Ras y Moelwyn 2015

Ras y Moelwyn has to be the ultimate fell run or mountain race and this year it became part of the British Championship, with about 500 competitors, four times as many as in previous years.

Finlay Wild from Lochaber Athletic Club finished first in 73:09; that’s just 1 hour 13 minutes and 9 seconds for what most people would take a whole day to walk! It was good to see my friend Kurmang Rashid (inventor of the Kurdish Pastie) made it home ahead of two others in just under three hours.

There was surprise and excitement on the faces of many first time runners, with adventure and jeopardy never far away. Pinch points, particularly on the descent from Craigysgafn, caused the traffic to back up and prompted interesting diversions! This is what it looked like at the half way point:

Many thanks to the organisers, marshalls and mountain rescue for putting on this spectacular event.

The Glaslyn Osprey Saga

Jimmy is heartbroken

Since 2004 the ospreys on the Glaslyn have produced 2 or 3 chicks each year. They mate for life, overwinter in Africa and travel separately. This year Mrs G arrived back in mid-March and has been waiting impatiently for her mate who has thus far not returned; it’s looking increasingly likely that he has died and will not return. Is that the end of the dynasty? 

Just recently a young male osprey born in Dumfries, nicknamed Jimmy, has been wooing Mrs G. I visited the excellent new visitor centre this morning as Mrs G was eating a fish which Jimmy had delivered to the nest. Could this be love?

The latest report says that Jimmy has already been ousted, and by Blue 80, a male born at the Glaslyn in 2012. Blue 80 is thought to have been mating with his Mum! Is this good news? Will the offspring be well balanced?

To keep in contact with the evolving story you should visit the Facebook page.

Wild Goats & Henry the Labrador

Watching the wild goats can get a bit obsessive and I think they might feel the same about watching the human. In recent days I have snuck up on them with Molly (our dog) restrained by a shepherd’s crook through the collar; in the absence of a lead it’s quite effective, but she wriggles and fights against it.

In each of the last two days I have trusted her without any restraint and she has stayed by my side for up to half an hour as we watch and I film and photograph the goats. But today’s session came to an abrupt end when an overweight black Labrador ran at the gang of goats and they disappeared down the steep cliff.

I shouted at the dog and pretty soon another voice mingled with mine: ‘Henry! Henry! Come here Henry!’ Eventually the dog returned to its master. That moment of peace and quiet was shattered.

In the film below I left the camera running as I intervened to stop the Labrador pursuing the goats. Mine was not an elegant speech, so I’ve edited it out.  

Slow Worms and Wild Goats - what a cocktail!

It was a cold old day, the coldest for at least three weeks, and the central heating had been switched into hibernation over the Easter heatwave. Warm drinks, a down jacket fit for the Arctic and hot soup for lunch kept the chill away.

Dull skies didn’t make the idea of an afternoon walk any more appealing but Molly (dog) is a stickler for routine and her exercise. Within minutes of entering the reserve we were both as warm as toast; me with hat and gloves and Molly chasing the Frisbee.

Half way round I saw a slow worm’s nose retreat beneath a boulder. I couldn’t resist a peek and lifted it; I shouldn’t have done that. There was a family of at least five and my rude interruption caused them to slowly (it was cold!) retreat to the far edge of the boulder which was resting on the ground. I couldn’t just release the rock for fear of squashing them, so I wedged it up, placed some flat stones beneath and backfilled with dead bracken and leaves. Hopefully they will be alright but I feel bad that I disturbed them.

As you can see from the photo there were cobwebs beneath the boulder and some impressive looking spiders co-existing with the slow worms. I assume slow worms don't eat these spiders. Does anyone know what type of spider? 

A little further on and we bumped into the gang of goats with Supernanny; she’s given birth to twin kids twice in two years. There are now seven in the family with an auntie looking after last year’s kids and an impressive Billy always guarding the rear. This is what they looked like:  

Bodnant and The Far End

Skunk Cabbage - there's one of these in the top
pond at Campbell's Cottage

Bodnant Garden seemed huge when I was dragged around as a child but it’s a lot bigger now and I no longer need any encouragement to explore. In recent years the gardeners have opened up new areas such as Old Park, Yew Dell and most recently The Far End, an extra 10 ½ acres. As its name suggests it’s about as far as you can get from the reception, a gentle downhill stroll, perfect for mobility scooters, buggies and wheelchairs.

The Far End is based around a series of ponds that ensured a steady supply of water to the mill. One of them is the Skating Pond, which is where the owners used to skate in the winter and go boating in the summer. Another is the Otter Pond, so named after an exhausted otter took refuge here and Lord Aberconwy ordered the Denbigh Hunt off his property. The ponds are connected by streams crossable by a perfect Billy Goats Gruff bridge and, for the more adventurous, a set of stepping stones complete with hand rail. 

In early April the camelias were still blooming (delayed by a winter cold snap), magnolias were stunning, daffodils had just passed their peak and skunk cabbages were looking brilliant. If you want to know why they get their name, just rub the flesh of the plant and take a whiff.

For many people the most iconic sight is the Laburnum Arch, with countless coachloads coming to see its blooms in late May to early June. But it was good to see it naked, after two gardeners had spent most of January and February pruning and tying it into place. It looked more like basket weaving than gardening. 

A new head gardener has been appointed, John Rippin, who follows in the footsteps of Troy Smith and before him the three generations of the Puddles.

The Laburnum Arch

Ras y Moelwyn Cometh

Easter Sunday began with an early mist that cleared 5 minutes after I set off up Moelwyn Bach, with Molly, but without sun hat. Too far to want to turn back to get one; surely the rays wouldn’t be too strong this time of year. But they were too much for my now reddened and receding hairline. That apart, it was perfect, not a breath of wind, crystal clear atmosphere and long welcoming views.

Near the top, at the false peak, the ridge of rocks that looks down on the house, was a memorial to R. A. J. 1982 with an arrow pointing in a line somewhere between Llan Ffestiniog and Trawsfynydd. Maybe a farmhouse? I must try and find out who R. A. J. was and why this memorial on Moelwyn Bach. 

Also near the top were huge quantities of frog spawn, more so than in the lower ponds. Is there some rivalry to see who can spawn the highest? Are there fewer predators higher up?

I looked down the steep descent to Stwlan dam and remembered that Ras y Moelwyn is just a few days away, on 18^th April. This year is the first time that the race is part of the British Championships and instead of the usual 100 to 120 entries there are already 485! Should I start training or just take my camera along? I’ve finished in the top 90 on previous occasions but I suspect that won’t be possible this year. This is what Ras y Moelwyn looks like:

First Lamb!

We’ve got a newborn lamb on the drive, just by the bottom hairpin and close to the kid goats. I thought our farmer would be pleased to know, but it and its mother belong to the neighbouring farm. Trespasser it may be, but what a cutie!

Our other spring visitor today was a red kite. I know they’re common as muck in Bucks and Berks but for us it’s an occasional sighting, usually coinciding with lambing and the availability of food. They are often seen in Harlech or Llan Ffestiniog but rarely around us.