GLADMAN

Note the moth-eaten (tough moths in North Wales... mothus monstrousus) OS triangulation pillar, centre.

The massive footprint... a random snapshot of public perception of such monuments was accorded me by a passing, middle aged woman.. ‘are you photographing birds?’ says she. ‘No, I’m here for the archaeology, the Bronze Age cairn’, says I. ‘What cairn?’ says she, clearly bemused. Incidentally Carnedd y Filiast – site of the exquisite ‘Atlantic Slab’ – can be seen approx centre skyline beyond Nant Ffrancon.

Llwytmor is the peak with its head in the clouds... Bera Mawr the serrated summit to the right.

The prominent slab suggested the displaced remnant of a cist or chamber... however in this instance there was no corroborating evidence.. wishful thinking? Note, however, the truly massive footprint. I could not locate the ‘cup marked stone’ incidentally.

Llwytmor, Bera Mawr, Bera Bach and Drosgl (left to right) form the backdrop beyond the cairn...

Clearly this was a massive cairn in terms of overall footprint... however guess the nature of the original profile will be forever more open to conjecture.

A ‘tsunami’ of cloud pours over Carnedd Dafydd beyond... Yr Elen is centre left, with the splendidly be-cairned Drosgl far left.

As is often the case with upland cairns, the surmounting muppet shelter gives a totally false impression of the original size of this monument.

I walked right past during the morning without sussing... however closer investigation reveals a pretty clear cut monument, as depicted upon the 1:25K map. Incidentally these are the power pylons that march across the northern Carneddau to Bwlch-y-Ddeufaen...

Like a vision from a Wellsian nightmare... this cairn has witnessed the rise to pre-eminence of electricity; as opposed to the subliminal power of the shaman. Yeah, to paraphrase those Germans with the glacial werkrate... electricity; is in the air for you and me.

Retrospective of the Cras ridge ascending Moel Wnion... the southern monument can be seen far left of image, the much smaller north-eastern just visible to the right of the pylon. The foreground cairn appeared kosher to me, too.... although the positioning is perhaps suspect? Marker cairn?

The southern cairn and the approach to Moel Wnion; note that the trudge to the summit is – in my opinion – more of a trudge than first appearances may suggest.

Topography denies the southern cairn – at SH65197071 – sight of the Aber Falls

Southern monument, internal detail suggestive of a former cist, perhaps?

SH65197071 – Is that a kerb stone I see before me? Dunno; Banquo might know.

Southern cairn...

The massive stone pile of the southern cairn

The southern monument SH65197071... sprawling, and hollowed out to form a number of sheep shelters – as opposed to muppet shelters (?) – but nonetheless retaining a massive footprint with a suggestion of cist and former kerb stones.

Cist detail... Anglesey, featuring Puffin Island, lies beyond.

Looking across the cist to Drosgl...the grassy bulk of Moel Wnion rises to the right.

The cist... wherever I place my pole, that’s my goal. Don’t thing Paul Young – or Marvin, for that matter – would’ve got away with that.

The north-eastern cairn lies within a shallow col; contrary to appearances, the much larger – albeit shattered – southern monument does not occupy the near summit, instead placed out of shot to left.

The north-eastern cairn... by far the smaller of the two monuments here, but still preserving a cist. The seemingly other-worldly Beras rise to the left of Drosgl, the latter bearing a very fine cairn of its own.

Funny how what is, after all, just a pile of stones... can appear to have such exquisite form?

The rucksack provides some scale... this is a big cairn; it can be difficult to focus upon the green body below the collapsed (strange, that) muppet shelters on top – but there you are.

Looking approx west, the landscape trademark Berwyn deep heather making the going – anywhere but upon the landrover track – very difficult indeed.

An impressive arc of the footprint.

The grassy footprint is much more copious than I anticipated.

The loose stone forms but a small part of the surviving monument... the underlying grassy footprint is very substantial indeed.

Brightest it got all day..........

The sun shines upon the righteous; on TV, too... well according to Morten Harket, anyway. Didn’t get as far as the traveller perched upon Moel y Garnedd, however. Funny, that.

Hello my matey peeps. Llyn Tegid – aka Bala Lake – can be see beyond ‘Stadros’, innit?

Arenig Fawr and her little sister peak keep their own monuments tucked away out of sight.

Not the most upstanding of summit cairns... but facing the onslaught of the prevailing wind, that made two of us.

The remains of the summit cairn...

Toward brooding Trum Gelli, replete with cairns of its own.

Looking across the shy cairn to Trum Gelli...

Coflein mentions three cists upon Bryn Dinas, one of which apparently could not be located... perhaps it was this one? It’s near enough.

The cairn doesn’t exactly scream for attention, does it?... the positioning is far too exquisite. The path to Trum Gelli is obvious, the viewpoint Bryn Dinas.

SN63869959....

The monument can be seen in the field to the left of the old church...

From the road... my intention was to visit upon returning from Bryn Dinas; however darkness had other ideas.