free to be able to rate and comment on reports (as well as access 1:25000 mapping).
We both crashed immediately after our evening meal on day 1, and were up quite early - how great it was to be under canvas again! Less great were the swarms of midges - and there was no wind!
But we got off fairly promptly, and had started the route for the day - the Carneddau and Yr Elen - by 08.45
Profile
IMG_9747_20220531_0851. Llyn Ogwen just after we'd started.
20220531-091800. The forecast was for clear tops, so the fact that the Glyders and the very top of Tryfan were shrouded in cloud didn't auger particularly well. Pen-yr-Ole-Wen and the Carneddau were certainly clag-bound at this point.
This view of Tryfan had us spellbound - we took pics of it every 10 minutes or so for the next couple of hours.
20220531-095302. It's a pretty straightforward walk virtually all the way to Pen-yr-Ole-Wen summit, though in the mid stages the path sometimes does disappear ...
IMG-9756_20220531_1033. ...and there's a short section of very easy scrambling. The waterproof trousers aren't intended as some kind of walking fashion statement: I discovered too late that I'd packed my son's troos, and he's MUCH taller than I!!).
IMG-9758_20220531_1045. Did I mention that this view rather held us in thrall???
20220531-105436. A fine view of Ffynnon Lloer, to be seen just 10m or so from the path.
20220531-110525. Oops! There it is again
IMG-9761_20220531_1127. Then it was into the clouds, and ....
IMG-9762_20220531_1130. A bit brutal...
Fortunately the hail flurry didn't last very long. The cloud was up and down, but we summited Pen-yr-Ole-Wen, Carnedd Fach and Carnedd Dafydd without difficulty. However it was still pretty cold, so we took refuge in within the stone shelter circle, and consumed some grub. While we were there, a couple of ladies arrived for the same purpose, the first walkers we'd encountered since the start of the walk.
I expected to find the 125m climb to the summit of Carnedd Llewelyn a bit of a struggle, but in fact it felt quite a bit better than earlier on in the day.
The stone shelter circle on the summit was already quite crowded with walkers huddled behind its protectivve walls - it remained cold and windy - so we didn't hang around very long, heading off north west in the direction of Yr Elen. Initially the path is quite clear, but then it becomes very faint, especially in the clag, and I managed to drift way too far west. Phil, who'd taken compass duty, eventually pointed out that we were heading south, which was unquestionably the wrong direction. So, sorting out where we were, we reorientated ourselves to point north west, and before long, broke out of the mist as we descended the slope, and being able to now see Yr Elen clearly, we could see that we were back on track.
IMG-9772_20220531_1521. On our way to Yr Elen, having dropped out of the cloud. Cwmglas Bach somewhat south of west across the valley; Carnedd Dafydd to the left, summit in cloud.
20220531-153106. On the ascent of Yr ELen, Carnedd Llewelyn on the LHS, Carnedd Dafydd on the RHS.
IMG-9773_20220531_1545. Looking from Yr Elen towards Carnedd Lleweln.
20220531-160322. Pano on the way back from Yr Elen, again Carnedd Llewelyn LHS, Carnedd Dafydd RHS.
IMG-9775_20220531_1611. Same as previous pic, but zoomed.
20220531-161357. Same view from the col between Yr Elen and Carnedd Llewelyn.
20220531-162414. Rather than reascending Carnedd Llewelyn, we contoured around the south west side of the hill. This is looking back NNW towards Yr Elen, shortly after the point at which we branched off.
20220531-164558. Looking south East from Bwlch Cyfryw-drum to Ffynnon Llugwy. The afternoon had turned out rather well.
20220531-164633. Same as pano.
20220531-171357. Oh dear, Tryfan again - this time wildly illuminated in the late afternoon sun.
20220531-172240. Looking almost exactly down our route back to where the car is parked, just below Tryfan.
On arrival back a camp we both agreed that a visit to an extablishment of cultural, historical and architectural distinction was urgently required to round off the day...
