Foel Goch

Peaks: Foel Goch/Nameless Peak
Area: Glyderau, Eryri
Having watched the sun setting at 10pm last night, I thought it would be nice to see it rise. This, for me, is the key to a good midsummer camp: uninterrupted views to the east and west. To combine that with a bit of shelter from the wind, and proximal running water, is unusual - which is why this site has been on my mind for some time. It was a very peaceful night, with light breezes gently rustling the tent and only the distant trickle of a stream. I was woken by a very early skylark, a delightful way to rise, so had a cup of coffee in my sleeping bag before running to the nearby summit of Foel Goch to watch the sun rise, dark red, above Llyn Cowlyd and Pen Llithrig y Wrach: memorable, and still well before 5am. Amazing clarity of light for distant views over the Irish Sea and Lancashire coast. I jogged down and sat on a natural rock chair to watch the early sun illuminate the east face of Tryfan as a raven cronked, as if greeting the first rays. After packing up, I ran straight down Bwlch Tryfan and Ogwen back to the car, where I had some porridge before doing a couple of climbs.