Mini Adventure Day 3 Llanddwyn

So both the Potting Shed and I survived the night, although I think it was touch and go at times!.

Last stop of the adventure, Llanddwyn Island, to visit the two lighthouses of Twr Mawr and Twr Bach. I had visited here before, at the end of last year but I feel my photography has come on a bit since then and I want to have another go at it.

Its another long walk on the beach to get to the lighthouses, but although windy, it wasn't raining and there were few people about.

There are an abundance of very beautiful shells scattered across the sands and I have to stop myself gathering handfuls. I have a "Coastal Corner" at home where I have displayed many of my nautical craft designs and the shells look lovely there, but really, I do have enough now!

The strong winds made the sea very dramatic. Because the day was bright I was able to keep my shutter speed fast and so capture the spray. I stood on the cliff edge for ages waiting for the waves to break in a suitably theatrical way and 9 times out of 10 I missed it. Still at least managed to get a couple of shots. Have a magnetic attraction to cliff edges in the wind at the moment, hope to get over that soon!

There is so much to see on the island. Not just the two lighthouses, but there are monuments, ruins, deserted houses and also the most beautiful horses, just standing around watching the tourists.

To get to the beach you drive through a beautiful deep forest and there are a number of designated walks through it for different abilities of walkers. I am ashamed to say that I took the easy 1m walk. In my defence I had already covered nearly 20m in the last 3 days and my legs were starting to send messages of complaint. Actually, it was a lovely walk through the forest, something I haven't done for a while.

I can imagine that this is a lovely place to walk when the beach gets a bit too hot. Calm and relaxing until I came to what I am sure is the way to Sleeping Beauty's Castle!

So that is the end of my trip. I had an incredible time. I was a little nervous to start off with as it was a bit of a daunting thought to go off by myself for 3 days. Been an awful long time since I have done anything like that but hopefully I am getting braver, fitter and a better photographer!

Lessons learned: I have trekked to new places, climbed cliffs in hurricanes, battled with unpleasant farmers and paddled in wellies. All with my camera around my neck. Don't let anyone ever tell you that you are too old to do something so daft! I am gradually becoming the amazing woman I always wanted to be!

Mini Adventure Day 2 Part 4, South Stack

Third and final lighthouse of the day, South Stack on Holy Island. Been there before, but not for sunset.

The weather was starting to cause a little concern as it was getting very windy but I had to give it a go. The sun was starting to sink so timing was about perfect.

This is an incredible place. You stand high on the cliff top looking down on to the sea and some spectacular scenery. You can climb very high and the only thing between you and an extremely long drop is common sense. I made sure I was always a step and a stumble away from the edge, but with the wind so strong it was a bit touch and go on occasion!

I have found now that my fitness levels are definitely improving. I am scrambling up and down steep hills with a lot less wheezing now, although some still goes on. But what I find is that it makes me explore more. Previously I had found inclines a bit too challenging so wouldn't bother, but now I will always make an attempt. Its still hard work and I still wheeze, but recovery is certainly quicker and it is usually worth the climb.

The views from the top are amazing, looking back over Snowdonia, but unfortunately my sunrise fails to materialise. The sun sinks behind the clouds and apart from a bit of pinkness to the sky, it just gets dark so I decide it would be prudent to call it a night before I misjudge just how far a step and a stumble is!

Also, I am finding it very difficult to stand upright, never mind hold a camera still, and tripods, forget it!

I have booked an overnight stay at the South Stacks Coastal Retreat and am staying in the Potting Shed. This is a gorgeous little room and when I say little, I mean there is room to swing nothing bigger than your mood! But it is completely charming, with really pretty shabby chic decor, enough cushions to rival Ikea, and my own garden area to sit in. After all the walking I am tired so settle for a good nights sleep, but the weather has other ideas. It feels and sounds like I am in the middle of a hurricane. The rain is lashing and the wind is howling and I feel that at any moment I am going to take off and land on a witch somewhere colourful!

So it is a very tired and bleary eyed unfit photographer who sets off for the final day of her adventure!

Lessons Learned: Pack earplugs!

Mini Adventure Day 2 Part 3, Point Lynas

My new kayaking friend from Penmon had suggested I visit Point Lynas if I enjoyed lighthouses, so that was my next stop. Again, not the easiest place to find but got there eventually. Sometimes I got the feeling that these were Anglesey's secret places and they wanted to keep it that way, hence no signs and in this case, no parking! Still, with a view like the following picture, I was determined to persevere.

This coastline is so rugged and dramatic. It was a calm day but I can just imagine what the sea would look like in a storm. Imagine those photos!

