Moel Fama

"By my normal route from the lane to Bwlch Penbarra through the forest, returning via the south ridge on the Offa's Dyke path. Sunset ascent and gloaming descent. Cold SSW wind, with some cloud, but bright and dry. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Feb 11, 2019

"From the lay-by on the lane to Bwlch Penbarra by the blue steep route to the summit, returning the same way. Gale force winds coming in from the south-west (Storm Erik) made my normal descent south by the Offa's Dyke Path hazardous, so I kept to the eastern side of the hill. A little weak sunshine on the ascent, with cloud and some rain on the descent. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Feb 8, 2019

"By my standard route from Bwlch Penbarra via the forest to the summit, then south on the Offa's Dyke Path. Grey skies, with some light rain borne in on a strong southerly wind. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Nov 8, 2018

"From the bwlch to the south of Moel Arthur south along the Offa's Dyke Path national trail, returning the same way, with a detour to visit the summit of Moel Dywyll. Hazy warm autumn sunshine, but with a strong warm south-easterly wind. Spotted a kestrel, and wheatears. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Oct 10, 2018

"By my standard route up through the forest and down the south ridge. The heat wave continued. Strong sunshine, cloudless skies and a south-east wind. Solo. Spotted Large White, Speckled Wood, Meadow Brown and Small Heath butterflies." — marktrengove2 • Jul 2, 2018

"By my standard route from the lane to Bwlch Penbarra via the forest path, descending on the south ridge on the Offa's Dyke path. A morning ascent in very hot weather, with cloudless skies and fierce sunshine. Fresh south-east wind. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Jun 28, 2018

"By my standard route from the lane to Bwlch Penbarra via the forest path, descending on the south ridge on the Offa's Dyke path. Sunshine and high broken cloud brought in on a fierce cold NW wind. It felt more like March than June! Saw a Red Admiral in the forest. Solo. 276/366." — marktrengove2 • Jun 21, 2018

"By my standard route up through the forest and down the south ridge. Done at dusk, as a strong north-east wind pushed in a front of slate-grey cloud-slab above the summits, but no rain. Solo." — marktrengove2 • May 29, 2018

"By my standard route from the lane, returning down the south ridge. Bright but cloudy, with a fresh south-west wind. The snow-dump of yesterday had completely melted, only remaining in streaks on the highest hills in North Wales - e.g. Cadair Berwyn. Watched a glider and heard a skylark. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Apr 3, 2018

"A circuitous route through Coed Fama, then two of the cwms on the eastern flank of the hill, ascending to the summit by the Pt. 464m central east ridge. Descent south by the Offa's Dyke trail and path down through the forest back to the lane. Hill walk with AC. High grey clouds with a few sunny breaks. Short hail shower as we finished our walk." — marktrengove2 • Mar 16, 2018

"By my standard route, before the rain came in. Cloudy, but no precipitation on the hike. Cold easterly wind. Cloud-base above the summits. Still banks of lying snow in places." — marktrengove2 • Mar 9, 2018

"From the Coed Fama car park, via the steep blue/purple route to the summit. Descent by the Offa's Dyke Path to Bwlch Penbarra, then on the path by the road back down to the car park. Weather bright but cloudy at first, with a few spots of rain on the descent. Chilly SSW wind. Paths partially obscured by melting ice and snow. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Mar 5, 2018

"With a slight easing in the wintry weather, I resolved to do an extended hike, in preparation for a trip to the Southern Highlands of Scotland the following weekend. The trip to Loch Tay was subsequently, unsurprisingly, aborted, given the weather conditions in the UK at the time. I carried full winter gear due to the extreme cold. A temperature, including wind-chill, of around -15 degrees Celsius was expected on the summit. I was carrying ice axe and crampons, though they weren't really needed - apart from the reassurance they afforded me. The main road to Loggerheads was in good condition, and I turned off into the country park without incident. After a warming coffee and ginger cake in the café, I headed back to the car to boot up for my walk. The narrow lanes west of Loggerheads had not been gritted, and cautious footwork was needed to make progress on them. I turned west onto a track, and then made my way into the Clwyd Forest up to a grit road. I followed these forest roads around two of the cwmau that flank the eastern side of the hill. I stopped to observe a very large flock of redwing sheltering in the trees, in constant chatter. Suddenly they all stopped t..." — marktrengove2 • Feb 28, 2018

"By my usual route from the lane to Bwlch Penbarra. Some sunshine at first, but then clouding in from the east with flurries of dry snow. Freezing easterly wind. Ground frozen, but dry. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Feb 26, 2018

"First ascent for nearly a month, due to a combination of head-cold, flu and foreign travel. By my usual route from the lane to Bwlch Penbarra, and descending the south ridge on the Offa's Dyke path. Pre-sunset walk, in an icy north-west wind, but with sunshine. View west obscured by a column of cloud funnelling up the Vale of Clwyd. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Feb 20, 2018

"By my usual route, after a virus infection, which made it heavier going than usual. Wild and windy, though the rain kept off - just. Some flooding visible in the Vale of Clwyd after the heavy rain. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Jan 24, 2018

"By my usual route, though extended by 250m each way as my usual parking area was full to bursting, with many people out in the sunshine marking the end of the Christmas season. A fierce freezing north-east wind blew across the summit, although the sun shone from a deep blue cloudless sky. The sun set behind Arennig Fawr as I descended to Bwlch Penbarra." — marktrengove2 • Jan 7, 2018

"By my usual route. Dull, cold and grey, with a freezing north-west wind. No rain, or snow. No lying snow, Cloud pouring east over the ridge, and summit intermittently cloud-capped. " — marktrengove2 • Jan 5, 2018

"Friday 22nd December 2017. My 331st ascent of my local hill Moel Fama 554.8m/278m, the highest point on the Bryniau Clwyd (Clwydian Range), Denbighshire/Flintshire, North-East Wales. 17.1km, with 565m of ascent. 5hrs 30mins. This was one of my longest routes up my much-visited local hill, in the cultured company of a long-lost friend hailing from deepest Surrey. We parked in Loggerheads Country Park and took a lengthy circuitous route to the summit through the Clwyd Forest, arriving to a partial cloud inversion in the Vale of Clwyd. As we descended to Cilcain for lunch in the White Horse Inn, the cloud prevailed, pouring east over the main ridge to shroud everything in mist. Our return route took us from Cilcain to the River Alyn, then following the old lead miners' Leete trail back to our starting point, reaching it some time after sunset." — marktrengove2 • Dec 22, 2017

"From the lane to Bwlch Penbarra, up and down the Offa's Dyke path on the south ridge to the summit. Paths coated in ice, slush and snow, so used Yaxtrax ice grips. Fierce cold WNW wind, bringing in heavy rain just as I reached the car. Solo." — marktrengove2 • Dec 14, 2017