Spending the funeral bank holiday on the Heather Terrace

There suddenly was a bank holiday where there hadn't been one before! And I didn't mind that. It would be just after our fieldwork; that had started on a Saturday and ended on a Saturday, so with that bank holiday Monday we had a two day weekend after all. I was a bit tired, and behind on all sorts of chores! So the Sunday was for sorting that. And then on Monday I wanted to go for a walk.

I had thought about a loop around Marchlyn Mawr reservoir, but when I checked to what extent I could see the mountains from my street, I noticed that they were largely invisible, so that route might largely be in the clouds. I quickly considered my other options, and realised that this might be the day I might finally do the Heather Terrace on the flank of Tryfan. I never had! And given that it goes along the flank and not over the top, I had faith it would not be in the clouds. And I figured that I would find somewhere to park given how many people would be watching the Queen's funeral on TV that day.

I was right! I parked up and started. I don't think the Heather Terrace path is something you can easily navigate to from that side of the mountain, so I leaned heavily on my phone and my Footpath app to get to the start of it. But once you're on it, that's it! No more navigation needed until you get to the pass on the other side.

Near the start of the walk, facing Tryfan Bach

Close to the actual Heather Path

I enjoyed the walk. It is a nice path! And it had some goats on it that were both decorative and sonorous. There also were three climbers there. And a few more walkers; I clearly hadn't been the only one who thought there were enough people at the funeral; our attention was not needed.

Calcite nodules

Approaching the pass

The head of the valley to the east

When I got to the pass I considered my options. My initial plan had been to just go back through the valley below the Heather Terrace, but now I figured I might as well go the other way. The view would be much more different on the other side! So I made my way down to Llyn Bochlwyd, and from there I bushwhacked a bit until I got to the path that leads back to one of the parking lots. From there I mainly walked back along the road. I did enjoy a detour on a little path between the A5 and Llyn Ogwen, which ended right by the campervan of a bloke who was just having a cup of tea. We had a nice chat; he intended to do Tryfan the next day. He was from Dover and he had the week off! I figured he would have a great time.

On the pass

View over Llyn Bochlwydd and Llyn Idwal

Vista over Nant Ffrancon

I had only been gone for an hour or two, but I was okay with that. Still one route ticked off the list that had eluded me all these years I've been living here!