10th September 2015
Swallow Falls & Fairy Glen
I got up around 06:00, did my useual morning ritual of, making a coffee, and getting some fresh air up the top of the garden, I knew it was too early to call Susie, I just waited until I get a text message off her before calling her.
Andy got up around 08:00, and James about 30 minutes later. During breakfast we discussed our plans for the day, and we decided to head to Betws-y-Coed, and visit Swallow Falls. We set off at around 09:50 and arrived at The Swallow Falls Hotel car park at around 10:35.
Swallow Falls
I gave Susie a call, as she wasn't felling too well this morning when she texted me, and was going back to bed. In the mean time Andy & James had already crossed the road and bought the entrance tickets to the falls. I know I have passed the falls on many occasions, but not sure if I have ever been to have a look. They are quite specatcular falls. We started to take some photos, at which point I asked Andy for a bit of tuition, on how to take a photo that makes the water look milky and smooth. Andy told me which settings to use, and to play about with the settings to get the effect I was after, so off I went with my new found techniques.
Three of what I think are my best photos of Swallow Falls.
It started to get quite busy at the falls, and what with three of us trying to take photos using tripods or monopods, it was getting a bit cramped, especially as we were taking long exposure photos. Andy was the first to go back to the top of the steps, and have a sit down and a fag. I followed him up about 5 minutes later, and we both just sat and talked while we waited for James to make his way up to us. We left Swallow Falls around 12:10.
We drove down into Betws Y Coed, and got prked up, we headed for the main street through Betws Y Coed to find somewhere to eat. As we walked along the road, we saw a man in the field across the road, with the biggest bubble wand we had seen.
Man with the giant bubble wand.
We went to Y Stablau (Stables Bar), which is to the side of, and part of The Royal Oak Hotel. The food was very nice, Andy & I had a steak baguette, I cannot remember what James had.
From here we had a wander up the main street looking in some shops as we went, especially outdoors shops. When we had come out of one of the shops we noticed there was a road which turned right and went over a narrow bridge, so we went to investigate. There was also another outdoors shop across the bridge. We all went into the shop, and had a look around, then Andy and I left and went across the road near to the small waterfall by the bridge, I hadn't brought my DSLR, but the cameras on the modern mobile phones are as good as any point and shoot cameras, so I took some photos with that.
The small waterfall near to the bridge.
Top of the waterfall.
When James joined us outside, we headed back into the centre of town and then towards the car, on the way there, we called into the tourist information office, mainly for a look around. James bought some more presents, while Andy and I looked at the books.
Andy had mentioned a place to visit, a place called Fairy Glen, that isn't too far away from Betws Y Coed, but he couldn't remember exactly how to get there. While we were looking at the books, one of us found details about Fairy Glen, including directions, so I cheated and took a photo of the information needed.
So how to get to Fairy Glen......
Fairy Glen is located 1.2 miles south of Betws-y-Coed. Take the A5 south from Betws-y-Coed passing over Thomas Telford's Waterloo Bridge. Just after the bridge the road veers to the right and the A470 joins from the left. Continue on the A5 for 150m then turn right onto the A470 signposted for Dolgellau. After 0.6 miles turn left up a track on the left just after the Fairy Glen Hotel and just before crossing the bridge over the River Conwy.
Park in the car park on the left, 50m up this track. Note there is a £1 fee for using this private car park plus 50p per person to visit the glen, leave money in an honesty box on the approach to the river.
Parking postcode: LL24 0SL
OS Map grid ref: SH 799 547
Map: OS Explorer Map OL17 (1:25 000) Snowdon/Yr Wyddfa
From the car park it is a bit of a trek to the glen, but it is well signposted, and there are two ways to go, We followed the main track to the glen, the tack going down to the glen can be a bit treacherous, especially in wet weather. The Fairy glen is a lovely liitle place, we all started to take photos.
Fairy Glen
Here again, I statred to use the new skills Andy had taught me, I think the more I look back at the photos I have taken on this day, I think I used these techniques a bit too often, but then again I should not forget how to use these techniques. We all went to our own areas to take photos, and then more or less changed places with each other. A few people came down to look at the glen, and take a few snap shots, and then leave again.
I think this is my favourite photo from Fairy Glen.
A couple arrived in the glen, carrying camera equipment, they did what we did, and went to a different area of the glen and started to set up. I was possibly in the way of the mans shot, and as I was finished, I moved out of his way. I made my way around the back of the lady, so I would not be in her way, and took some more photos from a different angle. At this point Andy said he was going to start heading back up the track, I decided I had taken all the photos I wanted and so followed Andy up the track. Leaving James to carry on taking photos.
We arrived at the point where the track split, one way went back to the car park, the other went along the river bank trail. Andy wanted to see if we followed the river bank trail, if it would give us another view up towards the fairy glen, so we followed this track. This track didn't give us any decent views towards fairy glen, but I found a gap in the trees, which gave me a view down onto the river, so I stopped to take some photos, Andy continued along the track.
Taken from the river bank trail.
When I had finished taking my photos from this new spot, I carried on along the track looking for Andy, thinking he would have found another place to take photos from, but he was nowhere to be seen. I called him on my phone, and asked where he was, he said he was just near the picnic tables, and he would be there in a minute, well I was near the picnic tables, so I waited for a few minutes, still no sign of Andy! I continued along the track, eventually the track headed away from the river, there was a sign post saying Fairy Glen this way, which was the opposite way to which I had come. I thought, if it went back to the Fairy Glen, then I would be able to find my way back to the car. I sent Andy a text message, saying I would meet him at the car.
The track ended up near to where the start of the walk was, and I also noticed some other picnic tables here, which must have been the ones Andy had mentioned.. I headed to the car park, and there I found Andy & James waiting in the car for my return. It was now around about 17:40, we had decided earlier in the day, to have a curry for our evening meal, we had decided to go to a restaurant in Caernarfon, on our way back to the cottage. So we headed back, going through Capel Curig, once through Capel Curig, we noticed the view of Snowdon with menacing clouds near the summit, so Andy pulled over so we could get some photos.
My black & white photo of Snowdon with the menacing clouds.
On the outskirts of Caernarfon, we noticed an Indian restaurant called Sopna Curry House, so instead of going into Caernarfon, and having to find somewhere to park and then find a curry house, we decided to go to this one. We were a bit suspect of the food when we entered as there was no one else in there, but we were quite suprised, the food was very good. So we were fed and watered by around 18:55, and arrived back at the cottage around 19:30.
What a great day this was, I don't think I have spent as much time in Betws-y-Coed, as I did this day, but it helps if you have great company and not in any great rush to be anywhere else.
We all came to the same conclusion, Sopna Curry House, has one of the best views we have ever seen.
