Peaks: Foel Goch, Carnedd Llewellyn, Foel Grach, Carnedd Gwenllian, Foel Fras, Drum, Carnedd y Ddelw
Area: Glyderau/Carneddau, Eryri
Definitely a day for deploying crowd-avoiding tactics, with Ogwen rammed and 500 cars at Pen y Pass. Just a mile or two away, I had a lay-by to myself in Dyffryn Mymbyr, and saw nobody at all on my pathless trudge over the Glyderau. This was conceived as a mini-version of last July's Sea-to-Sea Porthmadog-Conwy traverse, but with a return next morning. It worked well, although the Miner's Track from PyG was the real plan (crowds put paid to that). Instead, I started just before PyG at pt 259 below Nant Ddu, heading north-east: I crested the Glyders just below Foel Goch and dropped down to the lonely col between it and Gallt yr Ogof. This is entirely pathless but I hit it bang on by instinct, which was nice. From there, down the tussocky Nant yr Ogof (also visited last year) to Gwern Gof Isaf in Ogwen. Over the A5 then up the tarmac to Ffynnon Llugwy and Bwlch Eryl Farchog. There were groups around, but numbers were never that high, in stark contrast to the honeypots. Indeed, I had the summit of Carnedd Llewellyn to myself unbelievably given the post-lockdown clamour. The weather had been near-perfect to that point - warm and sunny - but banks of mist rolled in as I took on the very familiar run north over Foel Grach, Carnedd Gwenllian and Foel Fras. It cleared again completely for Drum and Carnedd y Ddelw. As usual, the full traverse of the Carneddau is a thirsty affair. I have done it several times in both directions, and there is no water at all on the main ridge line. From Cae Coch, I ran to Garnedd Wen and stopped to scoop from one of the streams. From Garnedd Wen, the long run down the lanes to Conwy is always a little painful - 4 hours to Conwy from Mymbyr. Shower and refuelling in Hod.
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