Another trip report to while away the dark and damp days of winter. This time from last autumn when I tackled several Nuttalls around Areng Fawr and Arenig Fach.
Carnedd y Filiast & Arenigs Fawr and FachThe Arenigs were missing from my CV in spite of many years walking in Snowdonia so I decided to try and link them and Carnedd y Filiast via a circular route starting from Llyn Celyn Dam. I tried to find out a bit about the area first and got lots of information about the artists that were drawn to the hills of the area, hence the mention of Clyde Jones and Augustus John. Their paintings capture the atmosphere of the area wonderfully.
Carnedd y Filiast was surprisingly beautiful in ascent, I followed the vehicle track above Cwm Hesgyn and Clyde Holmes' house, the stretch past Nant-y-Coed and Llyn Hesgyn is particularly lovely. Leaving the track was not an option as the hillsides are covered in carnivorous heather.
[nofollow]Cwm Hesgyn
[nofollow]Cwm Hesgyn
[nofollow]Nant-y Coed and slopes of Brottos
[nofollow]Llyn HesgwmGetting from Carnedd y Filiast to Arenig Fach is bloody hard work, there's a fence to follow (past several slate boundary posts) but it's very boggy and tussocky. Then the pull up to Llyn Arenig Fach is a heathery struggle. It felt very remote along this stretch, the chances of encountering anyone else was clearly nil. The Llyn is a good spot to kip.
[nofollow]Carnedd y Filliast Summit
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[nofollow]Arenig Fach from Afon Gelyn
[nofollow]Cracking campsite!Arenig Fach is almost pathless and a heathery thing, the north ridge is pretty steep, the descent to the south is pleasant over Y Foel, then becomes a steep ankle twisting grunt in waist deep heather. I spotted a substantial stone shelter from a distance and apparently it is one of several shepherds shelters on the Migneint - it's just visible in one of the photos.
[nofollow]On the way up Arenig Fach - shepherds hut visible in centre
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[nofollow]Top of Arenig FachI got up Arenig Fawr via the Afon Amnodd-Bwll valley past Amnodd Wen, which is in a pretty poor state, quite amusing to speculate on the antics of Augustus John et al in there (I think this was the actual house). I had an unusually powerful feeling of loneliness as I walked up this valley; not something I'm prone to.
[nofollow]Ruins of Amnodd Wen
[nofollow]Arenig Fawr from south EastArenig Fawr is a truly great hill; the views outstanding because of the isolation and height, I went along the ridge from south to north. The twin peaks are great fun. The memorial is poignant. The normal route past the lake and up Y Castell looks to be much the worst way to get up it.
[nofollow]On the south ridge of Arenig Fawr
[nofollow]North top from south top
[nofollow]Looking bach to Arenig Fach
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[nofollow]South top from north topThe Cwm containing Llyn Arenig Fawr is superb and a picturesque if difficult place to camp. There's barely a square foot that isn't waist deep in bilberries, heather and reeds, plus it's full of ticks, I had to dispatch several as they crawled towards me across the tent floor! I didn't even look in the bothy as it sounded like there were about twenty people in there.
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[nofollow]The next morning was damp turning wet so I beat a hasty retreat to the car.
