Up an old familiar mountain

"Why not", asked my brother after tea, "why not climb Carn Fadryn and watch the sun setting from it summit?" A capital idea. Carn Fadryn, the highest peak on the western end of the Llyn Peninsula is not a particularly challenging climb, but the view from the top on a clear, sunny day is certainly Most rewarding.

Over the years, I've climbed Carn Fadryn in many different weather conditions including dense fog, howling winds and heavy rain, so an evening ascent in beautiful sunlight and 20C warmth was entirely blissful.

Below: there's a car park by the chapel on the west side of Carn Fadryn; up a short footpath to a wooden gate, and the walk begins in earnest. It's not a direct assault upon the summit, rather a roundabout path that starts off gentle and gets steeper and stonier as you near the peaks.

It's hard not to get distracted by the view as you ascend. Below: the village of Garnfadryn from the southern slopes of Carn Fadryn. Long evening shadows play across parched fields.

Near the top, the views are stunning. Below: looking eastward, along the backbone of the Llyn Peninsula, towards its highest peak, Yr Eifl.

Below: from the summit, looking north-west towards the Irish Sea. Being up here at this time of day is a rewarding, mystical experience.

Below: the last time I was up here was in the summer of 2007. Since then, the triangulation point has been re-painted. We found a geocache box up here, to which we added some Polish coinage and some signatures to the notebook.

A splendid escapade, a wonderful walk, a great experience. So good to be up here again.

This time last year:
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