Snowdon, Xmas trip

A much better day, and we were heading off to Snowdon ...

Starting off on the Watkin path, around the back of Lliwedd then up to Snowdon. Everything was closed up there, and we soon headed down the railway track to Llanberis.

Once again the youth hostel we would have stayed in was closed, but this time we knew. The original plan had been to head over the tops tomorrow back to Bangor, but we had enough, supported by finding out the forecast for tomorrow was not good and we would have to walkout for a ways to get somewhere to crash.

Cutting our losses we took the early evening bus to Bangor and the next train home. Enough exploration for one year.

Nant Gwynant, XmasTrip

The rain was still falling as we woke up, the ground was completely soaked. Not a day for heading up, so we chose to miss out Moel Siabod, and headed off down the road towards Beddgelert.

Not nice in the rain and when a bis came past we took the opportunity to jump on.

We found the Youth Hostel up a track by the end f the lake...  By chance the youth hostel here was open - but not just yet ...  We left our bags and had a short wander around until it did in the afternoon ... a dry oasis, in the rain, and a change in fortunes.

It was here we found out that there was only one open at once this year, and so we were lucky today, but checking the timetable none of the others would fit with our plans..

Glyders, Xmas trip

Up early and we set off for Bethesda, and after the second bus passed us, we realized that the buses were very frequent, and would save us a day of tramping the roads. So catching the next one passed we soon got to Bethesda.

From here we set off up the slate Quarries and onto the start of the ridge ... off towards Y gran then e the Glyders, before continuing along the ridge until it petered out above Capel curig. The final section was a little complex to find a path through the fields and buildings.

We headed off to the youth hostel, only to find it also closed for the holiday ... to make life easy we explored a track opposite the pub, and soon found a quiet grassy patch, and pitched the tent, dropping the sacks inside

After food and drink in the pub we came out to heavy rain ...  up to the tent and all packed in sardines style, with the rucksacks outside under a large plastic bag.

luckily the tent held through the night, even "floating" on the stream flowing over the bank and under the tent.

Xmas Trip, Snowdonia

John, and I had been talking about catching up after the first term at uni.. the more we talked, a plan came into being.

We would catch the train up to Bangor in North Wales and then tour around staying in Youth hostels...  that was the plan.

We had tracked a route over the ridges, but success would depend on the fickle winter weather. We had a list of hostels, and some details, and without knowing exactly which day we would be where there was no way to pre book, so we took a tent as back up.

Toby decided to come along as well, and we all met up at Bangor station late in the afternoon. From here we wanted to make a start, but the Bangor hostel was closed for the holidays ...  a theme that would bite us time and again this trip.

We walked out along the A5 and found a convenient ditch to crash in.

New Forest circuit

I had been staring at a map of the New Forest for most of the Year as we went on short walks for one reason or another.
Somehow the trig points all got marked, and it became apparent that there was a circuit centred on Brockenhurst.

Getting the string out showed that it was just over 50 miles around...  A light pack and fast day should see us around ... however that was not how it turned out ... I was with John and an other person.

We got about half way around before the injuries started ... blisters and muscle strains.

We found a pub at the end of a lane and put up the tarp, as cover, in a gorse thicket, then spent the evening in the pub.

The next day we made it to the Hythe to Beaulieu road, as things got worse.

Finally staggering in to Brockenhurst campsite on the Monday afternoon, having struggled around the last lap, not a good introduction to the route.

Return, Easter Trip

The last day, I had arranged to meet my old man on top of Wrynose Pass. So I set off on my own - no one else wanted to make the walk for the comfort of a car journey home.

Unfortunately I was so fit that I was over the pass before the old man arrived, and down the other side,
I was almost at Ambleside before the old man caught up to me, having gone passed the other way and missed me, then waited on the pass for a while before looking for me.

I was not about to hang around with a large pack, and there was no means of contacting him, so just keep on walking ...

We arrived back home around the same time as the minibus, but it was a more comfortable ride.

Helvellyn Circuit, Easter Trip

The Helvellyn circuit.

I am not sure which circuit we did, but probably Striding Edge and Swirrel edge.

Photo looking back acrossto Striding edge from the road to Patterdale.

Langdale crcuit, Easter Trip

Our next circuit was around the Langdale horseshoe.

We got a lift around to the Dungeon Gill and walked up to Stickle tarn, then up Jack's rake to Pavey Arc. Then Harrison's Stickle and Pike o Stickle .

We dropped down the long scree run to the valley before walking back to the bus.

Wrynose pass to Wastwater, Easter Trip

The next day we continued north, up to Crinkle and shelter crags, then on to Bowfell, before Esk Pike and round great end to Scafell pike.

We dropped down to Wasdale Head and a pick up from the minibus to go back to the hut.

Coniston Old Man to Wrynose Pass, Easter Trip

Our first big day on the hills ... and the start of our south to north ridge walk ... 

The mini bis dropped us off at the end of Walna Scar road, which we walked up to the ridge then along to Coniston Old man, and Swirl How before continuing up the ridge to Wrynose Pass.

From here we pushed on to cold tarn where we camped for the night

Lake District, Easter trip

The college outward bound group had booked a week in a hut near the top of the Duddon Valley.

A group of us took a lift in the minibus up there, and had big plans for a long walk with several stops ...  the reality turned out a little different, but we did cover some miles.

The hut itself had an outside loo .. with elsan pans ...  the squeamish elements of the party we dust at the end of the week and they had to be emptied (carefully) into the cess pit at the end of the garden.

I also found out that the way I like porridge was so different to everyone else (if they even knew what it was), so I was banned from making it !!