A short day hike visiting two 2,000 foot (600 m) plus mountains south of Beddgelert Forest, Snowdonia, Wales.
Moel Lefn
Route : Forest Commission Car Park – Beddgelert Forest – Hafod Ruffydd Ganol- Hafod Ruffydd Uchaf- Meillionen – Bwlch Meillionen – Moel yr Ogof – Moel Lefn- Princess Quarry – Llyn Llywelyn – Forest Commission Car Park.
We decided that we would drive to the Forestry Commission Car Park at Beddgelert, so the boys could go off for the day on their mountain bikes riding the many trails in the forest. I decided to climb two mountains close to the car park and to meet back at the motor home later on in the day. I didn’t want to go out all day as we were leaving Mary on her own for much of the day. Mary doesn’t mind at the moment as she is recovering from a complication after breaking her leg badly late last year.
I left the car park and headed along a forest track following close to the Welsh Highland Railway. I crossed the railway track and heading to the farm named Meillionen. This is where it started to get complicated. I spoke to farmer who guided me through all the drainage trenches he was digging and he said that a lot of the paths had altered due to recent felling and extensive replanting of trees.
One of the many tracks in Beddgelert Forest
All I can say is, if you do this route, just follow you compass bearing or GPS as there are numerous forest tracks and footpaths heading up the hillside, but after a while you will find a clear path up the hillside.
Clear felled area
Much of the hill-side after this point is being replanted so it is easier to find your way than the sections where it is thickly wooded. The weather was warm and muggy and by the time I cleared the planted area, I had worked up quite a sweat.
Once clear of the forest I headed up towards Moel Yr Ogof over open ground with no clearly defined path. It was fairly easy-going on short-cropped turf studded with delicate mountain plants in flower. The ground levelled off and to the left Moel Hebog came into view after being shrouded in low cloud for much of the walk up.
Moel Hebog
Turning to the right, I walked steeply up towards the summit of Moel yr Ogof. Once I was up at the summit, I stopped for some lunch and surveyed the view. What I had not realised at the time until I looked at the map was the cave at the base of the crags. Later on I found out that this was the cave where Owain Glyndwr supposedly hid from the English.
Glyndawr was the last native Welsh person to hold the title Prince of Wales. He instigated an ultimately unsuccessful but long-running revolt against English rule of Wales.
Summit of Moel Yr Ogof
As I was on a tight schedule, I didn’t have time to go back down to explore the cave and made my way steeply down the rocky path towards Moel Lefn followed by a short climb up to the rocky summit of Moel Lefn.
Moel Lefn
Turning north from the summit I made my way down off Moel Lefn towards Princess Quarry which is now disused. The strong wind was left at the summit and once out of the wind, it felt warm in sun which had appeared now the clouds had cleared.
There was not much signs of the disused quarry other than a big hole in the ground. Nature had now reclaimed back the landscape softening the hard edges of human activity.
Hole in the ground !
Leaving Princess Quarry, I was straight back into the forest, with the same problem of route finding as before , but with the added problem of very boggy conditions after heavy rain. Not long after entering the forest, the path I was on seemed to disappear, so I walked on an easterly bearing. Looking around the dark forest, I proceeded to step right up to my knees in a boggy morass. I squelched my way out of the bog and found a small stream to follow – to try to find my way out. Eventually I found the small lake – Llyn Llywelyn and after walking one side of it turned right and followed a track back over the level crossing and then left back to the car park.
A walk of much variety, but with difficult navigation in some sections of the forest.
Back to the motor home
Mark's walking blog 
The Hebog ridge is a grand walk, but forests often worry me (especially the really big ones in mid Wales), they are constantly changing. I have visions of walking around for hours.
I can’t remember the routes from that car park now, we followed one from the Nuttalls book years ago – they say you can get a leaflet showing the paths and tracks from the FC campsite.
Geoff – I didn’t harp on about it too much in the blog, but I found the forest section a pain in the neck to navigate certainly on the way back down after stepping in the bog up to my knees. Usually on the hills you can see your way and even in mist with a GPS you cannot really go wrong – well I have not found a problem yet . But faced with a series of paths that end in dense conifer forest – using a GPS to get back to the car park doesn’t really help and the OS map did not seem to relate to the ground in front of me. Still got back OK. I much prefer the hills ! I wonder if Hendrik @ Hiking in Finland has the same problem!?
Mark
Welcome to outdoorbloggers.com I was around Beddgelert a few weeks ago with campervan at the Forestry Commission site, within sight and earshot of the Welsh Highland Railway, trying to get a bit of walking in – see http://litehikersblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/near-bala.html
Hi litehiker – I enjoy backpacking and the freedom you have with a lightweight tent but it is also nice to do day walks from the motor home, particularly when you get back from your walk with a nice cup of tea and cake waiting for you – hardly hard-core !! What camper van do have ? We have a Geist – which is a German made motor home from LMC (Hymer Group)
All the best
Mark
The glory of Forestry Commission land is that the compartments of trees tend to be divided into logical blocks and numbered sequentially. If you can work out the sequence, generally, you will know how far you are from the edge. Numbers tend to be painted on corner trees, or marked on a waist level post – even foresters get disoriented – I used to work in Thetford Forest many years ago – divided into 4 beats, but totalling a quarter of a million acres – theyd tell you a compartment number to attend, and expect you to find it with no map!
I dont do a lot of walking now, but do carry the car satnav when I part up, making finding it relatively easily again if you just follow the forest rides and tracks.
This is my forst visit to your blog – nice one, and very informative too. Thanks
Graeme, thanks for stopping by. I often carry a GPS with me. I glad I am not the only one who can disorientated in forests! Thank you for the information and your comments.