MOEL Y GARNEDD TRAIL

Our last day and the heat is still on 26oC most days. We did a lovely 5 mile circular walk first along Bala Lake, where there was dinghy racing, then over farmland and moorland to the top of Moel y Garnedd, with excellent 360o views of mountains and even as far as Cader Idris. We finished at Llanycil Church, founded in the 8th century, now a heritage centre.

LAKE BALA THE LARGEST NATURAL LAKE IN WALES 

SUMMIT OF MOEL Y GARNEDD

LUNCHTIME

LLANYCIL CHURCH

ABERGWYNANT WOODS AND BARMOUTH HIKE

 This weather is unbelievable, an easier walk today, we drove to Penmaenpool and took the Mawddach Trail to Coed Abergwynant Woods. Within the sheltered woodland a network of footpaths wind through a mixture of oak, ash, sycamore and willow trees.

TOLL BRIDGE AT PENMAENPOOL START OF WALK

HERON ON ESTUARY ON MAWDDACH TRAIL

EGRETS

VIEWPOINT OF ESTUARY IN ABERGWYNANT WOODS

DOGWOOD, NEVER SEEN THIS OUTSIDE STATES, LOVE IT

ROY IN THE WOODS 

NOT A VERY LIVELY FROG IN THE WOODS!

VIEW OF CADER IDRIS - THE MOUNTAIN WE HIKE FIRST DAY

CADER IDRIS

SOME VERY TAME OWLS!

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LUNCH SPOT

After the woods walk we took the car a short distance towards Barmouth and walked over the railway/toll footbridge into the town. A pretty undeveloped town, where we enjoyed coffee and scones with jam and cream followed by an icecream for Roy!

A lovely 9 mile walk in total, we were supposed to leave tomorrow but there had been a cancellation so we are staying until Sunday to make the most of this glorious weather.

RAILWAY/TOLL FOOTBRIDGE TO BARMOUTH

ESTUARY AT BARMOUTH

BARMOUTH

 

BALA LAKE RAILWAY TRIP AND THE HIGH ROUTE HIKE

Another hot, sunny day, we took the half hour Bala Lake Railway trip from just outside the campsite to Llanuwchllyn along the side of the lake.

ROY LOOKING EXCITED FOR HIS TRAIN RIDE!

WHO REMEMBERS THIS? MY MUM USED TO GIVE ME A SPOONFUL DAILY

Then to find the start of the trail, wrong to start with but with a good scale map we set off. Good signs until after our lunch stop then it went pear shaped.

WONDER IF THIS WAS ONCE A PET THAT GREW TOO BIG?

LOST IN THE FOREST

PASSING PIGGY AGAIN HE DECIDED TO COME WITH US!

 We found ourselves deep in the forest on one of their many tracks but didn't seem right. We suddenly came upon a pig...in the middle of the forest, a big pot bellied one! He obviously wasn't lost just stuffing himself with undergrowth.
We were lost with no trail evident so we retraced our steps, past the pig again who suddenly decided to come after us, but they can't run! 
We took a slight diversion, no one around till we came upon a house in the middle of nowhere and the man kindly gave us detailed directions to get up onto the moor through the forest. Tough climb but finally made it. My fitbit says we did 11 miles and it felt like it when we finally rolled back into the campsite. Roy says route was not as map! I said he reads maps like he sometimes does crosswords - makes the words up to fit, makes the map to fit the route! Bless him, he got us home!

WAITING FOR ME TO HOLD THE LOG UP SO I COULD GET UNDER

AT LAST - UP ON THE MOOR

ALMOST BACK

LAKE BALA

WALKING IN WALES! CADAIR IDRIS HIKE

Heatwave predicted so we thought we would risk Wales for four nights.

Camped at Pen y Bont Touring Park at Lake Bala.
Had  a walk into Bala when we arrived past the end of Lake Bala, a pretty market town.

Our first day's hike, on our 26th wedding anniversary, we walked the 6 mile round trip up Cadair Idris, the 3rd highest mountain in Wales. 
The hike up the Pony path was lovely, then a tough short part to the summit. Lunch at the top then Roy decided instead of returning the same way we would do a circular walk back. Mistake! the path off the top was a nightmare, scree, big rocks and sheer drops. I managed that bit, then the trail eased a little and I managed to fall off the side of the path, rolled into the heather, bashed my knee on a rock and got my pole jammed up the back of me! All good fun! Roy untangled me and we got back down. Not without some comments from the rear of the party.
Showered back at site, glass of wine and we headed into Bala to enjoy our Anniversary meal. A lovely day despite set backs.

LAKE BALA

CAPAEL IDRIS

  

SUMMIT OF CAPAEL IDRIS

LUNCH AT TOP

AFTER THE DREADED SCREE DROP

SCREE TO THE LEFT WHICH WE HAD TO DESCEND

LOOKING BACK WHERE WE HAD COME FROM

POORLY KNEE AFTER FALLING OFF PATH

END OF A LOVELY DAY