August Gallery HHC

August 2005

Mike palmer and I went to complete a backpacking trip that we started in 1999.
"Snowdonia to The Gower"

We gave up after a week of unrelenting rain and cold, and this was in June!
Starting again at Llandovery, where we left off, things went much better this time.

	Found a fine campsite, for the first two nights, next to a real-ale pub
	The approach to the hills was along these ancient green lanes
	Soon on open ground, Black Mountains ahead.
	Starting big, our first target was the highest spot of the week, Fan Brycheniog 802m. SN 825217 for anyone interested.
	The Brecon Beacons seen to the east, about 20k away. Pen y Fan is 886m
	The next top to the west, Bannau Sir Gaer is slightly lower at 749m
	Panorama of the escarpment
	We got a wing-waggle from a passing Hercules
	These big cairns are a feature of the ridge as we walked west, dropping slowly in altitude over the day.
	Finally we begin to leave the bare hills behind- Cardigan Bay and Pembrokeshire can be seen.
	Fighting through the bracken
	The coast at Black Pill, Mumbles. Unfortunately, the tide was out
	We took an extra day and walked along the south coast of the Gower. The scenery is lovely and, even during the school holidays, has empty beaches.

	I finally got my feet wet in the Bristol Channel after six years
A Welsh Coast to Coast Walk: Snowdonia to Gower A Cicerone Guide A 200-mile route for backpackers and experienced walkers, away from waymarked trails. Wales's majestic high mountains, with their intricate network of valleys and passes, provide the walker and backpacker with ideal terrain for a coast to coast route. The first half of the journey is spent among the great rock peaks of Snowdonia, from the Carneddau to Cadair Idris. In mid-Wales the landscape softens; greener, smoother hills take over, rising to Pumlumon. The walk continues past the great dams of the Elan Valley and over remote moors to beautiful valleys, before crossing the Black Mountains to reach the Gower coast. (this was the bit that we needed to finish) The routes are ideal for experienced walkers looking for new routes rather than waymarked trails. There is plenty of opportunity for personal interpretation and variation - important in the struggle against erosion and overuse of honeypot paths. This book is a much updated version of the author's earlier guide, including a Gower extension from the Three Cliffs Bay along the spine of Cefn Bryn to the beach at Rhosili. Series:Long Distance Trails Author:John Gillham ISBN:1-85284-218-0 Size:172x116mm No of pages::152 Cover:Laminated Last published:1996 Price: £7.99

Henry Hinloch, John Kehoe and me JM went to the Corbett,
Beinn Mhic Mhonaidh, up Glen Strae, North West from Loch Awe

	We judged that there was just enough time available. The Corbetts Book says 3 1/2 hours to the top. We had 7 hrs for the trip. This is from the track in the upper part of the glen.
	Here I am, finally, at the top. One problem, it took 4 hrs- leaving only three to get back.
	A fine view south east to Ben Lui
	Henry working his way down the slope to cross to the track down the glen, seen clearly below. A forced march got us back to the bus with ten minutes to spare.