MY WALKING WORLD

The Northern Rhinogs

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04/06/06 The Northern Rhinogs comprises of Moel Ysgyfarnogod and Foel Penolau  - I started the walk from the small car park at the end of the minor road which runs east from Glan-y-wern near Harlech, this narrow road with its twists and turns while easily accessible on a normal day  would be best avoided in icy conditions. According to the Nuttalls Guidebook the area contains the remains of several manganese mines that provided me with great interest during the walk. As you will see from the photographs a great deal of man hours must have being spent constructing the access tracks that wound their way across the area. The weather today was excellent and there were great views across the estuary to Porthmadog and also across to Trawsfynydd  
The sign on the gate near the small parking area.

While I was getting my boots on the farmer arrived to empty the collection box. I had a nice chat with him and it is a useful reminder that they are quite a way from a large hospital. Something that we can easily take for granted. The air ambulance is not just for walkers and climbers. The people in this area deserve rapid transport to the nearest large hospital.

£2.00 - worth every penny

Check out their Website

www.walesairambulance.com

 
   
Looking back on the small car park, the farmer was chatting to some other walkers using the car park

What a view, thats  Porthmadog with Portmeirion just across the estuary
   
The track winding its way up towards the mountains
   
Llyn-Eiddew-bach at the side of the track
   
The track follows the mountainside for at least a mile and was built to serve the Manganese Mines in the area
   
Looking back along the track towards the coast
   
   
I was absolutely fascinated by this track, whoever had constructed it had somehow removed enormous chunks of rock to allow the passage of horses and carts to the mines.

There were many places along the track where they had removed the cliff face like this
   
Another undercut section, you can see the track stretching into the distance
   
The track curves round the mountain and peters out. You are suddenly confronted by the two peaks.

Moel Ysgyfarnogod on the left and Foel Penolau on the right

There are some really interesting rock formations in this area
   
The summit of Moel Ysgyfarnogod looking north
   
On the summit of Moel Ysgyfarnogod, first outing for the shorts this year
   
The estuary with Portmadog in the distance
   
Looking across to Foel Penolau from Moel Ysgyfarnogod
   
The scramble up onto Foel Penolau
   
Looking at the angles of some of the enourmous rocks that had slipped down. I wonder how many thousands of years ago this happened
   
Foel Penolau has two summits, I took the photo from the northern one, the cairn is on the southern one and Moel Ysgyfarnogod is in the distance
   
On the way down and looking back to Moel Penolau
   
Some of the remains of the Mine workings encountered on the way down
   
The way back passes to the right of the large lake
   
Looking back across the valley with the two peaks I had just climbed showing on the skyline

The miners track crosses that hillside
   
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