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Vol: 26 Issue 8 8 July 2012

OGWEN / BETWS Y COED Coaches leave Betws y Coed at 5.30pm Ogwen at 6.00pm

FUTURE WALKS Coach Walks 8.00am start : 6.00pm return Sun 5 Aug Borrowdale A: B+: Tony Ingham B: Kevin Poole C: Bill Manning 8.00am start : 5.30pm return Sun 2 Sept Hadrian’s Wall A: Graham Hogg B+: Allan Benson B: C: Roy Smith

Thursday Car Walks 10.30am start Thurs 12 July Belmont B Walk with Dave Tilleray Meet at the car park: GR662192 Distance: 8 miles/12.9km: Climbing: 300ft/91m We meet at the Crookfield Road car park and picnic area just off the A675, 2½ miles south of Abbey Village. GR661292 From here we ascend to Great Hill for, we hope, some magnificent views. We go south to the Rivington road and then Hoarstones Brow to Belmont and what used to be the Belmont Dye Works. We move on to Lower Whittaker, Belmont Reservoir and Higher Pasture House where we take the Witton Weavers Way back to the car park. Thurs 9 Aug Bolton By Bowland B Walk with Allan Benson 9 miles / 14.5km climbing 820ft / 250m Starting from the car park we make our way to Sawley via Skirden Beck and the River Ribble. Here we pick up the Rib- ble Way and head for Gisburn Bridge. The return to Bolton-by-Bowland is made by way of a little road walking and foot- paths via Fooden Hall Farm and Cow House Hill.

Sunday Car Walks 10.30am start For full details of the following walks please consult our web site Sun 22 July Samlesbury Circular B Walk with Colin Manning Meet at Samlesbury Distance: 8miles/12.9km: Climbing: 200m/656ft We start our walk from Samlesbury Hall (parking on the golf driving range car park at the Hall's request). We make for the River Darwen and Witton Weavers Way to reach Houghton Tower woods. We rejoin the River Darwen to reach Samlesbury Bottoms and return to the car park.

Sun 22 July Fairy Glen & Harrock Hill C Walk with Derek Lowe Meet at the lay-by on the A5209 We descend to the Fairy Glen then continue along the towpath to Appley Bridge. From there we head for Parbold Church, on to Harrock Hill and return via Boar’s Den. Sun 19 Aug Bilsborrow B Walk with Bill Manning Meet at the village hall Sun 19 Aug Witton Park C Walk with Derek Lowe Meet at Witton Park Distance: 7 miles/11.3km: Climbing: 500ft/152m We make for Billinge Hill and then the Witton Weavers Way to the River Darwen. We cross Pleasington Golf Course and, back on the Witton Weavers Way, return to Witton Park.

Colin Manning is taking part in the National Three Peaks Challenge on 14 th & 15 th July

and the Great North Run in September in aid of “Get Kids Going” charity.

Sponsorship forms will be available on the coaches.

Please note : Walk details must be in 2 (TWO) weeks before each coach excursion. Today’s Walks Today’s starting points: 1. A: Bethesda 2. B+: Ogwen 3. C: Betwsw y Coed

Pen yr Ole Wen , Ignimbrites the Arc of Fire with Dave Colbert

Grade. A Distance 10 miles / 16km Climbing 3800ft / 1170m Mynyddoedd Eryri – Mountains of the Eagles – one of the most spectacular landscapes anywhere in Britain. Hard to imagine this was the scene of one of the most cataclysmic volcanic eruptions in Earth’s history. An explosion so loud anyone on the planet would have heard it had anyone been around at the time over 400 million years ago, the ash from which blotted out the sun for over two decades. The evidence for this is ignimbrites, literally fire-cloud rock, and a realisation that these mountains are the remnants of a caldera or super volcano, ’s Arc of Fire. Everything about Y is big: the most extensive upland plateau in Britain outside the Cairngorms and more summits above 3,000 feet than the whole of England. From Bethesda, we climb through Gerlan to the mouth of Cwm Llafar and a long climb to the summit of (3,156ft / 962m). A narrow arête takes us on to , at 3,491ft / 1,064m the second highest mountain in these islands outwith the Scottish Highlands. (3,425ft / 1,044m) is next, reached across a narrow connecting ridge that at its low point is higher than most of the Lake District. Finally, to Pen yr Ole Wen (3,209ft / 978m) – the hill of the white light – so named after the light coloured rock of its steep south face overlooking . We descend the less steep east ridge before traversing its lower slopes to Idwal Cottage and the ignimbrites. Mwynhau!

Glyder Fach and the Cantilever Stone with Pete Stevens Grade B+ Distance 6 miles / 9.7km Climbing 2260ft / 689m . This walk is mainly a walk of two halves, the first going up and the second coming down. The views from the top (), are truly magnificent, with Anglesey to the north, and to the west, and are well worth the effort. We start the walk from and Mountain Rescue Post (1003ft / 306m - toilets available) on the west end of Llyn (lake) Ogwen. Starting our ascent of Glyder Fach (the second mountain on the ridge, the first being ) we take the south east track from the Rescue Post, passing Llyn Bochlwyn on our right, before climbing Bwlch Tryfan (Tryfan saddle) to the stile in the wall. Over the stile we keep going straight until we meet the Miner’s Track which we then follow up the ridge to the summit of Glyder Fach at 3260ft / 994m. After viewing the famous Cantilever Stone, we make our way back down the Miners Track, following it all the way down to the road (A5). We now follow the road back to the Mountain Rescue Post ready to be picked up by the coaches.

NO Grade B Walk

Digwyddiad Eitha with Lesley Stevens Grade C Distance 5½ miles /8.9km Climbing 525ft / 160m

We begin our walk from Betws-y-coed car park. After a short walk along the A5 we turn right and cross the Afon (river) Llugwy (toilets available). From here we walk along the river bank to the Miners Bridge. We then begin our main climb which consists of two short steep climbs, one at the beginning and one at the end of this section, whilst the climbing between is on a good forest path. On reaching the sheepfold at Diosgydd-uchaf we begin our descent via field and forest paths to the Swallow Falls. As we approach the falls we will hear and glimpse the river in the gorge below. Weather permitting, we will have a drink stop and a chance to enjoy the spectacular falls at the viewing point. From here we make our way west along a wide forest track and then east along a cycle path that takes us beneath Pencraig. The remainder of the walk is along easy country lanes back into Betws-y-coed

This is your last chance for voting on paper copies of next year’s coach venues. The website will remain open until 7.00pm tomorrow.

Please help to keep the coaches clean by removing muddy boots. Please check that you have all your belongings and take newspapers etc. away with you. Thank you.