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Following our efforts in the Glyders we were all very tired so the fact Monday was a total wash out didn’t really bothers us too much. Tuesdays forecast wasn’t very good either but promised enough for a quick jaunt up The Cnicht (The Knight). We drove to the beautiful little village of Croesor for a quick there and back. The parking area, like the rest of the village, is very neat and tidy complete with a very welcome portaloo.
Route finding is hardly a problem as long as you can see as once you follow the lane out of the village. One turn off through a gate and the inevitable climb up the increasingly defined ridge takes you up to the Welsh Matterhorn summit with barely a deviation. The weather was just about holding with a light rain that wasn’t even worth donning waterproofs.
The Cnicht by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
Looking towards Moel Hebog by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
The views were very nice indeed with Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach making a tempting future target across Cwm Croesor to the South East, some wild country the Nantlle ridge and a cloud capped Snowdon to the North West and straight ahead the impressive conical peak of The Cnicht.
The Moelwyns by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
The Welsh Matterhorn by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
The final pull up to the summit is particularly entertainingly hands on before you top out onto the small rocky cairnless top. At this point the true nature of the Cnicht becomes obvious as it is the pointy termination of a long ridge. Unfortunately the cloud rolled in obscuring much of the view while we had lunch but the sight of the ridge holding back the cloud like a dam was impressive.
On the way up by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
On the ridge by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
Looking towards Moel Hebog and the Nantlle Ridge by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
A misty Cwm Croesor by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
Ridge holding back the cloud by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
Grace on the top by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
On a better day we would almost certainly have carried on to make a circuit of the walk but with the weather threatening we returned the way we came enjoying views out to Tremadog bay.
Col just before the final pull to the summit by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
Moelwyn Bach catches some rare sunlight by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
Looking back down the ridge by
johnkaysleftleg, on Flickr
By the time we were driving back to the cottage following an ice cream in Porthmadog the heavens had opened and the national park received its second deluge in as many days.
