

After parking up on the carpark in the village I headed up the road to join the access track to the left, crossing over the river. The autumnal colours were on fierce display with the trees boasting a rich variety of burnt oranges, deep reds and golden yellows, creating the most beautiful scene as they clustered along the banks as the river rushed by.

Once out of the woods I took the path over the marshland, following it as it ascended up the hill. The heavy downpour of the day before had ensured the ground underfoot was wet, causing the path to be really muddy and slippy, calling for a bit more focus on where to put each foot.


In this photo you can see the coastline in the distance in between the peaks.

The other thing about this type of terrain is that a mouse wearing slippers could be walking up, but it would still sound like an approaching herd of elephants!
At this point of the climb it is a mixture of scree walking and scramble over some pretty wet rocks and some weird rock formation which I later found out were volcanic rock and pillow lava, and that this area is a popular stop for geology students.

Here the views were immense, allowing for so much of the surrounding area of North Wales to be seen. With the coast to the west, the ocean beyond and the mountainous area blanketed in gorgeous autumnal colours on the hillsides and the forests below.



As I cut through the woodland and crossed over the railway again, the sun had begun to set in the west creating a halo of golden light around the peak of Moel Hebog. As I walked down the road into Beddgelert there was a slight chill in the air and the smell of chimney smoke from the log fires warming the pubs and houses creating the perfect autumn’s evening. As the day became night I looked up toward the darkened peak of Moel Hebog as it stood there, casting a protective presence over the village below.
The Memorial at Beddgelert. As this day was Armistice Day my thoughts were with those who, as someone beautifully put it , 'gave up their tomorrows so we could have a today', and those today who are ensuring we have a safe future. I spent a lot of time on the hills thinking bout their sacrifice. We Will Remember Them.