In Memory of Dave, no not dead, but badly missed

"Winter Tonality" Snowdon and Mynydd Mawr © Glyn Davies 2010

Another last minute rapid decision, but still based around the desperate and insatiable need to get into winter mountain snow, and I was off to Rhosgadfan to get some shots of the high hills from the low hills. Time was against me and I knew I'd never get onto the big peaks in time, alone and in thick snow, so this location would give me the 'sense' of Winter mountains without the struggle, well as much of one!

"Naturally Mutilated" Mynydd Mawr © Glyn Davies 2010

My feet sank deep into thick snow as I trudged up the steep slope of Moel Tryfan to reach the isolated rocky crag on it's summit and the layers of clothes I'd worn to fight off the icy cold winds were now starting to overheat me, especially carrying the weight of camera rucksacks and tripod. On the summit however the bitter piercing wind forced jackets to be quickly zipped up again. I made my way across the snowy slope towards the gaping zawn of the Rhosgadfan quarries, dark in shadow and cupping ink black waters.

"Peaks Exposed and Unexposed" Snowdon and Craig Cwmbychan © Glyn Davies 2010

By contrast the beautiful snowy curves of Mynydd Mawr were catching the late afternoon light and a minutiae of textural details were revealed by the low angle of the sun. Beyond that again, beyond the dark cliffs of Craig Cwm Du (aptly named! Crag of the Black Cwm) sat the full faceted face of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) soaking up the rapidly reddening winter sunset. The new cafe on Wales' highest peak was clearly visible from time to time, when summit clouds gently blew across.

"High Society Exposed" Snowdon and Craig Cwmbychan © Glyn Davies 2010

The light was changing quickly, as it seems to anyway at this time of year, and after a light show of yellows, pinks, salmons and reds, the hills were suddenly pale blue and the sun had set over the Irish Sea. I made my way back through the West facing quarry levels so that I could see the changing colours in the clouds over the horizon, and then I was walking in dusk, down the final snow slope to the thick ice covered tracks and finally an unusually cold van.

"A Fortunate Bend" Moel Tryfan © Glyn Davies 2010

(One track leads to a blinding but beautiful sunset, the other leads to instant death

where dumped cars join others which have drowned in crystal clear but dark quarry lakes.)

My good friend and photographer Dave Molloy lived at the foot of these hills in Rhosgadfan, and he adored this place, but then he and his lovely family moved down to Broadstairs to live. I miss his company very much and every time I visit this area it always feels like Dave's place. I know he misses this stunning area as well. To one day meeting again Dave?

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All words and images are strictly copyright © Glyn Davies 2010

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A Lonely Meeting on a Windy Hilltop

"A Windy Landscape" - © Glyn Davies 2010

After a long circuitous route around Beddgelert, Nantmor & Croesor where overhanging stone walls in ever narrowing lanes threatened to wedge us in, we finally arrived at a lay-by to start our walk up to Cnicht. I was recovering from a very solid two weeks of heavy cold and my breathing was strained to say the least, but in the morning light my friend Awen and I headed up the narrow river valley (where the path actually resembled a river!) and found ourselves in the huge basin below the North face of the main peak.

"Awen models her favourite Rab windproof on the slog up to Cnicht" - © Glyn Davies 2010

We continued up a steep scree slope to a narrow col between the main shoulder and the Westward spur. The wind was suddenly very strong at this point blowing straight over the shoulder but the view down into the valley below, and out towards Harlech Bay was absolutely captivating, and SO Welsh! Isolated farms, small field patterns, sheep, streams and rivers in a patchwork of various greens and browns. It was fantastic to be the only people in the landscape at that time.

We stopped briefly to take in the view but then looked towards the huge rock buttress we had to surmount. At first glance it really looks like a steep scramble up rock faces on a very narrow ridge but then you can make out a very narrow path meandering it's way up through the line of least resistance to a false summit and then the actual summit itself.

"Straight and Winding" - © Glyn Davies 2010

Fortunately, though the wind was strong it was following, so it made the final scramble a bit more comfortable. As we reached the summit we were quite surprised to suddenly find a mountaineering course gathered around, discussing maps and compasses. One of the students said hello to us, whilst the others looked at us as though we were aliens, and the course leader glanced at us, ignored us and went back to loudly lecturing his students for the next 10 minutes, at this, a shared lunch spot. We both found his complete dismissal rather a strange response from someone we'd assume would have shared a camaraderie with other genuine walkers in the middle of nowhere, but hey ho, they finally marched off.

"Puffed" - © Glyn Davies 2010

The light was getting duller by the minute, but a small mountain-top pool appeared to us and puffing above it, a small line of clouds, like smoke from the Snowdon Railway as they gently blew across the frame. I didn't shoot any more images after this, as the light was dropping noticeably. We circuited Llyn yr Adar lake to the North East of us before following a wide shoulder and then a narrow valley down to the dark waters and shadowy steep sided cwm of Llyn Llagi. At this point things got seriously boggy, like I've never known before, as a multitude of small streams funnelled down into the valley, saturating everything. At some points, the depth of dark brown bog was literally past my knees as we descended river paths through a 'middle-earth' style landscape at the mountain's base. We were both glad to reach the small lane to the van, from where we drove in the opposite direction to the way we came, and reached the main road in about two minutes flat! We decided to make notes about these little tips, for future reference!

All these images are available to purchase immediately. Please ask.

All words and images are strictly copyright © Glyn Davies 2010

FLICKR Photostream HERE

AMAZON sales HERE