a lovely walk in snowdon

Hello Bwlch y saethau, how are you today? I thought I'd show you some pictures from a walk we did to the old mines of Moria, I mean Llewydd. The path starts at the waterfalls on the Watkins path, which you know well. About half way up towards where we were with Adam last year.

This lovely stone bridge takes us across the river, over the clear cold water coming down from Snowdon, Aran and Llewydd.

We sit a while taking in the beauty of this place, with the sound of water tumbling over the falls

This picturesque landscape could be anywhere in the world but its not, it's the Snowdon you know so well.

The path will take us up into the hills behind Gallt y Wenallt, thats the hill overlooking the campsite, the steepest grass slope in uk apparently. It's strange to us as we walk up onto the back of Llewydd that the campsite is all the time, just over the ridge. It feels like we are in another mountain range rather than just over the hill!

The peak in the top left corner is non other than the one we've looked at so many times from the the van. 

Rainbows appear as we climb, as showers come and go, making an already stunning landscape even more awesome. And the view behind us gets better and better too. 

Aran towering over the Watkin Path and where we've come from.

Another rainbow points to a pot of gold I would say would probably be on Elephant rock!! That's over the ridge lit by a shaft of sunlight.

And at last we reach the mines, iron ore we think. Levels as they are called on the map. What a place to work! Right up in the heights of the mountain at the mercy of the ever changing weather. We are alone up here and are happy to be alive.

The old mine buildings are fascinating and Mum immediately spots treasure she wants to take home!

No chance, I say. But how about this one then? Please!

In your ruck sack not mine! We'll have to settle for the usual sliver of rock, these trinkets are made of solid iron!. 

So I have to investigate higher up as I still don't get these 'Levels'. The clouds are swirling, the rain dropping but I've come this far................... So I leave your Mum for a moment and climb up and onto a flattened area where I find the answer. 

yep, that small hole in the rock next to the river is a level entrance. The river shows plenty of evidence of iron in the rock, red brown streaks are in the rock not the water. Deposits I suppose, leaving stains where they've been running for ages. 

Looking down the shaft, which although wet, is not flooding. Must have been a hell of a way into work! We aren't dressed to go in, not quite our thing. Robbie, Alex. Now those two would be down it like rabbits. 

I can hear Mum calling, so I look out over the workings and call her up to have a look. you've got to see this I shout. So she scrambles up and is glad she did. 

These are well worth the visit and as we are on our own we feel even more the adventurers, finding our own discoveries. 

Everywhere is of interest,  the rocks alive with small worlds of plants and water.

Grass comes alive on the rain saturated rocks

And although this is magic mushroom country, we haven't eaten any !!! Honest! We're just high on being high. 

So we leave the mines behind and wend our way down to Nant Gwynant, as the mists swirl above us, the sun gets lower and we find ourselves once more...........  shadows in the the landscape of our own imagination!

We hope you have a lovely Wednesday. 

All our love

Dad n Mum

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Snowdon

 So here we are again. At the beginning of the Pyg track, ready and able to take on the accent once more

 Mum is looking as fit as ever, sporting jeans and a berghaus waterproof with a puffa underneath it must be said as she has not got a beer belly.

Underneath Crib Goch she stands proud that we have walked the ridge! but we will not take it on today as it's rather cold and windy and we're out for a stroll not an endurance test!

 Spot the difference if you can?

Here we both pose with the summit in view. It's an awesome sight. We are taking our time and enjoying every minute of this familiar walk. Happily remembering all the times we've spent here with you and Jon.

The Pyg track climbs steadily upwards, leading us to our goal although we are not in a hurry as we have plenty of time and good head torches with us!

Close to the top we come accross a money tree!!! Which we assume is for good luck as we've not seen it before and must be a recent idea as we were here only 1 years ago. Maybe we were so tired then that we didn't notice it!

So we find a free spot and place lots of good wishes and luck to you which will blow in the wind like Tibetan prayer flags

The money tree in all it's glory overlooking Llyn Glaslyn and beyond. What a view!

