15-Oct-97	Route Diagram
		Day 2
		Rhuallt - Bodfari - Bwlch Pen Barras (- Llanbedr DC)
		Route section	14.0 miles

It was dry when we awoke and for a short time there was hope of a reasonable morning but eating breakfast at 08:00 in the conservatory - effectively "outside" - rain started to fall and within ten minutes, the noise on the perspex roof was deafening.

The plan for today was to walk the first part of the Clwydian Range as far as Clwyd Gate, just under 16 miles.

	We left the hotel well wrapped up again at 09:00 with rain falling fairly steadily and made our way uphill to regain the OD Path. there was a steep lane to climb up to the footbridge which crossed the A55 and on reaching it we met someone walking his dog towards the village and mutterings were exchanged
	about the weather. Walking over the first few fields we gradually gained height. There was a low cloud ceiling today. Looking back to the trunk road there seemed to be a build up of traffic in the south-bound lane. Spirits were reasonable considering the damp weather but there was disappointment at the lack of views.

Gaining height once more we found ourselves briefly in very damp clouds and it was hard to pick out stiles when crossing fields; fortunately, at the end of the season, the path was fairly well marked. Just before passing the Pant Glas farm buildings - disused but being actively restored - we passed a field of cows;

were they more interested in our dampness than we were in theirs? Since starting out the previous day we wondered when we were going to meet someone or a group walking the Path the other way and it wasn't long now before meeting them.

A couple of miles before Bodfari, after walking on narrow lanes for ½ mile, we turned right at a T junction and were looking for the stile on the left when there was a line of umbrellas slowly making progress up the field towards our lane so we waited for them.

Once all over the stile, we discovered that four of the group came from Durham and the fifth member from Edinburgh. They were on the last day of their walk from Chepstow having taken about a fortnight and had "enjoyed" several days' weather as this day's. All but one of the umbrellas came down for the photo!

This path was fairly typical of heavily enclosed paths in this area with some of the larger trees having twisted, almost magical shapes. Eventually we arrived on a surfaced lane which dropped steeply down to the A541 at Bodfari. R along road : not possible as there were traffic lights in the village for road & pavement re-surfacing. We crossed the carriageway when the lights changed and walked towards

the kissing gate before crossing the former railway. Did we have the greater shock or did Morfydd (pronounced Morfid) who was sheltering with her dog from the heavy downpour after shopping in the village? Once we'd all recovered we learned that she'd lived in the village all her life and went on to have a Welsh pronunciation lesson! We were also grateful to shelter.

Climbing up the steep lane around 11:10 looking for a post box, it stopped raining for the first time. Finding it and remarking on the early emptying time, we turned right and found the stile a little way ahead of Grove Goch which afforded a place to sit and have coffee and admire the view back towards Bodfari church which had

suddenly (and briefly!) opened up. It was 11:35. Rested and refreshed, we started again on the first of at least four substantial climbs which were to be a feature of the remainder of the day!

While we were gradually climbing up towards the 50 acre Penycloddiau Hill Fort, we met Robin coming down. He hailed from Montrose in Scotland and was also walking the Path from the south. He'd started out the previous Tuesday (7th Oct) having done the recommended bit to Sedbury Cliffs the previous

evening. On his walk, he told us he'd had two wet days, two days of sun and middling in between - before today. We reckoned he'd made excellent progress and must have averaged a little over 18 miles per day - but his rucsac was smaller than ours! We parted; he sped off downhill while we continued our plod upwards.

Before the final stretch to the summit, we dropped down slightly to a col where the stile was a memorial to Arthur Roberts who'd been a Ramblers' Association and Offa's Dyke pioneer and here we had lunch.

Penycloddiau Hill Fort (1442' 439m) came and went with great disappointment as visibility was down to 15 to 20 metres. We dropped down to a fir-clad col. The hill fort differs from all the other hill forts in the Clwydian Range by its size: the inside of the defences is almost ½ mile long from north to south.

By 14:00 the rain had eased and there were pleasant moments when the low cloud ceiling either lifted or parted to reveal interesting contrasting patches of colour between the yellow flowering gorse, the golden bracken, the green paths and the large block of dark firs. What was lacking was the patchwork of fields and boundaries which we felt were to our left and right!

