Walk Summary
Because Tal y Fan was listed as a separate walk on the trip plan, I somehow thought by combining it with Drum, Pen y Castell & Carnedd y Ddelw I was gaining an extra day. Returning home and working on the write up I now realise that although they were planned as two walks one was an am walk and the other a pm walk. Even if a day was not saved you would think some distance would be saved, especially as the ascent route to Tal y Fan was less circuitous than planned by heading straight up the Bwlch between Tal y Fan and Foel Lwyd, the final hill of the day. Turns out both ascent and distance planned worked out to be close to ascent and distance actually walked.
The main problem being getting across Afon Tafalog. I did think if I headed towards the public access marked by green dotted lines between the road to Tan-y-braich and the public access area there would at least be a reasonable crossing point even if it was a ford. Not so. The banks were largely tree and shrub lined and even where there was a gap the flow was fast and the river was deep. Wandering backwards and forwards along the south bank before realising there was not an easy point to cross I headed up stream past where the trees cleared from the bank, but even here the flow and depth prevented an easy and guaranteed dry crossing. How I wish I had those two thick black plastic bags I promised to pack on the last river crossing. Well I will just have to manage by using a trek pole to vault the river at a point I felt was too wide to jump from a standing start but had a semi submerged rock to give me a start. Throwing myself up the opposite bank I let go of the pole and looking back was being washed down stream. Running along the bank I did manage to pass it and make a grab for it but disappeared amongst some rapids and that was the last I saw of it. At least it was not one of my leki poles. (I know where I left them on a previous trip, but yet to go back and collect them).
Anyway apart from this slight difficulty walk went more or less to plan and more importantly was back at the van just as it was getting dark with sufficient daylight to see myself off the final hill.
Walk Statistics |
| Afon Tafalog crossing point - cost me a trek pole |
The main problem being getting across Afon Tafalog. I did think if I headed towards the public access marked by green dotted lines between the road to Tan-y-braich and the public access area there would at least be a reasonable crossing point even if it was a ford. Not so. The banks were largely tree and shrub lined and even where there was a gap the flow was fast and the river was deep. Wandering backwards and forwards along the south bank before realising there was not an easy point to cross I headed up stream past where the trees cleared from the bank, but even here the flow and depth prevented an easy and guaranteed dry crossing. How I wish I had those two thick black plastic bags I promised to pack on the last river crossing. Well I will just have to manage by using a trek pole to vault the river at a point I felt was too wide to jump from a standing start but had a semi submerged rock to give me a start. Throwing myself up the opposite bank I let go of the pole and looking back was being washed down stream. Running along the bank I did manage to pass it and make a grab for it but disappeared amongst some rapids and that was the last I saw of it. At least it was not one of my leki poles. (I know where I left them on a previous trip, but yet to go back and collect them).
Anyway apart from this slight difficulty walk went more or less to plan and more importantly was back at the van just as it was getting dark with sufficient daylight to see myself off the final hill.
Walk Date - 05 December 2014
Walkers - Steve Smith
Accommodation - Betws-y-Coed Youth Hostel
Start Point - Car Park at end of road to Tan-y-braich (GR - SH 72055 71530)
Start Time - 10:24
Finish Point - Car Park at end of road to Tan-y-braich (GR - SH 72055 71530)
Finish Time - 16:22
Duration - 5hrs 58mins
Average pace - 1.87mph
Distance Walked - 11.13 miles
Height Ascended - 880.71metres
Other walks on this trip
2014
November
27th Creigiau Gleision & Craiglwyn
28th Carnedd Dafydd, Pen yr Ole Wen & Foel Meirich
29th Carnedd Llewelyn, Yr Elen & Pen yr Helgi Du
December
01st Dulyn Reservoir round + Llwytmor
02nd Beras Bach & Mawr +Drosgl & Gyrn Wigau
03rd The Bochlwyd Horseshoe
05th Drum, Pen y Castell & Carnedd y Ddelw + Tal y Fan
06th Pen Llithrig y Wrach
Nuttalls (190W - 444E&W)
Carnedd y Ddelw (60W - 313E &W)
Drum (61W - 314E &W)
Pen y Castell (62W - 315E, &W)
Tal y Fan (63W - 317E &W)
Hewitts (138W - 317E)
Drum (44W - 223E &W)
Tal y Fan (45W - 224E &W)
Marilyns (158W - 1550E,W&S)
Tal y Fan (18W - 111E &W)
Deweys (241W - 427EW&S)
Foel-ganol (18W - 65E &W)
Yr Orsedd (19W - 66E &W)
Foel Lwyd (20W - 67E &W)
HuMPs (364W - 2977EW&S)
Tal y Fan (26W - 174E,W &S)
W: Wales
E&W: England,& Wales
E,W&S:England,Wales & Scotland
E&W: England,& Wales
E,W&S:England,Wales & Scotland
Route
Moel Faban
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| Creigiau Gleision North Top towards Creigiau Gleision. Cloud is lifting to reveal Llyn Cowlyd Reservoir |
More Photographs
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| Another stop the van and get out scene on way to walk start. Bridge over Afon Tafolog at Hafoty Gwyn |
