Camping Chaos..!!

I'd been looking forward to this little trip for so long. I really like outdoor life and enjoy camping for its simplicity and freedom. Last Summer was so wet and grey that it was easy to make excuses not to go, consequently to my regret I didn't spend one..not one, night out under canvas...shameful. So I'd set a date in my diary with friends Giles and Jos, which happened to coincide with the Summer Solstice, and hopefully pleasant conditions....
Besides the sea and sand, there are millions of pebbles on the beach at Porth Neigwl, delightful!

There always seems so much to take. Even though we were camping together, we each took our own tent. After all it is nice to be with friends...but not to wake up face to face! But we did share the cramped car and stopped at Caernarfon to do a communal shop..which provoked the inevitable first bits of friction. Tough decisions over the decadence of bottled water against tap..organic garlic...free range eggs! Thankfully compromises were forthcoming and we now drove the last part of the journey with improving weather and anticipation. We arrived to find plenty of space to pitch and no sign of the hoards of hippies I'd half expected. This was in no small doubt, due to the weather forecast, which so far was proving accurate. The wind was stiff from the South West and there was very low cloud bringing a steady but light drizzly rain. Not to be outdone, we went for a long walk on the beach, where the wind was lighter and there was magically no rain!
Walking back along the beach to the camp site, anything above a hundred feet is in the cloud..

We got lucky in the evening and cooked a great big pan of chilli over the BBQ coals. Then the rain returned.and as though a punishment, just as I made a comment "it seems to be getting brighter" the tent got lashed by the heaviest downpour yet! So we drank beer and told tall tales of savage times when camping..little did we know! By about 3am I was outside my tent holding onto it for dear life! I realised I couldn't do this indefinitely and how stupid I must look, so a quick fix was to pull the car up close. I later re-pitched. A tent further up the site was shredded, its occupants dumped the remains in a bin and went home. Giles's old tent took a hammering, broken zip and split side. Jos lost thee guy lines. There was no let up in the blowing gale all morning and to his credit Jos made the best full BBQ breakfast and all without burning down the hedge where there was the only shelter from the wind. At least the rain had stopped.
Gale force winds whip up the sea and give a hint to the Porth Neigwl's English name, Hell's Mouth

There were some mumblings of going home and signs of mutiny, so I quickly put in place a plan of distraction. We lashed down as best we could and left our tents to their fate. Drove firstly to Aberdaron right at the end of the peninsula. Here we had late morning coffee at Y Gegin Fawr, a delightful cafe with quite a history, accompanied by a blackbird fledgling and dusted regularly by sand blown from the beach. Further up the Llyn is Porthdinllaen. Arguably this lovely little hamlet overlooking the beach at Morfa Nefyn is famous for its pub, Ty Coch, and a fine place it is too. My problem now was getting my non driving duo back to the car!! Anyway the best thing was that the wind was easing and the sun was well and truly out.
Crashing waves at the head of Porth Dinllaen, halted in their march on Yr Eifl on the horizon.

At last our perseverance was rewarded by the kind of evening that can only be truly appreciated by someone who has been to this place. Campsite now almost empty we sorted out the necessaries for tonight's BBQ. Now we could sit at the edge overlooking the bay enjoying the late sun, watching Buzzards hunting over the cliffs. Rooks returning from a day in the fields. Gannets still dive bombing helpless fish further away and a Heron watching carefully over a rockpool left by the ebb. As we tended our food a grey cloud and unmistakable curtain of rain swept across the bay. We'd had our bad weather, now instead this shower tracked south and entertained us with a huge rainbow that spanned the horizon for what seemed like hours. As we finished eating later, we watched and marvelled at Venus rising in the east above Cilan. Though I was still awake, I think I'd entered the calmness that I know can be found here. Perhaps the storm was a good way of finding it. I fell asleep to the gentle sound of small waves tripping up on the beach below.
Barely a few hours previously the sea was white..now a sunbathers delight!

