TRAIL 100
RUSS MOORHOUSE is on a mission to camp out on every Trail 100 peak – a challenge that spans four countries, 100 of the UK’s finest hills and mountains, and a punishing 88,339m of ascent. This month Russ has a spiritual awakening on the side of a very damp mountain in Snowdonia.
WILD SLEEPS THIS MONTH
Aran Fawddw y Maesglase Cadair Idris Rhinog Fawr
Throughout my existence, I’ve been irresistibly pulled towards the mountains. This magnetic attraction is fuelled by both a conscious appreciation for the Earth’s magnificence and variety, and an unconscious, spiritual longing to connect with the natural world. Here I find my personal sanctuary and discern my place within the vast canvas of creation. And that place this month is in a soggy tent, drenched in clag on a chilly mountain in wet Wales.
My feet are tired, and trying to avoid the bog on the long hike over many summits on Aran Fawddwy is impossible. Every col is a quagmire. This feels like nowhere, or at least nowhere you’d want to be. Which is obviously why I have the mountain all to myself. As I sit on my air bed, feet sticking out the tent, I realise how much I enjoy this moment. The crossover point turning from hiker to camper. Zipping the tent shut I can forget about what is happening outside.
Three-quarters of the way up Maesglase I am bent over with hands on my knees, balancing the rucksack horizontally on my back, trying to find rest without sitting on the wet ground. Nant Maesglase waterfall is streaming over the edge of the cliff. The steep climb is a charming yet hard path through scarcely walked grass, and at the summit I find true isolation. A magnificent cliff edge runs all the way to the uncelebrated summit.
It’s nice weather if you are a waterfall on Cadair Idris. The Pony Track is very welcome today, a nice, easy path to follow made from man-laid stone. I pitch a fresh tent, not wanting to climb into a pre-soaked one at the cloud line. The summit is hidden and I set off chilled to the bone, struggling to stand up in the wind as raindrops feel like needles as they are blown into my face. This is more adve