 And at last we reach as good as the summit, the finger rock at the top of the Pyg Track. As you can see, mum is overjoyed to be here and runs to cuddle the stone.

And not to be left out, I too have to have a cuddle. Spot the difference?

I'm the one with more hair!

And as for the view that awaits us, don't blink cos in a matter of seconds this view was obliterated by an intense hail stone shower, with visibility going down to next to nothing ! And as for the wind, a howling north wester blowing extremely cold, brrr, felt like Everest. Honest.

At the top, elated and windblown. We've made it. Now we mustn't get blown off cos wow its windy and straight down on all sides.

There's a mountain to climb every day and we Beynon's know how to reach the top !!!

And as we come down, we have to mellow to the moment and be happy we are alive and doing well

Taking in the surroundings, we are blessed with little marvels that are easily missed.

and with Snowdon in sillouette with the sun going down, we still don't need the £45 head torches we bought as a gift for ourselves from Y Warws. Lovely torches mind, but not needed as we have got down well before sundown.


So we wish you a good nights rest and send all our love, hope you have a good week.
A happy birthday to you Storm, hope you enjoy the book
Speak to you tomorrow
Dad n Mum xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Caffi Gwynant

~So here we sit, your mum and me, at Caffi Gwynant. The Caffi you know so well. It's pouring with rain out side and we are very happy to be here typing a blog to you. I'm going to put some photos from Jon's birthday and Snowdon on this blog, to keep you up to date and amused.

Jon's Birthday for us was spent as usual somewhere you would expect to find us, Rhossili and Worm's head of course.We talked to you from the car park, which made our day. The food was as to be expected, ghastly! but we wouldn't want it any other way. The weather was also perfect as you can see from photo above. 

We've never walked this path before, out to the rocky headland at Fall Bay, where we once picked you and Higgs up in the boat. Mum looks like she's walking off into the heavens to see Jon! She found a mushy instead in the guise of a seal!

At the point her hopes were dashed by a rockfall, fortunately, no one was underneath! It felt like we could be anywhere in the world.
Happy Birthday Jon, we all miss you.

And on to our Snowdon trip, which is only on day 4 and already it seems like we've been here for ages, well over the years we have and it's such a familiar place to us.

So a good place to start as always is on the river bank, which is where mum here is standing with Gallt yr Wenallt in the background. an unusual view taken from the far corner of the campsite, past the bridge.

We're parked up nearly in the same spot as last year, about 10 yards away! It's even got a windbreak of trees where the bike is parked. good spot.

Yesterday we walked a walk we've promised to do for years, up the wall on Wenallt as if to go to the top. Gerry had told us that it was a good way to stand on the top of the scary hill but we were not up to it as it got very steep and we were out for a walk not an endurance test. so we turned back down, not quite half way up. and found ourseloves on familiar ground on the path to Nant Gwynant for a cup of coffee and a cake!

 You have walked this path with us on several occasions and it's more our style than wilderness exploring.
Mum wants it to be know that she is wearing a puffa jacket under her coat and she is much slimmer than this photo might suggest!!!

Beautiful Rowan tree by bridge, mum thinks we three took photos of it last year. I bet she's right.

As to this strange addition to the Snowdon wildlife, a Lama no less and doesn't he look just like a huge sheep with a long kneck. What a sweetheart. what a suprise!

And here we are, safe and full up with cake ! in a woodland I know you'll remember from last year as we had you in fits of giggles over something or other and you will have taken shots here too. Right above the place we lost Storm when he was off playing with water falls and we were in the canoe, shouting Storm! where are you! Remember? Good times even if you were down with dysentry ! We Beynon's make the most of what we have, when we have it! Yep !

Back at the campsite, it looks like Beautiful Days! There is a scout gathering this weekend and we've never seen it so packed with laughing, shouting kids and scout leaders who should get a grip and chill out a bit! Big Kids they are.

 And here is the last photo of this blog and we can't decide whether to use the B&W or the colour? So we'll send you both and see what you think?

They are both lovely and the shot is taken off the top of elephant rock, a place which will always be close to our hearts. As you are.
All our love and a happy bithday to Storm
xxxx from Caffi Gwynant