Moel Arthur

After receiving a tip-off that the heather was blooming we headed over to Moel Arthur to see if it was as impressive as last time. We maybe missed the best of it by a week or so but it was still a very impressive display.

Moel Arthur elevation

Moel Arthur route

The sun was a bit too bright and the heather was starting to fade but a polariser and some judicious framing made the most of it.

View up the side of Moel Arthur

Path to Penycloddiau

Heather under a big sky

Heather under a big sky

Heather and cloud

Heather overlooking Vale of Clwyd

Heather overlooking Vale of Clwyd

Parasol mushroom

Pink blooming heather

Mix of heather

Purple heather and yellow grasses

Purple heather

Dor Beetle (wouldn't sit still)

Surrounded

Moel Arthur

Moel Arthur to Pennycloddiau and back. This time in the dry so the return track was passable and not a quagmire like last time. Very cloudy to begin with but brightened up a lot on the way back.

The slope on the other side of Moel Arthur is still as steep as ever!

Moel Arthur elevation

Moel Arthur route

The hills were covered in heather and gorse.

Heather and gorse up the slope of Moel Arthur

Heather on the way to the summit, distant grassy hill in the background

The view from the summit was a lot clearer than usual, even with all the cloud.

View from Moel Arthur summit

View from Moel Arthur towards Penycloddiau

360degree panorama from the summit

Various heathers

Heather and Gorse

View from Coed Llangwyfan just before...

Helicopter that buzzed us from over the hill

A helicopter was spraying bracken, flying back and forth across the valley, sometimes flying right overhead.

Heather on Penycloddiau

Heather on Penycloddiau

Heather as far as the eye can see

Even more Heather

Panorama from lunch spot on the side of track back

Heather and Gorse

Heather and Gorse

Wind farm in the distance

Up to my knees in it

Not up to my knees in it (mud that is, see the entry in March)

Moel Famau

A good walk around Moel Famau and Foel Fenli. The weather was very humid, extremely hazy so the views weren't too great but the heather is looking very colourful at this time of year. Starting from Loggerheads this time; trading a few quid in parking for a more interesting (and less steep!) start and end to the walk. Rained for the last mile or so, but we came prepared.

Moel Famau elevation

Moel Famau route

The path through the woods by the river Alyn

Gill evaporating on the ascent to Moel Famau

Two horses loitering by the path

Heather by the track

The world disappearing into the haze

The world's most depressed sheep

Heather and hazy woods

Heather

Heather in Bilberry bushes

Heather, bilberry and grasses; a mixed palette on the hillside

Moel Famau

A walk around (and over) Moel Famau.

Elevation

Route

We were greeted by a wooden frog at the start by the river Alyn, and there were more sculptures dotted about the old lead mining area.

Frog sculpture

Bat sculpture

John and a tall tree

Trail to summit of Moel Famau

The heather is looking particularly colourful at the moment.

Gill and heather

Gorse and Heather

Jubilee Monument on Moel Famau summit

Heather patterns on Moel Famau

Panoramic view facing west from Moel Famau (click for bigger)

Gill on the route past Foel Fenlli