Quite a tough climb from Llanuwchllyn in Snowdonia to the 2,969 feet summit of Aran Fawddwy. The views were fab- just not at the top.

Date walked: 11th September 2019

Map used: OS Explorer OL 23 – Cadair Idris and Llyn Tegid

Distance:  about 10 miles give or take

***************

This meet up with Bob was planned a good while before I did the last leg of the Cambrian Way with Neil and Paul (published here a few weeks ago). I don’t think I realised at the time just how close we would be to our tramping ground on that occasion – just 12 miles or so as the crow flies.  I was still feeling a bit downhearted at our failure on the Way to climb Rhinog Fawr, so had no plans to try and tackle anything too ambitious with Bob. And yet perversely, perhaps, but almost certainly in an attempt to put that failure behind me, we decided to tackle Aran Fawddwy – at 2,969 feet  some 377 feet higher than Rhinog Fawr and the 16th highest summit in Wales. Some might call me stubborn.

We were staying in Llanuwchllyn, just south of Llyn Tegid (lake Bala in English), the town of Bala being at the north end of this glacially created lake (the largest naturally created lake in Wales). Bob had driven down in his camper van and we had found in the village a site called Bwch yn Uchaf which offered me the comforts of a nice room in a Bed and Breakfast and him the pleasure  of walking to his shower in the morning from his pitch in a field. It was also where we started the walk.

Our map-reading led us flounder about in the village for a while before we chose a No Through Road that  served a few farms and was going in the right direction.

It was a cool, overcast day with some rain a distinct possibility.  The walk would take us over four mini-summits before reaching Aran Fawddwy. Over to our left, was the first of these above Garth Fawr farm.

The farm’s young and frisky cattle were excited to see us…..

…. and shortly after seeing them, and after consulting the map…..

…. we took a sharp left to join the ridge that we would be on for the next 4 miles.

It was pretty wet underfoot with some squelchy puddles but the grass path wasn’t too steep.

It got steeper quite quickly, though…

…. as we climbed over the smooth boulders of the side of Moel Ddu, our second mini-summit.

Looking back, as we made for Moel Ffenigl, we had a view over the lake and  with some blue sky breaking through; it was turning out OK.

Pause for a pic.

I see I was still geared up for rain, but there was a cool breeze so my legs were warmer with my waterproof trousers on

From Moel Ffenigl the contours became quite bunched up, the terrain quite rocky and the skies ominously dark at times.

But of course as we gained altitude, so our views improved.

We passed several small lakes, their blue-grey water rippled from the sharp breeze.

Looking around, there was barely a sign of human occupation for miles.

And once again I felt incredibly fortunate simply to be there to enjoy the fabulous landscape.

The path took us  close to the edge of the ridge …

… and then the ridge, called Craig y Lllyn, widened out as we approached the fourth mini-summit of Aran Benllyn.

You might see the Trig point if you squint hard

Around here we had our first sight of the trig point on top of Aran Fawddwy; it seemed a long way off and a lot higher but I was feeling OK and confident that I would be able to reach it. As we approached the summit, so the steepness of this last section became more apparent.

It was a slow route picking our way between the boulders and as we climbed this last bit, so the cloud seemed to close in on us.

And when we got to the Trig point we had no view at all. Very frustrating.

We sheltered below the summit for a break and a bite to eat. Bob had a pasta snack but no fork and without shame or vanity just ate it with his fingers.

I just wouldn’t have liked the sticky fingers afterwards.

As we began to make our way back we left the cloud behind and our view was returned to us.

This was better than no view, of course, but looking back I could see that the top was clear again, which prompted several cursing bouts on my part. Bob was quite relaxed about it.

The sheep couldn’t care less.

Going down is only less effort on the gently descending parts, where gravity is helping but you are not trying to fall.

And the fact that we had achieved our goal and would be in the pub later with a pint gave me, at least, a lift.

But the steeper sections were hard on the knees going down and with tired legs we needed to go slowly to avoid a fall and we both made good use of our walking poles.

We had seen just one couple today who had zoomed by us on the way up. It was about here that a young woman appeared who was intent on making the highest point. She may well have been half our age but neither of us thought that she could possibly make it up and back in daylight. I hope that we communicated some concern but at the same time she was clearly an experienced walker so we made no overture to her to reconsider. Perhaps we should have.

As we neared the easy section the late afternoon light was quite beautiful and blue skies reappeared.

There was no need to leave the path we were on to retrace the first part of the walk…..

… so we made straight for the hill that we had by-passed on the way up.

Looking back, I could still see that the Arans were clear, which brought on another bout of cursing.

On the side of the last hill was a single wind turbine. Readers will know that I am not in favour of turbines in upland areas of landscape beauty but this particular one was a useless thing, barely turning in what was still a good breeze.

So I had a right chunner about it as we dropped down to the village. This was the path that we should have been on our our way out and was much nicer than walking on the road.

And just before we joined the road a sign confirmed this.

Who cares! We made it and I am fired with enthusiasm once again to return to the Cambrian Way and get Rhinog Fawr under our feet. But not ’til the Spring.