Snowdon's western lakes walk, 1st May 2011

A last minute rearranging of the walks programme led to this walk being scheduled for a bank holiday. Over the Easter period at the start point of Snowdon Ranger it was chaos, but at 10am on the Sunday morning of the walk all was quiet. Perhaps something to do with the gale that was blowing! So just ten intrepid walkers, all regulars, in our group setting off on the Ranger path. Fortunately the wind eased during the day, and we had clear weather and even sunshine.

Leaving the Ranger path we went cross country to visit the four llyns up in Cwm Clogwyn, which looked as impressive as ever, before heading back to a little spot by Llyn Fynnon y Gwas for lunch. Then it was over Bwlch Cwm Brwynog and up the rock strewn slopes leading to Llyn Du'r Arddu, our sixth and last lake. Not many climbers up on the cliffs of Clogwyn, but what an awesome place. The copper miners who toiled on and below the cliffs 200 years ago probably had other thoughts.

More rocks to surmount before we joined the throngs on the Llanberis path (shock, after being virtually on our own until then) for the half hour walk down to Hebron Station, where we turned to eventually return over Bwlch Maesgwm. A cup of tea and some cake rounded of what seemed to be a good day in the hills, with Guto telling me, courtesy of his GPS, that my estimated 10mile walk had turned out to be 11.5miles.

Dave