Range Walking Club

Sunday 13th July 1986-West Wales-Dolgellau

 

The next outing of the walking club will be on Sunday, 13th July, when we shall visit an entirely new area, The coach will go to Dolgellau, and the walks will take us into the finest scenery to be found on and around Cadair Idris, a mountain which is spectacular when seen from below, and whose slopes and tremendous cliff tops offer superb views over much of western Wales.

Maps O.S. 1:50,000 sheet 124. 1:25,000 Snowdonia National Park, Cadair Idris, Dovey Forest

The coach will leave school at 8.00 am. It is most important that we make a prompt start. There will be a 'convenience only' stop at Bala on the outward journey. We hope to be back in Formby by 8.00 pm. Boots are essential for both the 'A' and the 'B' walks. The cost of the walks is £3 for adults and £2 for Children. Details of the walks are given below. Please indicate on the attached slip which walk you are likely to join and return it to Barbara Craine in the school office by Thursday, 3rd July. If your son/daughter or is leaving school this summer and you wish to continue receiving information about the walks, I should be grateful if you would complete the slip provided and return it as soon as possible.

'A' Walk
This walk will start at the Minfford Hotel on the south side of Cadair Idris, close to Tal y LIyn Lake (grid 734115). The ascent of the mountain will be achieved by following the Minfford Track. This is the shortest, but also the steepest, way up. The first section takes the party up beside a delightful cascading stream through woodlands, after which it continues at an easier gradient over open grassland, gradually rising above the stream until it reaches a point overlooking Llyn Cau, a corrie lake, from the eastern end. This lake lies in The Chair of Idris, a fine example of a glacial corrie, surrounded on three sides by immense and dramatic cliffs. A stiff climb then leads up to the ridge on the South Minfford Craig. From this point onwards the route follows the tops of the cliffs that surround Llyn Cau. The first summit reached is Craig Cau, after which the track drops a little to Bwlch Cau, before the final climb to the top of the mountain Pen y Cadair at 2927 ft. If conditions are favourable th party may like to follow the ridge top for about a mile to the other summit, Mynodd Moel, which is about 150 ft. lower, and then return to the main summit before starting the descent, This will be made by the much easier and gentler path which first leads westwards, overlooking Barmouth and the whole of Cardigan Bay, to grid 692135. At this point we join the pony track and turn north-eastwards. After the descent of a steep slope by a staircase it leads on through the meadows to Ty Nant car park (grid 698152). A ten minute stroll along this road will bring the party to Gwernan Lake Hotel where the coach will be waiting and refreshments may be available.

Distance: 7½ miles with 3000 ft. of ascent, or 10 miles with 3500 ft. of ascent if the ridge top walk to Mynydd Moel is included.

Leader: Patrick Ferguson

'B' Party
This group will be dropped off before the 'A' party at the car park, (grid 753136) at the top of the Afon Fawnog which leads down to the Minfford Hotel. They will have to walk back up the road for a few hundred yards before joining a footpath which leads northwards to a ford over a stream (756148). From there the route leads westwards and ascends in reasonably gentle stages to the ridge which continues upwards to the ridge top and to Mynedd Moel. From there the cliff top is followed over an easy route to the summit Pen y Cadair. The descent will be by the sane route as that followed by the 'A' party and the walk will finish at the Gwernan Lake Hotel,

Distance: 8 miles with ascent of 2300 ft.
Leader: Ken lamb

 

It should be noted that a considerable part of both 'A' and 'B' walks will be along the tops of impressive cliffs many hundreds of feet high but at no point does this involve a knife edge ridge such as Striding Edge on Helvellyn. You can keep well away from the edges if you wish, or you may like to peer down the awesome clefts such as Great Gully.

 

'C' Party

This party will be dropped off in Dolgellau on arrival there. This will give them an opportunity to have some refreshment and a look around the town while the coach takes the 'A' and 'B,' parties to their starting points on the other side of the mountain, Approx. 45 minutes later (time to be agreed) the coach will pick them up and take them to Penmaenpool (grid 693184) where their walk starts. The first two miles will be along the old railway track, now a regular path, along the Afon Mawddaoh estuary. At grid 671176 the party will turn inland and follow the stream through woodlands and meadow and up past Kings Youth Hostel towards the car park at Ty Nant where 'A' and 'B' parties will come down from the Pony Track, Much of this section offers fine views of the north side of Cadair Idris. At the car park a decision will be made on whether to finish at the Hotel or continue on the other side of the lake to Dolgellau.

Distance: 5 or 7 miles

Ascent: 500ft.
Leader: Phil Morgan