Its a fair trek to the Lighthouse, but I'm an explorer now, I can do treks! My fitbug was having trouble keeping up with all the steps!

One of the local residents.

The Lighthouse is actually part of a group of buildings. It forms part of a large house with 2 other houses within a walled complex. The whole thing, with loads of land, is actually for sale at the moment so if anyone feels inclined to sponsor me to the tune of £1.375m, let's talk. (If £295k is more within your budget, there is a gorgeous apartment in Criccieth overlooking the sea that I have my eye on)

This is the view from the lighthouse looking back towards mainland Wales. The day was bright so I have had to do very little photo editing to make the colours pop. Just added a little definition. I am still amazed by how much difference a few tweaks on Lightroom can make to a picture.

Many of us have garden seats, but what if this was your garden. I could live there!

Lessons Learned: If I'm going to this kind of adventure again, I might have to hire myself a live-in tour guide or risk spending the rest of my life lost on Anglesey!

Mini adventure Day 2, Part 2, Red Wharf Bay

Time to head further around the Anglesey Coast. Not too sure where I was going, but figure if I kept the sea to my right, couldn't go too far wrong. I turned a corner and came across the following view:

This is Red Wharf Bay with miles and miles of sandy beach to walk along. The road down to it is incredible. It is a 35% incline, single track road with a very few passing places. It is badly signposted and was pure chance that I found it, which is probably why there were only about 4 other people on this beautiful beach.

The weather was glorious and it was a sheer joy to walk along the shore. My aim was to get to the buildings in the distance, hopefully there being a nice cafe there, but they were not accessible from the beach. Still had a great long walk. It doesn't feel like exercise somehow on a beach because "exercise" isn't fun is it? And this certainly was!

The beach was wide, long and flat and although that made it great to walk on, it doesn't make for dramatic photos so I can't say I am really happy with many of them. Not sure what I am doing wrong yet.

Decided to try to drive to the cafe in the end, and just assumed, as you would, that if you follow the coast road it would take you to it. Wrong. The road suddenly veered off to the left, back up the 35% incline. My poor old car is not very accommodating at the best of times, but this time it truly let its feelings be known!

My only complaint about Anglesey is the scarcity of road signs and when you have issues with directions, as I do, it doesn't make life very easy. Anyway, I eventually found the buildings that I could see from the beach on a very small harbour and it was quite charming.

I had lunch at The Boathouse and it was a delightful place. Very nautical shabby chic inside. 

So feeling nourished and refreshed, set off for the next part of the adventure.

Lessons Learned: I am either going to have to lose some weight so the car doesn't struggle uphill, or replace the car. They've just opened a new Cadwaladers in Abersoch, so I guess the car has to go!

Mini Adventure Day 2, part 1 Penmon

So what is the best thing about staying in a hotel? Cooked breakfast that you don't have to shop for, cook or clear up after! So after being suitably nourished, set off for day 2!

Penmon Lighthouse was my destination. I have seen some amazing photos of it and needed to get there.

There is a toll road charging £2.50 which leads up to it. It is worth paying as it is a fairly long walk otherwise.

I was early so again the only person there. I really am going to struggle when the day trippers start. If you see someone scowling at everybody, its probably going to be me.

Penmon is exactly my idea of a lighthouse. It is round and striped and looks like everything a lighthouse should be.

I would like to have got right up to it, but the rocks were very slippery so I wasn't able to. You can't walk far along the coast here as it is so rocky which is a shame for the walker, but very dramatic for the photographer!

Right opposite is Puffin Island which I had planned to visit, but unfortunately the boat trips don't start until April. A week too early!

I had now been joined on the beach by a very nice young man who was about to kayak across to the island. He told me that there are grey seals there as well as puffins and other birdlife. If there had been room for 2 in his kayak I'd have hitched a lift!

He did actually tell me about other places in the area to visit which was very interesting. Apparently there is a disused brickworks by the toll booth so that was where I was headed next.

The booth is situated right outside Penmon Priory where there is a sacred well. The picture shows the priory and the dovecote to the right.

This is the well and as far as sacred monuments go, it wasn't overly inspiring. It looked to be in an outhouse and was a hole about 2ft wide and about the same deep. I guess there must be some deeper meaning to it that I am missing completely as it does still seem to be visited.

So now to the brickworks. The lady in the toll booth pointed me in the right direction and I aimed for the tall chimney I could see. Unfortunately what everyone had failed to mention is that it is actually on private land and I got shouted at by a man on a tractor. (He was a handsome young man too but it doesn't count because he was mean!)

