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Saturday 19th May, 2018
Arctic-Alpine Plants of Cwm Idwal
Arctic-alpine plants make up Britain’s most ancient plant communities and represent the first page of our island’s post glacial natural history. They mostly disappeared as our climate warmed, and have been extinct in most of the British Isles for many thousands of years. Miraculously, in a few special places a handful of these both extremely beautiful and extremely hardy plants still survive, right on the edge of their geographical and ecological range.
Cwm Idwal National Nature Reserve at the head of the Ogwen Valley is perhaps the most famous and the most accessible of these ‘Arctic Refugia’ in Snowdonia
This walk will visit some of these plant communities, take a look at their ecology and past and current threats to their survival as well as other aspects of this magnificent site’s geology, management and human and natural history.
(This is a chance to walk with an expert who knows where to find rare stuff!)
Duration: All Day. Please bring a packed lunch, plenty to drink and clothing for the upland environment. Binoculars and hand lenses if you have them may also be of use. Return for 5.30pm (earlier if the weather is inclement).
Distance: No more than 6 miles / 10 km
Grade and suitability: moderate, but participants need to be comfortable walking over, at times, steep and very uneven ground away from paths in an upland environment.
Meet: 9.15 a.m. at Trefriw Village Hall (LL27 0JH, SH781631) for transport via car share.
Walk Leaders: Pete Kay and Joan Prime
Click on the map to see the rough location of this walk.
Booking: To book a place on this walk, click on the button below.
Before booking, please click here to check availability of places.
Please ensure that you have read the booking information, terms and conditions before you attend any walks.