heleninwales | Entries tagged with walking to mordor again

Two of the other Friends (Quakers) have occasionally had a fish and chip lunch with M the 101-year-old member of our local meeting. I've not joined them before, but this time I did. This meant going later to M's so I could stay on for the lunch. As the car is in the garage getting the warning sensor fixed, I walked up the hill to M's via the Co-op so I could collect her newspaper.

After our usual crossword and xygolex puzzle it was almost time for the other friends to arrive with the fish and chip lunch. Sadly M's deafness is getting worse, so she misses a lot. However, we enjoyed the lunch and a chat. I had worried that fish and chips would be too much for me because we normally only have a light lunch, but the local chip shop does small fishes and we shared two portions of chips between the five of us, so that worked out well and I will still have an appetite for my dinner.

After walking down the hill and picking up pizzas and a cake for dinner, I was plodding back home past the garage when I saw that the car had been moved from the "holding pen" where cars awaiting repair are parked and was not in the garage being worked on. I then spotted it in the area where they leave cars waiting to be collected. I went up to the enquiry window and was delighted to discover that the part had arrived and been fitted. Yay!

So I shoved the shopping into the car and drove the last couple of hundred metres back to our house. All seems well and it will be so lovely to have the car again. The store cupboard and fridge were looking decidedly empty. I did say before that we could manage without a car, but I'd have to do things differently and get heavy groceries and staples delivered so I could just walk in and buy fresh produce in person.

Eowyn Challenge -- weekly progress report

Walking to Rivendell

Miles travelled today: 3
Miles travelled this week (walking & cycling): 17½
Miles travelled from Bag End: 86
Miles still to go: 372
Percentage complete: 19%

Point reached on journey: We left Crickhollow, riding slowly on the ponies. We passed through the tunnel under the Hedge and entered The Old Forest. After passing the Bonfire Glade, we followed the clear path which is now climbing gently through the forest.

Yesterday, G wanted us to go for a walk together, but as I'll be doing a 6 miles walk on Saturday and will have to walk up to M's house today with her newspaper, I didn't think I could cope with another long walk. Instead we set off together and I turned back after a couple of miles and G continued on his much longer walk.

The leaves are such a wonderful green. The oak leaves have unfurled but are not yet full size. What was once a railway line is now a peaceful tree-lined avenue.

( A couple more photos here... )

After arriving home, I spend the rest of the day doing useful things like making scones, knitting and listening to Welsh and a little lyre practice.

I had taken the car into the garage for when they opened at 9 a.m., so at 4.30 p.m. I phoned to see if they'd found what was wrong with it. They have diagnosed a faulty sensor and have ordered a replacement. If it arrives in time, the car shouldbe ready to collect this evening. My fingers are crossed!

Before the pandemic, I used to cycle to the Quaker meeting. It's a nice distance to cycle and there's a cycle path all the way. There's no need to go on roads at all. The village hall is about 2 miles away, so though walkable, it would take rather a long time, especially coming home when I want to get back quickly to have lunch. But two miles on the bike is nothing. However, covid meant that we had a couple of years with no face-to-face meetings so I would just cycle up and down the Mawddach Trail for exercise when it was fine.

We did start meeting in the village hall again, but for a while I used to take the laptop so anyone who didn't want to (or couldn't) attend in person could join us via Zoom. (The village hall has wifi.) I wasn't going to cycle with a laptop in a backpack so I completely got out of the habit of travelling to Meeting by bike.

As it happens, I'd already decided that now the seemingly endless rain has finally stopped, I ought to get the bike checked over and ready to ride. I'd even decided that tomorrow was the ideal day to resume the habit of cycling to Meeting, and had pumped up the tyres and applied oil to the relevant moving parts. That was just as well because as I previously posted, the car is out of action until it's been into the garage for repair.

So today I did a little test ride and a) I can still remember how to ride a bike and b) the bike seemed fine. It must be well over 20 years old now, but it's only been lightly used because I'm a fair weather cyclist. The forecast says it should actually be sunny, so it should be a nice ride there and back.

This morning I planned to drive to the Co-op, then up the hill to visit my elderly friend. Unfortunately the newsagent closed a few months ago, so nobody delivers newspapers at the moment. The shop is currently being refurbished and will reopen shortly as a convenience store and may sell papers, but who knows whether they'll deliver?

