Should have known it wouldn't be one of my better days when I realised halfway there that I'd left my map at home. Still, had visited the Moel Famau site that morning and got a postcode, so put it into the sat nav. It was only when the sat nav told me I had reached my destination outside a little cottage on the outskirts of Ruthin, that I finally worked out that large hills don't tend to have postcodes on the grounds that not many people write to them!
Anyway, finally got there working on the assumption that if I keep heading upwards, I'm bound to end up somewhere interesting.
The first part of the climb was challenging, not very long but very steep for a novice and I am embarrassed by how many times I had to stop. Got chatting with a chap halfway up, talking about other walks in the area, but his parting comment was that he advised against the jeans I was wearing as if it rained, they held the water and got very uncomfortable and took ages to dry. I looked up at the beautiful blue sky safe in the knowledge that today I would be ok. Plus I don't think the world is ready for me in the aquamarine jeggings that he was wearing.
Anyway, I persevered and finally got to the top and the Jubilee Tower and it was so peaceful. All you could hear was the wind, a few sheep and a strange rasping noise. Oh yeah, that was me trying to get my breath back. The scenery on the way up had been stunning and although there were suddenly an awful lot of dark clouds about, it all looked very bleak and moody, so have tried a few black and white shots. Huge sense of achievement when I got to the jubilee tower. It is amazing to see all the way round, but unfortunately the clouds had dropped so the view wasn't brilliant.
I had only been coming back down for a couple of minutes, when a cloud came down very low, and I thought "I'm walking through a cloud, this is so cool"
This thought only lasted about 30seconds as the damn thing decided to rain on me and did so all the way to the bottom! The ground underfoot became very slippery very quickly and I got completely soaked. The showerproof mac I had on did its best for me, but the rain was relentless. I must have slipped into a parallel universe at some point as I swear I found myself going uphill more on the way down than I did on the way up! Never been so glad to see my car!
I get to the car, and checking there is no one about, take off as many soaking wet clothes as possible. So I'm driving home wet through, exhausted, red in the face, with aches in places I didn't know I had places and wearing little more than my underwear and boots, praying I don't get stopped or have an accident and I've never felt so alive! It was Amazing. No, I am Amazing! Never climbed a mountain before. Yes I know its not officially high enough to be a mountain, but it felt like it to me, so that is what I am calling it!
Lessons Learned: If someone extremely fit and active tells you a walk is easy, don't believe a word of it.
Buy waterproof trousers.
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