Precipice Walk and Harlech

Managed to gain back control of the camera and the blog. I think Beth got a liking for both and I love what she wrote so I am sure I will be persuading her to do another guest spot over the Summer!

Had another opportunity for a day out today so decided to revisit the Precipice Walk near Dolgellau.

For those who have read my earlier posts, you will remember that I got completely lost finding the start of this walk when in fact it is totally straightforward. So with new confidence I set out. So confident in fact that when a couple of hikers asked for directions to the start, I was able to give them. Poor things are probably still wandering around the Precipice with mutterings of "now which way did she say?"

The walk starts off following the lake, as before, but there is a lot more lake than there was last time so I guess it is a seasonal thing. 

Most of the walk is quite gentle, with no really serious inclines, but the paths are incredibly uneven so no good for someone not too steady on their feet. I just about managed, even with my serious lack of balance!

Once you get past the lake and start to climb, the views just open up and it is incredible. Today I had the most amazing clouds literally rolling over the mountains and you can see for miles.

I had packed my ND lenses today and was going to play around with long exposures, but was so entranced by the walk and the scenery, I completely forgot to get them out. Call myself a serious photographer!?

You turn the first corner and there is the Mawddach Estuary in front of you. The photos will never do justice to the scenery, so all I can do is recommend you try this walk if you are in the area. Apparently there is a 9 mile walk following the estuary, but it is one way and I always wonder where you park and if you have to walk the 9 miles back to get to the car again. Anyone know?

And isn't this the best place in the World for a bench!

Last time I did this walk I came across a sign pointing to the Glasdir Copper Mine. I am liking derelict industrial buildings at the moment so thought this time I would go find it. Copper Mine, got to at least be a big hole in the ground with abandoned buildings, surely. Well if it was, I couldn't find it. Walked for about 2 miles through forestry land, mostly steeply downhill, until I came to a closed farm gate. After Anglesey I am a little wary of farmers, so decided to relinquish my search. Will have to google it later to see what it actually is. The climb back up was no fun at all, making me realise yet again that I am nowhere near fit enough for Snowdon.

Because it was cloudy all day, the colours in almost all photographs have needed a little tweaking, but don't think they have come out too bad. Kept the camera on around f11 most of the time to hopefully get a good depth of field and found I was doing a lot of "point and click" which was quite nice for a change.

So back to the car for a quick snack of black coffee and a banana. Diet started today so no Cadwaladers! Decided I want to start by losing 10lb which is the weight of my backpack. For those interested, I will do a very brief progress report each post.

Felt the need for a beach, so as I was revisiting places today, I decided to head back to the beach near Harlech. Took a lovely sunset photo there last time so not been there in proper daylight.

Its a beautiful beach, almost divided in two. You walk from the car park and on the right there are stones and huge rocks, on the left there is a gorgeous sandy beach. Investigated the rocks first with a view of doing a 2 minute beach clean. Harlech is actually a very clean beach which is probably just as well as I had forgotten to take a bag and had to put everything I found into my hat!

Found this incredible piece of beach art.

I walked up to the sandy beach and did what I have been wanting to do for absolutely ages. Took my wellies off, rolled my trousers up and paddled barefoot! And I wasn't the only one.

So happy, weary (17,589 steps) and every so slightly hungry made my way home.

Lessons Learned: Got to do my research first before going off exploring.

Its still too darn cold to paddle, feet went a lovely bluish tinge!

Black coffee and a banana doesn't fill you up like a Cadwaladers snack does.

Precipice Walk Dolgellau - November 4th

Armed with my trusty Snowdonia App, I decided to have a go at the Precipice Walk from Dolgellau.

 

Had to drive past Bala Lake to get there, so stopped off at the far end to get some pictures. Its much more scenic there than the first end and I am pleased with the pictures, especially as a couple involved scrambling over some rocks to get the shot. I've missed doing that!

 

On to Dolgellau. The walk starts in Llanfachreth (if I am going to do more in Wales, I must learn how to pronounce the names properly, you'd have thought that marrying a Welshman might help here, but my husband is almost as bad as me, a born and bred Southerner)

 

Helpfully, the start of the walk is signposted so I started following it until I came to a fork, one signposted public footpath, the other not. So of course I followed the signposted one up and over a small hill and... back to the carpark! Don't know how I do it!

 

So I reread the App and have another go. Follow a different footpath which starts off ok, but then gets swampier and swampier and after about a mile ends up at the entrance to a forestry commission property which is padlocked and covered in barbed wire. I know that I have clambered over the odd locked gate recently, but I think this one would be a rebellion too far, so I retraced my footsteps back through the swamp back to the car.

 

So I am now a bit flustered, tired and absolutely covered in mud! I am beginning to understand why people worry about me when I go on my outings. Hubby thinks I should turn the GPS on on my phone, my youngest daughter has suggested I should carry a flare gun (!) and even a family friend has given me a whistle (the Acme Thunderer) in case I get into trouble!                 

 

Not one to give in easily anymore, I follow the original path, without turning off where I did before, and of course it is the proper walk!  

I can thoroughly recommend this walk. It takes you first past a very scenic lake with some very interesting trees. Then you climb a very narrow and rocky path upwards until you get some amazing views of the Mawddach Estuary and the sea. Someone has very thoughtfully put a bench here for the weary hiker to sit and admire the view but unfortunately a couple of weary hikers have beaten me to it! Typical I don't see another living soul on the walk and the only ones I do see are sitting in my seat!

                   

 

Anyway, you turn a corner and the whole valley opens up and you walk for a long while along the top edge. There is Snowdon to the North and Cader Idris to the South and it is literally breathtaking and I must admit to getting quite emotional!. 

However, they call it the Precipice Walk for a reason. The path is very narrow and extremely uneven, with quite a dramatic drop to the side, so I found myself watching where I was stepping more than the view, as I preferred to view the valley from the top rather than the bottom! Still what I did see was incredible and I am very pleased with my pictures although I wish I'd taken more. 

                  

 

The path then led back to the lake, 3m in total but I reckon I'd done at least 2m before I even started the walk!

Lesson Learned: Read the directions properly. Chances are if the footpath looks like a swamp, its not a footpath, it is a swamp!