Anyway, my friend has organized people to collect the paper every day and take it to her. It's my turn every Friday. (She buys vouchers, so we pay for the paper with those.)

But, unfortunately, when I started the car, there were warning lights on the display. So I swiftly changed my plans and walked instead, going via the Co-op for the newspaper. But I wasn't going to haul my shopping up the hill, so I had to visit the Co-op again on the way home. At least it added to my mileage.

I had to pass the garage on my way home, so the car is booked in next Thursday so they can investigate the warning lights.

Eowyn Challenge -- progress

Walking to Rivendell

Miles travelled today: 3
Miles travelled this week: 14½
Miles travelled from Bag End: 68½
Miles still to go: 389½
Percentage complete: 15%

Point reached on journey: After the scare with the Black Rider, we finally made it out of the woods and walking soon became easier as we reached farmland. We met Farmer Maggot who invited us to his house for a meal and then gave us a lift in his wagon. We are now not far from the ferry.

I had intended to post a few more photos of the walk in the woods which we did last Tuesday, but the broken watch and then having to deal with the dud watch distracted me. Anyway, here are some more photos of the walk in the woods which we did last Tuesday. It gives a good idea of the terrain.

We drove to a small car park near the start of the Mawddach Trail. This cut a boring mile or so off the distance compared to walking from home. After walking along the Mawddach Trail to Penmaenpool and crossing the toll bridge, we plodded up the steep narrow lane and then took the path leading into the woods. There must have been a storm some years ago that brought down some of the trees. Someone (the National Park people, or possibly the council?) cleared the tree trunks off the footpath, but otherwise things were just left. If you look closely, G is visible in the distance just left of centre.

( More about the walk here... )

17/52 for the group 2024 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: Q is for Quartz

Sitting amongst the trees, a mossy quartz boulder. There are entrances to old gold mines in those woods and large boulders of quartz can be found discarded in the trees. Any quartz containing gold veins was removed and processed. The rest was left behind.

So yesterday we went for a 6 mile circular walk along the Mawddach Trail, across the toll bridge at Penmaenpool (30p per pedestrian) and the up into the woods on the other side of the valley. I knew that there were lots of quartz boulders, which would be just the thing for this week's theme. ( Here are some more... )

I'll post more from the walk tomorrow. Out of time today.

Yesterday I walked to Quaker meeting via what we call the Golf Path. I drove round the by-pass and left the car in a lay-by then headed up the footpath. There are lambs everywhere at the moment. Still cute, but they grow up so fast. (These photos are just phone snaps because I didn't take my camera.)

There are so many wild flowers in the hedgerows now. I spotted some wild violets. ( More photos here... )

I don't think I've posted about the challenge I'm doing to eat 200 different plants in a year. Tiny amounts count, so even pepper or herbs added to the dishes you make can be included. So far I have managed 73 different plants, including the new plant I tried today.

The wild garlic is coming into flower and it looked very nice and fresh as I walked up to meeting. On the way back I picked two young leaves and today I made a small pan of vegetable soup using the wild garlic instead of onion or leek. It was actually nice! I'd always thought that the flavour would be very strong because the flowers absolutely stink of garlic when they're in full bloom on a hot day, but the flavour wasn't strong at all. There was just a nice hint of savouryness. I might actually pick more in future, now I know it's palatable.

The view down the Golf Path on the way back to the car but before I reached the wild garlic.

( Read more... )

The weather seems to have taken a turn for the better and today has been entirely dry. We therefore took the opportunity for a walk in the woods. I drove us to the car park by the toll bridge at Penmaenpool and we walked from there along the Mawddach Trail.

You can see that it was once a railway line but it was closed in the 1960s, courtesy of Dr Beeching. The little yellow dot is a distant cyclist. It's a shared walking and cycling trail.

The path by the gate into the woods was rather muddy, but once the path started to climb, it was reasonably dry. Being on a steep slope and having been created as a scenic walk, it drains much better than a path across a flat pasture.

I'm finally beginning to remember some of the routes around the woods. G has walked them a lot since the start of the pandemic. He used to walk all the way to Barmouth and then get the bus back, but the desire to avoid people made him explore the woods instead and, to be honest, they're more interesting to walk around than plodding all the way along the old railway track to the coast.

