Wales Wild Camp

The plans that were for Wales last weekend went astray.

It was bank holiday,

So traffic.

Thinking we were being clever and setting off Friday morning,

we’d miss the traffic.

Not early enough.

Pen Llithrig y Wrach

The plan to catch a bus away from Betsw y Coed and walk back over Carned, camp en-route, was wiped out in a haze of bank holiday fumes.

Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir

Things change.

So a little later in the day cars were left at Capel Cruig and instead we walked away.

Slightly up the road but soon branching off at bridleway over the hill to Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir and what proved to a more than acceptable place to camp.

Sunset

We even found a house with a view. 

Pen Yr Helgi Du

Pen Llithrig y Wrach was the hill behind us, to the west of the reservoir.  As there was no plan it seemed a suitable place to head the next morning.  With a few alternative routes back depending on how quickly the storms forecast for the next afternoon arrived. 

Welsh ponies where they’re meant to be

It was not going to be weather for another wild camp.

OS map 17 was not entirely accurate.  Near some crags labelled Craig Ffynnon were two pretty tarns.  There was a lot of ‘bog’  so it was no surprise to find them.  The amount of little green lines give a good indication of the state of the ground.

Though there are no rights of way and no tracks marked to the top of Pen Llithrig y Wrach once we’d picked our way up through a disused quarry and some rock strewn heather to the afore mentioned crags the tracks of those who’d preceded us were there to follow.

After Snowden which was a continuous stream of people, and even Tryffan this picturesque area was pretty much devoid of people and one I want to explore more.  Just not on a bank holiday.