The Blue Lake, Cadair Idris and a gentle stroll
August Bank Holiday weekend seemed like the ideal opportunity to get some walking in, so we planned to head off to Wales. We wanted something and somewhere different from Snowdonia, so headed to mid Wales and Cadair Idris. Wanting to avoid the bank holiday traffic we planned to get up early on Saturday rather than drive up on Friday. Our “early” start turned out to be more like 8 or 9am and we made it up to Dolgellau for about mid day.
Fairbourne and the Blue Lake
We had planned a visit to Fairbourne and the Blue Lake for our return trip on Monday, however it seemed more sensible to head out to the coast on Saturday since it was in the opposite direction to home and doing it on Monday would have made the journey home longer. We also thought that it would offer a short, gentle walk to warm us up for the main event on Sunday.
Arriving in Fairbourne we parked outside one of the shops, opposite the station for the narrow gauge railway, that runs from Fairbourne to the mouth of the Afon Mawddach and back again. We had a mug of coffee and slice of very good cake in the station cafe and a quick look around the model railway layout. We headed back to the car and drove down to the car park by the sea front.
We set off on foot, heading back up the road toward the main road, passing a very interesting looking church, made from slate it had some great curtain walls and entrances. We crossed the main road and headed up towards the school, taking the footpath on the right, towards Friog. The path comes out by some houses and is generally well signposted through the gardens. The path we wanted ran between a shed and a static caravan, heading into a wood and gradually down hill to a road. Crossing the road and picking up the path slightly to the right, we climbed up a track and found ourselves in a quarry.
Exploring the quarry we found what looked like a tunnel entrance. If it hadn’t been for the people emerging from the tunnel we probably would not have been tempted to explore further. However, by stooping low and following the tunnel for about 20m we emerged into a quarry working and the blue lake.
Leaving the blue lake we climbed up through the woods so that we could look down over the blue lake, before heading across the field to pick up a track that heads south west up the hill. This soon meets another track that runs in a more east / west direction and appears to be similar to the first track. However, this second track turned out to be tarmac! So it was easy to follow this track east through the woods.
We then headed north and turned down hill to follow the paths back to the main A493. We crossed the road and took the side road that leads to Morfa Mawddach Station. Just beyond the station is a path that leads across the estuary and back to the car park.
Full map here and photos here.
The Camp Site and Dinner
Having completed our walk on Saturday we headed to the camp site, Dol Einion. While not anything special it was just right for us. Reasonably priced (£25 for the two of us and a car for two nights) with toilets and shower, and right at the foot of Cadair Idris. Once we had got the tent up we headed out for dinner. Just up the road from the camp site is Gwesty Minffordd Hotel. It was dreadful, there was no atmosphere, and D found plastic in her dinner! Needless to say we didn’t go back there the second night.
Cadair Idris
Although the plans and intentions during the week may have been for an early start and a long day it was getting on for ten by the time we were ready to set of. So instead of a long walk in via Nant Pencoed we decided on a simple loop up via the Minffordd path, across Craig Cau to the summit. The weather was fairly grim, with stong wind, low cloud and showers. However, the views were absolutely stunning, when the cloud cleared briefly and the sunlight illuminated a distant valley or mountainside.
Crossing Craig Cau was particulary hairy with the wind coming from the west and blowing strongly over the edge. We scrambled up the rocks to the summit and then descended to the summit shelter, which provided a very welcome refuge from the wind and rain. Very cosy it was as well, with about ten other hardy souls taking a well earned lunch break. As we were there a Snowdon Ranger came in, having carried a large tin of bitumen up the mountain in preparation for repairing the roof. He told us that the shelter was built in around 1846 by a family that used to guide people up the mountain. Apparently there were several other shelters around the summit, all built at around the same time for use by other guiding families.
From the summit refuge we headed along the ridge to Mynydd Moel, taking in the amazing views down to the coast and the surrounding countryside. From Mynydd Moel we followed the fence line back down to the tree line and the steps back down to the camp site.
Sunday night we walked a mile through the pouring rain to have dinner at the Pen y Bont hotel at the other end of the lake. It was better on all fronts compared to the previous night, and when the rain cleared the rainbow over the lake made the wet walk in well worth it.
Full map here and photos here.
Monday – Abergynolwyn
Monday we were heading back home so we wanted a shorter easier walk. Perusing the map we found the Castell y Bere close to the small village of Abergynolwyn and put together a short circular walk.
We parked outside the post office in the center of the village and followed the road opposite (signposted to Castell y Bere), crossing the bridge we turned off the road to follow the river and then the side road to Pont Cedris. We climbed up through the dwarf oak wood to Nant-yr-eira and then followed the bridleway down to Llanfihangel – y Pennant, past some stunning waterfalls.
In the village we stopped to have a look round Mary Jones’ Chapel before heading up to Castell y Bere.
From the Castell we had great views of the fort at Bird’s Rock, which we will have to leave for another day. Leaving the Castell we followed the road to Pont Ystumanner, and from there the bridleay back to Abergynolwyn.
Carl Sprake 