End of day 34

Cloud increasing thickened through the early afternoon until visibility was down to 50 yards. Llyn Stwlan dam, that has been such a dominant feature when I recced this section in April, I never saw, it was completely obscured. I also could not find the sheltered wild camping spot I had identified in April despite walking back and forth in front of the dam many times. Wind was strong by this time making my search for a sheltered spot essential. Eventually gave up and instead followed a path gentling rising west around the lake thinking the mountain would at least shelter me from the SW wind. The path may have been the Cambrian Way but with such poor visibility I was unsure. As my search for a level, sheltered, grassy spot seem fruitless I began considering other possibilities - should I return to last night’s campsite (a long way), book in at the Oakeley Hotel (a long way and expensive), return down the mountain side to camp beside the railway track (closer but exposed to the wind). Then I spotted some squares on the map - perhaps sheep folds? - and headed for these. They turned out to be slate workers barracks. Hurrah I thought as I approached, I can camp inside and be sheltered from the wind. Unfortunately much of the slate used to build them had fallen inside making them uninhabitable. But there was enough level ground outside to pitch and the wind was not as strong, either because it was sheltered by the mountain side to the west or perhaps because the wind had abated. Also, the barrack walls worked well as a table, for sitting on, standing rucksack on and drying my towel so my prayers were answered. It began to rain shortly after I finished pitching so I retired for the day at 6pm!Read more