Moelfre (589m) and Foel Offrwm (405m) 6th February 2010

Moelfre, as seen on the approach

Moelfre

The car was parked on a residential side street in Dyffryn Ardudwy and I started walking at 11.30 am. It was a cold and sunny morning as I walked up the road opposite the station road. This led up through housing estates into the countryside, but it wasn’t until I was beyond the village that Moelfre came into view for the first time. At SH603249 I left the road and took a right of way that headed towards the area marked Waun Hir on the map, and then a right of way that went passed the ruin of Tal y ffynonau. The height gain was slight but it was enough to see the Deweys of Mynydd Egryn and Llawlech, the hills of the Lleyn Peninsula, the Nantlle ridge and the Moelwyns. I joined a track at SH611244 and followed this to SH614242, by a stone wall. The wall climbed the hillside and I followed by the side of it, climbing over 2 stiles just short of the summit. The summit was marked by a large cairn and I reached it at 1.20 pm, 1 hour and 50 minutes after setting out. The sun was hot and even on the top there was little wind, and so I sat at the bottom of the cairn and enjoyed lunch in the sunshine. The view was fantastic, to Lleyn, the Nantlle ridge, the Moel Hebog group, the Moelwyns, and the rugged Rhinogs. After lunch I retraced my steps to the track and followed this to a metalled road. It was a simple road walk back to the car, which I reached just before 3.15 pm, a round trip of 3 hours 45 minutes.

 

The Rhinogs from the summit of Moelfre

Foel Offrwm 

I left the car in a free car park on the road between Dolgellau and Llanfachreth, below Foel Offrwm. I started walking at 4 pm by following a forestry track and then climbing the open hillside when this left the forest. The views to Foel Cynwch and Rhobell Fawr were particularly attractive and the views opened up quickly as I climbed. It was a steep climb but it took me only 25 minutes to get to the summit. The view in the low sun was wonderful and I wanted to stay there for ages just looking at it. I could see Rhobell Fawr, Y Garn, the Manods, the Arans, the Dovey hills, the dominating bulk of Cadair Idris  and the Mawddach Estuary with the setting sun behind. Unfortunately I could stay for only 15 minutes admiring this beautiful scene, so I left at 4.45 pm and got back to the car at 5 pm. The drive home was scary as there was a blanket of thick fog nearly all the way but this couldn’t detract from a great day.

 

  Rhobell Fawr from Foel Offrwm

 

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