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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.

Friday, 17 November 2017

Pen y Grog Mine and Nant Ffriddisel 16th November 2017

Pen y Grog from Pont Carrog.
Pen y Grog from Pont Carrog Mine.
Fishing on the Dee West of Pont Carrog.
Autumnal colours on show.
Playing the waiting game.
At Pen  Grog Mine.
An old boiler at Pen y Grog.
The llantysilioMountins from the slopes above Carrog Newydd.
Carrog Station, but no trains running today.
Walk stats: Distance: 5.9 miles. Climb: 1227'.
Time: 4 hours 4 minutes. On the move walking average: 1.8 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.4 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Roger, Sue and Michel.
Approaching Carrog it was raining quite hard and all nearby hill tops were in cloud, and it was hard to believe that the weather forecast would be right and it would clear mid-morning. After waiting ten minutes in the car it did, and we managed to set of on the walk, experiencing only a few spots of rain for the rest of the day.
 The views across the Dee Valley towards the Llantysio Mountains were superb, enhanced by Autumnal colours.
 The final climb up the grassy slope to the Pen y Grog Mine is never inviting and Sue decided the best option was sit on a convenient rock admiring the view and enjoying the warm sunshine.
 The rest of us reached the old mine where one or to old carts were still in reasonable condition near the tram way.
 As we started the climb through Nant Ffriddisel, were learned that there was a Pheasant shoot taking place in the afternoon in the location that we had hoped to explore on the way back to Carrog, so we had to revise our route and walk back along the road to Llidiat y Parc.
 Lunch was take just after leaving the Carrog Plantation where we could take advantage of an old stone wall. At this point we were in bright sunshine, but being more expose it was accompanied by quite a cool wind.
 Sue provided us all with some delicious apple cake, made from some of windfall apples collected on the walk last week.
 As we descended the views of the Llantysilio Mountain and Eglwyseg Escarpmnts  opened up, looking superb with blue skies above.
 Birds seen or heard today included: House sparrow, Blue tit, Common blackbird, Common buzzard, Rook, Jackdaw, raven, Fieldfare, Grey heron, Common chaffinch, raven and Peregrine falcon.
 We arrived back at the car, having had a good walk and ready to enjoy refreshments at the Grouse Inn. as usual the Lees bitter was excellent.

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