This was originally a hike to review some sections of my draft route for my Stafford 2 Snowdon challenge. I did not go as far as I had originally intended, this hike went through the Cwmorthin Quarry and up to the Rhosydd Barracks. Before heading back to B but it was the drive back from this 24 hours in North Wales that made me want to change my route.
I took my favourite route into Wales up the M6 and west on the North Wales Expressway, before getting onto my favourite road in Wales, the A5. Never in my life did I think I would get so excited by car journeys, until I got into hiking I rarely drove that far. I do love this road though especially the western stretches that carve a way from banger between the Glyderau and Carneddau ranges.
It is also one of my favourite places to camp, even if it is car camping at times. Off season there is a lot of choices of places to park up overnight. I will admit, that I often stop here if I am going hiking anywhere in the Eryri National Park as it is the majority of the journey done.
Since the Ogwen Valley is so secluded and sheltered by the mountains it is a pretty good view of the night sky.
For the next day of hiking though I would be heading further south to Blaenau Ffestiniog
The Route
This hike ended up being much smaller than I had intended. Mostly due to the weather. Although a bit of fog and rain doesn’t usually stop me I was not feeling at full pelt. I’ve just started my intense training for my Stafford 2 Snowdon challenge. By the time the weekend arrived I already had pretty tired legs.
Waterfalls
Still even if I didn’t bag any summit or trig points on this hike it was still a pretty awesome day filled with waterfalls. Walking around the old quarry buildings it was amazing to be able to see how the water powered the mines.
The remains of aqueducts that once controlled and utilised the flow, now mostly bypassed with nature redirecting the water.
A lot of slate
I knew Cwmorthin Quarry was a slate quarry. I hadn’t expected to see so much of it still neatly organised, stacked in pyramids. Lining the path, which when wet was a bit freaking slippy in places. It made for an interesting walk.
An old church and mining buildings
Capel Rhosydd/Rhosydd Chapel
Where there was a quarry, there were also quarry workers. It can be hard to tell from some building which where working shops and what was accommodation.
I think it is safe to say this was definitely a church. If the remaining shape of the building and the huge archways weren’t a give away. The stone cross in the front lawn is.
Rhosydd Barracks
I also know that the building at the end of this route is known as the Rhosydd Barracks, so it is safe to say that there were people living in those buildings.
You can see the pillars as the follow out to the right and up the face of the mountain. The remains of an aqueduct system that powered this small village of buildings. A round central room appeared to be the remains of a mill, whilst various smaller groups of building spread out across the plateau.
Fog and tiredness and turning back
I headed up from the mining village, well to another one. I was following a bridle path although it was almost entirely slate, and wet. It wasn’t the easiest thing to hike up with tired legs. I knew that if I strayed from the path on this plateau between summits I could quite quickly find myself in some boggy situations. A few areas of marsh land were dotted about and they are not always the easiest to navigate at the best of time yet alone in poor visibility
I had less to do than I had initially realised to reach a summit on this hike. I played it safe though. Since the fog meant I could not predict the paths that are in front of me it would be the safest bet to return down the trail I knew.
What changed on the drive back though Bala?
The road I took from Ffestiniog wasn’t the direct path that I had planned to walk on my Stafford 2 Snowdon challenge. It wasn’t far off though. It was a quiet afternoon and I was able to take the drive slow, it was a little foggy in areas. I did however mange to take some pitstops in place where my path crossed the road.
Being able to see what is likely some of the more often used section of the path. I had to consider how I was going to feel hiking through there with five or six days of hiking in my legs.
The Route I set out to do
This was a rather ambitious plan, had the weather been better I would have done a little more. Maybe bagged at least one of the Nuttalls in the Moelwyn range. However it wasn’t meant to be. That means I’ve got a familiar start to other hikes still to come in the area.