Project Co-Ordinator Llwybr Ynni Eryri Energy Trail

£10,500 for 85 days between Nov 2012 & Jun 2013

Environmental social enterprise, EcoBro CIC, are seeking a bilingual person with excellent people and organisational skills & a genuine interest in increasing sustainability in Eryri to work with the Project Manager to plan and deliver an exciting programme of events including Gwynedd’s first ‘eco open-doors’ event for Sustainability Week, 2013.

The job will be home based and the successful candidate will need to be able to work flexibly and travel across Eryri.This is a self-employed position and, if necessary, EcoBro CIC can support the successful candidate to set up as a freelance worker.

For more details please contact Bethan Gritten on 07769 180 257 / beth.gritten@gmail.com

Closing Date 18.10.12 / Interviews will be held on 25.10.12

Cydlynydd Prosiect Llwybr Ynni Eryri Energy Trail

£10,500 am 85 diwrnod rhwng Tach 2012 & Meh 2013

Mae menter gymdeithasol amgylcheddol CBC EcoBro yn chwilio am berson dwyieithog gyda sgiliau pobl a sgiliau trefnu rhagorol, ynghyd â diddordeb gwirioneddol mewn cynyddu cynaliadwyedd yn Eryri, i weithio gyda’r Rheolwr Prosiect i gynllunio a darparu rhaglen gyffrous o ddigwyddiadau gan gynnwys digwyddiad ʽeco ddrysau agored’ cyntaf Gwynedd ar gyfer Wythnos Cynaladwyedd 2013.

Byddwch yn gweithio gartref a bydd angen i’r ymgeisydd llwyddiannus fod yn gallu gweithio’n hyblyg a theithio ar draws Eryri. Swydd hunangyflogedig yw hon a, lle bo angen, bydd CBC EcoBro yn gallu helpu’r ymgeisydd llwyddiannus i sefydlu fel gweithiwr ar ei liwt ei hun.

Am fwy o fanylion ffoniwch Bethan Gritten ar 07769 180 257 / beth.gritten@gmail.com

Dyddiad Cau 18.10.12 / cynhelir cyfweliadau ar 25.10.12

The Day Before The Gale

Saturday (the day before the gale) was a very good day to be out of doors. Kate and I used our bus passes to get from Llanfairfechan (0924) to Bethesda (0950), then sat outside Café Seren in warm sunshine until the Sherpa bus arrived (1015) to take us into Snowdonia. Good to see 10 passengers on board. Up the Nant Ffrancon in glorious sunshine with fabulous views, past Llyn Ogwen and Tryfan (cars and walkers everywhere), then through Capel Curig to Ty Hyll (The Ugly House). This is now open as a café and honeybee information centre, see www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-north-west-wales-18292406. Closed Mondays. Snowdonia Society members maintain the lovely gardens and woodland.

Suitably refreshed, we set off uphill, away from the busy A5. After a steep climb, we turned left onto forest tracks through Gwydyr Forest, past Llyn Bychan, out of the forest onto an open stretch with rowans and bog myrtle. Through a new gate, then left onto a public footpath leading back into the forest and down to Llyn Crafnant. Lunch beside the lake, again in warm sunshine.

Then down quiet lanes, past an old water-mill with its wheel still more or less intact, down to Trefriw on the west side of Dyffryn Conwy. We had just missed the hourly bus to Conwy, so continued on the minor road leading to a footbridge over the Conwy, and so to Llanrwst North station. The two-coach 1531 to Llandudno was very busy – the collector was almost out of tickets – not needed by us anyway, as our Gwynedd bus passes allow us to travel free. Finally, a short wait at Llandudno Junction for the bus back to Llanfairfechan. Cost of the day; just three coffees and a piece of cake.

After a good night’s sleep, we can stay in bed and listen to Huw Jenkins on BBC Wales Country Focus, telling us how the EU is stopping the aerial application of Asulox, used to control the spread of bracken in the hills. Still time to catch it again on iPlayer.

Stoat kills rabbit

The highlight of a day’s walking in the Rhinogydd is usually getting to a summit, enjoying a fine view or reaching the end with a sense of achievement. But this weekend’s excitement was complete before my bootlaces were tied.

While kneeling to put on my boots, by the farm at the far end of Cwm Nantcol, I heard a small scream and twenty metres away was a stoat with its teeth in the neck of a struggling rabbit.  I stumbled forward with my camera and the stoat retreated. Rising up on its hind legs, as if to say don’t you dare touch my rabbit, the stoat took refuge in a nearby stone wall.

Indignant stoat

A few seconds later, out it came towards the rabbit, but my dog barked and off it ran back into the wall. If I’d been on my own I would have hung around to see what happened next but my fellow walkers were keen to get going.

Within a minute of setting off, on a slate slab across a stream, was a fresh otter spraint. Surely this walk was going to be a great safari.    

Nature Writing Course – brilliant and a bargain

Tŷ Newydd, Lloyd George’s former home and current home to the National Writers’ Centre for Wales, runs a nature writing course each year. The format includes an inspirational naturalist, who wows you with things in the wild, and a leading writer who helps you convert experience into expression.  The course runs from 29^th September to 4^th October.

They like to keep a low ratio of students to teachers but a bout of illness has left that ratio lower than desired. For this reason there is a last minute bargain offer. Single occupancy rooms are available at the list price of £540 but dual occupancy, normally £460, are half price i.e. two for the price of one, making it just £230 each.

If you ever wanted to have a go, but felt you could not afford it, now is the time. Course details are here. Contact tynewydd@literaturewales.org or call 01766 522811 if you would like to book or learn more about this opportunity.

Dragon's Back Race over Snowdonia

Day 1 of the Dragon’s Back Race – 82 set out from Conwy but not all of them made it. A team of Spaniards found the navigation too difficult and rather than risk Snowdon in the dark took the minibus option to the overnight camp. Another competitor from North Carolina found the terrain too steep and treacherous – nothing like he’s used to. But they’re all keen to restart on the second day.

In lead position was Steve Birkinshaw who looked pretty weary as he crossed the finishing line some two hours later than the organiser anticipated – has the course been made too tough? Within a couple of minutes Steve was standing on a set of scales that indicated he had lost 3.5kg during the day whilst his water intake had been 6.5 litres. That means he sweated 10 litres!

Shortly after Steve was Rob Baker from Sheffield and then a local from Llanberis. The slower runners would not arrive until well after nightfall. Their reward? They get to start an hour earlier than the rest at 6 am Tuesday morning and guess what, it’s raining and misty as they head up Cnicht and across the Moelwynion.

Here’s Steve at the end of day 1.