There's nothing that compares with a great nights sleep in a tent. I tried my best to savour the moment and linger, but the early sun was roasting me out of bed. Not that I had anything to complain about..this was perfect. Later Giles walked with me along the subsided old road, where nature has taken hold very quickly. From the cracks in the fenced off section Teasel grows and stands proud above the broken tarmac. There's an old stone cottage surrounded by unkempt garden of honeysuckle and fuschia which adds to the spellbinding charm of this whole wild place. We walked down the steep foxglove and bracken lined slopes to look out over Porth Neigwl from what we call Winkle Pond. A small inlet where a couple of crab and lobster boats fish from. We just found a cool rounded boulder each to sit on and just drink in the the whole scene. Totally emmeresed, but not for long enough,
Tranquillity found at "Winkle Pond"

Before long we were packing up and driving back to Manchester, the only good thing was that the well earned sun came along too!
Undamaged by the gale force winds, Common Spotted Orchids add beauty to this special place.

Puffin Island Wonders

A fair forecast, a chance to catch up with old friends and meet new, tempted me out onto the sea for the first time in quite a while. The plan, fairly straightforward, was to launch at Llanfairfechan and paddle around Puffin Island, some five miles distant across the Eastern end of the Menai Straits.
Mary knows the way ahead! Early into the crossing to Puffin, Great Orme in the distance.

Llanfairfechan is a pleasant enough old sea-side town. Now easily overlooked and by-passed like its near neighbour, Penmaenmawr, by the very road which made them popular in Victorian times. The A55 used to bring tourists and trade to these small coastal towns. So with the advent of the Expressway, time has stood still and if anything there was an air of dereliction about the area not long ago. The new road takes the rushing crowds further on to Anglesey and the Llyn, to sunnier sandier beaches. While quietly and discretely these forgotten towns have been slowly recovering and re-emerging in their own right.
Bumpy water along the cliffs on the North side of Puffin Island, looking West towards Pen Trwyn

The small slipway and shingle beach is a pleasant and quiet enough place to launch. From here we set off, a little later than expected, but still in good time to make the crossing to arrive at Puffin by local High Water at half past one. The Met Office forecast for the day gave a force 3-4 NW-N wind, which proved accurate. One bonus being more sunshine than predicted!
Mary..It's behind you!! The friendly seal emerges at the back of her boat

I was pleasantly surprised how quickly I found my "sea-legs" and it was as though I'd been paddling only yesterday. Though the breeze was not strong, it was Northerly. The sea here is shallow, with mud and sandbanks exposed at low water. So in only moderate winds, the sea can become quite unpleasant. In fact the crossing seemed to pass quickly, taken up with chatting and catching up. There is always a point on any crossing though..when it seems no progress is being made. Similar to walking in the hills and the never reached summit that always seems so far off.
Very inquisitive young seal comes out of the water to see what Maurice has for lunch!

We rounded the Eastern end of Puffin, where there is a Seal colony. Today however there were only two or three to be seen. It was just about High Water, so most were probably out hunting. As expected, the water became quite bumpy with the cliffs exposed to the North. I'd been slightly nervous about this, but again should have had more faith in my ability. I'm sure that riding a horse and kayaking have transferable qualities. Core body strength, whilst remaining relaxed and balanced.
A very cute pose! Do I know you??

The island is home to many breeding seabirds. The higher cliffs and surrounding water and sky were full of life. Razorbills and Guillemots everywhere..some so full of fish they could hardly fly! Of all the gulls, Kittiwakes are my favourite, with better manners and a more refined attitude all round compared with some of their squabbling relatives. And yes...we saw Puffins! Only recently has the island been rid of rats. So it's a delight to see these comical birds making a return.
A quick play in the building tide race in Puffin Sound, before heading home

The tide was already running in Puffin Sound. But a quick cut through soon had us land discretely on the tiny beach of white shingle. Here we had quite a surprise with a young Grey Seal playing fearlessly amongst our boats. Seals are very inquisitive, and very often sneak up behind our boats, they're also wary and the first eye to eye contact, usually has them dive below, with a big blow! so we were even more surprised when our seal came out of the water and sat on the each with us! Is this possibly an ex rescue animal? Nonetheless a charming encounter which topped an amazing day so far.
A dazzling day finished on a very bright note....Llanfairfechan not too distant now

