Summer 2008 outdoors camping holiday with active fun in wales.
Contents |
Attendees
| Days | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat | Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Camping Cost | Thur | Fri | Sat | Sun | Camping Cost | Total | ||
| Nant Gwynant | Islawrdref | ||||||||||||
| @ £6pppn | @ £3pppn | ||||||||||||
| People | Aimaz & Jo | X | X | X | X | X | £60 | X | X | X | ? | £18 | £78 |
| Debbie | X | £6 | X | X | X | ? | £9 | £15 | |||||
| Swb & Beefalo | X | X | X | X | X | £60 | X | X | X | ? | £18 | £78 | |
| Dan & Ana | X | £12 | X | X | X | ? | £18 | £30 | |||||
| Ulti | £0 | X | X | ? | £6 | £6 | |||||||
| shigs | X | X | ? | £12 | X | ? | ? | £3 | £15 | ||||
| Horizon5 | X | £6 | |||||||||||
People that are too scared to come
- Mr_T
- Braingrind
- OBi (Dan & Ana 's Friend) (he couldn't get the holiday time actually :( )
- Ulti aka Mr Excuse
Activities
- Mountain Biking
- Mountain Walking/Climbing
- Indoor Climbing
- Kayaking/Canoeing
Mountain biking
Loads of places to do this. http://www.mbwales.com/wheretoride/index.htm for well established mountain bike centres but there is no shortage elsewhere in North Wales, Aimaz has a book with loads more places.
Bike Hire
Those that don't have a bike could hire one
- http://www.beicsbrenin.co.uk/ in the Coed-Y-Brenin area have decent bikes from £22 a day.
- http://www.bikewales.co.uk/bikehire.htm in Betws-Y-Coed have decent bikes from £18 a day.
Probably need to arrange bike hire in advance.
Mountain Climbing
There are huge amounts of mountains to climb http://www.newspeak.org.uk/mountains/test.html
- Tryfan - Nice Scrambly Climb 915m (Starting at 300m)
- Others possible in the area around Nant Gwynant depending on how people feel (these routes start at 100m and will be about 3km/1.8miles longer (in both directions) if parking is short and start from the campsite)
- Cnicht 689m (15km/9miles or so. 4.5 hours)
- Yr Aran 747m (10km/6miles or so. 3.5 hours)
- Cadair Idris 893m (Starting at 100m)
- Possible route 1 (7.9km/4.9miles or so. 3 hours) route also includes Cyfrwy
Canoeing/Kayaking
Hiring from the campsite at Nant Gwynant.
Stuff to bring
- Camping
- Tent
- Sleeping Bag
- Sleeping mat
- Toilet paper
- Drinking Vessel
- Torch or light of some kind
- spare batteries for said torch
- Cutlery
- optional blanket (if your sleeping mat sucks)
- optional sharp knife
- optional stove or BBQ if you have one (stove can be used in a tent porch if it rains)
- optional pans or plates (useful to bring even if you don't have a stove)
- optional lighter and/or matches
- optional Something to sit on outside of your tent
- Mountain Biking
- Helmet
- Drink bottle
- Gloves (cycling ones are probably better, but owt's better than nowt)
- optional Bike lock
- optional Bike (or hire one)
- optional breathable/wicking t-shirt (ie. not cotton)
- Mountain Walking/Scrambling
- Sturdy footwear preferably boots
- Two pairs of socks (much less likely to get blisters with two pairs)
- Water bottle
- waterproof coat (it's Wales)
- backpack to put stuff in
- walking trousers (not jeans)
- optional breathable/wicking t-shirt (ie. not cotton)
- optional compass
- optional map
- Kayaking
- Change of clothes in case you fall in
- Towel in case you fall in
- Periscope cleaning fluid in case you capsize
- Misc
- Sun cream
- Sunglasses
- Mozzie repellent (camping near a lake...)
- Road map (if you're driving or your driver hasn't got one)
- Booze (helps to pass the time)
Itinerary
I suggest we stay at different campsites near the things we want to do. Travelling down from the North south towards Machynlleth over the course of a week.