While driving away I noticed a load of derelict industrial brick buildings, all with very large Private Land Keep Out signs by them. I think it is a shame that there isn't a better balance between exploring Anglesey's heritage and trespassing!

Lessons Learned: If I am going to do these exciting trips, I really must do my research properly!

I mustn't get angry when being shouted at, after all he's not to know that I really am quite a nice law abiding person, aside from the trespassing of course!

Mini adventure - Day 1

I had been given the opportunity to have a few days away from home. Just me and the camera, so the last few weeks have involved meticulous planning and many changes of destination. I finally decided on Anglesey as there is so much to see there and my earlier visits had only just touched the surface.

However, I wanted to make the most of the journey so planned the route to involve at least one Cadwaladers (Criccieth of course) and one visit to the Llyn Peninsula.

First stop was to be Porth Ceiriad. I had been there once before on our chasing waves day so wanted to see it again when it was a bit calmer and see how different the photos would be. I remembered having to drive through a campsite so found the postcode for that. Wrong campsite of course, Navigationally Challenged in the blog title for a reason! Found it eventually, but they don't make it easy!

Last time we were here the waves were wild and so dramatic. This time is was decidedly calmer and the water seemed a much more beautiful colour.

Storm clouds were rolling in, but the rain stayed off the shore all the while I was there.

Managed to get further along the beach this time and found more caves with some beautiful rock formations. The Welsh coastline is truly dramatic and beautiful and I regret that it has taken me so long to find this out.

I don't know if it is the right or wrong thing to do, but I am trying to avoid using the tripod on the beach. The way it sinks into the sand makes it very difficult to keep steady, so I am instead upping the ISO a bit and opening the aperture to get a shorter shutter speed so I can hand hold. So far so good.

So off to Anglesey. I had booked to stay in Beaumaris for the night. Its a lovely town right on the harbour, but the storm was threatening so didn't have much chance to look around, but got a few pics.

The rain brought with it a rainbow, which hung over the water for a while and was so pretty.

I am trying to diversify with the type of pictures I take, meaning not just scenes. Going for "art". Not sure if its working yet, but will keep at it!

You can see the rain coming in on the last photo, so this was my cue to head to the hotel.

Lessons learned: I have realised that I struggle to concentrate in the presence of a pretty face. Handsome young concierge at the hotel asked for my car registration number and my mind went blank. I really am too old for that sort of nonsense!

I really do have absolutely no sense of direction.

Eclipse

I know that they tell you not to look at the eclipse through anything less than a welders mask, but we all do tho, don't we. I was geared up with good sunglasses and a multitude of filters on my camera so decided to chase the sun.

Headed up towards Horseshoe Pass, nr Llangollen, thought that would be the best place to get an uninterrupted view. Didn't quite make it. Traffic around the school run delayed me a while and only made it halfway up.

So I pulled into someone's drive and jumped out the car and these are what I got.

Not the best photos I have ever taken of course, but I am still not sure how you are supposed to without all the proper expensive gear.

Plus, it all being quite far away doesn't actually help either! Standing in the middle of the road looking out for oncoming traffic tends to distract too.

I have no idea about the eyeball shaped image on this next photo. Not sure if it is a strange light refraction, or whether it is actually a reflection of my eye. Most peculiar.

 Finished the trip off with a hike along Horseshoe Pass which was really quite lovely, but completely forgot to take any photos despite of lugging the whole heavy camera bag and tripod with me. What am I like?!

Lessons Learned: I'll need to master the proper techniques by the time the next one comes around. 2025 isn't it?

If I'm going to write a photo based blog, remember to take the photos!

Criccieth and Hells Mouth

I know that you are probably thinking "doesn't she know how to get anywhere else?" Well there were 2 reasons for heading for Criccieth. Firstly, it was a damp, drizzly and misty morning so I didn't think it safe to go mountain hiking. Secondly, I haven't been able to get out for a few days and Criccieth seems to be my "go to" place when I am in need of a bit of a lift. So off I went.

So after the mandatory coffee and cake at Cadwaladers (Banana and white chocolate today, for a change, Scrumptious) I hit the beach.

On the journey there the clouds had parted and the sun had come out and it was actually glorious and quite warm. So I shed a couple of layers and walked. The tide was really far out and I was able to walk further than I had before. There is a bit of headland jutting out which had always been cut off but I was able to walk around it and found caves! 

I had no idea they were there so had to explore. Its a strange formation and reminded me very much of the old photos you used to get of the circus when they used to make elephants stand with their front legs on the back of the elephant in front. Can you see that? No? Only me then.

