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.