Saturday 12th July
Sunrise: 05:05 Sunset: 21:42
I am busy on friday evening so I'm going to pack and travel on saturday, probably after a nice lie in, the campsite at nant gwynant doesn't require booking so people can show up when they like for friday night, saturday night or on sunday morning. -- Aimaz
Sunday 13th July
Sunrise: 05:06 Sunset: 21:41
Climb Tryfan.
Tryfan is a good day out with lots of good photo opportunities (Including the jump between two rocks named Adam and Eve and the rock cannon), awesome views of the Ogwen valley and a fairly challenging scramble.
Camping at nant gwynant about 30 minutes drive away.
BRING DECENT SHOES, preferably boots.
Cost: £6
Monday 14th July
Sunrise: 05:07 Sunset: 21:40
Head to Betws-Y-Coed, where bikes can be hired for use in the Gwydyr forrest, people not wanting to mountain bike can go on one of the millions of walks around Betws.
and stay 2nd night at nant gwynant
Cost: £6 tent
Tuesday 15th & Wednesday 16th
15th Sunrise: 05:09 Sunset: 21:39
Staying at Llyn Gwynant campsite, use their kayaks or canoes or whatever and camp there. Nant Gwynant is a tiny tiny place and there are no decent shops particularly close, so we should make sure we've stocked up on anything we want to eat. There is a pub there though iirc.
There is also abseiling to do here, if anyone fancies that, off a big rock they call "elephant rock", I assume you have to pay for that, but how much I don't know. There is also lots of walking to do in the area, the Moelwyns are off to the east with Cnicht (known as the matterhorn of Wales) or Snowdon to the west. There are barns to stay in but the minimum charge is £150, which is a bit steep for a couple of nights.
Wednesday: Aimaz picks up Debbie from Bangor
Cost: £6 per person in tent per night, £3 per car per day, £5 per hour in a kayak or £8 for a double one or £10 for a canadian canoe.
Thursday 17th
Travel south to new campsite at Islawrdref (less than an hours drive). Google Directions
Coed Y Brenin with bike hire from Beics Brenin.
I'm going to camp at a place near Islawrdref, camping costs £3 a night, no parking charge. If other people want to do wild camping they can do that I might be tempted for one night, we can figure that out later. -- Aimaz
Friday 18th
There are at least three campsites at the bottom of the pony path, one of which is supposed to be quiet and secluded and has good reviews, it's also cheap at £3 a night or something (and no parking charge). I think I'd prefer that as it has showers and running water. -- Aimaz
Camping in fairbourne officially is done on Stewart Evis' field by the shop and costs money. Some faggots put a sign at the point saying no camping. ooo scared.
Mr_T will probably want to chance camping out of site near the lakes? Rad if we do it the view will be out of this world.
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=+arthog&sll=53.800651,-4.064941&sspn=8.701745,20.566406&ie=UTF8&ll=52.687101,-3.984861&spn=0.034859,0.080338&t=h&z=14
This lake probably isnt the one Mr_T is on about, its right above gregenon lakes but i've never seen anybody up there, the ground level with the lake is out of site from all the roads.
Other alternative is staying nearer Dolgellau, or tal y llyn. Pretty dull though.
Shigs and Ulti arrive
Saturday 19th
Cadair Idris After walking there are a few options of things to do
- watch the sunset from the mountain if you've never seen it, you won't regret it ;)
- Sesiwn Fawr is on in dolgellau, i think its like £15 to get in these days and the music is/was pretty gash but its where all the local drunks go so some find it fun.
- shigs is going to the springfield hotel in the night time and probably will pass through arthog to see friends, of course you're all welcome.
Sunday 20th
lazing about and fucking off home or going up to blue lake? http://www.aditnow.co.uk/album/Golwen-Slate-Mine-User-Album/?gowhere=%2f
I like the sound of the slate mine -- Aimaz