Bobby Gilbert Adventures

Nicole and I did a quick trip to the Ogwen Valley in the camper van on the evening of the 19th of December. We set off after the Gilbert Christmas pub lunch and arrived after dark to camp in North Wales’ prettiest layby at Llynn Ogwen. We had a couple of hours for cups of tea and toffee pudding while Nicole taught me a new card game before getting off to bed ready for an early start on Solstice Eve morning.

We were off by 7am and heading up into the Carneddau by headtorch. Blundering around in a mix of trail and bog (wet feet for Nicole), but gaining height, we stopped for breakfast while dawn broke then continued up the ridge to Carneddau Fach with the view changing dramatically every few minutes as the sun rose and clouds came scudding across.

As we came over the summit we were backlit by the sun and projected onto low clouds. The effect was the best Brocken Spectre I’ve seen. Quite magical.

Then on to the ridge. Whenever we got to a saddle point between peaks the wind speed rose dramatically pretty much blowing us off our feet. The best way to progress was to run, laughing, out of control, to get to the next sheltered bit.

Along the ridgeway we took in Carneddaus Dafydd and Llewelyn before descending back down to the valley, running down the soft grassy hillside (for which my thighs are now complaining 2 days later – excruciating pain if I walk downstairs – I really need to get out more often).

The three hour drive got us back home in time for a chilled evening ready for our Solstice Day celebrations. Nicole and I were doing Solstice Day as the big event this year instead of Christmas Day.