This fine weather means that it's much more pleasant to wild camp, and especially to bivvy. Went bivvying on the weekend of the summer solstice on the summit of Ysgafell Wen. It wasn't the best pitch, in fact it was far from flat, but the view was just incredible. Here's some images:

Night on Ysgafell Wen

Night on Ysgafell Wen

Night on Ysgafell Wen

Dog Cloud...

Sunset over yr Wyddfa.

I‘m just going to post this information as i‘ve received it. All i can say is that sounds like a welcome facility, and i like the idea it will open on request on the days it‘s shut - great if you ‘re organising a group walk and need that morale boosting hot coffee at the end of it!

CAFFI CROESOR

Although Cwm Croesor is the best base to climb the Cnicht and the Moelwynion there has not been a Cafe in the valley for years, but now the local community has renovated a disused farmhouse to be a café. The café sits alongside the public road which runs up the valley leading to the Moelwyns and paths to Croesor Quarry, Rhosydd Quarry, Cwm Orthin and Tan y Grisiau. The Café is only 70 meters along a new footway from the National Park’s car park which is the starting point for the main path to the top of Cnicht. It is also less than a 100meters from the crossroads where the old road from Aberglaslyn to Maentwrog intersects the valley road – this road has been recommended by the Park Authorities as an excellent mountain biking route.

The Café is very suitable for walkers – the floor is of local slate and immune to damage from walking boots and dripping clothing and the room is usually well heated by a wood-burning stove – but there are tables and chairs outside for you to enjoy the fine weather in the valley. At present we only supply teas, coffees bara brith and home-made cakes – but we can supply other food if previously arranged.

There is a toilet for customers and often there is someone available who is familiar with all the local footways and mountains and of the history of the area and quarries. The normal opening hours throughout the year is from 2.00pm to 6.00pm every day except Tuesday and Wednesdays but we can open on these days and other times if you contact us previously.

Contact:- 01766 770456 or e-mail cyf.croesor@btinternet.com

Er mai Cwm Croesor yw y man gorau i ddringo Cnicht a’r Moelwynion ni fu caffi yn y Cwm ers blynyddoedd, ond yn awr mae’r gymdeithas leol wedi addasu hen ffermdy i fod yn gaffi. Mae’r caffi wrth ochr y ffordd gyhoeddus sy’n arwain i flaen y cwm ac at y ffyrdd a’r llwybrau i Chwarel Croesor, Bwlch Rhosydd, Cwm Orthin a Than y Grisiau.
Nid yw’r Caffi ond 70medr, ar hyd llwybr newydd, o Faes Parcio Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri sydd yn fan cychwyn i’r prif lwybr i ben y Cnicht.
Mae’r Caffi yn llai na 100medr o’r Groeslon lle mae’r hen ffordd o Dan y Bwlch i Aberglaslyn yn croesi ffordd y Cwm – argymellwyd gan y Parc fel llwybr beicio mynydd rhagorol.

Mae’r caffi yn fan addas iawn i gerddwyr, mae’r llawr o lechi lleol sy’n iawn i esgidiau cerdded gwlyb, ac mae’r ystafell wedi ei chynhesu yn iawn. Yn ogystal mae byrddau a chadeiriau y tu allan i chwi fwynhau y tywdd braf yn y cwm. Ar hyn o bryd te a choffi a bara brith a theisenau cartref sydd ar werth ond os trefnwch ymlaen llaw gallwn drefnu bwydydd eraill. Mae yna doiled i’r cwsmeriad ac fel rheol bydd rhywyn ar gael sy’n gyfarwydd iawn a holl lwybrau yr ardal a rhywfaint o hanes y fro. Yn oriau agor arferol yw o 2.00pm – 6.00pm bob dydd arwahan i ddydd Mawrth a Mercher – ond gallwn agor ar dyddiau hynny neu amseroedd eraill os cysylltwch a ni ynghynt.
Cysylltch:- 01766 770456 e-bost cyf.croesor@btinternet.com

The forecast last weekend appeared benign. So the decision to bivvy in the Moelwynion was taken. May as well take the tarp, in the unlikely event it rains.

We started off in Bethania and thought we should follow the Ron Turnbull method of eating at whatever hostelries that make themselves available. So we had a hearty breakfast at the Caffi Gwynant. This place comes highly recommended as it''s got very good service and uses quality local produce. You can tell that the eggs are free range, they have flavour! From here we went past Llyn Gwynant and our April bivvy spot before ascending to Bwlch y Rhediad in glorious sunshine. Summer might have arrived!

Now let nobody tell you different, but the walk over (or rather alongside) Cerrig Cochion is a pig. It may only be a couple of kilometres but it feels twice that and a little more. The first bit is nice and grassy, if a bit damp. But beyond this the path follows undulations in the terrain and inside each dip lies man eating bog. Ok, it may not be that bad, but once we''d passed the first few, we though we were clear of the problem. After all the rain we''d had the ground was quite sodden and a full soaking was on the cards.

But were we clear? NO. Did we use the stiles that took us to the left and past the bog? NO, well, not until my walking companion had found himself waist deep in mire and unable to free himself. Unfortunately, the camera was not on and i thought i''d better pull him out and keep a friend rather than get a corking shot to put on here. Once free, a bit more poking saw my walking pole disappear with no resistance into what was essentially a pool and probably deeper than the one already encountered.

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We did finally get to Llyn Edno, and soon after the sun disappeared and the wind picked up. We started wishing we had our tents and our usual ration of alcohol, which we''d gone without. Of course, one the tarp was up, and we were quite happy with the storm pitching to the ground, it began to rain! However, we found it was quite cosy inside, with loads of space up in the end for gear. Playing with the rear pole gave us some headroom.

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Once the evening set in, we were quite comfortable, but could have done with a groundsheet of some sort as i kept getting my elbow wet on the grass. The alcohol would have helped me sleep too and i had quite a restless night, kept losing my sleep mat and i was moving to the end of the tent in my sleep. I kept waking with a mouthful of silnylon and drips of condensation falling on my face. It was soon light though, and then i fell asleep till well after eight (strange).

The next morning was no better than the Saturday, with a thunderstorm passing a few K to the south. So we decided to climb Moel Meirch and return to Bethania for breakfast swearing i was never going to use the tarp again. Looking back on it, it wasn''t a bad night. I''ve had worse in a tent and this pitch was quite bumpy so it was no wonder i didn''t sleep until i was completely exhausted. What i do know is that i''m not skimping on the luxuries next time i bivvy as they can be essential to keep morale up.

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