Diario de joebrogers

Zec des Martres

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Woke up just before 6 to great morning colours, same view as one of my shots when I first arrived to camp in the rain yesterday, but with instead tinted with red.

This glorious Upis was hanging around by my pack as I went to get ready to make a morning expedition to Mont du Lac a L'Empech.

Only took a few minutes of climbing switchbacks to reach an open view of the cabin near where I had camped, and Lac a l'Ecluse behind it.

After stopping to lay down in the sun on the north summit, while it lasted, I continued climbing towards the middle peak, to be greeted by a sea of clouds in the valley ahead.

Reaching the small plateau of the middle peak leading into the main summit, expansive views of nearby peaks.

Along with an even broader sea of clouds in another valley.

The summit also rewards me with phone signal, for the first time since leaving the initial area of Mont du Dôme. I'm able to check the forecast, which promises 10mm of rain at 1pm and thunderstorms for the following 5 hours. It's currently 8:30am. My plan for the night is to camp at the great spot by the lake I passed yesterday, so I've only got a couple of km to go from today's campsite and then I can pre-emptively set up some shelter.

I arrive back at the lake by 10am.

Compared to yesterday, the lake is quite active with frogs, although I only see clamitans and septentrionalis. This clamitans surprised me with a well executed catch of a dragonyfly.

....and then continues to think about a second round.

Cool to find some more slime mold, amongst another miniature forest of Cladonia.

Pompilid that was walking amongst the lichen.

It doesn't seem like the rain or thunder that was forecasted earlier is coming in yet, despite being almost 2. So I decide to make the trip up to the summit just behind the lake, Butte aux Mouches, to see if I'm also able to get phone signal up there to check the forecast again and potentially video call with my family.

I approach it from the steeper and more rugged trail from the south face, and find that whilst the summit area overlooking the lake doesn't have signal, the summit area some 30m away looking at the peaks to the east has pretty good signal. After the call, it looks like an hour or so of rain is finally going to come in, so I descend to the north. I don't take any pics, as I decided I would climb back up after the rain with my stove to cook dinner and then try and get some pictures as the sun descends.

It rains for about 30-40 minutes, but relatively hard.

Zec des Martres

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Shortly after I wake up this morning, an elderly couple come riding down the trail I'd hiked the previous day on an ATV (not a route I really had pegged as accessible for it, but surprise surprise), turns out one of the boats chained up at the campsite belong to them. They get it on the water and then spend the next few hours fishing.

I don't have much to do today, it's not particularly far to get back to the trailhead car park from camp, but my pickup won't be here until about 8pm, so I've got the day to fill. I decide to see how my legs feel as to whether I want to pick up all 3 summits on the way out or not.

The return trail from Lac à la Main to Lac du Gros Ruisseau however kicks my ass this morning. My pack is marginally lighter now I'm no longer carrying much food, but not light enough.

I fill up my filter at a stream closer to the Mont du Dôme trailhead, before returning back and following the fork towards Mont Saint-Michel.

Last views of Lac du Gros Ruisseau for the trip.

Where the trail forks between the pair of summits and the return back to the car park, I leave my pack off the trail to collect on my return, to save some climbing weight.

I decide to go with Sommet de l'Orignal.

I decide I'm going to be lazy, and spend the rest of the afternoon on this summit instead of doing any more hiking. The views of Mont Saint-Michel and Le Pioui are good.

More slime mold on the return back down.

Zec des Martres

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Day 1 - 2024-07-05 // 4 obs, 6 photos, 1 video

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Day 2 - 2024-07-06 // 75 obs, 127 photos

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Day 3 - 2024-07-07 // 27 obs, 62 photos, 2 videos

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Day 4 - 2024-07-08 // 27 obs, 22 photos

Rhinog Fawr

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Drove up to the holiday village just over the road in Bronaber the evening before.
Little walk around early in the morning.

Nice view of the Rhinogs a few paces from the cabin, although covered by cloud.

Greeted by a swallow in the trailhead carpark.

Foreground changing but the background stays the same.

Small stream running alongside the trail for a short while on the approach.

Very misty today.

Cool Eutrhix caterpillars.

Already quite close to the summit, decide to take a look back to try and spot the car with the 600mm.

Nice wall.

Some lichen on the summit rocks of Rhinog Fawr.

Not the greatest visibility.

Llŷn Peninsula

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Clearer views of the Rhinogs today from the holiday village.

Decided to tackle Yr Eifl.

Interesting clouds.

The trail was suddenly quite busy with insects.

Coed-y-Brenin

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Short hike today after checking out to fill the morning before driving home in the afternoon, to round off the trip with some trees and waterfalls.

There were a pair of grey wagtails hanging out by Pistyll Cain.

Northwest Wales

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Day 1 - 2024-05-04 // 16 obs, 82 photos

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Day 2 - 2024-05-05 // 14 obs, 46 photos

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Day 3 - 2024-07-07 // 2 obs, 17 photos

Forest of Dean

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Early morning for a few hours driving across the country from London, first stop, Forest of Dean. Hoped to maybe spot a boar, however didn't have any luck.

Found some juicy dung beetles almost immediately.

Lifer treecreeper.

Found a very tiny cave, with a very tiny mushroom inside.

Stopped for a roast Sunday lunch before continuing on towards our second destination, wasn't expecting to spot this big carp.

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Blaen-y-glyn

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Quick stop for a waterfall trail.

Passed a small pool containing several Rana temporaria tadpoles

My only frog observation or amphibian in general whilst in the UK.

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Fan Fawr Uplands

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Not much remaining daylight, and looking like rain, but also hopefully not too far to travel to find somewhere nice to pitch camp.

Sheep were pretty much everywhere.

Dramatic lighting as rain approaches.

Also encountered a Pokemon battle occurring between a Pipit and a Skylark.

Fan Fawr Uplands

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Early morning awakening again.

Along the walk back through the unmarked upland terrain, I stepped into an invisible peat bog hidden under the carpeted ground, where I became immediately stuck up to my stomach in mud, with my full pack on. Fortunately, my friend handily pulled me back out, and I had a spare set of clothes back at the car.

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Craig-y-Cilau / Eglwys Faen

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Limestone escarpment, we're hoping will be home to a relatively accessible cave.

We spot the first little entrance in the rock.

As usual, lots of sheep.

Finally we find an entrance big enough we can actually fit into.

Narrow passages, and a bit of crouching, but seems to have at least a small walkable area. I don't have a flash however for any pictures.

The area is home to some rare plants, however I don't know what they look like, and only got pictures of some common stuff.

We find the main entrance, much larger, and home to several rooms and passages we're able to explore.

Southeast Wales

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Day 1 - 2024-05-26 // 15 obs, 48 photos

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Day 2 - 2024-05-27 // 20 obs, 46 photos