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When? Started: 1993 Who? Started with staff and friends from U H S, Chester. Organiser: Martyn Harris We walk every Wednesday and Saturdays, New Years day and May Day. How many walk? Walks take place as long as there are at least 2 wanting to walk on that day. More walk on a Wednesday than on a Saturday. Most ever: 29. Current group size walking: 2-7 in mid-week and 2-4 on Saturday. Where do we walk? Saturday: Anywhere in North and Mid-Wales, Peak District, Shropshire and the Long Mynd and as far North as the Trough of Bowland. Thursday: Anywhere within about 40 miles of Chester. Type of walk: Distance: 6 – 14 miles (but usually under 10 miles). Climb: up to 4000’ (but usually very much less!). People involved on walks in 2024:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage,, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Winston Feather.

Thursday, 27 August 2015

Llanefydd, Mynydd-y-Gaer and Moelfre Isaf 27thy August 2015

A poor attempt to capture over a hundred House sparrows - just 2!
Snowdonia from Mynydd-y-Gaer.
On the Eastdern ramparts of Mynydd-y-Gaer

Between the North eastern ramparts of Mynydd-y-Gaer.
Our first sighting of deer.
The leader of the herd.
Just looking to see if there are any trout in the Afon Elwy?
At the trig point on Moelfre Isaf with Snowdonia on the horizon.
The descent of Moelfre Isaf with the many wind turbines just off the North Wales Coast at Rhyl/Prestatyn.
Walk stats: Distance: 9.5 miles. Climb: 1739'.
Time: 5 hours 38 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.1 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Sue and Michel, Wendy and Phil.
The approach to Llanefydd is always a challenge for the driver with about 4 miles of single track roads to negotiate. Thankfully today Michel had volunteered to drive in his new car with its detectors beeping if you got to near to objects and a camera view to help reversing! We were lucky that the only car coming towards us, quickly stopped and reversed to a suitable spot where we could pass.
 After that the walk was a piece of cake, although we did find one path on the map wasn't in fact on the ground and another involved us going through a gate in wrong place, but at least this was going onto open access land on Mynydd-y-Gaer.
 Overall the weather today was almost perfect for walk, warm and sunny a pleasantly cooling breeze, although early in the walk, three of the group realised that keeping sun hats on could be a challenge when it gusted!
 Some of the views from Mynydd-y-Gaer and Moelfre Isaf were quite stunning with most of the peaks from the Clwydian Hills to Snowdonia been easily identified.
  Lunch was taken about a kilometre short of the trig-point on Moefre Isaf, where we had superb views of Mynydd-y-Gaer and most of where we had walked in the morning. 
 Alas most of the walk in the afternoon was along minor roads, easy walking, but perhaps not ideal, but with tiring legs the road route was the most direct way back to the car.
 At the start of the walk we were surprised to see over 100 House sparrows around the hedges at Llanefydd Primary School suddenly take to the air in front of in two groups of about fifty each. Alas I wasn't quick enough to take a photo of them all! 
 Today we were lucky enough to get sightings of deer, Red deer first and possibly Roe deer later on.
 Birds seen or heard included: House sparrow. Black-billed magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion crow, Jackdaw, Raven, Common kestrel, Common buzzard, Common blackbird, Mute swan, Mallard Common coot and Little grebe and Wood nuthatch.
 After leaving Llanefydd we had another exciting trip along single track roads following sat nav back to St Asaph - a little longer than the inward route.
 We were all ready for and enjoyed our drinks at the Blue Bell at Halkyn. The Rosie's Perry went down particularly well with not just one member of the group!
 Overall a good walk, requested again by Phil to be done in Spring before the bracken starts growing and by Michel id someone else is driving!

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