North Llyn traverse

More by luck than judgement, this lengthy outing took place just before the latest Welsh lockdown. A long run along the North Llyn coast had been forming as a vague plan for some time, as I have tried to spend a little more time exploring the Llyn this year. In the event, it exceeded my expectations and Jez joined me (two cars being essential) for the 6am start from HK, driving the entire width of north Wales to park beyond Uwchmynydd at the stunning tip of the Llyn overlooking Bardsey. For me, this location matches anything in the British Isles, and a 45mph tailwind then blew us up Mynydd Mawr, an easy start. Joining the coast path, the next section is scenically stunning, descending towards Porth Llanllawen and rounding Mynydd Anelog - another of the mini-mountains that characterises this end of Llyn. I was slipping and sliding immediately, my trail shoes an unwise choice given the volume of rain we have had. It was immensely muddy in places, and a very heavy shower blew in for the next section along the fabulous coastline (much lower cliffs here) to Porth Oer, the famous whistling sands, which I haven't visited since childhood. The running was easier here, and after another soaking heavy shower, it started to dry off for the easy terrain to Traeth Penllech (seals, choughs), and even a little sunshine peeked through the clouds. Beyond this, however, it became immensely muddy, and multiple isolated coves make life tricky with multiple switchbacks and some tricky river crossings where the high tide merged with outflows in spate (Porth Ysglaig, for example). The gentler pastoral feel then gives way to the weird interlude of Morfa Nefyn and its golf course - joltingly suburban and strange. We saw plenty of people here, of course, the only humans we saw all day apart from a few surfers. The section round Porth Dinllaen was hard to follow, but it did mean we took in the famous Ty Coch. High tide meant we had to climb an exposed dune system back to the golf course - all a bit draining. It was then an essential part of the plan to get food in Nefyn, so we detoured inland for a bit of road running then a tasteless pasty. After more road, normal service was resumed at Pistyll, where the route again becomes wilder and wilder, skirting Penrhyn Glas before fantastic running on high ground which then descends towards the peerless Nant Gwrtheyrn - undoubtedly one of Wales' finest sights, and that is even more marked when descending from the south towards the sea through a unique sessile oak woodland. From the wild beach, we climbed through the deserted language centre then all the way up the tarmac to Bwlch yr Eifl (the route I took for one of my first post-lockdown outings in summer). A final freezing shower of hail as we crested the pass, the day's highpoint, before descending rough ground to Trefor and an unexpected final loop around the coast with a stunning sunset beyond Carreg y Llam, the cliffs of Yr Eifl plunging down to the sea. Then, finally, back on the road through Gyrn Goch to Clynnog Fawr. Around 55k, with over 6000ft of climbing, 6.5 hours, with the mud slowing progress. A memorable end to 2020, all the more so as the latest lockdown was announced during the outing.