Another trek around virtually deserted backwaters of mid Wales to escape the summer masses, this time using a whole raft of Dewey 500m hills in the north of the Pumlumon region as a framework for a route. A total of 14 Dewey tops are visited along with a couple of lower hills on the outward ridge, giving miles of new territory to explore. The approach from Furnace on the Dyfi estuary is via the Foel Goch ridge and the return is along Cwm Einion (Artists Valley).
The walking is a mixture of pathless but straightforward terrain, easy tracks and a few short sections of hard rough terrain. The heartland near to Pumlumon has a real backpacking atmosphere about it, especially the Hyddgen and Hengwm valleys, vast and little trodden expanses with an air of wilderness and remoteness. Once the early mist had cleared in the mornings, the air was very clear and rendered superb skies.
11 Comments
An area that I know well and enjoy escaping to as often as possible. The Hengwm valley is one of my favourite areas of Wales. Everytime that you mention the word ‘Dewey’ I put my hands over my ears and go ‘La la la la’ as I need to resist the temptation to start a new tick list! What with the Nuttalls (nearly done), Marylins, Wainwrights, Munro’s, Corbetts, Grahams and Donalds I have enough to be getting on with!
Impressively taut tent pitches
Looks lovely walking country.
James,
Hengwm is really great, yet very few people walk there. With so few trips to Scotland, I’ve dismissed any thought of making a significant dent in any of the Scottish lists. Many of the Deweys are a lot closer to home and will make some good new routes.
Robin,
The LC looks pretty good just after pitching with little wind and a dry fly, but it often looks a bit sorry next morning - just the weight of condensation is enough to cause a slight sag and a good wind will inevitably make it concave on one side.
I know what you mean when you say the area has a real backpacking feel to it. Could be the lack of people and 4 foot wide paths that makes it feel this way.
Love the area to bits although last time I was up there it was misty, windy and boggy
Dave,
Yes, those sections of good track give me the feeling of being on a long distance ‘trail’ while the hills are always close by. Pretty bleak in wind and mist!.
It has the sense of paths less walked. I must go to Wales - I must.
Martin,
You must!. Plenty of little walked paths in mid Wales, still a lot of unexplored areas among those 500m tops.
Just dropped by following a link from google. I didn’t realise you had a blog too. It was your web site that motivated me to go backpacking again after many years, taking along my son as a way for us to connect. So thanks for that.
As for where you have walked - Hyddgen and other areas - fabulous. The only sadness is that they are earmarked for windfarms. Don’t get me started.
Further south there is wonderful remote bothy at Claerddu at the far end of the Claerwen resevoir; worth a trip.
Mark
Mark,
As a means of ‘connecting’ I can’t think of a better way than backpacking. My dad was disabled but still able to walk, and one of the strongest memories I have of childhood was our walking together in the local countryside.
Pumlumon and the Elan Valley are among our favourite areas, as you’ve probably gathered from the various treks on the site, although I don’t recall that bothy.
The bothy is not well known as it is maintained by a trust and not the MBA - we call it as the ‘five star’ bothy because it has an in-situ gas cooker, gas lights, proper sleeping areas and even a flush loo. I think it was originally established to help walkers on what is a remote section of the Cambrian Way. Some images are on google under ‘Claerddu bothy’. Grid reference is 793 687 on LR 147. A super place and you can go very light because of the facilities on hand.
Mark,
I see, the bothy lies in between two of our backpack routes to the north of Llyn Teifi. A curious patch of non-access land lies adjacent to it in the wilderness, maybe something to do with water catchement for the lakes.