Exploring Capel Curig: A Perfect Weekend for Hikers and Climbers
28/06/24
We leave London around 6:15 PM; we know it will be a long journey, but as Jamie (who is driving this time) reminded me, with a little effort we can 'live more' and do what we love most, even living in London, virtually far from any mountains.
The journey is smooth, and we arrive around midnight and a half at the campsite. My trademark remains intact and only becomes clear at dawn the next day when they point out that I set up the tent inside out, with the flysheet inside out, but at least this time I have the excuse of darkness and tiredness.
29/06/24
The weather forecast for Saturday was disastrous (rain at various levels but practically uninterrupted all day), but in reality, the rain almost doesn’t come; not even the notorious jinx gesture of taking off the rain jacket, a kind of modern equivalent to a rain dance, has any effect.
Fit, dry, and calm, we take a nice walk led by Captain Bob in and around 'Llyn Crafnant' and 'Llyn Geirionydd', passing by two famous large and imposing monuments from ancient times.
We return to the campsite, and Mike is kind enough to give me a ride to watch the Italy match, which I would rather not talk about in this blog. We end up at the pub, and as tradition dictates, 'sticky toffee pudding' with custard.
30/06/24
I wake up relatively early, and the day starts with my favorite part: a big Welsh breakfast with enough calories for two days of backpacking :)
Around 10:15 AM, we set off for Moel Siabod, a mountain that I'm told is sharply beautiful yet often underrated; along the road/path, we reach Llyn y Foel lake and from there the now-disused mines.
We are in good shape, with a big Welsh breakfast in the body (at least I am), and the weather is cloudy but dry with no threat of rain. This is the perfect opportunity to attempt the Daear Ddu scramble, about 300 meters of ascent to the summit. The scramble is easy, with no particular exposure and with very few people along the route, so we fully enjoy it.
Once at the top, a celebratory photo for Paola's newsletter is a must, and after a snack at the shelter, we head down via the normal path. Upon my return, after packing up the tent, I even have time to visit the famous training center 'Plas y Brenin', from whose café I am writing this diary.