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Sunday morning and Mrs Munrogimp states between sups of tea: "let’s take the dog for a walk up Moel Fammau". I looked out of the bedroom window at the snow smothered Berwyn Mountains and said with manly authority "NO let’s do a proper walk up that there hill".
I'd been up the oft over looked Berwyns before but this is usually out of Mrs M'gimp's league (a meadows and lanes walker). However seven days of Lake District training a week ago drastically reduced her usual whinging.
We’d had over a decade of watching the weather, light, colour and seasons change on the Berwyns from our home but had never ventured up them together. They always metaphorically stay in the shadow of their Snowdonian relatives, also visible from the bedroom, but call just as loudly to us to get out and explore them, so we did.
We parked opposite The Berwyn restaurant and left Llandrillo village in our wake heading east down the lane past the village hall. The lane soon turned to track and then open pasture land, but every step afforded us better views of this pretty valley. Patches of snow thickened as we gained more height and Mrs M’gimp took in more of the views.
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- Mrs Munrogimp not quite getting how to wear neck warmer properly.
The dog was having a ball of a time and we left the path at about 430 mtrs at Moel Ty Uchaf where there’s an interesting stone circle.... and views. Mrs M’gimp likes views.
The pastures soon turned to moorland and thick but sloppy-wet snow. This did make the going tougher and thus required more view appreciation time.
The main path would ordinarily turn south and east after Moel Pearce to direct you to the saddle of Cadair Bronwen and Cadair Berwyn. I opted to follow the fence line directly to the top of Bronwen. This now very snowy ascent was better quality snow but its steepness also increased the view stoppage frequency ratio.
At Cadair Bronwen cups of piping hot coffee and chocolate cake were scoffed as the dog hoovered around other masticating ramblers sheltering around the cairn. There was a steady breeze which significantly reduced the temperature around the ears.
The views were stunning and home was spotted in the distance but we had to press on.
Mrs M’gimp wasn’t impressed that the board-walks down to the saddle hadn’t been on our ascending route. As we climbed out of the steep saddle heading towards Cadair Berwyn she kept stopping. I asked why. She panted “the..fur…king…vuse”. I still have no idea what she was on about.
We eventually topped out and walked along the cliffs above the head of the Dyffryn Ceiriog valley – stunning in the snow. The welcome sight of the trig point atop Berwyn signalled no more climbing to Mrs M’gimp's relief and for the first time in our 21 years together I witnessed her run down the hillside.
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- Big views from the top
The walk back in to Llandrillo was uneventful but sunny over rough, wet and decreasingly snowy moorland until we hit the bridal path back to the village. It took us 5 hours in all but clearly Naismith doesn’t factor in viewing time as he says it should have taken 4 ½ hrs.
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- Happy to be back down.
