Sunday 21st September 2014 - Llanberis, North Wales

This month our walks are based on Llanberis in Snowdonia. The coach will leave school as usual at 8.00 am prompt.  There will be no toilet stop enroute as there are toilets at or near the start of the walks. The outward journey will be through Betws-y-coed to enable the A and B+ walks to start at Pen-y-pass, and then drop down to Llanberis where the B and C walks start.  All walks finish at Llanberis where there is a good choice of refreshments. We plan to leave at 5.30pm and should be back in Formby by about 8pm The final routes for A and B+ walks are not yet decided and the  descriptions below are of the most likely route, hence  read the description circulated on the coach carefully, and discuss with one of the walk leaders if you have any concerns.
 
The cost of travel will be £10.00 for members, £13.00 for non-members and £5.00 for Leaders, children and students in full time education. Please make your cheque payable to Range Walking Club and ensure it is signed as it is inconvenient for the Treasurer to chase up such omissions.

Please send in your return to the Treasurer before 6th September; places will be booked on the coach by the treasurer on a first come first served basis.

Cancellations: if you need to cancel or make a late booking, please contact the Treasurer on 01704 871308 who will endeavour to substitute your booking from any waiting list. If this is not possible, then regrettably we will not be able to give you a refund as coaches will have been booked on initial returns.

Club AGM: Monday 15th September Range High School Room 11
The Club AGM will be held on the evening of Monday 15th September at Range High School in room 11 as usual.  This room can be accessed through the side entrance which is located towards the back of the left hand side of building.  All current members and other walkers who intend becoming members are welcome to attend the meeting

We plan to collect membership fees and issue membership cards during the evening.  The room is available from 7.00pm and we hope to collect as many fees as possible before the meeting starts at 7.30pm.  The agenda and other papers are attached.  We do hope you are able to attend.

‘A’ Walk Distance: 10 miles Ascent: 3000 ft Leaders: Gordon Spence John Hughes	From Pen-y-Pass we follow the old copper miners track to Llyn Llydaw with impressive views of Snowdon and Crib Goch. A steep  ascent takes us to the southeast ridge, safe  with care, offering sensational vertical precipices  as we go over Lliwedd’s Peaks (approx 3,000 ft).  There is a steep rough descent to the Watkin path and rough stony ascent on to the summit of Snowdon (3,560 ft) Descent to Llanberis follows an interesting and rarely trodden ridge line from Clogwyn station, which includes the subsidiary summit of Llechog with minimal ascent but with excellent views into both valleys without being close to the precipitous edge. The more usual descent following the mountain railway remains an option.
‘B+’ Walk Distance: 8 miles Ascent: 2700 ft Leaders: Lynn Smith Claire Lyons	From Pen-y-pass we take the Pyg track( derived from the climbers pub Pen-y-Gwryd)’ a very straightforward  path climbs diagonally across the mountain to Bwlch Moch. The path then undulates with a steady ascent for about 2 miles with excellent views across Llyn Llydaw and the mighty Lliwedd ridge. This is followed by a short but steep zig zag to reach Bwlch Glas and a final stroll to the summit. There is a good path down following the railway.
‘B’ Walk Distance: 8.75 miles Ascent: 1100 ft Leaders: Trevor Ludlow Emily Ludlow	This walk is for those of you who would like to summit a hill in Wales but find Snowdon a bit daunting!  Our summit for the day is Cefn Du (the Black mountain) which is the last high point before the coast and Anglesey.  Hopefully, the weather will give us good views.  For those with a good memory, the club walked this route in May 2009 with plenty of time for a pub stop! The ascent is in three well separated stages, so plenty of time to forget the last up section before the next! We start in LLanberis and can touch the mountain train, if the timing is right, as it climbs past us.  Good paths and tracks take us to the inevitable quarry scree slopes before climbing a rough heather & grass path to the summit for lunch.  The first down section is over rough moorland grass, which we will take at a steady pace.  There is a short scramble down a rock/grass edge (plenty of hands to help) before the last section on lanes and good paths to Llyn (lake) Padarn.  We then follow the disused railway line, along the lake side, back to Llanberris.
‘C’ Walk Distance: 6 miles Ascent: 500 ft Leaders: Denise Nunn Tony Nunn	A circular walk from Llanberis, clockwise around Llyn Padarn, giving lovely views of the lake, Llanberis, the Llanberis Pass and Snowdon. The first half of the walk is on level paths by the lake side. At the north western end of the lake we begin a gradual climb on a quiet country road to the village of Fachwen to appreciate the fine views. The descent is on well-made paths through a wood of Sessile Oak (Coed Dinorwig SSSI) into Padarn Country Park where there will be the opportunity to visit the old Quarry Hospital and the National Slate Museum (both free entrance) and to get refreshments.