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Friday, 22 April 2016

Y Foel Goch & Gallt yr Ogof

Walk summary
The magnificent Tryfan,
on way to Y Foel Goch from Llyn Caseg-fraith
Had intended to make the final two Nuttalls of The Glyderau a circular walk from Capel Curig over Gallt yr Ogof from the east, on to Y Foel Goch, down the marked path to Pen-yr Gwyrd Hotel on the Gwynedd/Conway county border, concluding with the long walk back along the A4086 to the van making over 9 miles in total.
However this seemed a long way just to satisfy my continuing obsession to bag Nuttalls as part of a circular walk, especially after yesterdays effort up Y Garn and the subsequent Nuttalls to maintain a steadier or slow pace to conserve energy and strength for later walks in the trip.
Today was also a moving day transferring from YHA Idwal to YHA Llanberis,  so rather than stopping at Capel Curig I continued to drive along the A4086 with the intention of finding a layby or off road parking near Pen-yr Gwyrd Hotel. Turns out you have to make a contribution to Gwynedd County Council to park here - £2.00 for 4 hours and £4.00 for the full day in this layby. However parking just ¼ mile to the east inside the Conway County boundary and there is no charge. I had £2.00 in change in my pocket which I would have begrudgingly paid but did not want to risk a parking charge in case I was longer than 4 hours. In the end I took 3 hours 53 minutes  so need not have got back in the van to drive to park in Conway.
Having decided to start near the Pen-yr Gwyrd Hotel I was resigned to an up and down route returning back along the same route as the ascent. But from Gallt yr Ogof summit I could see the road and decided to head south and still make a circular route. It did involve a cerain amount of "free range" walking  but using my tried and tested method of keeping sight of vegetation in front for something in excess of 200m I managed to find a safe route down without too much steep descent, Even finding a convenient rock to assist in bridging the long wall that following would have taken me back up hill and a footbridge across the larger of the Nant Gwryd feeder streams, finally joining the A4086 and a much shorter walk west along the road to the van and the free parking layby.

Walk Statistics
Walk Date -22 April 2016
Walkers - Steve Smith

Accommodation - YHA Idwall Cottage
Start Point-   Free layby on westbound side of A4066, just east of Gwynedd county boundary (SH 66526 55939)
Finish Point Free layby on westbound side of A4066, just east of Gwynedd county boundary (SH 66526 55939)
Total Duration - 3hrs 56mins 
Overall Average pace - 1.41mph
Total Distance Walked - 5.53 miles
Total Height Ascended - 667.22 metres


Peaks visited
Nuttalls (189W - 443E&W)
Y Foel Goch (119W - 372E &W)
Gallt yr Ogof (120W - 373E &W)
Hewitts (138W - 317E&W)
Y Garn (81W - 260E &W)
Foel Goch (82W - 261E &W)
Marilyns (158W - 1556E,W&S)
NONE
Deweys (241E - 422E,W&S)
NONE
HuMPs (366E - 2975E,W&S)
NONE
Historic County Tops (49E - 93E,W&S)
NONE
W: Wales. 
E,W&S:England,Wales & Scotland

Other walks on this trip
2016
April
21st Y Garn to Carnedd y Filiast ridge, including Elidir Fawr spur
22nd Y Foel Goch & Gallt yr Ogof
23rd Mynydd Mawr
24th Moels Eilio & Cynghorion, Foel Gron and Llechog from YHA Llanberis
26th Nantlle Ridge


Route
OS 1:25,000 route map to follow.
GPX can be downloaded from www.shareyouradventure.com

More Photographs
Lunchtime view north just after Y Foel Goch on way to Gallt yr Ogof. Carnedd Llewelyn to Pen Llithrig y Wrach
Click on photograph to view slide-show