Friday night saw eight of us arrive and set up camp at the woodlands camp site in the foothills of the Pumlumon Range of hills in mid wales. The area is noted for its beautiful scenery and wildlife including the Red Kite. After setting up camp we headed off to the nearest and only pub in Devils Bridge for a good meal and a couple of pints.

Campsite	Local Wildlife

Saturday morning dawned with the sound of rain on the tent , the weather forecast for once had got it right, it had forecast a very wet morning and it poured down. We decided due to the weather not to walk up Pumlumon as first planned but to do a valley walk instead, so we set off down the vale of Rheidol . The path lost height quickly until we arrived down to the valley floor, but for the rain and mist the views would have been spectacular, we then followed footpaths and quiet country lanes to a railway halt on the narrow gauge Vale of Rheidol railway called Nant yr onen. By this time the rain had abated so we stopped and had our sandwiches. We returned to the campsite walking up out of the valley and back along paths and lanes sighting many Red Kites on the way. Not surprisingly we didn't see anyone else walking the whole day.

Nantyronen

 

Arriving back at camp we prepared for the famous Jims barbeque which was enjoyed by all and after drinking the camp dry we retired to bed.

Sunday was a much better day ,we drove up to Nant y Moch reservoir and parked, heading off up a farm track which leads to Llyn Llygad Rheidol,we left the track and climbed steadily towards the summit reaching it some one and half hours later. As it was a clear day the views from up there were extensive with the Arans and Cader Idris clearly visible. The descent from Pumlumon passed the source of the river Wye and around the rim of Llyn Llygad Rheidol dropping down to the lake and picking up a track near the end of Nant y Moch reservoir leading back to the car,

Pumlumon Summit

All in all it was a very enjoyable weekend.