2024/06/28 Another short walk to Plas yn Rhiw

Friday 28th June

We walked along the road past the church, which is now a holiday let, and then down to Plas yn Rhiw tea room for coffee and a slice of bara brith.

Back up via Treheli, Ty’n yr Parc and Ffynon Sant. The very steep path which we didn’t find the first time -in 2020. 

Saw a thrush with a snail, heard a black cap and lots of chiff-chaffs.

Still windy, but actually very warm in the sun.

Back after 2.5 miles. and around 300 feet of climbing.Steep hillsides here.

2024/06/27 Llanengan, Pen y Cilan

  Thursday 27th June

Weather - very windy. some rain overnight.

Walked from Llanengan round Pen y Cilan - getting on for nine miles, and 1000 feet of ascent/descent. Brilliant views again.

Space, sea, sun and wind.

Back to base, rapid change and out to Thai Deli in Botwnnog .

Very good meal - yellow curry +tiramisu and ice cream, and excellent service.

Another short walk near Rhiw

 Wednesday 26th June

The clearest morning yet, so much so that we could see Yr Wyddfa’s outline to the right of Garn Fadryn. 

A late breakfast and a shortish, but not flat walk  past Ffynon Sant

and along paths to the road between Mynydd Rhiw and Rhiw. We visited the rocks near the road, then took the footpath through the nature reserve heathland. 2.5 miles. 

Very warm, very enjoyable, and clearer than when we walked it in 2021 (see below).

Back for a late coffee and some lunch and just hanging out for a while. 

2024/06/24 Mynydd Rhiw, Penarfynydd and Treheli

 

Monday 24th June

When I got up around 8 am the mist was well down, and i couldn’t see the beach. By 9.30 it was lifting.

After breakfast Harry suggested we take advantage of good weather and walk - to Mynydd Rhiw, then along coastal path to Treheli and back.

Low mist to start with, which cleared to sunshine, then clouds, but warm and dry.

We saw stonechats and a meadow pipit. 

Coffee at roadside near Bryndol,

then followed the road to the track to Penarfynydd Farm. No coffee signs now, no goats, just one dog and a boat. Maybe it has changed hands.

We followed the coastal path round to Mynydd Penarfynydd past the pig

This pig used to be in the nearby farmyard!

which used to stand on the farmyard, and the trig point, then along the coastal path ,

past lots of free roaming horses, stopping for lunch just before the very steep section of the path which leads to the wood and field just before Treheli.

Stopped for an ice-cream and a longish chat with the owner and her daughter.

Then up the steep track we came down yesterday, and back home for around 5pm. 

Brilliant day’s walk. - 7.7 miles, and 1100 feet of ups and downs. Quite tough at times.!

Glow worms in the late evening too. Late June/ early July is the best time to look for them.

2024/06/23 To the cafe!

 Sunday 22nd June 

We walked down to Treheli camp site cafe. Very steep path and not easy to find at first. Then we sat around for ages before deciding to knock on the door. The guy came out and we had a long chat about Welsh and other things!

Return up another path, past Plas yn Rhiw and a couple of houses, plus notices about bulls and dogs! Still it was a public footpath and no problem. A couple of noisy but friendly dogs with their man. 2 miles including a couple of off-piste sections. 250 feet of down then up, and quite strenuous. Steeper going down than coming up.

2024 /06/22 Mini wander lunch stop - Sycharth Castle

While travelling over to Wales, we stopped at Sycharth Castle, near Oswestry - a green mound with a view that was once the home of Owain Glyndwr. Very steep, but short, and a pleasant place for lunch.

PEN LLŶN - JULY 2023 Yr Eifl

Tuesday 4th July

We left the house soon after 9, as we planned to walk Yr Eifl and weather was forecast to deteriorate later. In the event it has been fine all day.

An excellent walk - around 6 miles and 1500 feet of ascent and descent, some of it very steep, and some of it a bit of a scramble.

From Bwlch yr Eifl looking down on Nant Gwrtheyrn Welsh Language Centre

We began with Carn For, (Garn Fôr, Mynydd Gwaith),

which involved a clamber over boulders behind a radio mast enclosure,

but rewarded us with fantastic views over the peninsula

and Eryri/Snowdonia, though the higher peaks were attracting some cloud over there.

We found a slightly easier way down, and used the concrete staircase for part of it. Just below this we chatted to a couple about Llŷn and the Welsh language.  By now it was coffee time,  so we found a spot out of the wind to fortify ourselves with coffee and bara brith.

Onward with purpose

We could see the next section of our route, across the Bwlch yr Eifl path, and then up very steeply and directly to the top of the highest peak Garn Ganol, 564 meters high, or 1850 feet.  Mostly straightforward if steep, and again some boulder scrambling at the top.

We ‘capture’ Carn Canol

There were quite a few people up there.  Brilliant views again, and well worth the effort. The theory appears to be that the trig points A4H sculpture was put there by a local blacksmith to mark an unconsummated love affair. But, who knows? 

Looking back to Carn Fôr

From there we followed a decent path towards our next objective the iron age hill fort of Tre’r Ceiri (The settlement of the Giants).

Past the cows in the boggy section

Incredibly I’d never heard of this - supposedly one of the best preserved in Europe.

After a wander around we had lunch in one of the roofless ‘huts’.  On the way down we made a slight detour to an outcrop/ fort known as Caergribbin.

We headed across the hill and back to the car park .

Around 6 miles in all, and a really good walk.

We stopped at Ty Coffi in Nefyn,

A drop of goodness in every cup

and picked up a bit of shopping, (samosas, pakoras and veg) then back to base.