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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: 2-10 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 2020:- Martyn Harris, Fran Murphy, Sue and Michel Pelissier, Mike Dodd, David Savage, Wendy Peers, Celia de Mengle, Wendy and Ian Peers, Roger Smith, Paul Collinson, Ed Meads, Nigel and Elaine Taylor, Celia de Mengle, Sue Pearson.

Thursday 29 December 2011

Moel Fammau 29th December 2011

Moel Fammau from the viewpoint above Loggerheads Country Park.
Raring to go!
Walking along the Leet.
Escaping from the "breeze" on the summit of Moel Fammau.
The final section of the new (to us) descent.
Walk stats: Distance: 9.6 miles. Climb: 2158' (Taken from when we did the same route in 2010). On the GPS today mine came to 3057' and Roger's 3500', obviously they were both wind assisted.
Time: 5 hours 22 minutes. On the move walking average: 2.2 m.p.h. Overall walk average: 1.8 m.p.h.
Group: Martyn, Roger, Annie H., Sue and Michel, Wendy, Sylvia and Dave J.
The weather forecast wasn't particularly good and we were expecting lots of showers and high winds giving real feel temperatures just above freezing.
Thankfully the only real rain we encountered was after lunch, and the only challenging wind was as we approached the summit of Moel Fammau. It helped us on the ascent, but around the Jubilee Tower itself, the wind was so strong that the sensible ones didn't even attempt to climb it! Which two went to the top? Alas there is no photographic record of their feat!
This walk is always a good walk with its easy start along the Leet and the steady climb, eventually bringing us to our lunch spot just beyond the top reservoir.
By 12-20 we were on our way again, bracing the wind and the rain as we headed for the Offa's Dyke footpath.
Sue and Michel decided to take a lower level route that contoured around Mole Fammau  before heading back to Loggerheads.
The rest of us gritted our teeth, determine to reach the summit.  This done, we all passed the trig point, to follow a new to us path that headed almost in a straight line towards Brithdir Mawr. This is good route, but quite steep in places, but would be excellent on a dry, calm day!
Birds seen or heard today included: Carrion crow, Nuthatch, Fieldfare, Redwing, Chaffinch, Blue tit, Great tit, Coal tit, Jackdaw, Raven, Bullfinch, European robin, Blackbird and Long-tailed tit.
The most spectacular bird seen as we approached Moel Fammau, turned out to be bits of bracken  fifty feet above us, twisting and turning as they were caught by the ever icreasing "breeze".
After walk drinks were enjoyed at the Glasfryn in Mold, where Hawkhead bitter and Weetwood's Cheshire Cat went down well.
A good walk, despite being tired and weather beaten.
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