Criccieth just keeps getting better and better. The beach on this side is firm and compacted and you can actually park on it, so that is something to investigate for the summer.

The colours in the rocks were completely gorgeous and the beautiful bright weather made them a joy to photograph. No need for a tripod as I could keep my settings tight.


So after a well earned rest (sunbathing, stretched out on the beach, in March!!) I decided to head onwards. Only one place to go for me now, Hells Mouth.

The last surf forecast I had seen hadn't predicted good waves so I wasn't expecting to see anyone there, but things had changed and it seemed like a surfer convention had landed. At one point there were 15 in the water. The waves had picked up and with it being such a beautiful bright day, the colour in the water was glorious.

I kept the camera on manual focus and a very quick shutter speed, this way I had full control of the movement and was able to get some pictures that I was very pleased with.

I stayed probably a couple of hours, just watching and photographing. There was something very special about sitting on a warm, gorgeous but wild beach watching these graceful young men. Thoroughly recommend it for topping up zen levels. 

I stayed there until the sun started to set, spreading a golden glow across all the colours. I used the tripod here and an HD filter just so I could get the sun in the shot.

Another completely amazing day. Can't believe how lucky I was with the weather. 

This last picture has no artistic merit, is not an action shot or particularly good, but I kind of like it. Sorry.

Lessons Learned: I think I could develop a fondness for fit young men in skin tight rubber, and that's without even reading "that book"! 

Dolgellau

A drizzly and dreary day and a choice. Stay in the warm and do some much needed housework or go out into the cold and rainy day and walk somewhere. No choice really. The camera was packed, the thermals were layered and off I went.

Destination - Dolgellau. In particular, the Glyn Aran Walk from my Snowdonia App, a 2.5m, moderate leisure walk through country roads and fields giving views of the Cader Idris range. Perfect. Hah!

The walk started off ok, walking through the town and out, following a stream. No problem. The climb is steep but expected and good training for Snowdon! The problems started when I should have come to a "metalled road" leading steeply through the Aran Gorge. Nothing remotely like that appeared so I followed something that vaguely resembled a path and ended up in a field. Beautiful views admittedly, through the rain and mist, but a field nonetheless.

After that, the path bore no resemblance to the directions on my app at all. Thought I would persevere for a bit longer and see where it led. It led into another field which was occupied by 2 horses who decided to investigate the strange woman who had just invaded their territory and came bounding up towards me. I have not had much to do with horses but never considered myself scared of them, but having 2 large enthusiastic creatures aiming themselves at you can be a tad intimidating.

So I flattened myself against a tree and hoped for the best which is when I heard a voice say "excuse me, but are you lost?"

The voice belonged to the lady who owned the horses. She told me that I had missed the path completely and was heading across random fields. (I'm really not safe to be let out by myself!) We had a lovely chat for a good few minutes about the general area, about Snowdonia and hiking, horses, kids at University and how to get back on the path. All through the conversation, the horses had decided I had food in my backpack and I spent the whole time being nuzzled to death. (Not a bad way to go but a horse wouldn't be my first choice of nuzzler!)

So with detailed instructions, I was sent on my way and finally found something that looked like a road and, through more luck than judgement, followed it all the way back to Dolgellau.

It was lovely looking down on the town from such a high point, knowing that I had climbed that far up, but the day was still dull and drizzly and unfortunately I wasn't able to get any really good pictures.

So all in all, a bit of a mixed adventure. But fun!

Lessons Learned: Don't walk through a field of horses with food in your backpack!

Don't believe everything you read. I used to think this only applied to the less reputable tabloid newspapers, but seems it applies to the Snowdonia App as well!

Dinorwig Slate Quarry

I have been to the Llanberis Slate Museum many times, but decided today that I would find the Slate Quarry. I have seen some amazing pictures of it on Facebook and decided it was time I went.

It was an absolutely gorgeous day, the first proper spring day, so just right for an outing. I had previously been told how to get to it via some steps close to the Museum which I found soon enough. What I hadn't been told was how steep the steps were or how far you had to climb them. I had been kidding myself that my fitness was improving, but all illusions were shattered here today. 

After an awful lot of wheezing and stops to get my breath, I came across this gorgeous row of derelict cottages, presumably for the quarry workers. 

The quarry is full of abandoned buildings, some with machinery still in, and it has quite an eerie feel to it. Despite it being such a gorgeous day I barely saw another person all day, which added to the strangeness of it all.

I followed the steps eventually to a more pronounced path which led, to a car park. Halfway up the quarry. Apparently this is what most people do to avoid the steps. Typical!

