The rain of yesterday had moved on and there was just a low cloud nudging the
top of the mountains around, so Bertie and I headed off to up the river to the
next village for a walk around the skyline. We parked up in the spaces in
front of the church - I think these are not often available, and it was full
when we came back.
We set off up the road to Elan valley through the village, before turning off
towards the middle of the horseshoe. Very soon we left the roads down a farm
drive.
The drive ended up at the Dol-lago farm, where we zigzagged through the yard and
out on a track climbing into the woods beyond. We needed help from the farmer to
negotiate the farmyard though as we never saw any signs.
This track entered the open access area of the hills and converted to a green
track climbing upwards in a series of long zigzags up the side. Crossing a path
traversing the slope and continuing upwards with more zigzags.
As we climbed the track ran out and we were left following a sheep track still
going upwards
Up on the plateau/ ridge we could see the route following the bumps into the
mist ahead. There was no defined path here and we followed sheep tracks keeping
to the higher ground to avoid the boggy bits.
The next large bump required crossing a little dip and we kept left to avoid too
much of the bracken belt,
Looking back we had stayed on the right hand side after the initial climb which
brough us to the left a bit.
We were now following cairns on the ridge top - still with sheep tracks
in-between,
The mist got a little thicker as we continued, with just a faint glimpse of the
lonely trig point standing out ahead. What you cant see in the picture is
the boggy dip before it that we had to cross to get there.
The trig point was not on the highest point of Y Gamriw ... it was the
next lump which had the remains of a building on the top.
Dropping down to the col beyond - basically still heading away in the direction
of the ridge, until we picked up another track that crossed the plateau curving
around and back the way we had come.
We had now dropped below the cloud and could see where we were heading - across
the col to the slope in front and up the marked track. However we had to follow
the track across the intervening boggy bit
In exactly the same way as the previous ascent we followed the track up to the
plateau where it mysteriously vanished and we then had to connect the bumps.
Looking across at the Y Gamriw part of the route,
Approaching the cairn on Drum Ddu, then looking along to the next top.
Reaching the end of this part of the ridge where it drops down to a saddle - we
had been here last year walking up from Steph's. We had another area of boggy
ground to cross to get to the left side.
As was consistent for today the path only showed itself off the side of the
plateau. It then dropped steeply down into the bracken belt.
In the bracken belt the path then traversed across the slope just above the
boundary of the open access area.
The track then followed the side of the hill around until we were facing the
wrong way, but it was the easiest way to gain access to the track below.
When the track came up to meet us we turned a sharp corner and returned down it.
The track merged onto a back road which we followed as it wandered around
following the general direction of the river Wye, although there was a lot of up
and down.
The road was bounded by trees, so there were only fleeting views out until we were approaching the village. We arrived at the junction by the church and the car park.
