Craig Las

by Alan Cole · Published Wednesday, December 20th, 2023 · Updated Tuesday, December 19th, 2023

Seeing as I’m supposed to be on annual leave this week I thought I should make the most of it and get out in the hills whatever the weather. That may well have been a mistake! Monday was just about as wet as it can get. Wales is usually fairly wet, but this was off-the-scale wet! However, I had to do some work on Tuesday (so much for Annual Leave!) so couldn’t go then, and it looked windy enough for windsurfing later in the week so it had to be Monday for the hills. I therefore headed off regardless.

It was indeed very wet. I only took a couple of photos when I first started off and then had to put my phone into a dry-sac inside my waterproof rucksack with a waterproof cover on the rucksack! The trails were almost as wet as the river!

My plan had been to head up the Pony Path on Cadir Idris and then turn right onto the ridge of Craig Las. I was going to walk all along the ridge and then off to another couple of summits before heading back up the valley to the Pony Path again, I did do some of this but after a couple of hours of trudging through the wind and rain there was obviously going to be no let-up. I was soaked through, there was nothing to see through the murk and it was decidedly miserable. I chose to miss out on the two extra summits and the detours that came with them and instead just did a simple loop. By the time I was heading back, the paths were becoming a little difficult to negotiate anyway. Some of the small stream crossings had become raging torrents. Getting through them would be impossible without getting washed off my feet so I had to make the odd detour here and there to find suitable crossing points. I made it back to the Pony Path though and was soon descending the now very wet trail to the car park. I did manage to slip over once twisting my knee but I don’t think it’s too bad.

Back at the car I hadn’t brought a change of clothes with me but had managed to keep a few things dry so I at least cobbled together a dryish outfit for the drive home.

Not the best of days in the hills but it was good to get out nonetheless. I’m just glad I wasn’t stupid enough to choose today to try out my new tent!!