A Little Desultory Bagging in North Wales

Thinks "what's he doing now?"

 My daughter sent me a little phrase book at Christmas - "Teach Your Dog Welsh". I've managed to reach him to respond to several useful phrases such as "Stedd" (sit) "Shwmae" (Hello), "Paid" (Stop doing that yer lickle bugger) and "Amswer cinio" (scofftime). In truth, he would respond to any language providing you do the correct gestures.



Mwdwl Eithin summit stuff



Mwdwl Eithin Bogs and Tussocks

And so, in order to test out some of these commands/requests In The Field as it were, me and Dawn went to Glan-yr-Afon (also known as Glanrafon) which is just a bit off the A5 on the road to Bala - near the traffic lights, in fact.
This was ideally located for the bagging of some spare Marilyns, and "new" Nutall/Hewitt and various other smaller Tumps in case of bad weather or for longer doggywalks.  It was also quite a good place for Lucky The Dog to practise his Welsh.

We stayed for 5 nights before moving on to more English things.

So, we managed to bag two Marilyns, thus leaving just 19 to go before entering the Marilyn Hall of Fame, for which a total of 600 Marilyns need to be bagged. These bits of moorland were Mynydd Rhy Ddu , a windfarm;  and Mwdwl Eithin, a lovely piece of squishy and heathery moorland with a very Pennine character - adding a couple of nearby Tumps to make up the totals a bit.



Tryfan in the distance

The lurking Nuttall was Foel Cedig  at 666 metres - easily bagged from a handy track leading from a high Bwlch or Bealach (Pass) and to which we added a couple of other Nuttalls which I'd already visited in 2010 but which Lucky demanded that we visit "for the tick"



Mwdwl Eithin

All of these were performed in excellent spring-like, if windy weather. We struggled to find enough snow to eat (for the dog to eat, you understand. I ceased eating snow in 1963. There was far too much snow in 1963.
On the one day of duff , and in driving deizzle of the kind that gets you really really wet, we managed three Tumps - one of which was a very nice hill-fort.


LTD wonders where we are

Everything in the porch/conservatory thingy dripped for a day or two, Lucky's jacket leaving suspiciously brown puddles. I must wash Lucky's jacket.
.




A Lurve Tree




Topsy and Tim Foggy Day




The only snow in the village



LTD on Stac Rhos (not a stac and not very Rhos)

And then, we retreated to the fleshpots of the Travelodge in Glossop where JJ was due to play with some of his musical pals in the Labour Club. In between we visited Geoff and Chrissie and had a fablious walk with three dogs in warm spring-like sunshine, followed by teasted toecakes and refreshments at Geoff and Chrissie's. Geoff is currently in hospital, having given up an important organ to help a friend who's own kidney's are failing. It seems a heroic thing to do, and not something I personally might volunteer for.  Bless 'im and his spare kidney. As for me, I am very fond of most of my organs. I hope he's OK.

And then, after briefly visiting Mouselaw Castle we complete our  tour by visiting The Lad in Nottingham for the occasion of a Ceilidh intended for the raising of cash for the local scout group's participation in a World Jamboree.


G

Hayfield



Geoff, Chrissie, Islay and Pebbles

And JJ was playing again. JJ doesn't half get around.

Enthusiastic readers may have noticed a bit of a hiatus in blogposts recently - this has been due almost entirely by some prune giving me a cough/cold/bad back which somewhat removed my mojo. I think the mojo is now back and tonight I ma going to test my lumbar muscles with an hour's yoga at Frosterley Village Hall. This may well be an error of judgement.




somewhere in Nottingham

And , in other news, I also got elected as secretary for Crook and Weardale Ramblers, so readers should expect a lot more Rambling from me and the dog.




...and ..rest