Bala Lake, or as it is correctly called Llyn Tegid, is always going to make for an attractive walk. However the choice is wide. Many take the train and return along the southern shores but I preferred to head for the higher lands to the north. This makes for a good circular walk.
When I talk higher lands I am not really meaning any particular climbs but just enough to offer some good views of the lake. The walk has two additional, related benefits; one it is quiet (even on a sunny day I saw know one except on the lakeside return) and two it gave a feel for more traditional land management practices ie: it was interesting! An additional benefit for me personally was the walk was over virgin territory, an interesting and not always successful planning exercise.
The basics for the walk was a start in Bala town, a climb of Moel-y-Garnedd and some lakeside walking. To link these I started by climbing the dead end road heading west from the western end of the town. From here enter in to the rough access land and join the faint Right of Way as it crosses west towards the summit of Moel-y-Garnedd. The views towards Arenig Fawr are particularly good but there is also glimpses of the lake and beyond. On the return tfollow the bridlepath back to the lakeshore, it is a good and interesting path. The alternative takes you over rough ground (I lost the path) in to a Holiday Park and therefore little to recommend it!
The return along the lakeside is lovely, I kept dropping in to the hidden stony beaches/cpves and over the rocks for better views. Continue along the lakeshore in to the town and the path skirting the northern shoreline.
Bala has some of the best white water rafting in Britain as well as enjoyable water ports on the lake. It is somewhere to stay when walking is only part of the holiday experience!
This is one of the occasions where I kept to the road a little longer than needed even though there was an option to strike out over a footpath. On the initial climb from Bala a right of way heads left across the fields before the dead end road enters access land. The path does not exist on the ground, crosses some potentially muddy streams and many stone walls. A few hundred metres further up the road (a ‘path on the ground’, marked by black dashes, follows a wall to join the right of way on entering the access land. It is much to be preferred.
You will start to recognize this king of option the more you plan your own walks.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Δ
