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Tuesday. Day 4 of walking for me at the Capel Curig meet. Everyone else had gone home yesterday and so after a few pints in the Tyn-y-Coed while I reflected on my bitterly disappointing day on the Nantlle Ridge and the murder of Homer Simpson, I had had a fairly early night and prepared for my final day in Wales and the beginning of the long journey back home.
I awoke early in the morning to a fine looking July day and set about a leisurely breakfast. I had spent the last four nights in a tent with a view of Moel Siabod, the nearest peak to Capel Curig, so I couldn't leave Wales later that same day without having done it the courtesy. I was planning to drive up to the Lake District later in the day for a final day of walking before heading for home, and after three straight days (including some pretty arduous scrambling), I reckoned a reasonably straightforward 5 hour route on the doorstep would not go amiss.
Once I had packed up the tent and packed everything into the car, I drove the short distance up the now familiar road to the parking area at Bryn Glo, from where I crossed the road and over the old stone bridge above the falls onto the minor road to the farm. The bypass path past the farm took me to the holiday cottages and the gate beyond them led me onto the open hillside.
Falls at Bryn Glo
Moel Siabod Holiday Cottages
Approaching the foot of the main north east ridgeBoth Alan Bellis and Sue Back had advised me that there was some good scrambling to be had on the route onto Moel Siabod from the other side, and so I ignored the start of the main north east ridge and continued on past the little lochan before climbing up to the flooded quarry and the earie remains of a long lost slate mining operation.
Skirting the un-named lochan
Plenty ghosts from the mining industry around here!
The quarry from one of the ledges on the south sideFrom here I continued on over the col to Llyn y Foel. I chose to skirt round the back of this loch and pick up the foot of the southern ridge from the shores of the loch.
The locals on Lyln y Foel
My ascent ridge above Llyn y FoelMy two friends were quite right - it was an excellent scramble, albeit a little in the shade of some of my most recent scrambles in the neighbourhood!
Up
Down
Most definitely up!
Down the north east ridge - Dolgam campsite is down in that valley amongst the trees
Summit trig on the skyline aheadOnce at the summit trig point, I settled down for a spot of lunch and had a good chat with two older blokes who had come up from Plas y Brenin, before dropping down the main north east ridge to pick up the track by the un-named lochan for the walk back to the car.
Yr Wyddfa with her head in the clouds
Down the main north east ridge towards Capel Curig and home for the last four days
Tryfan and the Carneddau
Bristly Ridge and Tryfan
Start of the descent down the main ridge
The way home
The eastern end of Llynnau Mymbyr and Plas y Brenin
Back to the ascent ridge and summit
Quarry and ruined mine workings from up on the ridge
Chopper heading for the Horseshoe
Glyder Fach and Tryfan across Y Foel GochThen it was "hasta la proxima" to Wales and "Hola" to the Lake District and a final fling before home.
The drive north was not nearly as hard going as the drive south had been on Friday and I found myself leaving the M6 and heading for Kendal without having lost my rag. I stopped just outside Kendal and texted Bod, who replied straight away saying that he and Val had just done Hellvelyn and were now in some establishment in Windermere. I replied that I was heading up to the Kirkstone Pass where I would spend the night, and may be tempted to pay a visit to the Kirkstone Inn, however by the time I got up there and got settled I had lost all sniff of a signal and couldn't contact them again.
I parked up in the Red Pits car park below Red Screes and settled in for the evening next to a guy in what appeared to be a converted ice cream van. How I wished Bod and Val were here to see this!
Place Fell down Kirkstone Pass from the Red Pits car park below the eastern slopes of Red Screes