( More photos and description of the walk here... )

This photo shows clearly that the paths were built deliberately and aren't just the result of people walking through the woods. We suspect that some former inhabitant of Abergwynant Hall had the paths created so family and guests could appreciate the picturesque beauty of their land.

From here we descended to the wider track running beside the river and then rejoined the old railway line to walk back to the car.

We went for a walk! And it didn't rain until we were back in the car.

We decided to walk in the Coed y Brenin again because the main tracks wouldn't be muddy. Unfortunately to reach the forest from where we'd parked involved crossing a field on a very muddy path. ( Photo here... )

The trees are not yet in full leaf, so the ruin of one of the old mine building is just visible on the other side of the valley.

( Continue reading... )

We thought there was a lot of water coming down the falls when we were there a few weeks ago. I think there was even more this week.

We then wended our way back, first along the main track, then we followed this smaller path to reach the footbridge that would take us back to the other side of the valley and, from there, to the car park in the village.

The river was very high after all the rain. ( One last photo here... )

As next week looks wet, I decided to drive part way to Quaker meeting, park in the lay-by and walk the rest of the way. Miraculously, there was even some sun.

My phone camera tends to get overexcited by green countryside. I actually toned this down a little as it was not realistic straight from the camera.

A small flock of rams enjoying a fleeting moment of sunshine after the storm. There were ewes and lambs in the field on the other side of the road, but at this time of year the rams are kept apart in their own little bachelor flock.

( More here... )

There were just the usual four of us at meeting, but it's nice to sit in silence and I find it calming.

After we'd chatted and drunk tea and eaten the shortbread biscuits I'd taken, I just managed to walk back to the car before the rain started again.

Storm Kathleen is forecast to arrive this afternoon/early evening. We should only get the edge of it, hence it being named by the Irish Met Office, but the wind is definitely blustery, though so far it has managed to remain dry today. So far...

Anyway, I was feeling a bit trapped and claustrophobic after spending most of last week stuck at home waiting for the plumber, so thought I'd get out for a walk early while it was still OK.

I didn't feel like plodding up a hill, so i did one of the few more or less flat walks which took me past the college where we used to teach and along the old main road, now a dead end due to the by-pass being built to take the through traffic. Compared to earlier in the week, the wind felt strangely warm and the air felt heavy. The sky was overcast, so not good for photography. I took just a few pictures.

The trees are just starting to come into leaf.

( Another photo here... )

Things observed:

There were two cars parked right next to one another on the old road, just past the junction. Possibly one of the cars had run out of petrol because a man was pouring fuel from petrol cans into its tank while the other driver stood by smoking. (!!)

Just before I reached the by-pass, I saw two red kites circling overhead, riding high on the turbulent wind.

On the by-pass, a camper van towing a tiny car behind it, like a yacht towing a dinghy.

On the verge of the main road, a clump of primroses.

Almost back home, I passed someone sitting on the big rocks by the river. They were wearing a helmet and lifejacket and as I looked more closely, I could just see a small kayak and paddles lying at their feet.

In fact the weather is sunnier this afternoon and the wind doesn't seem particularly fearsome, though occasionally there are strong gusts shaking the trees. But I got my walk and a bit of fresh air, so that was good.

It was so nice to just have a normal Friday after the week spent waiting in for the plumber. I did the big weekly shop and picked up the iPaper for my elderly friend. It was good to see that the salad shelves in the Co-op had been restocked after the Easter hordes had descended like locusts and eaten everything last weekend.

It was raining too hard to even think of walking up the hill to M's house, so I drove. We did the crossword and xygolex as usual and had a quick catch up chat.

The cupboard under the sink now seems fine. I'm running the dehumidifier in front of it with the doors open to encourage everything to dry out. I'll put the pans and baking trays etc. back in there tomorrow.

( Eowyn challenge update... )

When G and I go for walks together, we usually go in the morning, but yesterday morning was (yet again) wet, so we waited until after lunch.

Our walk took us around some of the small back lanes because the paths across fields are still too boggy to be pleasant. Lots of birds singing loudly and the blackthorn blossom is out.

