As promised a follow up to Cadair Idris, a walk from Tywyn to the Dolgoch Falls.
Setting off early doors I left Tywyn and trusted my google maps to get me to the falls. I soon left Tywyn and found myself walking up a farmhouse drive to join the trail. It consistently followed the railway like and the hope of seeing a steam train pass by rushed into my thoughts. I was soon walking on an elevation that meant the path grew narrower. And lead to a traverse across a sheep field that played havoc with my ankles!
However, soon I was back down on a reasonable level and following a much better path. Chasing sheep through the brush I came across a skull just off the path. Being the strange individual that I am I naturally went over to the skull and examined it. My attention had been drawn to it a I earlier found a jaw line on the path itself. As I continued, I found more and more skulls. I of course though the farmer might collect and use them for bonemeal but as there were so many and the path was clearly not walked regularly, I figured the farmer wouldn’t miss a few skulls and popped them in my backpack to be sterilised and displayed at home. The pièce de résistance was a spine which also somehow made its way into my backpack, very strange!
At this point I found a clearing where I planned to stop and take on some water, that’s when it happened. The unmistakable whistle and chugging of a steam train! Choo Choo I exclaimed, as if the wife was next to me (She loathes that I say this when ever I see a train, naturally this only encourages me to do it even more!). I rested whilst I was waiting for the train and observed my skulls though felt slightly harsh as I turned around only to be greeted by what could have been a distant relative of the very bones I was holding. I of course apologised to the sheep and popped the skulls away. Soon the delightful little train with five carriages in tow came past, I resisted the urge to wave at the passengers as this has always baffled my why people do that. I then continued to the falls.
As I was nearing my destination the ground beneath me became soggy and wet. I thought nothing of it until, plop went my entire right leg up to my knee into a peat bog. I was undoubtedly lucky as a large stick was within reach and I used it to leaver my leg out of the bog, somehow managing to save my boot in the process! I then tentatively poked the ground before each step and made my way to a locked gate at the edge of the falls. On the other side of the gate hung a warning of unstable surfaces underfoot, sadly I was given no warning from my direction, typical.
I proceeded to find leaves to wipe the mud from my leg and boot as it had begun to smell rather badly! I continued a short distance to join the falls path and saw my salvation, a family, with a small child, it could mean only one thing. Baby wipes! I dejectedly asked if I could have some and they kindly obliged and we laughed together at my misfortune. I thanked them and went on my way climbing up to the falls.
On reaching the top I saw the water falling into a cascade of pools each larger than the last. Walking around giving polite greetings to other travellers. Not quite at the base of the falls there was a cave which I was interested to pop into however, upon further inspection it was totally flooded, and I thought my boots had been through enough already.
I continued to the bottom of the falls and took in the area which I was blessed with a warm sunny day to make it as fantastic as possible. Not making the same mistake as Caider Idris I parked up in a little tearoom whilst I waited for my lovely wife to pick me up and take me back to Tywyn. The walk there was enough for me, as both I and my boots were in desperate need of a wash!
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