Cambrian Way

"Steve Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
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Quoted message said:

I'm trying to slog my way along the Cambrian Way, a few days at a time. My next leg is from Dinas
Mawddwy to Barmouth, and to fill out the time that I have available, I fancy the diversion
mentioned in Tony Marsh's guide from Dinas Mawddwy to take in the Arans. BUT he does'nt give any
recommended route for the diversion, so I was wondering if anyone has done this section and can
recommend a route with a bit of variation there and back (and not too much road walking). Whilst
I'm on the subject, I think this walk is a wonderful concept and I hope to see it become a
recognised trail one day, but - I can't help wondering over Tony Marsh's choice of route over
certain sections. I was wondering if anyone else had opinions of preferred route choice in
specific areas.

My girlfriend started doing this walk solo in bits and pieces a few years ago but seems to have
given up at Barmouth although every so often she claims she'll do the rest one day. Are you aware of
a similar route detailed in another book called "Snowdonia to the Gower". Some of it overlaps with
the Cambrian way using the same route in places but I think mostly it's slightly different and
significantly different for some sections but I can't remember details.

A great day when the Cambrian way was cancelled. An eroded scar the length of Wales prevented by our
unwitting foe the gomls.

Still possible to walk it, only with a network of routes instead of one line. More like the TGO
challenge than the Pennine Way.

If going north its worth remembering that the access problems of the Arans were largely theoretical,
I used to go there during the bad days, kept meeting the farmers and never had a cross word. Now
things have settled, so you should be fine following the ridge.

Easiest route would be to go in through Cwm Cywarch and take one of the paths up to the ridge from
the end of that valley. You really want to see Cywarch, its not what you expect at Dinas Mawddwy.
(The climbing is good there too)

Follow the ridge conveniently to Llanuwchllyn, from where you can traverse Arenig Fawr, or just go
as far as Aran Fawdddwy and drop down the footpath to the Wnion and head westward towards Coed y
Brenin and then on to the Rhinogs....

Some good country there....

Richard Webb

The message <[email hidden]>
from [email hidden] (Steve Jones) contains these words:

Quoted message said:

'm trying to slog my way along the Cambrian Way, a few days at a time. My next leg is from Dinas
Mawddwy to Barmouth, and to fill out the time that I have available, I fancy the diversion
mentioned in Tony Marsh's guide from Dinas Mawddwy to take in the Arans. BUT he doesn't give any
recommended route for the diversion, so I was wondering if anyone has done this section and can
recommend a route with a bit of variation there and back (and not too much road walking). Whilst
I'm on the subject, I think this walk is a wonderful concept and I hope to see it become a
recognised trail one day, but - I can't help wondering over Tony Marsh's choice of route over
certain sections. I was wondering if anyone else had opinions of preferred route choice in
specific areas.

Don't know anything about the Cambrian Way but I have walked most of the route you might want to
take in the dim and distant past. Unfortunately while I can remember the route from Aran Fawddwy to
Cadair Idris easily enough - just follow the main watershed - I am much less clear on how I got from
Dinas to Fawddwy. The remainder of the route - descent to sea level and the toll bridge (according
to the map) should be easy enough to plan (and may even be part of the Cambrian Way).

So back to the first part of the route. I assume I followed the higher of the 2 footpaths to the
East of the Dovey crossing the Dovey a few hundred yards to the East of Aber Cowarch. A little bit
further East a track (not a PROW) leads up onto Pen yr Allt Isaf and from there it should still be
possible to get to Fawddwy via Dyrsgol. Paradoxically that part of the route is easier to see on the
1:50,000 (and even on the 1"😉 which shows the path over Pen yr Allt Isaf as continuous, than it is
on the 1:25,000.

It doesn't seen practical to do Aran Benllyn any other way than as a diversion from Fawddwy.

If you want to return to Dinas rather than go straight to Barmouth the easier option is to follow
the ridge back down from Glasgwm. Much longer, but more interesting is to continue along the
watershed to Cribin Fawr and then follow the ridge to Foel Dinas.

HTH. All but the shortest option (back to Dinas) seem to be a trifle long for a winters day.

--
Roger Looking North over the Aire Valley (and Marley Gasworks) to Rombolds Moor Top Posters
killfiled on sight

"Steve Jones" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I'm trying to slog my way along the Cambrian Way, a few days at a time. My next leg is from Dinas
Mawddwy to Barmouth, and to fill out the time that I have available, I fancy the diversion
mentioned in Tony Marsh's guide from Dinas Mawddwy to take in the Arans. BUT he does'nt give any
recommended route for the diversion, so I was wondering if anyone has done this section and can
recommend a route with a bit of variation there and back (and not too much road walking). Whilst
I'm on the subject, I think this walk is a wonderful concept and I hope to see it become a
recognised trail one day, but - I can't help wondering over Tony Marsh's choice of route over
certain sections. I was wondering if anyone else had opinions of preferred route choice in
specific areas.

I walked the Brecon Beacons section of the CW in July 2002 (Capel-y-Ffin to Llanddeusant). I found
the walk to be a little too easy (I was being picked up and delivered to/from the start/finish each
day). Consequently, I modified the route to include every single peak close to where I was walking.
It made the walk a lot harder than it needs to be just to pick off Tony's key points (or what ever
he calls them). A lot more enjoyable too.

The final walk out from the Mynydd Du ridge to Llanddeusant was a massive anticlimax after five days
wonderful walking, so I would not recommend than. A better finish would be around Usk source area
(also makes the last day a bit more reasonable than just a (too short) 11-12km day.

For me, the highlights were reaching the top of the Pen, after being away from it for a decade then
the route from the top of Fan Fawr round the north end of the Ystradfellte reservoir and down via
Fan Llia / Fan Nedd - some wonderful views.

Had a wonderful chat with a guy teaching survival techniques to squaddies out round Charterist Cave.
I think he was a little bored waiting for his next class to tab out and find him.

I have since then done a large chunk of the Abergavenny to Capel-y-Ffin section and large amounts of
Snowdon to Conwy. I am aiming to complete Cardiff to Capel-y-Ffin (probably two weekends) and the
Beddgelert to Conwy parts (a week in June) next year (family commitments permitting). It is
difficult to focus on the CW in Snowdonia as there are so many great routes that just beg you to
walk them and take you right away from your plans (which was a major reason I didn't finish the
Welsh 3000s this year - that and nearly killing myself on Snowdon's east ridge).

Have fun, Paul