Our Day

Our walk today took us to Llyn Cowlyd, and then by a route overgrown with dense summer ferns and sundry vegetation to Llyn Crainant and its lakeside café. Then it was an "up and over" to the moorland above Capel Curig, and thence back to base. The day started a tad cloudy, but the good weather soon took over and made our stay at the lakeside café on Llyn Crainant a very enjoyable one. We managed to negotiate the tricky overgrown bit above Llyn Crainant.

Llyn Cowlyd was on our agenda for the day.

To Llyn Cowlyd

Mountains and open moorland characterised the first leg of our walk. It was a bit overcast to begin with, but gradually the clouds started to "burn off" and we certainly had nice views of the mountainous landscape as we progressed. Of particular interest was the good view we had of the "dinosaur back" called Tryfan (917m), which some had scaled on Friday.

We boldly step forth Capel Curig to higher things amid the slatey landscape.




Here is a dramatic view of Tryfan (917m) catching the early sunshine ...




... and here is another view.




The view is so nice that we pause a while to take in the majesty of it all.




We do an "up and over" and Llyn Cowlyd (now a reservoir) is in our sights.




It's time to pose for a piccy to say we have been here.




We walk to the other end of Llyn Cowlyd ...




... and then it's upwards on a good "sort-of-metalled" road.




I think many of us - me included - like to go up even small humps in the landscape.
Four of us pose with Llyn Cowlyd in the background.




We are down to three on this piccy. Thanks John for taking it.




And here is the wide open landscape across which we have just walked.

Llyn Crainant and its Cafe

Our onward route upwards and then down to Llyn Crainant with its lakeside café involved some good navigation. The path, clearly marked on the OS map had disappeared under dense summer vegetation, which hereabouts ment lots and lots of bright green ferns. A few fences and deserted cottages later we finally got back to "civilisation" and the path that took us to the lakeside café, where we had some refreshment before our final "up-and-over" to Capel Curig.

Onwards we go through the Great Outdoors ...




... until Trefriw in the Conway Valley (just north of Llanrwst) is in our sights.




A little bit further on, and Llyn Crainant edges into view.




Phew, what an interesting bit of "off-footpath" cross country hiking that was! We made it! It required a dogged pursuit of the right direction!




Here is the monument that graces the north end of Llyn Crainant ...




... and here we are, inspecting it.




We shall be going over those hills in the background ...




... but not before we visit the lakeside café, just before it closes.




Suitably refreshed, we are ready for the last "leg" of our walk.

And so Capel

We get some last views of Llyn Crainant, nestling in the folds of the landscape. Then we rise up through an interesting "gap" in the rocks to reach the moorland above Capel Curing and eventually to join the path on which we started out yesterday.

We pass the picturesque southern reaches of Llyn Crainant ...




... with what we think is the last view of the said llyn.




An interesting gap in the rocks awaits us.
The gap is a sort of gateway to the open moorland above Capel Curig.




Did I say, "the last view of Llyn Crainant". Well, here it is again, about to disappear ...




... as we head into the gap in the rocks.




Here is the open moorland with the mountains providing a majestic backcloth.




Capel Curig is nigh, as is the end of a nice walk.

Evening

With at least four gastronomical possibilities on offer, we were spoilt for choice. Indeed, Melissa and her colleagues dined in Anglesey today, on their touristy forray into the wilds of North Wales. Some went to Tyn-y-Coed. I dined at the Bryn Twrch, its closeness to the hostel having the advantage of being able to eat reasonably early. What would the morrow bring?