Sunny.

It was a lot warmer today and sunny too. There was a light dusting of snow on the very tops of the hills but for the most part the snow had gone.

This week's walk began at Nant yr Arian or at least we parked there. Unsurprisingly since it was such a lovely day the lay-by was already full by the time I got there but I didn't mind paying £3 to park in the car park. After all on my last two visits I'd been able to park for free in the lay-by.

Instead of walking around Nant Yr Arian we took the same route that I'd ridden in the summer, crossing over the road and going through the fields up on to the next crest.

I well remember riding Cadno across this field starting from the bottom left of the photo.

Once on the crest we had stunning views across the valley to the wooded slopes of Nant Yr Arian (above) and westwards along the valley right out to the coast (below).

From there we ambled along the top of the hill for a while before dropping into a valley on the far side to look at the ruins of an old lead mine.

These ruins date back to the 18thC though mining for lead, copper and silver in West Wales dates back  2,000 years. The waste in the spoil heaps is so toxic that little grows on it and there is constant monitoring, by official bodies and concerned groups, of the local waterways.

A wheel pit for  the large water wheel that would have provided power for the mine machinery.

After eating our lunch spread out on a damp slope we swung around in a loop back to Nant Yr Arian including through a field with some friendly horses. I was happy to make friends with a large black horse while keeping it away from a couple of more nervous members of our group.

Back at the very warm visitors' centre we took over part of the café area for yet more chatting before I finally headed home.