Plynlimon soaking

[yokehead]

Another trip for me and Sarah to a completely different part of Wales. Few photos on this outing given the mist for the first half and torrential rain for most of the rest of it! With the high start the overall ascent is quite modest, but the distance covered ends up being fairly long because of the out and back leg to Pen Pumlumon Arwystli.

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We parked at the pay car park outside some enterprising person's house at Eisteddfa Gurig, being the quickest option to get straight on the hill. It was already misty to low level as we made our way west up the mine track then north alongside the forest edge to the point east of Y Garn. Acent of only 200m in a distance of 2.5km was easy going but the surroundings were exceedingly drab in the mist.

The out and back to Y Garn is across undulating terrain that seemed longer than it really was. Having retraced our steps to the forest corner we turned north, following the fence all the way to Pumlumon Fawr. Skies had cleared a bit and it was looking stormy, chance to get the first photo!

over the fence to the summit

west to Nant-y-moch in the poor conditions

After visiting all the high points we hid from the wind for lunch in the shelter cairn, watching the clouds brew and rain sweep past, either side of us at this stage.

Pumlumon Fawr

better light but getting stormy

best visibility all day, we thought we might get this for the rest of the trip but, no!

view from the shelter

Eventually we set out for the 3km haul to Pen Pumlumon Arwystli via Pen Pumlumon Llygad-bychan and the 1865 boundary marker stone, across grassy ground which was flat and rather uninspiring apart from the final ascent to the summit. Just before we reached there the rain came tumbling down, hard, and remained that way for the rest of the day. So it was hoods up and retreat fully into our shells, keeping our heads down and battling through it.

boundary marker

We retraced our steps nearly all the way back to the 691m point just short of Pumlumon Fawr. Here I had planned to cut the corner and using the compass we did that, heading SSE for 0.5km to join the path leading toward the disused mine.

There is an old mine track all the way back from here so it was fast progress and we were glad to return to the car, quite soaked despite the gear.

the old mine

wet

I think this is one of those walks that needs good weather, or snow, to make it enjoyable given the rather mundane surroundings. What a contrast to Nantlle just a few days before!