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!