A Brutal Weather Solo Mountain Adventure

On Day 1 of my Molwyns trip I headed up to Llyn Llagi, a beautiful lake up at 380m with a huge rock wall behind it. Water tumbles down this wall, making for a totally epic location for nights 1's camp.

As I approached the lake, low cloud rolled in, with the setting sun still shining through. It was one of the most beautiful experiences

I collected mountain water from the falls coming down the rock wall and set up for the night. It was a new moon, and up there in the clag, it was the first time that I couldn't see anything at all looking out of my tent door at night. Usually, the stars and the moon light the landscape and your eyes can adjust, but on this night there was nothing. I could have been anywhere, in my lil tent, a lil island in the blackness halfway up a mountain

Gear List

This gear list contains affiliate links. This means that WildBeare makes a small commission from any sales made via these links, at no extra cost to yourself - a great way to support the channel. Thank you
 
SHELTER
Tent Hilleberg Soulo + Footprint (Bad Weather Test & details about this tent here: https://youtu.be/mUi1IGskBig)
Microfibre Cloth for Condensation https://amzn.to/3rHZYyf
Spare Tent Pegs https://amzn.to/3PMvCqB
 
TREKKING POLE Fizan Compact 158g https://amzn.to/3ETBs6T
 
SLEEP SYSTEM
Sleeping Bag Leviathan OEX 900 https://amzn.to/3CEQriw
Winter Sleep Mat Neoair Thermarest Xtherm Max https://amzn.to/3uSjiLt
Trekology Aluft Delux Pillow https://amzn.to/3xwuhM1
Highlander Reflective Mat https://amzn.to/3OxQ2mv
Alpkit Kloke Lightweight Bivi Bag
 
RUCKSACK & PACKING
Deuter Aircontact 60+10L SL Women’s Rucksack https://amzn.to/3MqRvcW
Decathlon 10L Waist Bag
Exped Dry Bags https://amzn.to/33OmrDu
Nylofume Pack Liner - https://outdoorgearessentials.co.uk
 
SIT MAT Cheapo one https://amzn.to/3yP22u8
 
GPS / NAVIGATION / PLB
Garmin Inreach Mini https://amzn.to/3sVBi9f
Garmin Backpack Tether https://amzn.to/3sTRibM
Map & Compass
Phone https://amzn.to/3An5PQ7
 
FIELD REPAIRS
Tenacious Tape https://amzn.to/2PmjxOq
Duct Tape (I wrap it around my trekking pole) https://amzn.to/3qPKFEF
DD Superlight Guy Rope 16m (spare cordage) https://amzn.to/3hlefRW
 
COOKING
Hiking Stove https://amzn.to/3cM173q
Colemans Gas https://amzn.to/3rsp6bW
Jetboil Gas 230g https://amzn.to/3z5qV5L
Folding Gas Canister Stand https://amzn.to/3GLhHh4
Toaks 900ml Titanium Pot https://amzn.to/3j5Mwot
Matches https://amzn.to/3t0eRzN
X Bands https://outdoorgearessentials.co.uk
Opinel Pocket Knife No.6 https://amzn.to/3ad0HAo
Tito Titanium Spoon https://amzn.to/3xgwcqi
Lil pots https://amzn.to/3FG5fi8
ZipLock Bags https://amzn.to/3oST07r
Microfibre Cloths https://amzn.to/3rHZYyf
Bag for rubbish
 
WATER & HYDRATION
LifeStraw 650m Filter Squeeze Bottle https://amzn.to/3TSeDVe
x2 Bottles for camp
Milton Sterilising Tablets (for cleaning at home) https://amzn.to/3W4tLR5
 
TOILETRIES & PERSONAL CARE
Tissue
Baby wipes
Hand sanitiser
Trowel https://amzn.to/3etBVz9
Hair band
Lip balm
Talc
Toothpaste
Tiny mirror
Mini Tweezers
Tiny Pots https://amzn.to/3aJytgC
Toothbrush https://amzn.to/2LqwgxY
Sleep Mask https://amzn.to/3tD2lUs
 
MED KIT
Pain relief
Antihistamine
Plasters & blister plasters
Torniquet (only use with knowledge of how to use safely)
Wound Dressing & Small Bandage
Alcohol Wipes
 
CLOTHING & FOOTWEAR
Boots Regatta https://amzn.to/3jufjj0
Spare Bootlaces
Karrimor Womens Mid Weight Merino Hiking Socks https://amzn.to/3PswXU8
 
Waterproofs:
OMM Women’s Halo Pants https://amzn.to/3FBI9Ja
OMM Women’s Halo Jacket https://amzn.to/3MimZCc
 
Hiking Clothes:
Merino layers - Decathlon
Synthetic Hoodie https://amzn.to/3wQfPPu
Waterproof Gloves – Sealskinz https://amzn.to/3s48ucX
 
