Mynydd Mawr walk, Thursday 12th April

Having gathered at the Snowdonia Brewpub/WHR car park in Waunfawr we had twelve passengers for the bus to Rhyd Ddu, including one new member of our group (hi Mary). The easy walk in from there along the forest road led to the path up to Bwlch y Moch. Good views from here, with the bwlch no longer crossed by the old 1920s power lines. My spiel about these originating at the Cwm Dyli power station before going to the quarries at Llanberis and then over Bwlch Cwm Llan to this spot and then the quarries in Nantlle (are you keeping up?) was topped by Ifor, who said that they then went on to the quarries at Trefor. This was after we had covered the famous floating island of Llyn y Dywarchen and the breached dam just below us. Who said walking is just a physical exercise?

Then it was the steep climb to Foel Rudd, before the skyline walk past Craig y Bera, much colder up here. Waiting to meet us on the summit was Edmund, who had walked from home at Y Fron - a longer walk than ours, he claimed. Nothing to do with it being higher than Rhyd Ddu! Lunch sheltering from the wind, with views stretching from Holyhead Mountain to the Arans, before we dropped down to the cairn perched high above Betws Garmon for a birds eye view of the village. Then on the track skirting high above Cwm Ddu, its cliff edge broken by towering rock pillars, before the descent to the campsite and church in Betws Garmon. Our thirteen walkers reverted to twelve en route, as Ifor headed west, deciding a pint in his local at Groeslon was in order.

The valley path back to Waunfawr from Betws Garmon was as undemanding as ever but the coffees and beer in the Snowdonia were still very welcome. A suitable end to a day which threatened to be cloudy and damp but turned out fine.

Dave