Guilsfield Hill Walkers

Walk 11 – Sunday 2nd August  – Rhayader -Penygarreg Reservior

Didn’t we have a lovely day the day we went to Rhayader!  Having done the recce a few weeks earlier on one of the hottest days of the year I was just hoping that we would have something similar: and we did.  Eleven of us drove to the reservoir car park and was suprised to see water coming over the top of the dams.  Just shows how much rain we have had in the last week or so.  We headed up to our elevenses stop on the top of Crugyn Ci just off the main path but worth the bit of a climb for the views. After a suitable pause we set off down to the road but the water was high so we splashed up the banks to the sheep pens below the Roman Camp.  Here we turned west and up to the lunch stop on the slopes of Esgair Perfedd.  Again fine views and warm sunshine allowed us to dally over lunch and grab a few zzzzzs. After lunch we managed to pick up the path down to the dam at Craig Goch and followed this downhill and round to the side of Penygarreg.  An easy stroll led us back to the cars.

Walk photographs here.

Walk ten – Sunday 12th July – North Rhinog

Matt led a small and select group on this quite challenging walk around the northern area of the Rhinog that overlooks the sea.  I did not go on this walk as I was helping Jean to celebrate a significant  birthday.

Photographs of other walks  here.

Walk nine – Sunday 21st June – Milltir Cerrig, Berwyns

Who forgot the camera?  So you will just have to imagine all the wonderful views, the pictures of folk eating sandwiches, the back views of people you can’t quite recognise and close-ups of Drosera Rotundifolia.  Needless to say Peter led a great walk across the boardwalks to Cadair Berwyn then west down into the lovely valley by Pennant.  We returned via the midge infested forest above Blaen y Cwm to emerge onto the open hill and cooling breezes wafting our footsteps back to Milltir Cerrig.

Thank you Peter for a grand day out, and thank you to all who came and all who drove.

Photographs of other walks  here.

Walk eight – Sunday 31st May – Cnicht from Nant Gwynant

In the words of that well known newspaper headline – PHEW! What a scorcher! Richard Rees’ walk was graded as strenuous, and was every bit of that.  Cnicht is a rough mountain and we approached it from probably the roughest side, but that roughness makes for stupendous views and not many people and on a day like Sunday with wall-to-wall sunshine it was very special.  Words don’t really do the day justice as everywhere we looked could have made a postcard.

Walk photographs here.

Walk seven – Sunday 10th May – Snowdon via Rhyd Ddu path

Graham and Richard Mac. led this lovely route up Snowdon with the intention of visiting the new cafe, Hafod Eryri, but alas it was not open: much delayed by bad weather in the winter.  This was the first time the waterproofs had to come out of the bag this year – only really drizzle and low cloud, but wetting enough.  We toiled up the zig-zags and onto the airy Allt y Main thankful that it was not too breezy as it is a long way down both sides.  We made the summit in good time, but in chilly cloud, and had our lunch in the shelter of the impressive walls of Hafod Eryri. We descended via the South Ridge and out into the clear air with views to all places north, south  and west.  We scrambled down to the bwlch and into the slate workings to finish the day with a gentle walk back to Rhyd Ddu.  In my opinion the best route up Snowdon.  Thanks to all who came and all who drove.

Walk photographs here.

Walk six – Sunday 19th April – Llyn Brenig reservoir

This is becoming a habit – what a beatiful day, blue sky and a light breeze and stunning views.  Six of us set out on this 10 mile walk around two reserviors, Llyn Alwen and Llyn Brenig, on good paths through forestry and over open moorland.  The 10 miles flew by as there was not too much uphill and no navigation probs., it’s all well waymarked.  A very good day out with lots to do – shop, cafe, loos, exhibition, childrens playground, etc.

Walk photographs here.

Walk five – Sunday 29th March – The Arans

What a beautiful day – bright sunshine, cool breeze and stunning views from the summit of a snow covered Aran Fawddwy.  Richard Macdonald led a small group of us from the top of  Cwm Cywarch, north of Dinas Mawddwy, up to the bwlch at Drysgol.  As we climbed higher the views just opened up all round and the sprinkling of snow became a bit more and a bit deeper.  By the time we made the summit in decent creaky snow, the 360° scenery just made you want to stand and gaze: the estuary down to Barmouth, the Lleyn Peninsular, Bala lake, Snowdonia with its snowy tops, Cadair Idris almost touchable, The Berwyns in snow, and then Mid-Wales going on forever. Wow! But we had to come down – heading SW towards Glasgwm and down the steep and rocky path back to the cars.  Thank you Richard for leading a glorious day.

Walk photographs here.

Walk four – Sunday 15th March – Dolanog

I was unable to go on this walk but reports talk of a fine turnout and a good walk led by Peter.

Walk photographs here.

Walk three – Sunday 1st March – Barmouth Hills

Cold and bright with the clouds going up as the day progressed with good sun in the afternoon.  Richard Rees took us to a very interesting and different area with great views out to the Lleyn Peninsular and south down the coast.  Welcome to Anne and Mark to their first walk with us making up the 14 who enjoyed the day.  The route took us along good grassy paths and some rough open ground north from the car park for the Panorama walk and out into the rolling hills containing the facinating Hafotty Manganese Mines.  We took lunch with good views across the bay and then crossed the ridge and started the return leg on grassy paths with views down to the Mawddach Estuary and the Barmouth Bridge. A grand day out – thanks to all who drove and all who came.

See you on the next walk – A local walk around Dolanog and the Vyrnwy led by Peter Barton. 15th March 9.00 start from The Oak.  Peter says the grading should be on the easy side of moderate rather than Mod.

Walk photographs here.

Walk two – Sunday 8th February – Allt y Main, Meifod

Another sunny day! Matt led a good walk in this little explored local area. Wonderful views from the top with snow underfoot and back early enough to see Wales win the rugby. Thanks to all who came and all who transported.

Next walk St David’s Day (wear a daff or leek) – 1st March – 8.30 – Barmouth Hills – Leader, Richard Rees.

Walk one – Sunday 18th January – Llyn Coed y Dinas, Welshpool

Well – what a glorious day, sunshine all the way. I hope this is a taste of things to come: it can’t be worse than last year.

Fifteen and a half turned out for the first walk of the year – the half was  Eleanor.  Starting from the Coed y Dinas Nature Reserve car park we crossed the main road to Brandy Cottage and headed down the lane, across the airport runwayand into two VERY claggy  fields. The Severn was high and brimming the banks as we strolled in the January sunshine down to Trehelig Gro where we stopped for elevenses,  all walkers going well on the first outing.  Suitably refreshed we turned north to Upper Trehelig and west to the Newtown road. Walked up the only “hill” of the walk to the canal and headed back to Welshpool.  Snowdrops out on the towpath – first of the year – and on to Belan Locks.  Pause here to take it all in and then down to the cars at Coed y Dinas.

Not a long walk, not a hard walk, but nevertheless a good walk.  Thanks to all who came and all who transported. Pictures here.

See you on the next one – 8th February, 9.00 at The Oak.

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