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the Degree Confluence Project
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United Kingdom : Wales

4.8 km (3.0 miles) WNW of Blaenau-Ffestiniog, Gwynedd, Wales, United Kingdom
Approx. altitude: 518 m (1699 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 53°S 176°E

Accuracy: 5 m (16 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: All Zeros!!! #3: View North #4: View East #5: View South #6: View West #7: Dawn and my brother Chris. #8: The Chaple Ruins #9: The view out to Tremadog Bay

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  53°N 4°W (visit #7)  

#1: View of spot.

(visited by Phil Sharpe and Dawn Sharpe)

12-Jun-2005 -- At last, after two trips to the area in the past 12 months I finally bagged this one. I had been to Snowdonia twice recently scuba diving the slate quarries with the intention to visit this point afterwards but never got a chance, so this camping weekend away with my brother and his friends was a case of third time lucky!

My brother Chris has recently got back into camping and asked Dawn and I (Who as you probably know from our other CP narratives are seasoned campers and outdoors people) if we would go along. We stayed in the campsite in Nant Peris for the weekend and climbed Snowdon on the Saturday. I took the boys up via Crib Goch and Dawn took the girls up the Pig track.

Only Chris, Dawn and I went on this mission as the others had left for home and to be fair I didn’t blame them. The weather was not at all like Saturdays glorious sunshine but had turned to be very wet, rainy and generally miserable. Add to that they were stiff from the previous day and for me the worst cause; sick to death of the unbelievable amount of midges in the campsite making it impossible to sit outside. There were so many that we were choking on them and any exposed skin was attacked. I was trying to sell the camping culture to them but because of the midges and poor weather I think they left unimpressed.

Unperturbed we put a brave face on it and headed off. It took a little while to get to the area from Llanberis and we had a little difficulty finding the correct car park. Once there we weren’t very enthusiastic about setting off on foot in the rain but I was determined not to let this one elude me again. As we started walking we were all impressed with the beauty of the area and all the history there was in the ruins of old buildings. It is amazing to think that in days gone by there was a whole community living and working here. Life must have been very hard. There was at this point a differing of opinions on the previous description of this CP.

The last visitor had described the route as “mostly flat with a few steep bits” Chris and Dawn were complaining that in their opinion it should have read “a flat bit with a long very steep bit!!” It took a little while to get up the hill however we finally made it up onto the top plateau where again there are many ruins from the slate mines. The area is certainly very fascinating. When we started walking onto the moorland Chris had to stop as he was only wearing trainers so Dawn and I legged it the last 400m or so jumping the bogs to the point. As usual Dawn got fed up, as it was taking a little while to get there and had a strop! I managed to get her to walk the last bit and as always she was smiling when we finally got there.

The spot is right next to a little tarn with beautiful views all around. You can see the sea at Tremadog Bay in the distance. It really is a fantastic spot. When all the necessary photos were taken we quickly made our way back. To end I have to say that this is my favourite confluence point I have done so far. The scenery is amazing, there is a lot of history surrounding this area and the walk to get there is in my opinion (not Chris and Dawns !) the right length and difficulty to make it an achievement.


 All pictures
#1: View of spot.
#2: All Zeros!!!
#3: View North
#4: View East
#5: View South
#6: View West
#7: Dawn and my brother Chris.
#8: The Chaple Ruins
#9: The view out to Tremadog Bay
ALL: All pictures on one page
  Notes
In the Snowdonia National Park.