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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.

Saturday 14 July 2012

Around the Great Orme Again 14th July 2012

One of the many Common blue butterflies seen today. 
A Grayling butterfly.
Llandudno Pier from the path near the ski slope (top of Happy Valley gardens).
On the way to the zig-zag steps and the "Invalids' Terrace".
Walk stats: Distance: 9.5 miles. Climb: 1371'.
Time: 5 hours 38 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.7 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Dave J and Celia.
After the continuous rain of yesterday, this turned out to be a superb day, two or three spots of rain early on, and then mainly glorious sunshine. Not too hot and not too cold, and only a gentle breeze  to help us on the final "descent" to the zig-zag steps. Even Conwy Mountain was in cloud for most of the day, but we were in the best place without doubt.
Today turned out to be a butterfly day, particularly for the Common blue, that we seemed to everywhere on the Western side of the Great Orme. We saw a few Meadow brown, and if Dave is correct, a Grayling and Small heath too.
Flowers too were magnificent, particularly the Rock rose that was seen in abundance.
Not forgetting the birds, it was a Kestrel day, we must have seen at least 10, including a couple of juveniles.
Birds seen or heard today included: Kestrel, Jackdaw, Herring gull, Mute swan, Oystercatcher, Great cormorant, Chaffinch, Common blackbird, Greenfinch, Common buzzard, Guillemot, Gannet, European robin, Dunnock, Stonechat, Barn swallow, House martin, Raven, Red-billed chough, Black-billed magpie, House sparrow, Woodpigeon, Meadow pipit, Skylark, Kittiwake, Fulmar, Great black-backed gull, Lesser black-backed gull, Common starling, Pied wagtail, Linnet and Goldfinch.
We had lunch at the pic-nic site below(North) the summit of the Great Orme, where a very happy spaniel joined us and insisted that I threw a stick for it to retrieve. Thankfully it eventually failed in the task and rejoined its owner!
Always a superb walk, but today was one of the best!
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Britannia Inn at Halkyn, a good pint of Lees bitter, the perfect way to celebrate a perfect walk!

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