Arenig Fawr

The start of the day was better than the start of the walk!  We convened at the Rhug Estate for early morning coffee before driving to the quarry car park to the north of Arenig Fawr.  Boots on and eight of us set off into the rain, along the road and then up the track towards Llyn Arenig Fawr.

We stopped at the bothy and got chatting to a chap who had cycled in and stayed for a couple of nights.  It’s not the most welcoming of places and any plans that I had to perhaps stay there at some point in the future quickly dissipated.  An early lunch set us up for the ascent of the Y Castell ridge.

The group took aim for the summit of Arenig Fawr but I stayed right and headed for Moel Llechwedd reaching the cairn and then after following a faint ruined fence to the true highpoint.  The summit of Arenig Fawr was not far away with good ground underfoot leading me to the rest of the group.  The unrelenting mist denied us the views.

Just to prove I was there!

The south top was marked by a small cairn and again I left the group to tick the south ridge top.  Once again, I caught up with the group at the col below Moel Llyfnant which was below the mist and we started to enjoy the views.

Before we started the walk, an “unavoidable bog” had been mentioned and a more apt description can’t be conveyed.  The area of Amnodd-wen was certainly a test of how waterproof footwear was and I don’t think my boots have ever been as wet!

We returned to the café at Rhug where my hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows was somewhat disparagingly described as an “energy drink”!