BSC 2019: Beddgelert Forest Ramble (Saturday 09:30)
29 people attending
1 place left
5 people waitlisted
Beddgelert, or Gelert's Grave, is a pretty little village deep in the shadow on Snowdon itself.
This 8 mile walk will start at Rhyd-Ddu, to the north of Beddgelert Forest and will climb up to round 400m going around Y Gyrn before cutting back down into the Forest again and roughly following the Welsh Highland Railway onwards to Beddgelert itself.
At the village there will be time for a wander around the place, see Gelert's Grave and learn all about the legend of Prince Llewelyn and his faithful hound. I can also very much recommend the Ice Cream Parlour in the village!
We'll catch the steam train (the Welsh Highland Railway) back from Beddgelert to Rhyd-Ddu before returning to camp - please make sure you've got cash for the train fare (and probably for an Ice Cream as well...).
What to bring
This is a fairly easy walk but there is some rough/rocky sections and there is very likely to be some muddy sections especially in the Forest itself when we'll be walking on Forest Tracks. So, don't wear any foot ware that you're not happy to get covered in mud.
As this is north Wales, and it rains a lot, please bring at least a Waterproof jacket, and preferably also Waterproof trousers if you have them. If you don't have them, please make sure the trousers you are wearing are suitable for hiking (which generally means no jeans).
Obviously, if it looks like it's a hot and sunny day - then sunhats and sunblock are essential.
Please bring a rucksack to carry your lunch, water and waterproofs with you.
And, as I mentioned, we'll be getting the steam train back from Beddgelert to Rhyd-Ddu - so you'll need train fare!
Water: bring at least two litres
Medicines: if you have hay fever, diabetes, minor ailments etc.
Day rucksack: typically 20-30 litres, they are comfortable to wear and allow you to use your arms freely
Boots: waterproof and breathable and designed for hiking, trainers are OK if the ground is dry and there’s little chance of rain
Gaiters: recommended for wet weather or boggy conditions
Socks: proper walking socks will keep your feet dry and help prevent blisters
Layered clothing: lets you quickly adapt to changes in the weather and body temperature. Go for a base layer (vest or t-shirt) and a mid layer (a micro fleece or shirt) and in cooler weather add an outer layer (a windproof jacket or thick fleece)
Trousers: ideally no jeans as they become heavy and cold in the rain, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry and on warm days shorts are OK
Waterproof jacket: essential when hiking in all but the calmest of weather, breathable fabrics are more comfortable and dry
Gloves: Windproof, or better still, waterproof gloves are the best choice, bring a spare pair if expecting rain
Hat or cap: stay warm in winter and shaded in summer
Sunglasses: for any sunny day, even in winter
Sun cream: can be useful even on cloudy and winter days
Snacks: bring biscuits, energy bars, gels, bananas, chocolate or dried fruit for example and put them somewhere easy to get hold of
Lunch: bring a packed lunch unless otherwise stated
Food & drink
We'll be having lunch on the walk, so please bring a packed lunch with you (you'll be able to order a packed lunch through Outdoorlads for events at Big Spring Camp in advance), water and any snacks you'd like for the day.