Day 52 Waun Tyisaf to Garn Fawr
July 11 in Wales ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C
Saturday: Up 06:30 away 08:20
After an initial navigation error I made frequent references to the OS map on my device. Some sections I remembered from walking it south to north in 2019. It was a very hot day of 26-29C and there was hardly any shelter which made the walk more of a struggle than yesterday when I had had more shelter from trees etc.
At Bugeilyn lake I was passed by three mountain cyclists. Along with the 3 swimmers I had seen earlier, these were the only people I saw all day.
After resting at Bugeilyn lake and recharging device it was five o'clock. This was too early to camp, it was still very hot and there didn't seem to be anywhere suitable to camp near the lake. I decided to press on up one more hill of one hundred and fifty metres to make tomorrow's start easier because I would not have to begin with this ascent.
The route continued on the track I had been following for about a 1000 m. Then turned left to cross a wide valley floor. I remembered this was very boggy when I last crossed it in 2019. Because the weather had been hot and dry for many weeks the bog was a lot drier than I remembered as I had hoped. I turned off the track sooner than the map indicated because I could see a line of posts across the valley. This was a mistake because it was not way marks as I had assumed but markers for drainage inspection covers. After crossing a stream I stopped to soak my shirt again to provide some cooling. Weather was still very hot. I eventually reached the top of Garn Fawr. I found it had short grass as I had hoped so I soon found a level spot to pitch camp.
Breeze got up during the evening. Forecast was 14-28 knots over night so I double pegged the windward lines. Temperature was forecast to feel like 9C. Quite different from previous few nights.
Arrival and departure times from features visited today.
06:30 Up
08:20 Began walking (rather more seeds to pick out of boots and socks than usual)
10:30 Top of Pen Esgair Wen
11:35 Stopped to lunch in The Star Inn
13:08 Restated walking from Star Inn
16:00 Arrived boat house on Bugeilyn
17:02 Restarted walking
18:25 Arrived Garn Fawr for tonights pitch
9.47 miles with 2104' of ascent from Waun Tyisaf to Garn Fawr completed at end of 52nd day of walking.
Total miles so far : 492
Miles in 2026 : 82
Weather : Glouriously sunny all day and hot. Forec 3 breeze at the end of the day.
Number of people passed : 6
Objective tomorrow : Across all the Plynlimon tops passing the sources of the rivers Severn and Wye before descending to the A44. Then a short walk to Woodlands luxury campsite in Devils Bridge.Read more