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Cwm Bychan

Date ... Sunday, 1 November 2009
Distance ... 6.0 miles
Ascent ... 1450 feet
Time ... 3 hours 10 mins
Weather ... 13 ºC, strong SW winds, cloudy with heavy showers
Summits ... None
Start ... Nantmor village (SH499460) 
Maps ... Ordnance Survey - Outdoor Leisure Nº17 (1:25,000) or Landranger Nº115 (1:50,000)


The slideshow is from my Picasa web albums, scroll down to view the full sized photo's .....

At 8.00 am the rain was still hammering against the bedroom window, as it had been doing all night. So we decided that a lazy start to the day was called for, hoping that the forecasted improvement in the weather by late morning was going to be right! Well at 11.00 am the skies cleared and we were treated to sun and blue skies, so it was on with our boots and out for our first walk of the week. We had decided over breakfast to head up through Cwm Bychan to see how wet things were after the overnight rain. From the there we had a few possible alternatives to return back to the cottage. We knew almost straight away that we wouldn't be going too far on the walk, as all of the small streams were full to bursting point. Even the paths were running in water, it has hard to tell if we were actually walking along the river rather than the  path. The blue skies didn't last long, by the time we were half way through Cwm Bychan the skies had clouded over and the heavy showers arrived, so it was on with the waterproofs. At the top of the climb the weather was atrocious, we felt the full force of the wind and rain. We don't often go out in those sort of conditions, but its a good remainder of why we don't go walking on the high fells on days like this. When we reached Llyn Dinas we realised that the path to Beddgelert was going to be under water in places as the river was starting to flood. We decided that the easiest route would be to cut over onto the road and follow that rather than the riverside paths. Saying that we still ended up having to splodge through several sections of flooded road before we got back to the cottage.

Bright blue skies at the cottage at the start of the walk

Bright blue skies at the cottage at the start of the walk.
(I know I should have moved the wheelie bin before I took the photo!)

Crossing the West Highland Railway that runs through the village

Crossing the West Highland Railway that runs through the village

A view of Mole Hebog as we headed down to the car park to join the path through Cwm Bychan

A view of Mole Hebog as we headed down to the car park to join the path through Cwm Bychan

The National Trust car park at the end of the Aberglaslyn Pass. This is probably the best place to park/start the walk from

The National Trust car park at the end of the Aberglaslyn Pass. This is probably the best place to park/start the walk from.

Sheena heading out of the back of the car park and under the railway line

Sheena heading out of the back of the car park and under the railway line.

The rivers were very full after the heavy rain, we had to cross this a little further up the valley, well we might!

The rivers were very full after the heavy rain, we had to cross this a little further up the valley, well we might!

Me and Tim dog

Me and Tim dog

A solo pose from Tim

A solo pose from Tim

A glimpse of Cnicht through the tree's

A glimpse of Cnicht through the tree's

Sheena trying to negotiate one of the small streams that cross the path

Sheena trying to negotiate one of the small streams that cross the path

As we got higher the views of the Moelwyn's became more extensive

As we got higher the views of the Moelwyn's became more extensive

This is the normal crossing point, it doesn't look that bad, but believe me, the water was deep and very fast flowing. We ended up going upstream for a few hundred metres to find a narrower crossing point. Even then we still ended up with wet feet!

This is the normal crossing point, it doesn't look that bad, but believe me, the water was deep and very fast flowing. We ended up going upstream for a few hundred metres to find a narrower crossing point. Even then we still ended up with wet feet!

The remains of the aerial ropeway in Cwm Bychan, it was used to transport copper ore down to a processing, the remains of which are located near to the railway arch

The remains of the aerial ropeway in Cwm Bychan, it was used to transport copper ore down to a processing, the remains of which are located near to the railway arch

This shot should give you some idea of how much rain had fallen. This path is normally dry, today there was at least 50 mm of water running down it. Even Tim was trying to find drier bits to walk on

This shot should give you some idea of how much rain had fallen. This path is normally dry, today there was at least 50 mm of water running down it. Even Tim was trying to find drier bits to walk on.

A shot of Tim courtesy  Sheena

A shot of Tim courtesy  Sheena

By the time we had started to descend down towards Llyn Dinas the weather had taken a turn for the worse

By the time we had started to descend down towards Llyn Dinas the weather had taken a turn for the worse

Llyn Dinas

Llyn Dinas

As we started back towards Beddgelert, I was concerned how quickly the river was rising, so we left the riverside path and walked back along the main road into the village

As we started back towards Beddgelert, I was concerned how quickly the river was rising, so we left the riverside path and walked back along the main road into the village

Which wasn't that much better, we had to splodge through several flooded sections like this one

Which wasn't that much better, we had to splodge through several flooded sections like this one

Moel Hebog from Beddgelert village

Moel Hebog from Beddgelert village

The bridge across the river in Beddgelert village

The bridge across the river in Beddgelert village

A couple of canoeists enjoying the high river levels? Not my idea of fun!

A couple of canoeists enjoying the high river levels? Not my idea of fun!

Looking back across the soggy fields towards Beddgelert village

Looking back across the soggy fields towards Beddgelert village

We took the riverside path as far as the railway bridge and then joined the road again

We took the riverside path as far as the railway bridge and then joined the road again

We didn't fancy trying the 'Fishermans Path' through the pass when there was this much water in the river!

We didn't fancy trying the 'Fishermans Path' through the pass when there was this much water in the river!

Even though her boots were full of water Sheena still managed to smile when we got back to the cottage

Even though her boots were full of water Sheena still managed to smile when we got back to the cottage

cwm bychan route map

The route map of our walk

cwm bychan route height profile

The route height profile of our walk