#llyn du

‘A three lake / one crag kinda day’

Day 21 #30daysofswimming2016

An attempt to combine a day of fav mountain activities with my nearest and dearest, his climbing / mine swimming... neither of us enjoys nor partakes willingly in the other, hmmm,  a possible recipe for disaster but we were willing to at least attempt it.

It went well, I dipped, paddled and swam in three (yes three!) lakes and he got a  few climbs on a beautiful (did I say that?) gritstone crag. All the lakes were crystal clear, and felt warm. There were variable depths but all on the scale of ‘shallow’, shallow enough to be mindful not to stir up the bottom on entry. I clearly did stir up the last one, because I was met with the words “blimey you need to get out it stinks in there!”

Hills included on this walk: Rhinog Fawr (Hewitt) Date walked: 24/04/2011 Distance: 8.58 km Ascent: 549m

We're in Fawr it on the Rhinogs!

Should have paid more attention to the description of the Rhinogs which state this is one of the toughest ranges in Snowdonia.  

Seduced as I was by the Mountain Weather (MWIS) forecast which promised wall to wall sunshine, cloud free tops and greater than 90% chances of views from the summit I happily planned a walk up Rhinog Fawr.  I'm grateful I at least paid attention to Trekking Britains description of the road to the parking area which starts with a shut gate, looks like a farm track and meanders over moorland for approximately two miles and then through another gate to the parking area. My initial reaction otherwise would have been to the effect that we must be in the wrong place.

The morning was already glorious, we met a couple in a camper van who'd camped there overnight and were full of tales of how fabulous it was up in the Rhinogs.  I was starting to get excited.

Rhinog Fawr from the parking area - tough as old boots!

Nant Llyn Du with Rhinog Fawr rising up in the back ground.  At this point the going was still deceptively easy!

Pistyll Gwynn - just wanted to dive right in, at this point layers had been shed down to just a base layer and the day was warming up nicely!

After about a mile or so you come out of the forest and the landscape opens up, a very obvious col leads to Bwlch Tyddiad or the Roman Steps, the more traditional approach to Rhinog Fawr. 

Approaching Bwlch Tyddiad the temperature ramped up in this amphitheatre of rock, heather and moorland and the vegetation was incredibly dry despite the ground being boggy in places.

Loved these wispy clouds, to me this one looks rather like a dachshund ready to pounce.

Just about to turn off the path, head across a wall and head up the steep path to Llyn Du.  This was a backward look to remember the route home.

This wee fellow was basking in the sun - I'm quite sure we saw him on the same rock on the way back home.

Path to Llyn Du - the name of the game from now on in was rocks and boulders.

Looking back the Arans in the background.

Possibly the most beautiful mountain lake I have ever seen.  Here we stopped for a bite to eat and a little rest.  The lake is so tranquil and Rhinog Fawr rises like an ancient petrified giant from its shores.

Fiona approaching the shore of Llyn Du - this place made her inner water baby very happy!

Lying on my back, soaking up a few rays and listening to the lake lapping the shore - I mean really, can life get any better?

Walking along a big rock ridge I had to stop and take this picture - this is how Llyn Du earns it's name - the Dark Lake.

Further up, more out of breath but still blissfully unaware that there are hundreds of paths that are not shown on the map.  Things are about to get messy!

Rocky path up - at this point we'd just met a Snowdonia Park Ranger who advised us we were on one of the easier, less strenuous routes up and vaguely pointed up by way of giving directions.  We'd chosen the easy route? Really?!

First glimpse of the sea - Cardigan Bay and Harlech in the distance.

The rocky path twists and meanders up the mountain.. and then things got really interesting! I lost my bearings, completely thrown by all the paths criss-crossing the mountain side. I couldn't see an obvious way up, this is because the way up was basically straight up a sort of gully with scree and towards the top large boulders.  I watched a party of walkers slide and squeal they're way down, some were quite shaken.  Most told us it really wasn't too bad and then a lady dispelled my doubts by describing the views at the top - we were going to have a crack at it!

Summit of Rhinog Fawr - I have never felt happier to reach a summit! The views were amazing, we could see the Arenigs, Arans, Cadair Idris and Cardigan Bay gleaming like a jewel .. simply stunning! Maybe all the more rewarding for really pushing our boundaries, I do not have the best head for heights and the scree slope that seemed to drop off into nowhere was really frightening.

Fiona looking considerably more composed at this stage.  She overcame a huge barrier to get on to this summit and words can't say how proud I am of her.  In the back ground Rhinog Fach and Y Llethr.

Very happy hill baggers - this will always remain in my memory as a day of immense achievement.  All the more so if you consider the extra rubber tyre I schlepped up with me, niftily concealed beneath my T-shirt! 

Cardigan Bay

Rhinog Fach and Y Llethr, Arans in the back ground.

Rather than going for the vertical return, I found a path that traversed the mountain and in a big   zig (there wasn't really a zag) we returned via a stone wall to the far side of Llyn Du.  Time for a little fun as we clambered across the huge boulders that make up the shore line.

Boulder hopping along the shore of Llyn Du.

So we made it safely down to the lake - time for a brew and to chill a wee while with our feet in the water.  Great idea, until I toppled the meths stove and nearly caused a bush fire as the already lit meths spilled out on the ground.  The grass was like tinder! 

In the woods at last!  By late afternoon the sun was starting to get to us and I had huge fun dousing my head in the stream.  The cool breeze in the forest was just balsam after the heat out on the mountain.

Rhinog Fach from the parking area at the end of the day - if it's larger brother is anything to go by I may leave this for a while.... yeah right!