Most trees are still bare, but looking out of the window of my "study", there are a couple of small weeping willow in people's back gardens that are a very bright green and other things are full of catkins and the leaves are starting to sprout.

I still haven't found a field with lambs that are easily photographable.

A terrible photo of some lambs we saw on a walk yesterday. The fence was too high up on a bank to be able to take the photo through the netting.

As we walked back through town, we noticed that one clock in town hasn't changed yet. We were just passing the church when clock started to strike 3 o'clock, except there were only two bongs! I don't know who's responsible for moving that clock forwards an hour, but they haven't got around to it yet.

The weather has been all over the place this week. On Tuesday it was warmish, at least warm enough that we took our coats off walking uphill on our walk around the Quaker locations. Then yesterday we awoke to this!

Snow! So late in March! There had been no mention of it on the forecast. It was already melting when I took this photo and there was no snow on the road. The trees and roofs were dripping and, by the time I needed to drive to the Co-op, it was easy to sweep the last of the slushy snow off the car.

Today, having done the Big Weekly Shop a day earlier than usual to avoid the tourists (it's the start of the Easter Bank Holiday weekend), I was able to walk up to see M and take her the paper. After doing the crossword and zygolex over a cup of tea and a chat, I walked the long way home. Again it was mild and sunny.

( Another photo here... )

Then this afternoon it hailed and poured with rain. The sun peeped through and there was a raibow and now it's fine again.

( Eowyn Challenge -- progress )

Eowyn Challenge -- progress

Walking to Rivendell

Miles travelled yesterday: 6
Miles travelled today: 1
Miles travelled so far: 7
Miles still to go: 451
Percentage complete: 1.5%

Point reached on journey: We have left Bag End, crossed the Great Road from the Brandywine Bridge and entered Tookland. We are now looking back at lights of Hobbiton from first slopes of the Green Hill Country.

In several places on different social media platforms, people have been mentioning either the virtual walk to Mordor and/or re-reading The Lord of the Rings. It's as though the universe is telling me it's time to set off on the long road to Mordor again -- or perhaps just to Rivendell? We'll see...

I completed the journey to Mordor some years ago and then did almost all the various side journeys. I'm not using an app. I'm just using a spreadsheet and the tables provided at the Eowyn Challenge website. Amazingly the website is still there though it must be about 20 years old.

So yesterday I did the 6 mile walk with G. Today it was just the 1 mile into town and back for the weekly Welsh chat group. There were 9 of us there today, including a chap who actually lives in Manchester but who visits Wales when can. He's joined the group once before and I think he enjoyed the chat. By total coincidence, he told us he used to be a sailor on merchant ships in the past and had had sailed many times under the bridge in Baltimore that collapsed yesterday. Other topics of conversation included my baking failures, air fryers, the opening of a new delicatessen and various other topics of local interest.

A couple of the local Quakers are keen for me to take them round the Quaker sites I visited last year. Yet something was holding me back and it wasn't just the weather. I was a little unsure of finding the route we'd walked last year so wanted to walk it again with G so I would be certain I knew the way.

And then I thought... If I'm not sure I can remember the way, is it really a good route to try to describe to strangers? (My plan is to blog the route so people can walk it by themselves as well as make a video.)

So today we did a simpler version that stuck to the tiny back lanes and a forest track instead of heading across country on footpaths. As the idea of the walk is to visit the locations, rather than be a map reading challenge, I think the revised version will work much better.

The weather was a bit dull, but it stayed dry, which is a blessing. The bridleway at the start was rather wetter than usual, but it was passable in walking boots. After emerging from the gate at the end of the bridleway, you find yourself on a quiet back lane. This was not the way we went, but I thought it would do for the weekly challenge photo.

13/52 for the group 2024 Weekly Alphabet Challenge

This week's theme was: M is for Middle of the Road

I've taken the theme literally, but this quiet lane is a pretty safe road to stand in the middle of while taking a photo.

After walking for a while along that lane, we turned onto an even smaller one. Here's the view looking back. There's virtually no traffic because it only provides access to a couple of farms.

( A couple more photos here... )

Having now devised a simpler route of about 6-7 miles, I feel more confident in inviting my friends to come along. But not over the Easter holidays. We'll wait for the holidaymakers to go back home and also for the weather to improve. Sadly the rest of the week looks wet. :-(