AAC Walk, Around Capel Curig

Day two of the AAC autumn gathering at Plas y Brenin... the sun was coming up with a clear blue sky. It had frozen overnight, but no sign of any more snow. I planned a walk with Sue to further her rehabilitation of the knee that returned along the route we had returned on yesterday and then cut over the A5 and climb up the far side of Capel Curig village, and traverse above the fields to come down again at the road junction where Joe Brown's shop and car park are. Finally returning to the centre via the path below cefn y capel.

After we had separated from everyone else at breakfast and got our stuff together, Sue and I headed off to the bridge over the river behind the centre.
The view down the valley to the Y wyffda (Snowdon) horseshoe was a classic in the early sunlight.
Then onto the track leading back to the village.

The path through the plantation was in the shade and still very frosty from over night, but served as a warm up.

Then a slight rise at the end over the tail end of a ridge before descending back down to the river

The police trainers were back again practicing water rescues in their dry suits as we crossed the foot bridge and down the road to the school.
The path we wanted rose up from their car park and climbed steeply into the trees.

The path joined onto the higher level traverse path, and the slope eased up, with views through the canopy to Moel Siabod where we had been yesterday.

The path got a little rougher as it climbed up to a stile into a sheep field, however this brought us into the sunlight and warmer feelings.

Across the sheep field, and a choice of paths - the one they wanted you to follow - down and around the house and the one we chose (over the stile) that went above the house and some complex navigation around their camping paths.

Back on the main path we climbed up between multiple "private" signs on both sides until we crossed a boundary wall and into the open access area. I surmised they had been taking lessons from the land owners at home!

We continued on the path over some very slippy and icy stone bridges to a junction with the path coming up that we wanted to descend.
This was a stone pavement - still very slippy in the icy conditions, but it eased up to a more usual mountain path once crossing the slope.

All the time on this path we had classic views up to Y Wyddfa, as the path gradually descended

Through a small wood (that was rather boggy in places) and we crossed over the last heathland to reach a stile into a field above the road junction.

Down the field and past the chapel and alongside Joe Brown's shop.
Followign the path signs here to walk up past the car park and onto the path that would return us to Plas y Brenin.

This path was like a green farmers lane and we got chatting to a couple of older gentlemen as we both strolled along.

The path bend around and showed us the side of Moel Siabod where we had climbed up yesterday.
At this point we were a little early to stop so I proposed we continued on the path along the length of the two lakes and came back along the road.

The path meandered across the slope vaguely parallel to the road but it lost definition in places and was also rather damp where the streams crossed.

Towards the point where the path returned tot he road we crossed a couple of stone walls, and used one for a lunch stop as it sheltered us form the wind that had grown up as the day progressed.

Back along the road beside the tow lakes.

This gave us excellent views up to Siabod and the slanting route we had taken thought eh tree plantation to the upper slopes and the subsequent traverse between the dark and the snow covered ridges.

A last look over the lake closest to the centre and we walked around and dropped our boots off at the drying room (not that they needed drying, but rather it had the advantage of warm boots for the morning.

AAC Walk, In the shadow of Moel Siabod, Capel Curig

Sue and I were in a room at Plas y Brenin (the national centre in Snowdonia) for the AAC autumn gathering, however due to her knee replacement rehabilitation we had not signed up for any particular activities, instead planning to do short day walks.
For today I thought it would be good to walk up the path to Moel Siabod, but then curve around to Capel Curig around the plantation avoiding the climb to the top.

The weather was clear with sunny periods between the clouds, and some snow lying on the ground from the last two nights. To compliment this there was a viciously cold wind (well only because we had been used to the warmer recent weather!)

We left the buildings and dropped through the car park to the bridge over the stream, and across to the edge of the woods on the far side.
The view across to Y wifra and Crib Goch looked good in the morning light.

We passed a group doing their initial briefing and started up the stony track into the woods.

The path continued to rise through the trees with the rolling slopes ahead.

Climbing across a clearing and looking back towards the Glyders.

Further ascent to the edge of the trees at a stile.

This section was heather and reed grass with a stream running down the  path.

Continuing up - by now I was searching for the path to traverse our left - then a few more trees.

A slight sleet squall passed over with a rainbow in the valley below.

Now completely out of the trees we continued on the path -Siabod ahead still, and views of the Glyders behind.

Finally over a stile and fence - this was now into the upper fell area, and where we should turn along the fence.

Kind of off-piste and following sheep trails we followed the fence line traversing across the slopes coming down from Siabod.

A tricky part of the traverse as we crossed a depression with sheep folds and broken walls, to combine with the endless boggy bits.

A short climb to the edge of the trees and the open slope.

We passed a small waterfall here before we reached the skyline point.

Over the skyline and our first views down to the valley below with the A5 running through it.
We crossed a fence via a stile, however the path on the far side did not really go where we wanted so we crossed totally off-piste to a larger track.

Onto the larger track - much more sensible than the tundra one. The wind was a lot stronger here - we had been sheltered in the shadow of Siabod so far.

This was the main path up to Siabod from Capel Curig, and we descended down to the first cottages.

A diversion around the farm yard, and back onto the driveway.
we stopped here for a short break for some lunch - unfortunately I had not sorted out a flask so nothing warm.

Just before the drive reached the A5 there were a number of falls in the river. We were now getting occasional sleet flurries in-between the sunny periods.

However we did not cross the river instead picked up the path that  followed the edge of the river upstream.

The path crossed a meadow as the river snaked aroudn, and headed for the ridge ahead.

Along the river there were a few police exercising, then the path climbed up over the ridge slightly away from the river.

Over the ridge and down the far side into the plantation and joining a path coming from Capel Curig.

The path merged into a driveway and this led to a B&B and then onward to the end of the lake below Plas y Brenin.
Up the path and dropping off our boots in the drying room, then a warming cup of tea.