Clothes for Camp:
Down Puffy - Decathlon
Fleece neck warmer – Decathlon
 
ELECTRONICS
Power Bank Anker PowerCore https://amzn.to/3jqTQr2
Headtorch – Decathlon Bivouac USB (100 lumen)
Light - Goal Zero https://amzn.to/32RI1pR
Thermometer https://amzn.to/3TMdw9n
Charger Cables
Microfibre Cloth for drying hands & electronics in wet weather https://amzn.to/3rHZYyf
 
HEAT
Hot Hands https://amzn.to/3q1iiTp
Hot Hands (x40 pairs) https://amzn.to/3eCWKLg
 
FILMING
Camera – Sony ZV1 https://amzn.to/3t4VamJ
Ulanzi Wide Angle & Macro Lens https://amzn.to/3CC6Jaq
ZV1 Screen Protectors https://amzn.to/3tYOnPA
Sony Lavalier Mic https://amzn.to/3OOtvlC
128GB SD Card https://amzn.to/3tckuY8
Ring Light Clips https://amzn.to/2MZjCGK
Basic Tripod https://amzn.to/3nxGg7p
Mini Ball Heads https://amzn.to/32Zb87n
 
x2 GoPro 10’s https://amzn.to/3T9CDUB
Wind Shields https://amzn.to/3TesuWA
Screen Protectors https://amzn.to/3ww70Lf
Selfie Stick https://amzn.to/3zRjDTh
Rucksack Mount https://amzn.to/32Ojy4M
128GB Micro SD Card https://amzn.to/3p8XQ0v
Gorrillapod Flexible Mini Tripod https://amzn.to/3u9Tb3j
 
SAM the drone:
DJI Mavic Mini Drone Fly More Combo https://amzn.to/3rvF0SZ
+ an old iphone to control it – my phone is not compatible
128GB Micro SD Card https://amzn.to/3p8XQ0v
 
COMPUTER & EDITING
Editing Program – Davinci (Free)
Sony Headphones https://amzn.to/3yds75R
Mouse https://amzn.to/3yjY24t
Dell PC https://amzn.to/3CAp3mX
Seagate 10TB External Hard Drive https://amzn.to/3MnK4Vj
​

​Day 2 in the Moelwyns was crazyy and a total contrast to the springy loveliness of Day 1 😄

Despite being mild for the time of year, there was a freezing windchill and my fingers were getting cold by breakfast. I packed up the tent and headed off, preceding to fall into a bog close to where I'd just camped, by Llyn Llagi. I had stepped onto what looked like normal grass and felt that sickening wobble, as if I'd stepped onto a water bed. Before I had time to retreat, I was already falling through and threw myself forward to spread my weight. Followed by a rather chaotic, splatty kind of crawl onto solid ground

This shook me up.

I spent an hour slowly making my way out of the mess of bogs disguised as grass, prodding every step in front of me with my trekking pole until I made it onto a vague mountain path

Ascending up, I lost the views of Llyn Llagi and decided that I didn't like the look of the climb to the next lake on my route; Llyn Yr Adar. It looked steep, and the wind and clag was rolling in fast. I decided instead to find a way via Llynnau 'r Cwn, up to the Ysgafell Wen ridge

Up on the ridge the clag whipped by, hiding all the views and the rain came in too. The weather up there was vicious. The wind howled around me. I passed on the east side of Llyn Edno, lil white waves breaking on his shores - the only part of him visible as he disappeared into the white. Then I turned and headed west, descending, down out of the cloud and out of the crazy weather

My boots were so sodden that for the first time, I didn't bother taking them off for a river crossing, there wouldn't have been any point haha! And then I pitched, at around 300m, with the most beautiful views toward Llyn Dinas and the surrounding mountains. The light faded and I eventually fell into a restless sleep, dreaming of quagmires and an uneasy feeling of watery-tangly-dread.. I really don't like those things

DAY 3

The night had been blustery, but I caught a brief glimpse of Pleiades through a break in the clouds and woke to a still and peaceful morning

I watched the clag dance about the rocky outcrops in front of the tent as I had my breakfast, packed up and followed Afon Llynedno down into the valley, with views across to Llyn Dinas. I clamboured over rocks, visited the remains of a tiny stone house, and wondered who had lived there and what those old walls had seen

There was no weather and no drama, a nice calm and easy descent after the madness of the previous day

And so I emerged from the mountains, slightly battered, but also slightly new. This trip managed to scare the living daylights out of me, but it also showed me such amazing things. It was a lil adventure of extremes; wonder and fear. Beautiful and brutal.

The Wild Places humble me in various ways - in this case by chucking me into a bog and then hitting me with a storm 😅 but they also help me find my strength. I am never exactly the same person who walked in a few days ago. I have seen more, felt more, lived more, learned more. I am slightly changed.

So thank you mountains, for letting me pass through once again. For your beauty, and for all you have to teach me