More Lucky’s Adventures in Wales (part B, in fact…)

A few days later it was Marilyn-bagging time and, by parking in almost exactly the same spot as on Sunday, I could work a way around the head of the Nant-y-Moch reservoir for the bagging of Drosgl and Banc Lechwedd-Mawr.

The only worry was that it had been chucking it down for two days and the local streams were likely to be in spate and the last time I was here, with Dawn, we had to paddle the Afon Hyddgen – a serious bit of water when in flood, I should imagine.

So, I was more than pleased (and so was Lucky – he’s not specially keen on cold water) to spot a new footbridge and, as the river was in a seriously bad mood, it was A Good Thing. I wouldn’t have got across otherwise and would have had to wander over the dam wall to a far-off parking spot to get a foothold on the outrageously lovely Drosgl. This would have taken some significant time and effort, neither of which I could be arsed with, to be frank….

The bridleway from the footbridge is a maze of huge tussocks. Lucky enjoyed these immensely and spent time leaping from tussock to tussock. I just kept falling off them… And swearing.

And then, joy of joys, there was another footbridge over another raging beck exactly where it should be for the final struggle up Drosgl – this time over the Very Grumpy to the point of Raging  Afon Llechwedd-Mawr. Strangely, this bridge had a large bird’s nest on it, a testament, perhaps, that not very many people use it. I wouldn’t have got across this stream either if not for the bridge.

Drosgl went easily enough and the grass was shorter but the roaring wind on the top discouraged a stop and I returned to the bridge with the nest  in short order. Drosgl, though , has cracking views of Hengwm and also reveals one or two fine camping spots… just for future reference…

Banc Llechwedd-Mawr was climbed directly and a bit steeply from the birds-nest footbridge and went easily enough too and a descent directly to the Afon Hyddgen bridge made a nice, short route – this time just 6 miles and 2000 feet of up. The question we should ask ourselves at this point is “Am I taking this trip to Wales in too relaxed a fashion…?”

The only odd thing about Banc Llechedd-Mawr, by the way, is that it has an ariel stuck into one of the summit cairns… (?)

 

So, two Marilyns bagged – and the next day, in slashing rain, me and the pooch managed the diminutive Marilyn Hafod Ithel in a walk of much less than half a mile whilst driving back from Tregaron. Maggie stayed in the car with Mills and Boon. Three Marilyns bagged.

Easy peasy. I could tell that Lucky was impressed, specially by the sufficiency of the supply of winalot.

The map shows apparently aimless wandering….  The standing stones marked on the map are named “Cerrig Cyfammod Glyndwr” which might mark the site of the 1401 victory of Owain Glyndwr over a large force of English and Flemish troops. Although how they got permission for a battle from the water authority is a bit of a mystery.  I must visit the stones some day. See this for a bit more info…