Clan Joester had a very pleasant Sunday in the sunshine going around one my favorite Snowdonian lower-level walks.
The walk begins and ends in Beddgelert, you head out of town in a north-easterly direction up the valley by the side of the Afon Glaslyn (go past the craft shops and over the iron footbridge).
A very well-laid Rhododendron-lined path leads you towards the Sygun Copper Mine, we went at the pace of little Bea, which is decidedly leisurely:
After going through the grounds of Sygun and finding the riverside again, it isn't long before you round a corner to pop-out at the shores of the beautiful Llyn Dinas:
A steep path takes you south away from the lake, and views open up as you climb up to Bwlch y Sygyn:
In fact, the path was far too steep for one member of the clan (or so she claimed), she threw herself to the ground in an ineffectual fit of pique (you see, they're sometimes not such impressive walkers when there's no-one else around!):
We had a spot of lunch amongst the purple heather at Bwlch Y Sygyn, enjoying fanastic views of Cnict, Y Lliwedd and also of the shapely spike of Moel Siabod in this shot:
A small amount of extra climbing, and we crested into Cwm Bychan, in the Cwm the main point-of-interest is the remains of a cable-way once used to move mined copper ore down the hill:
At the foot of Cwm Bychan we met the Afon Glaslyn again (it arcs right around by Beddgelert).
An ingeniously-laid path takes you up next to the torrent. It was now a decidedly hot afternoon, there was even three young ladies in bikinis swimming in the rapids (you might even have said 'frolicking').
I nearly fell off the path.
Anyway, I put my eyes back in and we headed on up the river on the various walkways:
It was glorious, Wales at its best in the summer sun:
In fact, Abs felt the need to cool off herself ! :
We plodded back into Beddgelert, which was now absolutely swarming with folk. I don't like crowds, so we didn't linger, but what a great family day on the hill. Thanks for looking.