Wednesday, 4 March 2026

First Tuesday of my retirement.

Well...

It's a strange new reality.

I suppose it really started on my last day. It was quite overwhelming, what with all the handshakes, best wishes and gifts and cake, not to mention the 'Don't be a stranger' stuff.

What I need, apparently, is a routine...

I cycled to work every day, that kept me fit, I'll have to continue something similar, to stop turning into a couch potato.

I'll also need to ramp up the hobbies & projects I'd previously had no time for, one of which is to repair an oscilloscope.

I also realise I have no weekday/weekend!

Which is why I've started writing this again. I can appreciate the days will blur, but I hope this blog will keep me mindful of time.

The first Sunday consisted of a secreting 24 years of accumulated personal gear around my small house. It looks even smaller now.

The first Monday I was busy looking after a sick relative.

Now, the first Wednesday, I'm running errands and going for a nice 4 mile walk.

Saturday, 10 December 2022

Days one and two

Day one 7.8 km

This adventure starts at Ravenglas. We had walked the official Wainwright route from St Bees some years ago.

Mad Midweeks

Following on from the success of our last mini break, before the start of the zombie apocalypse lockdown, we thought we'd try another now things were easing up. David suggested a cycle to a camp, go for a walk and then cycle back. Not long, three days. A Mini adventure.

Good idea!

Mad Midweek two - Lea Vally and Epping Forest

Well, not really midweek - Sunday, Monday & Tuesday.

To the woods, men!

LET ME OUT!

Well, after 4 months lock-down, the gardening jobs and those around the house and on the car were petering out.

Unable to go on the planned Peninne Way this year was disappointing but as the good weather persisted, not being able to go anywhere had been frustrating.

When travel restrictions finally started easing, plans were discussed for a mini break. Not far, just local. Unwilling to mingle withe the infected hoi palloi on public transport and more in need of stress relieving exercise than stress inducing traffic, a cycling and walkimg trip seemed the ideal solution.

Along the canal side to quirky Norcott Farm to camp among the Victorian apple trees for two nights.

It would provide the necessary stress relief and allow me to try out my tarp, bivvy bag (I've only had them three years) and Komoot on my phone.

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.

Snowdonia Odyssey - Day six

Cnicht or a day off?

We decided that we needed a day off .

Over a leisurely breakfast we decided to see what Beddgelert was like.

Our noisy neighbours

I asked our neighbours how their Snowdon trek had been. They said they had avoided the crowds by taking the Snowdon Ranger.

Nimblewill Nomad's 'Little Dandy'

We had missed out on the lakeside path back to the campsite yesterday so we thought we'd take it today to see what we'd missed, then walk to the nearest bus stop for the bus to Beddgelert.

What could go wrong...

Snowdonia odyssey - Day five

Snowdon Horseshoe

Early breakfast? Nah. We'll be up and down in 6 hours.

We didn't rise early anyhow as we'd had a bit of a cabaret last night as our neighbours, [Rob, ?, ?, & Kate?], loudly talked bolx and about their plans for tomorrow's assault on Snowdon.

Snowdonia Odyssey - Day four

Well, the plan was...

..to head over the ridge to the East of Tryfan,...

...straight down to the legendary Pen Y Gwryd Hotel for lunch, before walking to the next campsite.

Snowdonia Odyssey - Day three

A day in the glyders

Well..

Considering the low cloud, the rain and the stiff breeze, the planned scramble up Tryfan's slippery rocks into the view-obscuring white, suddenly didn't seem a good idea.

Snowdonia odyssey - day two

Carnedd horseshoe

Breakfast

Dunnock?

Pied wagtail

Off at 9:30-ish. Not bad for us!

Snowdonia Odyssey - Day one

Bus anyone?

The plan was to take the bus a little way to Swallow Falls and maybe an early lunch.

Well.

Snowdonia Odyssey -Travel day

We're in Wales now...

Travel day saw us speeding towards Betws y Coed, the nearest main line station. Everything progressed as expected until the last stage when we had to use a Rail Replacement bus. Despite the fact that the tracks had been washed away by storms some nine months previous, Virgin had still reserved seats for us on coach 'C'. Try as we might we just couldn't find them.

Betsy Who?

Snowdonia a different way.

On a typical trip we'd pick a route and plan a multi-day backpack from one end to the other, possibly with the odd short day.

This time I thought differently. We'd pick a couple of fixed bases from which to attack the surrounding peaks.

The planning continues

But why does it hurt so...?

I'm trying to get hill fit. Cycling the hillier route to work, running 5km every other morning and climbing the local footbridge with 15kg on my back.

Training with Ole' Trusty

Bugger this......

But no, I can't cave in this easily. If I put in the work now, I'm more likely to enjoy my Snowdonian backpacking odyssey.

Enough moaning. Plans are coalescing... condensing... congealing... Well, one of them.

Train tickets are booked, routes are drawn up, dehydrated food is about to be sampled, packing lists are agonised over. Not long now!

The trouble with Northern Snowdonia on foot, as I've found out, there is a long way between hostelries. Or shops. Or cafes. You hear stories of Pete's Eats, Pen Y Gwern Hotel, Pen Y PassYH, etc. but they are a fair way from any campsites.

In fact it looks like we'll have to carry most of our food with us. For a week. That's like 6 kg, dry weight. Oh well... Better carry on training then.

Training 'mountain'

Friday, 5 April 2019

The Ridges of Snowdonia

By Steve Ashton.

From here

I bought this to do some research for my Summer holiday this year.

As guide books go, it does a first rate job.

It contains all the information: General descriptions of the various areas of Snowdonia, very detailed step by step route descriptions with OS maps, not only for the main ridges but also for several variations.

Includes stunning photographs and a final section covering a complete transverse of Snowdonia.

Everything you need, where you need it. Marvellous.

What makes this book stand apart from the rest is Mr Ashton's wicked sense of humour. After each 'step by step' there's a rather entertaining, more readable description of the route.

Here's what I mean. Discussing the descent from Yr Wyddfa South from page 83:

"Unless you want to fritter away the rest of a perfectly good afternoon doing good deeds for people, do not descend directly to Bwlch y Saethau along with misdirected and ill-shod tourists heading for Beddgelert. Why? Because that slope is set exactly at the critical angle for human beings in unsuitable footwear. Normally, of course, most of these people will proceed downwards according to the law of acceleration down an inclined plane; but there's always a few who will discover that as long as they keep very still, they are able to hold position on the slope indefinately.... ....follow the path down to Bwlch instead - falling bodies permitted."

Some parts made me laugh out loud.

Even if you have no intention of walking in Snowdonia, it's worth a read. Go and buy it now!