Our last day of the long weekend before heading home. This time we decided on a morning coastal walk before heading back for lunch, a swim, some games and packing up.
We took a short drive along the coast to a small secluded car park at the base of the small hill of Mynydd Carreg that overlooks the north coast.
Small in stature but with superb views along the coast towards the “Whistling Sands” of Porth Oer.
And south west towards the headland.
It was another gloriously clear sunny day, if a little cool but that does make for great walking conditions (the recent hot and humid weather for example ruled out any sort of hiking)
The sands of Porth Oer are magnificent and we should really make more of an effort to spend longer here and take to the water.
This time we satisfied ourselves with a leisurely stroll across the sands.
Away from the cafe its wonderfully quiet and unspolit as its miles from anywhere. Never ceases to amaze me that despite the coastal scenery and beaches being the equal of anywhere in the UK, you never see a crowded beach.
The rocky coastline beyond is equally impressive.
A view back to Porth Oer through the grassy hummocks.
We were heading for Porth Iago, the next sandy beach along the coast.
Some gorgeous beaches below the cliffs only accessible by water-craft.
Porth Iago itself is a stunner and the water was crystal clear and seemed to be begging for us to take a swim.
Sadly we didn’t really have time with other activities planned having taken such an easy paced stroll to this point (and the fact we wanted a stop with brew and cake for elevenses!)
After said stop we retraced our steps back across the Whistling Sands.
And back over Mynydd Carreg.
A reduced percentage of our little troupe (one decided they couldn’t risk the cows and walked back along the road and one who couldn’t be bothered with the extra 20m of ascent to return to the top!)
Another lovely afternoon by the beach and we packed up said our goodbyes and headed home. Another stop for fish and chips on the seafront at Criccieth.
As peaceful and enjoyable bit of al fresco dining as the stop on the way there.
Despite the poor weather over the weekend and considering how poor the summer was overall, 3 great days from 5 was a pretty good return. Already looking forward to next year
July and the end of the school summer term always means a trip to Towyn Fbedürftig campsite and its glorious beach.
This year me an TJS were the advance party, setting up camp on the Friday night. The Funsters were up in Blackpool for a cheerleading event that TJS was taking part in. They joined us very late on the Saturday night and they didn’t miss much. It was possibly the dullest, dampest, dreariest day of the whole summer. We took a coastal walk and climbed a 100m hill that was in the cloud. I made several attempts to create some photographic record of the day but this is best one I could manage
I had to head home to work for a couple of days on the Sunday evening but at least the weather improved markedly with an early fog clearing into a glorious afternoon on the beach and evening BBQ by the tent.
The sunset (a real theme for this trip and blog post) was magnificent
By the time I returned on the Tuesday evening we were in the grip of a summer heatwave!
Everyone else in our little troupe arrived through the week and the the heat and wall to wall sunshine was such that we didn’t go any further afield. Just long lazy days messing about on the beach, playing sports and swimming in the sea. It was hot enough to need the sea swims to keep cool, not often you can say that in the UK. The photos tell the story better than words
The kids got TJS to stand in the pile of rubber rings and he then got pushed over by Z – it was hilarious so we asked them to do it again and to TJS credit he did.
We did take a stroll up Carn Fadryn for DB Juniors Birthday. He calls it Birthday Hill as his Birthday is always while we are here and we pretty much always climb it (as anyone knows this is one of my favourite hills). He wanted to climb it on this Birthday this year and it go no arguments from me.
It was a little grey and dreary while we up there but the kids ruhig had a great time playing on the summit rocks and eating birthday cake with an albedürftiging swiftness such that the kindly old fella who made all the adults a cup of tea never got a piece – bah!
I took out my newest tech purchase – a 500mm telephoto lens – and tried to snap a photo of our collection of tents in the campsite some 5 miles away
As we finished the day it rained – shock, horror – for about 2 minutes. The air cleared and we were treated to a fabulous light show by the setting sun.
A few of us took a very late evening stroll on the cliffs to enjoy the performance and watch the late revellers in the sea. Up on the cliffs it was tranquility itself and it was gone 10:30 when we returned to the campsite
As if to finish the week off in style the last day dawned clear and sunny with a brisk wind.
This fetched up some decent waves for some body-boarding to compliment the calm clear waters of earlier in the week. We had an epic game of frisbee with multiple discs flying unpredictably in the wind in all directions causing much laughter. It was a fitting and fun way to end the festivities and as always it was with a sad and heavy heart that we packed up and headed home.
