My pitch last night was at the base of one of the small local hils and the intial route is to go round that hill (Ty Cerrig) and a smaller one to the west of it (Glan-y-mor). Once round the second hill I am pretty much back on the coast and faced with a walk up the dramatic Traeth Bach where I look forward to good views over to the the Lleyn Peninsula and to the southern Snowdonian mountains. After going up and down the local hills at Llechollwyn (the day's highest point), I am walking on track by the side of a major saltmarsh until hitting the road at Llandecwyn Station where I cross over the River Dwyryd. It is road walk then until Penrhyndeudraeth where I am in Airbnb accommodation for a couple of nights.
On the track you have no view of the coast as there is a hill in the way and another one round the corner. The rain had stopped by the time I set off and with a weak sun at the back of the clouds it was quite a nice morning. Once you are clear of the two local hills, the landscape opens up and you are faced with a picture of grandeur. The local beach, Traeth Bach, is part of the Morfa Harlech Nature Reserve. It is part of the estuarine lands of a number of rivers which join up here including the River Dwyryd, Afon y Glyn and on the opposite shore the River Glaslyn. After joining up the Glaslyn the enlarged river discharges in to Tremadoc Bay. Follow the course of the River Dwyryd inland and you enter the Vale of Ffestiniog which is said to be very beautiful.
While the walk was probably the shortest of my whole trip so far, the scenery it offered more than made up for the shortness. Despite the cloudy and showery start, I walked in sunshine for most of the day, which was most welcome after my recent soakings. After more than five weeks walking, I was more than ready for a short day and even more content with the thought of a day off before moving on to the enigmatic and mysterious Lleyn Peninsula.