We had reached the Nannerch-Llandyrnog road and took advantage of the memorial seat to the memory of Arthur Corker 1941-1996. We wondered just who he was but there was no indication that we could see. Brief refreshments over, we crossed the road to commence the steep climb up Moel Arthur.

Visability was down to 50 metres in places - mist and drizzle abounded. walking along one of the flatter grassy sections before the summit, someone approached some 30 metres to our right travelling in the opposite direction on an adjacent path.

It was around 15:00 and we stopped and conversed across the misty gap over the heather before agreeing to meet half way! This was Mike and his dog Sniggy (an old English word for eel so given because of the dog's inability to stay still); Mike is a member of the LDWA Westmorland & North Lancs Group and has organised a 20 mile "anytime challenge walk" called Offa's Hyke which is especially suitable for beginners to long distance walking and group expeditions.

Reading our guide book the night before, we'd come across "Moel Arthur presents quite a fierce obstacle to the long distance walker, even those hardened by the many ups and downs of border hills will do well to treat this ascent with respect. Few are they that romp over Moel Arthur with a heavy pack!" The hill fort at 1494' (455 m) is a Country Park owned by Clwyd County Council.

The pattern of walking over the Clwydian Hills was expected and recognised as we dropped down to 1300' (396 m) before the long climb up Moel Famau at 1820' (555 m). We were denied the views of the Snowdonian Mountains; in fact we couldn't even see the foreground Denbeigh Moors!

On the summit is George III's Jubilee Tower built in 1810 to commemorate 50 years of his reign. It was designed as a two-tiered obelisk with the lower parts looking like some Egyptian tomb.

It collapsed in the 1860s and lay in ruins until it was given a new lease of life in 1970 when it became one of the projects of European Conservation Year. Dropping down the broad stony track in a southerly direction we were extremely disappointed. Firstly because of the day's low cloud ceiling and because we were beginning to doubt whether we would actually make Clwyd Gate this evening. Arriving at the car park at Bwlch Pen Barras by 16:00 it was decision time as to whether we carried on as planned or to drop down the mountain road to Llanbedr.

We consulted the map and the contour lines around Foel Fenlli, thought wistfully about what Robin had said earlier in the day about his previous night's stay at the motel at Clwyd Gate, looked at the watch ... and decided to get to Llanbedr which was all downhill. It was a wise decision in retrospect as rain again started to fall.

Within a short distance we came across Ray and his dog Punch making their way up the narrow mountain road to check on the 300 sheep he looks after for three or four farmers together with his own small flock. (This he's been doing for the last four years.) We had a very pleasant, lengthy chat despite the traffic speeding over the pass and down towards us on its way home from work.

Conversation included the habits of sheep and how he can tell which of his flock have been served by the ram! We learned a lot. Bidding him farewell as the rain was falling quite steadily again, we set off down the road to the village.

Nearing it we made a phone call and accommodation was quickly arranged at Fron Deg. We arrived there towards 17:15, received a warm welcome despite our wet state and were soon sitting in front of a superb open fire with a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits before us. We were "home". One hot shower and dry clothes worked wonders as did the tea and later liquid refreshment!

Walk Statistics
Day	Hr	Min	Mins	Miles	Ascent	Conversations	Photographs	Mins per mile	mph
2	8	15	495	14.3*	3700'	5	28	34.7	1.73
* Includes 0.3 m to regain path.

B & B Details
	Mrs Edith Dalrymple, Fron Deg, Llanbedr DC, Ruthin, LL15 1UT Tel: 01824 702931
	B & B 15.00 Packed Lunch / Flask coffee 2.50 Transport to path 1.00 TOTAL   £18.50

Rucsac spent the evening/night in front of fire and was OK by the morning. The B & B had ample radiators for drying! Transport was kindly provided down the hill to The Griffin as was a torch to warn approaching motorists on the journey back to B & B : 5 mins on pavement and a further 5 mins without pavement; torch essential in dark. The food at The Griffin was excellent.

Meal Details
	Alan & Pat Dempster, The Griffin Inn, Llanbbedr DC, Nr. Ruthin Tel: 01824 702792
	Lentil & Smoked Bacon Soup, Mushroom & Coriander Gratin 6.00 2 pts Robinsons Bitter 2.96 TOTAL   £8.96

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© Scarpa - Page last updated 10.08.98