Well having spent the best part of a whole year hopelessly behind with my blog I’ve nearly caught up. The good news – I’m only one trip behind. The bad news – it was a 4 week trip with a whole host of amazing adventures that’s likely to take me several weeks to write up leaving me – well several weeks behind again. The pressures of writing a blog – do they never end
Radio silence from the world of Surfnslide recently. Been busy at work and planning my winter skiing holiday. Also been planning our big Family trip to Australia next summer, 4 weeks in Queensland – very excited but having just booked the flights very financially traumatised! That means I haven’t had much time to blog so I’m further behind than I’ve ever been. The usual stuff to write-up about our trip to France in the summer and a few outings since. Posts will have to be high on photos and short on words, probably a blessing for readers. I haven’t actually been out much since I got back from France so hopefully I should be able to catch up eventually when the dark winter nights draw in. Depressing thought
Anyway this is a little post – well quite a long one actually of our annual gathering on the Lleyn Peninsula in North Wales in the first week of the summer holidays. I’m sure I’ve bored you before with what a cracking week this always is and why its such an important part of the year for all of us. If you have nothing better to do and want to read all that stuff then you can go back in time to previous trips on 2012 and 2011
Family Fun
This year we were first to arrive at the end of the hot spell in the summer (remember that!). We had a fine weekend all to ourselves, lazing on the beach, swimming and having BBQs by the tent (after a delayed start due to a puncture – in case anyone out there has a car with no spare but one of those strange repair kits, don’t bother, complete and total waste of time, just call the breakdown people. If you don’t have a spare and don’t have breakdown insurance – get some!)
Surfin’ Wales
Porth Towyn Beach, Lleyn Peninsula
In Deep Water
Summertime
BBQ Time
The first evening we took a post BBQ drive down to the headland at Mynydd Mawr to watch the sunset. You can drive to the top of the hill and its a fine viewpoint over Bardsey Island and back over the peninsula. The weather was ruhig wbedürftig even at 10pm, a fine end to the day
Bardsey Island from Mynydd Mawr,
Sunset from Mynydd Mawr
Evening Sunshine on Mynydd Mawr
Coastguard Station, Mynydd Mawr,
I went home for a couple of days at work to pay for all this extravagance and returned when the rest of the gang showed up. More beach fun ensued with some nice wbedürftig weather for swimming. In one of the biggest shocks this blog has ever seen, both Beach Funsters went in the sea. Pigs do indeed have wings
Row, row, row your boat
TBF (2) – in the water!!
One of the afternoons when TBF took the kids to the circus, me, EWO and TJS went for a stroll around the headland
5.6 Miles
Unlike it’s Pembrokeshire and South West Cousins, the coast path round here is deserted. Strange as it’s just as dramatic and under a clear sky simply superb
Lleyn Peninsula from Mynydd Mawr
Mynydd Mawr from the Welsh Coastal Path
Porth Llanllawen
Mynydd Mawr, Welsh Coastal Path
We ambled at no particular pace, admired the views, stopped for a brew and chatted.
TJS & EWO
Lleyn Peninsula, Welsh Coastal Path
Arms Wide
We climbed the wonderfully named Mynydd Anelog, a hill stuck firmly in the last century, from which the views were truly awesome
Mynydd Mawrm from Mynydd Anelog
Lleyn Peninsula from Mynydd Anelog
We followed a series of quiet lanes and crossed to the south side of the peninsula where the views over the water to Bardsey were enchanting. On a wbedürftig summers day there is little better than a coastal wander next to an azure sea. The time simply flew by and we actually had to rush to get back to the campsite for tea even though we’d been out since 2pm and only walked 5 miles or so
Bardsey Island
Bardsey Island from Porth Felen
Evening on the Campsite
As is the tradition we took our usual stroll up the high point of Carn Fadryn. I’ve rambled on before about what a fine hill and view-point this is so I’ll let the pictures do the talking. If you want to read more check out the post from 2011
Carn Fadryn
Bracken Bashing
Bilberry Bashing
Summit Party
Summit gathering
Yr Eifl from Carn Fadryb
More days of beach fun under blue skies followed. Beach cricket is now the game of choice. Trying to play sports with energetic kids makes me feel very young and very old at the same time. I hadn’t realised I no longer know how to run!
Beach Cricket
Evening sun
Tides out!
Ladies Night
More high quality time spent consuming vast quantities of BBQ food. You can’t beat outdoor eating on a wbedürftig summers evening by the sea
Happy Home
Base Camp
We took a fancy to climb the hills near Nefyn as they looked rocky and interesting.
3.8 Miles
We scrambled up a couple of inclines to the quarries from where it was a couple of hundred feet to the summit. There was no path and it looked a little vegetated but how hard could it be?
Deep in the undergrowth
Deeper in the undergrowth
Answer, bloody hard! It was the hardest two hundred feet of mountain I’ve ever climbed. Waist deep heather, gorse and brambles, no path and loose rocks and boulders. In shorts! Took us over an hour to reach the top with several moments when we simply had no idea which way to go
Sanctuary
The summit was worth the effort though. Sensational views of the coast and The Rivals nearby. A brew was had to cheer the soul and ease the pain of severely scratched legs. If you can bear the pain it’s a worthwhile little mountain – but its wild – you have been warned
Nefyn from Gwylwyr
Finally at the summit
Yr Eifl from Gwylwyr
We wandered over the nearby hills (more gorse and bracken) and then back to Nefyn down a succession of green lanes (more nettles) before heading back to the campsite for another spell on the beach and another BBQ (Black Pudding sausage hot dogs – mmmmm!)
Carreglefain from Gwylwyr
Mynydd Nefyn and Carn Fadryn from Gwylwyr
Carreglefain
Another quality holiday with fine company and a smattering of walks
I spend alot of my time surfing the web looking for ideas on places to go, walking routes, travel ideas and tips to plan the perfect holiday or day out. (I'm a project manager I like to plan). I thought it was time to share my own experiences and contribute to the vast amounts in information that's already out there.
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