out the snow covered tops of Siabod.   Then it was downhill all the way to the Conwy Falls Cafe where we enjoyed a very nice latte.   The cafe, designed by Sir Clough Williams Ellis is really nice and attractive and well worth stopping at when passing by,   A short walk along the A5 took us to the start of the path that is all that  remains of the toll road built by the Capel Curig Turnpike Trust at the beginning of the 19th century. It's steep and narrow and must have been difficult and dangerous for the stagecoaches to use but it became redundant in 1815 when Thomas Telford build the A5 which is higher up. The track leads to Pont Ifanc and the A470 and there we turned right to walk back along the road to our cars.   It was a nice walk of just over six and a half miles and the weather didn't spoil the walk as it's just nice to meet up with friends again

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1825 on: February 12, 2017, 03:44:41 pm »
Capel Garmon walk

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1826 on: February 19, 2017, 09:31:51 am »
Yesterday, four of us decided to do a coastal walk in Anglesey starting from Bull Bay and walking along the coastline to Cemaes Bay.    When we arrived at Bull Bay it was sad to see the Bull Bay Hotel closed and boarded up.  It was such a shame as the building is located in such a lovely area, but at least we had no trouble parking there!     The coastal path from here follows steep cliffs and as we looked down one of them we could see a large old nest that had been used by Ravens for many years now, but it was no longer in use.  A little further on we were lucky to see a Kestrel  flying overhead and landing by some Rabbit burrows at the top of the cliff.     The tide was high and still coming in so we were hoping to see some Dolphins or Porpoise that had been seen in the area last week but hadn't seen any by the time we came round the headland of Trwynbychan.     Ahead of us across the wide bay was Porth Wen with the abandoned brickworks and its tall chimneys and distinctive bee hive shaped kilns looking very impressive.   We carried on past the farmhouse called Castell and noticed that this part of the walk had improved quite a bit since our last visit there.   Previously it was very boggy going past the farm but now the fields were dry so it made the walk that much easier.    It wasn't long before we came to the brick works and  we dropped down to have a look around these old buildings, they are deteriorating and unsafe in parts.   They are set in a very nice location and very popular in the Summer with people having picnics on the site but after having a good look around we headed back up and along the high coastal slope until we dropped down to a rocky inlet immediately before Llanlleiana Head   Then it was up the steep path to see the ruined Summerhouse at Wales' most northerly point.    Tellytubby and Geraint's younger legs got them to the Summer house first and then they started waving to us to hurry up.   Uncle Albert and I wondered what the fuss was about but far below us was a pod of Dolphins or Porpoise feeding on the fish.    We couldn't tell what species they were because they never jumped up or appeared for long on the surface of the water.   We didn't stay too long there as the wind had picked up a lot and the weather was closing in so we headed down a very steep track to Porth Llanlleiana and it's ruined works.    At the bottom we sat and had our refreshments on a picnic table and decided that because of the time and the weather we would head inland and return to Bull Bay.   It was an easy walk past the reed beds to reach the lane and then we headed back along it until we came back to Bull Bay and then we retraced our walk back to the car park.     Along the route we then saw some more Dolphins and watched them for a bit before carrying on with the walk and just as we arrived in Bull Bay there were many Dolphins frantically feeding on the fish about 200 yards off shore.   We watched them for ages and they were still feeding when we had to leave to go to the car and go home.    We have been lucky in the past and nearly always seen Dolphins  in this particular area and yesterday we were lucky again to have seen them.

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1827 on: February 19, 2017, 09:34:44 am »
Bull Bay walk

Offline hollins

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 3411
Re: Walking
« Reply #1828 on: February 19, 2017, 10:27:14 am »
That was a shock seeing the Bull Bay hotel closed up like that.
I stayed a few nights in the white cottage (on the photo) there last May. I loved watching all the comings and goings from the patio.
Your photos brought back nice memories of the walk to Porth Wen.
I am annoyed with myself for not getting the quiz but well done Jack.

Offline Hugo

  • Management board member
  • *
  • Posts: 13889
Re: Walking
« Reply #1829 on: February 19, 2017, 02:23:53 pm »
That was a lovely location for your stay there Hollins and there are some nice newish properties nearby with similar views to the one you had.
That coastline from Bull Bay to Point Lynas  is one of the best places in Wales to see the Dolphins and Porpoises