I'm sure I was not alone in wanting to stay longer, but the now ebbing tide would soon empty the water from this estuary area. It had become quite hazy and the coast where we were headed now looked quite indistinct. I paddled with Mary. Whilst Maurice and Julian drifted off somewhat as Juilan tried out his sail rig..to some good effect. We went through an area of what I can only describe as gloopy water, where we were bumped around a bit and though we were paddling, didn't seem to be actually going anywhere. The sea became quieter...the sun came back and suddenly we could see Llanfairfechan in the distance! All of a sudden a huge flock of birds rose from the water infront...hundreds of Common Scoter, they'd been feeding on the muscle beds submerged. Further in the distance we could see the unmistakable black wingtips and bright white of Gannets searching for fish and Sandwich Terns sporadically dropping in emerging with beak-fulls of sand eels! I can only say wow...what an amazing day. We landed and packed up in the sun...this is how it should be...

Lovely Day on Tryfan

Tryfan is a very impressive mounain. Part of the Glyder range in Snowdonia, defiantly standing alone, imposingly, above Llyn Ogwen. Not as tall as its near neighbours to the South, what it lacks in height, it more than makes up for in attitude. Across the valley, the attractively named Pen Yr Ole Wen tries hard to match with it's steep South West attack. Not forgetting the two huge brooding brothers Dafydd and Llewelyn, whose dominant mass guards the Irish Sea to the North and give the Carneddau their rugged reputation.
Typical rock architecture of Tryfan's East Face looking from the Heather Terrace

Tryfan is for mountaineers. There are very few grassy bits to be seen. Any of these are usually boggy. It is the kind of place that isn't for stopping and reflection. This is an action packed novel to be read from cover to cover without interuption!
Along the Heather Terrace path looking South towards Bristly Ridge and Glyder Fach

The most popular way to climb Tryfan is to scramble directly up the North Ridge. This is a classic route, very exciting with some absorbing puzzles to overcome. Higher up the ridge becomes more exposed and constrained. So on busy days impatient traffic jams form, which detracts from my own mountain pleasure. There will be plenty of time to sit in real traffic jams, possibly on the drive home on the A55!
Mountain mayhem...at just over 3000 feet, the jamboree that is the summit on a fine day!

So on a lovely sunny Saturday, in half term holidays a more subtle, but equally satisfying route to Tryfan's strange summit of Adam and Eve, was called for. Liz and I left the car parked down by the lake shore. The climbing starts quickly anywhere on this terrain. We were soon gaining height looking for the start of the Heather Terrace path. This route ignores the obvious North Ridge and skirts a natural shelf along the East face of the mountain. There are many graded rock climbs along this side and the path once located leads like a guide book to challenging cliffs and dark damp gullies. I'm always in awe of climbers! There were plenty already clanking and jingling their way up. In the meantime we took in the sun and the views. Yes the sun was very strong and I'd forgotten suncream!!
Looking Northwest from the summit. Pen Yr Ole Wen to the right, the Glyders left along the Ogwen valley to the sea and Anglesey distant in the haze.

The Heather Terrace is a beautiful place and it is obvious how it got it's name. Gradually climbing, it finishes at the pass which separates the Far South Peak from the rest of the mountain. A short section of scree to negotiate had us warming up to a sweat. It's on these occasions that with your face looking down, working hard, that little bits of the mountain come in view. In amongst all the loose rock were quite a variety of well hidden flowers. It is to my annoyance that I can't remember what they look like. Nor did I take photos! Which of course means I will have to return. Hope the goats who live up here don't find them ..
Crazy blocks of rock seem to cling recklasly to the impossibly steep slopes, to the lake below

We were now on the push to the top, scaling the South ridge, against the tide of people descending this way. Before long we found the summit. I'm lucky being able to climb here out of season and mid week. Today it was pretty busy! Bunch of macho lads playing on Adam and Eve....young family with grumbling kids...old folk with dogs, being dive bombed by seagulls! Which also goes to show how on a good day just about everyone can get here, and why not! The views are amazing....
Llyn Bochlwyd viewed from Tryfan, showing the reason for its nickname Lake Australia!

We took a very steep descent path off the West of the mountain. Which follows one of the deep gullies, which then runs out by the side of the Milestone Buttress and down to the lake. The chaos of van sized rock slabs strewn around is everywhere and so characteristic f this range..the Glyderau. I think a lose translation of the Welsh word means litter. It is as though a giant threw his toys out of his pram once...like a child dumping a load of lego bricks.
Paraglider above Llyn Ogwen.

