 |
On a trek up thepeak of white light |
| THE Carneddau is the largest area above 3,000ft
anywhere in
Britain, south of the Scottish Highlands. A fine, ridge walk extends from Penyrole-wen, which overlooks Llyn Ogwen, north-eastwards by way of Carnedd Dafydd and Carnedd Llywelyn (the third highest mountain in Wales at 3,485ft). Discover these mountains in the company of others and with a qualified leader by taking a holiday with High Trek Snowdonia, Tal y Waen, Deiniolen, Gwynedd, LL55 3NA, tel. 01286 871232. Meeting up with a group to share their holiday, I was struck by how many were repeat bookings. High Trek offer a variety of holidays all over Snowdonia and it’s clear that once you’re hooked by both- |
 |
| -the scenery and this family firm, they’ll come first to mind
when planning a holiday. Mandy Whitehead, one half of the establishment,
certainly knows that an army marches on its stomach.
She coped very well with my vegan diet. With transport arranged for both ends, we started a 16-mile walk from a lay-by beside the A5 near Llyn Ogwen at grid reference 665605 on the OS Outdoor Leisure map 17. Climbing up Penyrole-wen (peak of the white light), the eye is caught by a lake down on your right. This is Ffynnon Lloer, the spring of the moon. Druids would come here to see the reflection of the full moon in its waters, or from the summit rocks of the nearby peak. |
Another small, attractive, lake is Ffynnon Caseg, (the mare’s
spring). Nestling beneath the cliffs of Yr Elen, this is where wild ponies
are said to come to give birth to their foals.
Yr Elen is named after the god-dess of pathways while Carnedd Dafydd may have been named after a son of Llywelyn Fawr, after whom Carnedd Llywelyn is called. Eventually, we dropped down to the Roman road at Bwlch-yDdeufaen. Here our guide gave us a choice of destinations, ranging from Aber to Conwy. We opted for the Fairy Glen at Capelulo by way of the stone circle at Moelfre, With the aid of our guide’s mobile phone, a minibus was waiting in the right place to pick us up at the end of a rewarding, convivial, day. Mandy was able to put the dinner in the oven at the right time too. |