Fairy Glen and Betws-y-coed

There are 2 very good reasons for joining some of the fabulous North Wales Photography groups on Facebook. Firstly, you will get a lot of inspiration for your photography but almost as importantly, you will get to see pictures of places you would otherwise never have known about.

This was true for me of the Fairy Glen near Betws-y-Coed, I have seen some quite enchanting photos and decided that I really needed to go. Been a bit poorly recently, so somewhere gentle and magical was just what I needed!

It was easy to find, cheap to park (£1 all day) and cheap to get into (50p per person). So far so good!

You follow a gravel path which takes you either to the Fairy Glen or along the riverside. 

The path down to the Glen is quite uneven and steep in places but it is so worth the climb down.

It is quite simply beautiful there. However, you do have to climb down over rocks to get a good position to take photos and it is a bit perilous! I had to have my tripod legs at 3 different lengths to get it even, and stand on just one of my own legs with the other strategically placed on another rock for the purpose of keeping me upright and dry! 

So set the camera up, let the lens cap drop then remembered it wasn't the one actually attached to the camera! So there was I precariously balanced over deep rushing water trying to fish a recalcitrant lens cap out of a small dark crevice in the rocks. It wasn't elegant and I don't think the language was particularly fairylike either. Luckily there were no witnesses.

You do need the tripod and not just for balance! It is very shady there as you are surrounded by rock walls and it is hard to get a quick enough shutter speed to hand hold.

You then, very carefully, retrace your steps back to the path and take the riverside walk. A beautiful peaceful scene with picnic benches and plenty of space.

The sign at the entrance reckons the whole walk takes 30 mins, but with taking many pictures and sitting, enjoying the beautiful sunshine I had that day, I was there for over 2 hours. Not bad for £1.50!

So off to Betws-y-coed for refreshments! Regular readers will know that I am just a tad addicted to Cadwaladers. They are a small localised chain of ice cream bars and coffee shops mostly in Wales and their cakes and coffee are to die(t) for. I had to have cake to help me recuperate from my recent illness so coffee frappe and carrot cake it was.

I have been to Betws many times and have discovered that it isn't all cafes and outdoor shops, but it is very pretty in its own right and there are plenty of places to explore. The park is very beautiful and if, like me, you have an uncontrollable urge to clamber over rocks, there are plenty there for you. I wonder, is there an upper age limit on clambering before it gets unseemly?

I did play around a bit with long shutter speeds, but none really came out well. It is an area that I am having trouble mastering, guess I have to keep practicing. 

But isn't this a great place to have your lunch!

Lessons Learned: Remember to put the camera in the backpack before clambering so that I have both hands for balance and I don't stumble and smack it against a rock!

If you give it half a chance, your lens cap will try to escape.