Whilst descending this path, looking down towards Llyn Bochlwyd..or Lake Australia, from its shape! We watched someone setting up and launching a paraglider. Gradually as we descended the steep rocky path. This paraglider swooped and rose in thermals. What a fascinating sight. I know that Liz had the idea that next time a glide from the top would save all the aches and pains of the rocky path down. True...but this thing kept going up! So ended a very, very satisfying day

Do Horses like Cricket...or just eyeing up the grass?

Heather and Ouzo mirrored...possibly posing, as a flock of birds fly from the grass!

This time of year is fantastic..though very tiring! I seem to wake early with the birds singing and the early daylight. If the sun is shining and there's a blue sky, there is no way I can stay in bed. The weather has been generally fair and warm. At last...at long last, we got some rain. So I had a good chance to take Heather out and not feel guilty about how hard the ground was.
Heather down the lane, making sure everything is in order, blowing at anything out of place.!!

During the week I picked up a horsey magazine in W H Smiths. By chance there was an article on having horse leg injuries properly scanned for full diagnosis of injuries. A tale of warning, told of a poor horse with a missed stress fracture! I don't know what Heather's injury was. But she's had the best of my limited but enthusiastic attention and a good dollop of Mother Nature's best. So cautiously, I'm starting to take her out again.
Fallen tree along Kickety Brook halted our progress...then the flies started to bite!
Fetching her in from the field has become quite varied. I've learned that when she's in season, she will totally ignore my call and probably show displeasure at my approach...to which she gets a smack with a rope. On other occasions, I've caught her napping..literally and made her jump out of her skin by sneaking up on her...dozing! Once or twice I've called her, like last night, she's looked straight up and whinnied across the field. Started trotting towards me..then as Ouzo has joined in, picked up the pace. Then inevitably all the others see them running and, as horses do...run too!
Not much short of a stampede develops, into a big ruck at the gate. With one lucky fat mare being pulled from the chaos!
I'm so glad there was a river between us and the cricket ground..she looked very interested in the wicket!

I've taken her out a couple more times. once just after a big rain shower. I'd already decided that apart from exercise, a crossing of the "green bridge" was needed. This horse menacing structure has long been feared by many a brave steed! Not only does it clank frighteningly under shod hoof, it has a roaring weir in the crocodile, (logs) infested water below. Not to mention the road bridge carrying 50 mile per hour juggernauts just to the side!! So I wasn't surprised to find two riders attempting to cross from the other side...unsuccessfully! Heather waited patiently. Eventually the others gave up and it was our turn. With a little encouragement we were on. Oh but what a fuss. In the rain covered bridge, she could see her own reflection! Obviously she hasn't realised how scary she looks and shied from her own image!! She also poo-ed herself...at which she spooked on the return. After all, that wasn't there before!!!
The proverbial hungry horse with her head firmly wedged in yet another bucket of feed...

On another occasion I took her out on a very pleasant morning. I intended taking her down to Banky Meadow. We found the way down the lane blocked by vehicles dredging the ditches. Without wanting trouble, I turned round...now in the direction of home. Then asked her to go onwards over the green bridge. In the past this would have caused a big fight...but she went. Onwards down Kickety Brook, for the first time in months. To find our way blocked by a fallen tree. Which Heather was disgusted at and snorted so! Not to mention all the flies that seemed all to have been starved of horse flesh and now had a victim!! So we beat another retreat..in the direction of home. But I tested her again...turning left along the river...not right. She wasn't happy but I easily pushed her on with only leg..no smacking needed. We even stopped to watch some cricket across the river, before turning for home. Now that's something not many people have done! Watch cricket on horseback!!! Felt terribly "British" don't you know! Think it was all lost on her, the grass beneath her feet was far longer and tastier than the trimmed stuff on the wicket. She must think I'm strange!
Heather looks on jealously, at Ouzo's four legs in a line balancing act! Cheeky pony..

Her injured leg is standing up to this. No sign of stumbling or obvious lameness. On her weak right rein she is still stiff and not straight...possibly added to by the injury. However tonight I rode. On the way home I let her extend on this rein. She straightened...her action much better. She's also looking very good...in nice condition with a shiny coat. I'm so pleased!