Got to Lake Vrynwy about 11.30 and popped by the visitor centre car park, but realised it charged. I had looked at some walks on my OS app and thought
about doing one over the other side of the Lake. I had also thought about checking out the
waterfall, which was at the other end of the Lake, so thought I’d go for a pootle. The first parking area I saw I pulled in, there was a lady sat with her dog and her van was parked up. Only as I
pulled in did I notice it was a BONGO! I sat for a while looking on my phone at where the walks were, then the lady popped over on her way to her van, said a hello and we had a quick chat about bongos and the area. She said all the parking around the lake was free, although it says no overnight
camping she said she was sure she’d seen people do it. I drove down to the waterfall car park and got out for an amble. The sun was lovely, but still a
little chilly so popped my coat, hat, scarf and gloves on. It was a lovely walk up to Rhiwargor falls, not too far and not challenging. A gravel path, over a bridge and there you were. You see the
waterfall from a distance and it looks pretty mighty, the water dropping down different stages of sheer rock. I got to the bottom and sat on a rock for a while. I try to sit in nature from time to
time, rather than dashing through it. I watched the water cascading over the rocks at the bottom, pondering over the sheer volume and power. Considering how water is made up, no seperate particles like sand, but a solid mass, yet can be split infinitely. How can something that doesn’t stay as one solid mass impose such strength onto something. I particularly thought of
how the water churns at the bottom of a waterfall, how people who use canoes and kayaks have to be careful where they go in the water not to be caught out by these uncontrollable forces.
I looked at how the light shines and reflects off the water as it pours. I then noticed water dropping from the roots of some of the tress that hung over the waterfall, like beads or diamonds
shimmering, hanging from the roots like expensive jewellery. Then at the bottom of the falls, where the water started to
settle into a steady flow, the calm after the storm, bubbles were popping up and floating downstream, gleaming in the sun. It reminded me of the ‘Disney Sing Along Under the Sea’ videos we
watched as kids. ‘The Codfish Ball’ was the scene with little cherub mermaids bouncing along the bottom of the sea on their seahorses and there were bubbles everywhere.
After getting back to the van I travelled around the lake shore to the start of the walk I had looked up on my OS maps. A 6 mile circuit through the tree plantations, I was quite late setting off
so hoped I could finish it with good time. I set off and the map showed following a rough track the majority of the way, the first part looked quite green and overgrown with grass, but
with evidence that a vehicle had once been that way. But it soon got more overgrown, in fact trees had fallen across the path! But I could see footprints that had deviated around the trees, so assumed the route was passable. It was such a lovely afternoon, I was enjoying the sound of the river below as the route elevated higher, the birds serenading me with their songs, and the sunlight enhancing everything green. And there was so much green. Not only the trees, but the grass, the abundant moss that covered the forest floor like a thick carpet, and green plants of some type draping from trees. It was like a moss bomb had gone off. So much water providing sustenance for the forest to thrive and shed life on anything standing in its way.
At a point on the path it deviated onto a track into a more sheltered area of the forest, like being led off to a secret garden. It was still a track and it showed on my OS maps so I trusted it…
until!….I came across a mass of trees in my path, ok this looks like fun, a challenge. I like getting stuck in and dirty so this looked exciting. I tried to tackle the trees but couldn’t see an obvious way through. I looked for a route around, this looked easier, although a little precarious on the
mossy soft ground. Ah, until more trees blocked my path, back to the original path. Ok lets tackle this first big branch, right I’m through! Now onto my knees to get under the next branch,
and the next, squat for this one. Ok, no, I’m not making it past that mass of trees, I can’t even see the light through them. Lets see of there’s another route around them. No, literally there are fallen trees all around! I admitted defeat and decided to turn around and take the same route back to the van. It had all felt slightly Indiana Jones and exciting. Obviously in the light of day it
was fun, but I was aware if it had got dark it may be a different story. I started thinking about some of the advice I’d listened to at the outdoor expo about what to do if lost, or inclement
weather set in, what to prioritise, shelter, floor coverage? I had very basic supplies with me only suited to an afternoon walk down the road, a coat, some chocolate lol!
I trundled happily on the road back to the van singing to myself and taking enjoyment in appreciating that I wasn’t at work. Then a cry from above, Kerrrr! I looked up and saw a bird soaring
round and round, and grabbed my phone to video it, amazing! I sent it across to my friend Brian, a certified twitcher and he confirms it looks like a White Tailed Eagle! What a great end to my walk.