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NORTHUMBRIA BACKPACKERS |
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CARNEDDAU RANGE WALES |
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| 23-25 October 2009 | ||
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Finally on the 10th October I completed my last
Wainwright of Castle Crag. Standing proudly on the 214th
summit I paused to reflect on the twenty five weekends I had spent this
year alone traveling to and from the Lake District in search of what
became in the end an obsession. Although some nights were spent as
single pitches on campsites most of the tops were done as day walks.So
it is now Back to business and my pleasure to report on a couple of days
backpacking on the Carneddau range in Snowdonia.Having a couple of days
leave from work Terry Coulson and myself headed across the Pennines to
North Wales and our destination of Betwsy-y-coed where we were to spend
the night at the Dolgam farm campsite. After a four-hour journey, we
arrived at the waterlogged campsite in darkness so it was quickly up
with the tents. After pitching the tents we retired to Terry’s car and sat headtorches ablaze catching up on old times and consuming vast amounts of larger that we had brought down with us. After a dry and calm night in our tents I awoke the next morning with a mouth like Ghandis flip flop and a head like the elephant mans and as I finally awoke from my stupor I shouted to Terry to see if he was awake only to find that he was as rough as me with a voice like Steven Hawkins. After a couple of hours extra sleep we finally managed to drag ourselves from our tents at about ten o clock. (Not a good advertisement for the backpackers I here you say). So after packing up our gear we headed for the start at Idwall cottage where we were to leave the car for the weekend This being our latest start ever at eleven fifteen we finally set of around the Shore of Llyn Ogwen .After being dormant from backpacking for so long my backpack felt it was full of lead and heavier than I had ever remembered it or was it just lack of practice. Any way as we labored around the lake we started to climb up the stream of Afon Lloer towards the tarn or as the Welsh say llyn,and our first destination of Ffynnon Lloer. On passing the water we started to climb higher to the Carneddau ridge and our first top Carnedd fach.. as we plodded slowly, towards the summit both mine and Terry’s energy seemed to have deserted us so we decided we needed a rest. So it was down to a famous saying I once heard from our Bryan Crick, when you’re feeling like that the best remedy is A NICE CUP OF TEA. Very wise words from Bryan, which have stuck with me from that day onwards. While firing my stove up Terry had covered himself in a tarp and gone to sleep. (the onslaught of sixteen years constant nightshift and an indifferent sleep pattern) as Terry slept like a baby behind me I sat like Billy No Mates drinking my refreshing tea and gazing at the impressive north face of Tryfan in front of me strutting up into the clouds like a dragons back. After half an hour or so rest, we were up and refreshed heading for the summit of Carnedd Fach. On reaching it we went east along the ridge to Carnedd Dafydd, here we paused at the fantastic views north to Anglesey and the Menai straits. From here we still had a few more kilometers to go to our last top of the day Carnedd Llewellyn. Time was now catching up with us and we still needed to find water as the summit of Carnedd llewelyn was bone dry. So off we plodded north dropping of the summit and what I thought to be to tarns in the distance turned out to be nothing more than gravel beds! (Should have gone to Specsavers I was sure I heard Terry murmur under his breathe). With light now fading fast we had to drop down even further to the water of Ffynnon Llyffant. Here we found plenty of water and a good pitch for the night. After bedding down for the night we were awoken by heavy rain and high winds. Our plan for the next day was to head back the way we came and pitch at the water of Ffynnon Lloer just below Carnedd Dafydd. As we set of on the long and arduous climb up onto Carnedd llewelyn the wind got stronger and stronger as we climbed and at one point physically lifted Terry up off his feet dumping him in a heap on the ground (he’ll do anything for a lie down I thought to myself) .Up he jumped leaning into the wind like Bruce Forsythe at the start of the generation game unable to move against the ferocious onslaught. After struggling along the Carneddau ridge we managed to drop down through the mist and rain to the head of Ffynnon lloer and our Saturdays night pitch. By now, it was only twelve thirty and too early to pitch so we contemplated our options. And with the weather being so bad our only option was to walk the last two miles to the car and come home. (being back home for X- factor). Only joking about the last bit. As we trudged our way along the Shore of Llyn Ogwen the weather turned even worse, with the rain cutting into our faces so the car was a welcome sight! Although the weekend seemed like a washout at the end, it was for me great to be back backpacking pitting myself against the elements. Report & photographs by Paul Butcher |
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The Friday Night Pitch at Ffynnon Llyffant | |
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Paul on Carneddau Ridge | |
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Ffnnon Lloer
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Not a dead body, just Terry asleep | |