Trip report : Cerrig Gleisiad/Fan Frynach

Black Mountain ridge
Originally uploaded by Pete Roberts (rhayader_wanderer)

I don't often make a habit of repeating walks within 6 months but I made an exception here all be it in reverse.

With 3 hours spare before meeting up for an afternoon walk I decided to spend the first half of my 40th birthday in the hills around the Cerrig Gleisiad reserve and what a choice it was too.

First up the frost and snow made for steady going up the ridge but it soon became apparent that not only was the cloud laying with a small temperature inversion and the sun was breaking though.

sure enough on the ridge sun and cloud interacted and nature gave me a moderate quality Brocken Spectre as a birthday present. The route itself was as easy as ever and remembering to take the left of the two diagonals off Frynach itself cut the corner down into the reserve. A lovely start to a great day out


Other photos from this walk


All todays photos on Flickr

Trip Report: Mulloch Hill, St Johns Town of Dalry

Mulloch Hill panorama
Originally uploaded by Pete Roberts (rhayader_wanderer)

It is quite common for me to make a short sprint up a roadside hump to a trigpoint but very rare I blog about them. Mulloch hill is however worth the effort.

Located just SE of the grandly named St Johns town of Dalry on the main road between Castle Douglas and Ayr this makes for a nice half hour break.

Parking is provided in a large lay by and a marked "core path" leads up the hill and thought the trees to within 200m of the summit. The final climb just after a stile is via a bracken slope but you cant win them all.

But why come here simply for the view you have an ever changing 360 degree view of the surrounding Southern upland terrain. Put simply a great way to break a long drive

Trip Report : From the ponderosa

Moel-Y-Faun Quarry
Originally uploaded by Pete Roberts (rhayader_wanderer)

The last few weeks have been a bit thin on the ground for hill walking as preparing a new house (major renovation) has taken priority. However I cant let this short walk from the Ponderosa Cafe to the Trig point and masts go without note.

There is very little to it really just walk up on the track and return the way you came. That said the views of Worlds end, and the Clwydians make it worth the short 1h walk from the cafe car park

Plynlymon from Eisteddfa Gurig

This one is an old favourite for a quick day being only half an hour drive from home. However today I also had my eye on the Dewey top of Drybedd as well.

This extends the walk nicely but only if care is made on route choice. The climb up to the forestry is as per normal however here I made my mistake initially walking into the woodland on the PROW I eventually hacked up a cutting towards the summit. an up realising I was still on the small intervening ridge hack down and hack up later I reached a nice knoll with lake.

To other don't make the same mistake turn left at the fence and maintain your height it makes far more sence.

The rest of the walk was uneventful a biting wind and lots of hoar frost on the ground not withstanding. Sadly the views meant the camera stayed in the bag