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Sunday 21 October 2012

Argoed Hewitt Bagging - Rhinog Fawr

rhinog fach from cwm nantcol chapel

I should have expected to be affected when, on transporting our more geriatric dog to Nottingham to be dog-sat, it became apparent quite soon after setting off that she’d had a serious toilet accident in the back of the car and Mrs Pieman said that she couldn;t smell anything due to the fact that she “Ad a bad code ad cuddy smew addythig” (sniff..)

But, on the way to our two weeks on the farm at Ardgoed, just next to the Welsh coast at Harlech, I’d stopped off to bag The Wrekin, which went well and no hint of what was to come.

rhinog frog (dim hoppio)

The Saturday night had witnessed a few sneezes, and, perhaps the start of an itchy palate (my normal first symptoms of a bad code) and so, I’d set off from the chapel car park in Cwm Nantcol for the bagging of two Rhinogs – Fawr and Fach. (I could have parked a couple of miles closer to these if I’d known, but never mind)

rhinog fawr summit

I went around the back of Rhinog Fawr, so as to make a better circle and climbed steadily but a bit heavily up through the peaty and heathery jumbles of rocks and closely packed contours to the summit where I didn’t feel very well, really…. despite the cracking view of Cardigan Bay from the top which on the day gave the impression of a temperature inversion, but instead of a cloud sea, there was yer actual briny shimmering below.

steep way down

The descent was very steep and weary and took far too long. None of the paths are marked on the map and, in fact, I found them quite difficult to follow in places and there were jumbles of steep scree and places where a careless footfall might have loosed off a boulder onto superdawg who was doing most of the route-finding. (He uses his nose for this and is remarkably efficient)

rocky bits...

We arrived, eventually, at the bwlch between the two hills, far too late and with insufficient energy or motivation to heave myself up the outrageously steep heather to Rhinog Fach.

rhinog fach - couldn't be arsed with this today

So I didn’t. I went back to the cottage for some sneezing, coughing and shivering, relieved only slightly , but fairly regularly over the next couple of days by cheap scotch laced with honey and warm water, and not much of the latter. Shares in nose tissues rose noticeably over the next few days.

Blergghhhhhh..

Good walk, though. More later…..

rhinog fawr

 

7 comments:

chrissiedixie said...

Lovely clear photos there Mike.

There's a lot of this sneezy, coldey stuff about at the moment...

chrissiedixie said...

PS I think your 'prove you're not a robot' thingy delights in telling me time after time that I've typed the stuff in wrong when I haven't......

AlanR said...

I did the Fach and Y Llethre not the Fawr. Its blooming steep stuff to do both in one day. Much better to enjoy them separately. Well thats my excuse anyway. Cold or no cold.

Dawn said...

Lovely stuff Mike, there is a lot of walking there for one day. Great photos.

Mike Knipe said...

Chrissie I hate those robot thingies - I can never read what it says... But it keeps out the Chinese trainer salesmen.
Alan - I read your blog, in fact! Its an exciting set of hills and just scrambly enough for an ld frt.
Dawn - ...and they're very empty (the hills not the photos...)

Tony Bennett said...

Ah yes, the Rhinogs 'ridge walk'. LOL. So much height loss

Sounds like Bruno is more useful than a GPS.

Hope da code id improobin

John J said...

Sidz I'be bin reading your blog I'be got a code too.

Nice trip, shame about de code.

JJ