Carneddau run and bothy trip

Peaks: Foel Fras, Carnedd Gwenllian, Foel Grach, Carnedd Llewellyn, Craig Eigiau
Area: Carneddau, Eryri
I had only recently become aware of the existence of a rare Welsh bothy in Cwm Dulyn. I knew the cottage, having passed its remote location on several occasions, but didn't realise it was an official maintained bothy. It seemed essential to visit, so a group of us combined a convivial night there with a double run over the Carneddau. We met in Conwy, mid afternoon, then drove up to Cwm Eigiau. From here, a short run, just a couple of miles, led to the bothy below Cwm Dulyn. After dumping our kit, we headed off on a longish run over the Carneddau - skirting sombre Llyn Dulyn to pick our way through the broken crags further north. The fence line then leads tiringly to the summit of Foel Fras, with some mist playing around the boulder fields. The cloud base descended and lifted continually as we enjoyed the always excellent running across the spine of the Carneddau: great views out to Llyn and the Irish Sea as we followed the Foel Fras race route over Carnedd Gwenllian and then up to the shelter on Foel Grach. Then came a real bonus: two dotterel scuttling around the rocks on the ridge. I have come up here specifically to search for dotterel over many years but have never seen one before. This is a couple of weeks early, but the buff breasts and supercilium were immediately diagnostic: I tried to pass on my enthusiasm. We had a bite to eat in the shelter, then continued the brisk pace to the top of Llewellyn: cold and misty but still dry. Great descent down towards Craig yr Ysfa then an exhilarating end to the run as we dropped very steeply into remote Ffynnon Llyffant (I have only been up here a couple of times before, for the easy snow gullies that offer good winter sport). This is a tremendous spot, worth lingering in, one of the most remote in North Wales. From here, an easy and gradual climb leads to the plateau-like and rarely visited top of Craig Eigiau, now in full sunshine with spectacular cloud formations peeling away from the higher tops. We pelted down to the bothy, to find it jam packed. A convivial and enjoyable evening ensued, and we hobbled back to the car in low cloud and persistent drizzle early next morning.