Dinas Mawddy to Cadair Idris on Cambrian Way: Day 13

Today was one with many steep climbs, over 1500 metres of ascent in just under 20 kilometres, however the weather was glorious; sunny but not too hot, and there were stonking views in all directions. 

During the night I woke for a call of nature, looking up the sky was clear with no moon or nearby streetlights, stars and constellations filled the sky, the band of the milky way just visible. Worth getting out of my warm sleeping bag for. Next time I woke it was gone 6:00 am and I started my daily routine of breakfast, tooth cleaning etc. helped today by a small stream for washing that flowed out of an old mine adit. Resisting the temptation to explore the tunnel I climbed the old, steeply slanted tramway and a small valley to reach the top of the mountain side. The route then followed the ridge up to various high points on poor or absent paths. I was not sure what all the distant mountains I could see were, but most of Wales from the Llyn peninsula to Pembrokeshire was visible at some point today. 

Quarry where I spent the night in the morning light, the bracken has turned a reddish brown marking the ending of summer.

Looking back down into the valley, Dinas Mawddy is covered in the morning mist.

Part of the ridge I walked along.

As I sat at one high point having a snack, buzzards rose and fell on the thermals before me. It was as if I had a large part of Wales for myself. Lunch was not so successful as the wind had dropped and I was plagued by flying ants. Climbing up and down summits on rough grass with some steep slopes beside forestry plantations summed up most of the day until a particularly long steep downhill section took me to the busy A487 road. A very steep uphill section followed up Cadair Idris, one of the principal mountains on the Cambrian Way. As I climbed up its lower slopes I passed people sitting in groups with binoculars. Worried I might be disturbing birds they were looking out for I asked what they were doing. It was not birds they waiting for but low flying jets. The Royal Air Force practices in the area and even if you are only a little way up the valley side you can look down on the planes shooting past below you, their sound arriving a little behind the sight of them. None flew by when I had sight of the valley but I heard them roar by later on. I hope the watchers had stayed long enough to see them and captured some good photos. 

I chose the direct, steep route up from the A487, near the top there was a little scrambling over rocks. The path it was arduous but easier than it looked from a distance. Part of it ran by a fence and you could see from the bent wires where people had used the fence to help pull themselves up.

Cadair Idris in the distance, my route went pretty well up the centre of the green ridge in the photo.

I did not reach any of Cadair Idris's summits today, tired after all the climbing I collected some water from a stream, added a sterilising tablet then pitched my tent on finding a flat, dry patch of ground. The fabric and groundsheet were wet from when I packed it up this morning from dew and condensation after a still and windless night. As I sat waiting for it to dry a kestrel hovered nearby. The sky started to colour. Soon it was time for a dinner of SPAM and oat cakes and an early night.