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Mountainstar had arranged an informal long weekend WH meet in Snowdonia for the first weekend in September, which I was joining. I hadn’t been able to join the Dulyn bothy session on the Thursday night - probably just as well for my head from what I heard of what was carried up there…
but the location looks phenomenal... (library pic)
So I headed directly to the campsite on the Friday, arriving there at about midday. I see a guy pitching his tent and ask him if he's part of the WH contingent - and it turns out to be the legendary Montie
There was an idea of doing the Welsh 3000ers together, but it turns out that he is ill (unfortunately for him, but fortunately for me...
).
The forecast is good. But the WHs that have arrived so far prefer the idea of chilling out, rather than doing the walk I have in mind for the afternoon (...that bothy night....),
........................................... the morning after night before...
....so after pitching my tent and a bit of a chin wag with the folks, I head off. Judging from the map it looked like it would be a good route – lots of undulating characterful terrain and potentially good views; and it turns out to be even better than expected. I've walked the Carneddau literally dozens of times, but I've never hitherto even looked at this lot.
20170901_131522. There's no off-road path initially, but I dislike roads intensely, so I head off through the woods on the north side of the campsite more or less on the bearing I need to take. This view is looking back south at the campsite.
20170901_131741. Actually walking through the woodland, brambles and swamps notwithstanding, makes a nice change from open heathland.
20170901_132940. There are some paths around, but generally not where I would like them to be! But this is very pleasant countryside. Ahead is the ridge towards Crompiau (about a quarter of the way in from the right).
20170901_133535.
20170901_134253. There is an astonishing number of black sheep here. In N. Wales it may be that the white sheep is the problem family member...
20170901_135715. Looking back the way I've come - quite rough country, but pretty damned fine. The adrenaline levels are perceptibly rising.
20170901_142438. From Crompiau, rough and gruff stuff ahead - brilliant!
With some excellent scrambling on the way - I just can't resist this 30m face (unnamed). I just ascend one route, but it's clear there are multiple possibilities, and that one could have a good few hours fun here.
20170901_144224. Just before I start the scramble, I look back south to this view. Again: pretty fine!
20170901_145656. The scramble is interrupted by a call from my daughter asking about car insurance.... .... but once that's dealt with, it's onwards towards Greigiau Gleision - really enjoyable walking, over craggy, up-and-down terrain. This is a view looking just north of east from, I think, Craig Wen towards Llyn Crafnant.
The up-and-downy terrain continues, with a few marshy bits in the bealachs, until Creigiau Gleision, the first Hewitt. On the way up to the summit I meet a figure that's familiar to me from WHRs - malky_c - who's doing a meandering route from Dulyn Bothy to the campsite, that includes the Hewitts I'm heading for. We introduce ourselves, and chat briefly before continuing on our separate missions.
20170901_153414. Pano looking more or less due north taken near the summit of Greigiau Gleision. Gregiau Gleision N Top - the second Hewitt - is the pyramid-shaped hill about a quarter of the way in from the right, and on the left hand side is Pen Llythrig y Wrach, the third Hewitt of the round. This last hill is quite near as the crow flies, but in fact getting to it involves a long walk around Llyn Cowlyd, as can be seen from the route map.
20170901_154652. Shortly before the summit of GG N Top I hear the unmistakable sound of a chopper, and look back to see this.... Only practicing though, it seems.
20170901_154756. Pano over Llyn Cowlyd, with the Carneddau in the background (Carnedd Llewellyn summit at 1064m, just wreathed in cloud) , and Pen Llythrig y Wrach on the LHS. On the extreme left, Tryfan is just visible, its top also wreathed in cloud.
The path down to the dam is reasonably clear initially, but it seems to meander away from the direction I want to go in, so I end up heading directly down towards the dam.
20170901_161107. A rather marvellous view looking south west up Llyn Cowlyd. I'm mightly impressed with the quality of the landscape - "surprised by joy" as someone put it.
20170901_161415.
20170901_162735. The route up to the ridge that leads to Pen Llythrig y Wrach is pretty straightforward. There's a path visible intermittently, but there's no problem with the terrain when it's not. The only thing that affects progress is the need to stop and enjoy the views. The Creigiau Gleision ridge is just fantastic.
20170901_164622. On the way. Carnedd Llewellyn in the background about a third of the way in from the RHS, summit clear. Indeed it's turning out to be a brilliant evening.
20170901_170219. View looking north from the summit of Pen Llythrig y Wrach, back along the ridge I've just ascended: Llyn Cowlyd on the RHS, and Llyn Eigiau on the LHS....
20170901_170729. ... looking east back towards the Greigiau Gleision ridge.
20170901_170743. ... and ahead, WNW, towards Pen Yr Helgi Du. From here it's fast walking on perfect terrain....
20170901_174004. ... in perfect evening weather. This view is looking ESE back towards Pen Llythrig y Wrach whence I've just come.
Tryfan, Glyders and Y Garn ethereal in the evening light and constantly changing cloud....
20170901_174732. Pen Yr Helgi Du - a classically unprepossessing Welsh summit!
20170901_174930. Looking north west towards Craig yr Isfa, Cwm Eigiau, and behind, Carnedd Llewellyn.
20170901_174721. I walk around the summit for a while enjoying the evening sun. Then, with a last look back towards Carnedd Llewellyn, I set off down Y Braich, the shoulder of the hill.
20170901_175111. As I descend, I can't help turning round every few minutes to marvel at the sensational late afternoon illumination of Tryfan and the Glyders. I take literally dozens of pics of this...
20170901_175513.
20170901_175524. Easy and quick walking down...
20170901_180409. ...before cutting down south east off the shoulder towards the artificial contouring water course, alongside which I plan to head back.
20170901_181400. On the path that runs alongside the water course, looking back north west towards Cwm Bychan and the cliffs on the south side of Helgi Du. (The water course is the ditch on the RHS).
20170901_182150. Tryfan clear of cloud at last...
At 718607 the path becomes much rougher, and I make a tactical mistake here, deciding to drift slightly downhill from the water course. This lands me in a very rough and boggy meadow for about a kilometre, after which there's dense bracken, gorse, and cliffs
. Bad decision! I should have kept high as originally intended.
Planned route back compared with actual.
The little drop into the valley takes an absolute age, and I end up hitting the road long before I intended. So the last couple of kilometres is along the hated road - an unfortunate end to what was otherwise a more or less perfect day.
But once back at camp, I soon forget this and drown my sorrows with a half of shandy along with the rest of the WH crew...
Summary: an absolutely superb walk (as I hope the pics indicate) PROVIDED one starts and finishes more or less where I'd intended. If you don't, you're likely to end up in rough ground with few redeeming features, and not even a bunch of cheery WHs at the end of the day with whom to put one's sorrows into solution.