The path then led a different way around the quarry and downward, so I thought it would be a good idea to follow this and hopefully see more of the quarry.

This is a completely amazing place. I feel that it should be the set for one of the earlier Star Trek episodes, or at least Doctor Who. There is something definitely unworldly about it. To potential visitors my suggestion would be to visit the Slate Museum first and find out about the people who worked here and the conditions they had to face.

The day was very bright today and while this certainly helped with shutter speeds, the sun did cast a bit of a haze over the mountains so I have lost a bit of definition. Have added a bit via Lightroom which I think has helped. I found it very difficult to convey the scale of the Quarry in the photos, but I think some have come out ok.

So I decided it was time to head out and followed the new path. Good news is that it was definitely heading downwards, but the bad news is that it was zigzagging back and forth across the quarry and I covered so much ground. When I finally got to the end, the path finished 2.3 miles away from where I had parked the car! So today's Fitbug statistics - 16545 steps, 7.29 miles!!

Lessons Learned: Before embarking on a new path, check where it will lead. A lesson for life in general as well!

Don't overestimate your level of fitness. It has taken a few decades of concentrated inactivity to get where I am today. That's not going to be undone in a couple of months!

Its Official and Llangollen

I am now officially in training for walking up Snowdon. I have taken advice from 2 experienced, helpful and fit young men (thank you Stewart and Simon) and I actually think I might be able to do it. Timescale is sometime this year, preferably before the summer, but I'm not going to rush this. Still need to do an awful lot of work before I am even halfway ready, but it gives me something to aim for.

So to start off the training today I decided to go for a hike.

I was going to do some walking up Horseshoe Pass, but the weather was awful and I have previously been caught up a hill in the wind and rain and it's not pleasant (see Moel Famau).

So decided to go the more sheltered route and headed to the Horseshoe Falls, just outside of Llangollen. Again, been living round here for over 20 years and never been here. Such a lot of missed opportunities. If I'd started with the whole photography/hiking stuff earlier, I'd have done Snowdon by now and probably be half way up Everest!

Playing around with slower shutter speeds on this to give the water a more silky look. The tripod and the live view for focussing are essential for this, as are the reading glasses!

There is then a 2m hike where you are following the river and the canal into Llangollen.

For almost all of the walk it is drizzling, but I have my turquoise waterproof coat so am staying reasonably toasty. Its not a hard walk as it is mostly flat, but it is a reasonable distance and I'm sure that if I hadn't stopped for coffee and welsh cakes half way through, it would have done me a lot of good!

Still, better weather forecast tomorrow, so something a bit more exciting planned! Watch this space.

Lessons Learned: I get to talk to so many more young men since taking up these hobbies, should have done it years ago!

Snowdon

The weather forecast was looking promising so I felt a hike coming on. There has been a bit of snow recently so I thought that Snowdon would be the place to go.

I haven't been there since October and decided it was about time I did.

I had no intention of climbing to the top, conditions and fitness levels won't allow that yet.

I followed the Miners Track which is a fabulous, tarmac'd path. It is also very forgiving. You have a bit of a steep climb, then it levels out for a bit, giving the unfit a chance to recover, before it heads up again.

I had the tripod with me, but found that as it was quite bright, I didn't actually need it. All the photos were taken with my standard lens. I tried with the telephoto, but somehow completely lost the scale of where I was.

Again, there was barely a soul around apart from 2 wardens who trundled past in a small truck. You think they'd offer a girl a lift!

I climbed up to Llyn Llydaw which is the first lake on the journey and it is beautiful and serene.

There is something so amazing about standing beside a crystal clear lake with mountains looking down on you. At that moment, you wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world.

I started the climb up to Llyn Glaslyn but it started to get really icy as I got higher and so decided that this maybe wasn't something that I should be doing as I was not really dressed appropriately for the ice. So I followed the path back down again. An 11,485 step round trip. Yep, still got the Fitbug going.

I am going to get to the top of Snowdon one day soon, and not by train. A year ago the thought would not have been allowed into my head but things change. I am not the middle aged overweight couch potato I was then. Ok so I am still middle aged and a tad overweight, but couch potato no longer!

I am finding the hiking getting gradually easier the more I do and my fitness levels are improving slowly. This is with just being out and enjoying myself, rather than any pre-determined fitness regime. So I will be fit enough to conquer Snowdon before the end of the Summer. And that's a really scary thought!

Lessons Learned: Wise words, change what you can (size, fitness, state of mind), accept what you can't (age).

If they built a Cadwaladers on the summit, I'd be up there like a shot!