Day 40 - Tremadog to Beddgelert - 11.4 miles
I'd intended to use today to enjoy a day out on the Ffestiniog railway
but Sally mentioned that there was also a good walking route across the mountains to Nantmor and Beddgelert.
from South Lincs, though both originally from Yorkshire and Lancs. While enjoying the amazing views, they explained to me the challenges of driving a large mobile campervan while towing a small car and the careful planning that had to go into choosing their routes.
down which the prepared slates would presumably have been lowered for loading on to trains and then exported to the four corners of the globe.
Ifan, originally from Porthmadog is an engineer at two local hydro electric power stations and Miriam is an Env Health Officer covering housing in the private rented sector - specifically in Rhyl. Sounds like a full time job!
Up here in this harsh exposed environment at over 1500 feet, life must have been incredibly cold, wet and tough.
a long descent.
walking into the wind and the sun.
At Croesor, carved into large pieces of slate there were some short poems or englynion.
Wikipedia's definition....
So, first I caught the 1030 to Blaenau.
I was sitting opposite Jeremy and Glenda
Blaenau Ffestiniog has the reputation for being one of the wettest places in the UK - just down the road from Capel Curig which holds the title but today, it was looking radiant in glorious sunshine.
After buying a picnic lunch I headed out to join the Snowdonia Slate Trail.
It started with a scrambe up a steep haul road incline,
The haul road still has its original twined steel hawser.
In the quarry at the top I met ....
Rhys from Cardiff, Sion from Dolgellau and Mari from Llanuwchlyn. They are part of a TV production team for S4C - the Welsh language TV channel and were preparing a
set of challenges for four participating teams of children including canyoning, kayaking, body boarding all while resolving challenging clues. Children will love it. Sounded like great fun to me !!!
The track passes Llyn Cwmorthin
and its deserted buildings
No one here now apart from the wren I disturbed in the doorway.
Coming down the hill toward me I met Ifan, his partner Miriam and their Australian labradoodle Mablin.
The track then wound it's way steeply around Foel Ddu to some stunning derelict quarry buildings, one of which could have been the water mill providing power for the quarry. I got the feeling of the power that must have been generated just by looking at the size of stones used in its construction.
Almost every other stone was 10 feet long and 2 feet high. I calculated each stone would have weighed around 2 tons. All of them dry jointed with no mortar and placed with such beautiful accuracy.
How did they do it? It would have needed a gargantuan effort. I could almost imagine the voices, the calls, the instructions. Did they celebrate when each one was succesfully put in position?
Further up again, there was a cluster of sad derelict buildings that I imagine could have been accommodation blocks.
Even in bright sunshine, the wind was whipping over the Bwlch.
Time to cross into Cwm Croesor
through another quarry head and then
through another quarry head and then
Englyn (pronounced [ˈɛŋ.lɪn]; plural englynion) is a traditional Welsh short poem form. It uses quantitative metres, involving the counting of syllables, and rigid patterns of rhyme and half rhyme. Each line contains a repeating pattern of consonants and accent known as cynghanedd.
Y Gaeaf
Llain hirbell allan o'r byd - bro uchel
Rhwng breichiau creig enbyd
Anhafaidd gul hafn hefyd
Cam I gawr yw'r Cwm I gyd
Complex, elegant, simple and brilliant. Beautiful to the ear and amazingly clever to the eye, capturing wonderful sentiments simply and letting your imagination do the rest.
On to picture postcard Aberglaslyn to follow the river up
to Beddgelert.
Total distance walked so far = 506 miles
Total ascent so far 62 828 feet
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email: david.LL.thomas@gmail.com
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If you're tempted to contribute to any or all of the great charities I'm supporting, here are the relevant links.
Parkinsons UK - My dad had Parkinsons in his latter years and the research work this charity funds and the support it provides to patients and their families is invaluable. - https://www.justgiving.com/
Just Wheels UK - this is a small charity set up to provide wheelchairs in a rural community in Tanzania. It does this through funding training, education and the local fabrication and servicing of bespoke wheelchairs. My nephew uses a wheelchair and as he grows I can see the life changing freedoms that proper wheelchairs can bring to both users and their families.-
- RNLI - these are the brave guys who selflessly head out to sea to help others. I volunteer at Littlehampton RNLI shop and often meet families of those who’ve had first hand experience of their loved ones being saved from the sea. Having sailed for years I can say thankfully we’ve never had to call on the RNLI's services but it’s amazing what it does to know they are there
Suggested translation of Englyn by Google
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Remote plot out of the world - high bro
Between desperate rock arms
Unfavorable narrow-cut as well
All the Valley is a giant step
Thanks Barrie. A good translation would take a better man than me. I believe haiku may have a similar structure where the beauty of the poem is enhanced by the beauty of the structure and the patterns and repetitons of the vowels and consonants. Clever stuff all way beyond me. Dx
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