Sunday 8th April 2018. An ascent and survey of Moel-ddu, near Prenteg, Gwynedd. The summits were Pt. 534m/27m, Moel-ddu 553m/198m (second ascent) and Mynydd Gorllwyn 239m/43m. 11.2km, with 550m of ascent. 7hrs 0min.

After coffee in AW's house at the base of these hills, we set off in two cars up the steep narrow lane that winds up from Prenteg into the foothills of Moel Hebog. This was a little area of North Wales to which I had never been before, and I found it enchanting. Leaving one car near the termination of our proposed route, I drove mine with AW and MP up to the car park by the remote Llyn Cwmystradllyn reservoir, little known to those who visit Eryri (Snowdonia), in a quiet corner of the National Park.

We set off to the northern shore of the lake, chatting for a while with the occupant of Tyddyn-mawr, who told us she planned to open a tea-room in her house to cater for the anglers and walkers who passed by. A track took us up into the impressive workings of the Gorseddau Slate Quarry - for details, see at http://www.coflein.gov.uk/en/site/40557/details/gorseddau-slate-quarry. We worked our way up the various levels to access the bwlch (col) between the hills of Bryn Banog and Moel-ddu. By now the morning cloud had evaporated. AW and I sunned ourselves while MP set to in the bog to undertake his first survey of the day. When he had done we tackled the steep north ridge of Moel-ddu's western top. It was a hard pull to the summit, but worth it. The panorama west was of high quality. Immediately below us the placid waters of Llyn Cwmystradllyn were a perfect mirror of the sky above.

It was hard to stir ourselves from such a place on a perfect early spring day, but there was more hiking and surveys to be done before we headed down. First was the bwlch that joined the west top to the main hill, followed by the summit of the middle top, crowned with a fine cairn. I headed on to the summit of Moel-ddu on its north-eastern top to take in the view. It was even better than before, with the great peaks of Eryri laid out in an amphitheatre before me. Nimbus clouds were pouring over the hills, born in on a slow-moving westerly. The play of creeping shadow on the mountains was quite stunning. Below me to the south the flat-lands of the Glaslyn Estuary and the Traeth Mawr were still basking in sunshine. I was joined by the others and we shared the view. We departed the summit, contouring round the north flank of the hill to regain the bwlch by the western top. A steep descent south followed, with a few stone walls to impede our progress.

We reached a small cwm draining east, where sheep and Welsh Black cattle were pastured. Although a mere 239m altitude, it was a stiff pull up our last hill of the day - the diminutive but rugged Mynydd Gorllwyn, with an impressive striated rock ridge for its summit. While yet another survey got underway, AW and I witnessed a drama of dark cloud and sun played out before us. The cloud was prevailing. Rain threatened, but missed us, as we remained on the very edge of the sunlight.

We headed east down to yet another boggy bwlch. While MP waded in the marsh for his final survey of the day, AW and I continued up to a track. When we were three again, we followed the track south past the farmhouse of Gorllwyn-isaf, where prayer-flags fluttered in the strengthening wind. We reached MP's car, still dry and in sunshine. A long winding car drive brought us back to my vehicle, and the end of our day in this quiet corner of Wales. I will go back to explore it further.

As we left after a meal in the Brondanw Arms (see at https://www.robinsonsbrewery.com/brondanwarms), we could see in the twilight great Yr Wyddfa. The mountain was now a stark silhouette against a clear sky, without a trace of cloud to wreathe it and the other peaks of Eryri.