Friday 23 August 2019

Snowdonia Odyssey - Day seven & then home

So, I'll just nip off early then....

Up early, dress and go. There must be a bus stop near the camp site...

But no. No bus stop. After half and hour I stuck out my thumb.

Another five minutes later I got a lift with a friendly Scot who had just nipped out to get breakfast for his son, who was still sleeping at our campsite.


As I explained my mission he offered to hang around until I'd retrieved my stick. What a nice chap.



And the only bus stop we passed was the same one as yesterday. Somewhere near Plas Gwynant Outdoor Centre I think (This incidentally is the potential beneficiary of a fund raising campaign by Chris Bonnington and others because, like many such places, it is also in danger of closing).


Back at Beddgelert I found out the shops didn't open until after 10:00. I couldn't expect my new friend to hang around for another hour or more, so I resigned myself to the bus.

Time for breakfast at the Prince Llewllyn then. And no, a quick check there confirmed my stick was elsewhere. Probably at the corner shop I visited last.

The corner shop. With a couple of DofE 'wardens' at the bridge,
the Prince Llewellyn in the distance.

I passed the time watching the village slowly wake up and the inhabitants go about their business.

Every now and again a party of DofE beetles would wander bemusedly across to 'check in' with a couple of 'wardens' standing next to the bridge.

A couple of times odd villagers would cross my field of view empty handed only to retrace their steps with a small carrier bag. One of whom seemed to strike out in a rather haphazard fashion, as if he couldn't make up his mind which way to go.


As the morning wore on the village seemed to get busier. The tourists, the walkers, the bikers, stuck out but a lot of the foot traffic I noticed were just the same few locals leisurely walking back and forth.

Maybe there are only a dozen or so locals in the village...

At last the shop opened and it was with some relief that I was able to retrieve Ol' Trusty. To the bus stop!

Bugger. A bus every two hours. O well.

Feeling guilty about the Full English, I bought
back a banana for my starving fellow travellers

After another hour or more dozing under a tree, pausing only to buy a post card, I finely make it to the campsite around midday.


If nothing else, Wales certainly teaches you patience.



The lesson was not over. We packed and left Llyn Gwynant and walk North. After half an hour we stuck our thumbs out.

Makeshift bus stop, Llyn Gwynant in the distance.
After a couple of near misses we were picked up by a band of 'wardens' in a minibus, out from Plas Y Brenin. They kindly dropped us off at the Pen Y Gwryd for lunch...

My goodness, a BUS STOP!
...where we found a bus stop!

The S2 bus driver was our old friend who gave us a free lift back to Swallow Falls when we first arrived. I asked him if it was still free in this direction. He said no. I think he was glad to see the back of us...


After dropping our bags at the Glan Aber, the afternoon was spent exploring the Fairy Glen, about a km south of Betws y Coed.


The walk to the start was very relaxing.




Start of the Fairy Glen

Cob nuts!







The river Conwy as it travels through a narrow gorge. Very picturesque.






The trail loops back to the confluence of the River Conwy and the Afon Lledr.



How does this work?
From t'internet

A celebratory meal at Y Stablau, (The Stables) part of the Royal Oak Hotel, where on that day they only took cash!


Still jolly nice though, and they were still very busy but by about 9:30 they were empty.

It was nice to hear everyone enjoyed themselves and thought the trip a success, despite the weather cocking up the plans and me writing off the last day by forgetting me stick!

Roll on next year...


After breakfast the following day, we chilled at the Alpine Coffee Shop while we waited for our replacement bus. Lots of coffee and tea choices!


They seemed quite ecologically aware. And friendly to the local wildlife!


They are trying to raise funds to help the endangered mountain gorillas.

Triumph Rocket 3


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