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After a massively enjoyable wild camp at Llyn Hywel last year with our grandkids, there was a strong push from them to do at least one if not more wild camps this year.
We'd originally planned to do an overnighter at the Cwm Dulyn bothy in March, but Spencer had a very bad cold, so we decided to postpone it. After lots of toing and froing we'd succeeded in getting a new date into the diary.
It just so happened that the day we’d managed to fix on for the bothy trip was Ollie’s birthday, so before setting off for Wales, we had the birthday
Bescherung: millions of presents, and a huge chocolate birthday cake.
Notwithstanding which, we managed to get under way by 10.00am. The AA route planner suggested about 2.5 hours drive to Tal-y-bont, and this is pretty well what it turned out to be. The last stretch along the super steep and narrow Llyn Eigiau road took about 15 minutes, so we met up with Frank and Izzi at the car park at the end of the road at about 12.45. There were about a dozen cars there, and Allan became a little anxious that there may not be room at the bothy. We'd brought tents as back up, but given the already substantial weight of our sacs, decided to leave them in the cars, with one of us returning to collect them if the bothy did indeed turn out to be full.
First things first: lunch, finished off with enormous pieces of birthday chocolate cake
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The next challenge is to get Allan’s rucksack on to his back, having as it did a 10kg bag of coal on the top! Frank rose to the challenge and the objective was eventually achieved. It was very warm, and quite humid, but fortunately, for the walk in, the sun was behind clouds.
The gang at the start - you can see a lot of Ollie’s piece of cake around his mouth
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We were just about to start when Frank pointed into the sky and shouted, "what's that?" It was a buzzard-sized raptor, with a conspicuous white rump and light floaty flight. It was quite close, so we could see that it wasn't a buzzard, but we weren't sure exactly what it was. Looking it up when we returned, it was clear that it was a female hen harrier. Fantastic!!!
(not our pic).
20180531_132603. The first mile of the route is very easy going - a metalled track, with very little ascent.
20180531_133104.So easy in fact that there was plenty of energy for a bit of climbing ....
20180531_134433. ....at least on the part of those not carrying coal, wood, water, food, etc.....
20180531_143325. However, after we passed the small hydro dam, it began to get quite boggy, and this theme continued all the rest of the way to the bothy.
On the way we bumped into a couple who'd just come from the bothy, and who, to our great relief, advised us that there was no-one there, so we wouldn't have to go back for the tents.
At least we knew precisely where we were throughout the walk in, since every 100 metres or so, the leading question, "How far is it now?" was posed. Once we could see the trees in the background, an appreciation of the distance remaining was more tangible: "Just beyond the trees" was the adults' oft-repeated response.
Though it transpired that there were different understandings of "just" amongst the party, the provider of the information meaning a couple of hundred metres, whilst in the minds of the recipients of the information the idea of 2 or 3 metres formed. This led to some vociferous protests when the bothy did not immediately appear once we did reach the trees...
20180531_143325. ... but as soon as we rounded the next slight shoulder and the bothy hove into view, a new spring in the step was evident...
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Arriving at the destination, Spence, Ollie and Izze dumped their sacs outside...
...took a very cursory look around inside, and then immediately headed straight for the stream that flowed in a little valley just below the bothy. They spent the next hour or so catching frogs and tadpoles while Frank and Allan got the sleeping arrangements sorted out.
The bothy is in pretty good shape – clean and tidy – with room for about 12 at a push in the sleeping room.
Eventually Izzi, Spence and Ollie came back up to the bothy with a plastic bottle full of frogs and tadpoles. Around this point the clouds dissipated and the sun appeared, so it seemed like a good time to head for Llyn Dulyn to check whether it was warm enough to swim in.
It was, and in no time at all, most of us were in the water.
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Some hardy folk even swam out to the little island...
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20180531_173822. ...which proved a perfect inspiration for inventing a penguins game that occupied the gang for at least an hour...
.... after which we spent a good while tackling progressively more difficult routes up a large boulder. Spence, Izzi and Ollie all did the routes - some of them in bare feet!
As it approached 7 o'clock the old folk suggested we went back to the bothy for dinner. There was initially some resistance to this suggestion, with a counter-proposal that the adults cook the food and bring it to them at the llyn. But in the end they agreed to come back to the bothy to eat, provided they could come back and swim again after dinner.
So shortly after our chorizo-tortellini-with-pesto meal (back by popular request after last year's cam), we were back up at the llyn.
The sun was out, and it was beautifully warm - warm enough indeed to be able to dry off without towelling.
View down the valley from half way between the bothy and Llyn Dulyn. Still very sunny.
All of a sudden, though, it began to cloud in, and the clouds darkened rapidly; so, putting discretion before valour, we quickly returned to the bothy. And no sooner had we got there than the skies opened.
Looking out of the bothy door - as Frank said: "stair rods!".
We did light a fire - having lugged all that wood and coal up there, how could we not? But really it was more than warm enough, so it didn't burn for long, and there's now a big heap of fuel for the next folk there on a cold night!
We were all in bed shortly after 9, and slept the sleep of the just (or perhaps: the exhausted!).
The morning was showery, as forecast, but still pretty warm, and the showers were invariably of very short duration, hence didn't cramp our style. So after a sausage bap breakfast, the younger end shot back down to the stream to continue their unending investigations of wildlife, while Frank and Allan cleared up, packed the sacs and cleaned the bothy.
To our great surprise, Spence came back with this...
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They named it "Iggy", and everyone had to take a turn holding it.
After this, some folk wanted to take a look at the higher level llyn, Melynllyn, while others didn't fancy the 150m climb and preferred to swim in Llyn Dulyn again.
So Allan and Spencer made the climb, while the others remained below.
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20180601_100131. In the mist and rain the valley has quite a different aspect today.
The water was a bit cold for Allan, but once he's got the bit between his teeth, nothing holds back Spence!
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But they need to get back to the bothy if we are to keep to schedule...
20180601_104758. This pano is taken on the way back down, Llyn Dulyn in the background left, and the bothy about a quarter of the way in from the right hand side.
We leave the bothy at about 11.15, and immediately a difference in pace is evident - it may have something to do with the facts that a) we're going downhill; and b) we're not carrying coal, wood, food, etc.
20180601_113208. But after the rain, the ground is significantly more boggy, and all end up with wet feet.
Although it looks like we might be hit by showers, it is just too warm and humid to wear wet gear, so we take the risk of wearing t-shirts only, and in the event there are only a few very light and brief showers.
20180601_121033. But as we get nearer to the mini hydro dam, the clouds get darker, and rumblings of thunder can be heard, which become progressively louder and more frequent.
. At this point Allan is whipping the team along, partly to avoid a drenching, but also because he's scared stiff of lightning.
20180601_123722. Ollie leading the way.
20180601_123726. Nearly there...
With the cars only 100 metres or so away, big drops start to fall, and we all run the last stretch.
20180601_124355. Lunch comprises another huge piece of birthday cake each, sheltering under the tailgate...
Then we bid goodbye...
...and moments later the skies really open, such a deluge that the windscreen wipers can hardly cope.
A perfectly timed end to a perfect bothying experience
. It surely won't be our last
.
Actually it was a fair old climb, so the younger folk did pretty well lugging their rucksacks up there...
3D Route View.
