At last, i threw caution to the savage heat, and went in search for the elusive Bryn Cader Faner Bronze age cairn and stone circle, somewhere in the wilds and desolation of the Northern Rhinogs.
Due to the questionable single track road that leads to the isolated carpark, i decided to leave my car some way back in the village of Talsarnau, and decided to do a long march into the wilds of this part of Snowdonia.
In hindsight, it was the wisest move, as a large farm vehicle was moving cows in an upper farm, and with very few places to pull in, it would have been almost impossible for the lorry to pass me.
After a good four mile walk, in sweltering conditions of near 29C, i arrived at the carpark, and checked my map to see the correct route.
On the map, the distance did not look far, around two miles or so, so eventually locating the Ardudwy Way marker posts, i walked into some frightfully remote countryside, and not a single sign indicating i was going in the right direction to this ancient monument.
According to my watch, from the carpark, nearly an hour had gone past, and still no sign of BCV, should i turn back ?, had i taken a wrong turning ?, well i continued for another ten minutes, and suddenly on the horizon, there it was.
Gosh it looked majestic, and to think our squaddies used it for target practice during the war, destroying according to Francis Lynch, the Gwynedd archaeologist, around twelve of the small upright stones.
By now there was a slight breeze, but it was still hellish hot, with a sun beating down on my body, akin to the Suns anvil, in the Lawrence of Arabia movie.
ON reaching my car, which was parked in the shade, the temperature was still reading 28C, so i must have been walking in heat above 30C.
The vistas were incredible, as was the very interesting glacial deposits making up the famous Harlech Dome.
Was the walk worth it.
Very much so.
In poor visibility, with mist, locating this incredible monument would be very demanding, as the footpaths are poor, and with very questionable distances involved, it may be