Calgary WELSH Society

https://www.dignitymemorial.com/en-ca/obituaries/calgary-ab/vivian-ellis-11511376

Vivian Ellis Obituary - Calgary, AB Celebrate the life of Vivian Ellis, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information care of Foster's Garden Chapel.

Wow! Wales! What a performance…faith restored!!
Wales 40 Australia 6

THE CAMBRIAN WAY - THANKS TO ALL!
Just a note to thank everyone for all the help you provided during our 400km walk in Wales. Your encouragement, your interest in our cause helped us complete the task. I tried phoning everyone (check photo) but couldn’t get through..
DIOLCH YN FAWR IAWN I CHI GYD!!
THANKYOU VERY MUCH TO YOU ALL!
Our cancer research donations are over $7000.. because of people like you!

The Cambrian Way: Now that we have had a few days to recover we would like to say thank you to everyone for your support throughout our journey. As we completed our final stage into Conwy we had managed to raise $5276 for the Canadian Cancer Society. We would like to put forth a CHALLENGE to you all. David has said that from that point on he will match all donations up to a total of $2500. We are now at just over $6000 and the goal is to get that up and over $10000. So every little bit counts and I’m willing to contribute more to the cause.

Here are some stats and a few final photos from our adventure.

Stats:
1. Walked 433+ km
2. About 20 000m of elevation gain.
3. Approximately 705 000 steps
4. Several million sheep, 40+ wild ponies, 12 feral goats.
5. Fern Forests: numerous
6. Ticks: 1 (and hopefully no Lyme disease)
7. Llyn (lakes), Tarns (waterbodies in glacial areas), Afon (river), nant (streams), waterfalls: everywhere
8. Mist covered mountain tops: 99%
9. Rain: 19/21 days
10. Sunny breaks: rare but oh so beautiful
11. Winds: Gentle (20mph) to Gale Force (70mph)
12. Helicopter rescues: 1
13. Fighter jets flying the Mach Loop: about 8
14. Blisters: 5
15. Bogs/Moors and wet feet: 20/21 days
16. Pints of Guinness and others: Plenty
17. Phone booths in the middle of nowhere: 2
18. Amazing people(from Wales, Canada and other countries): innumerable

CAMBRIAN WAY WALK FOR CANCER RESEARCH
Our last few days in Wales and we have reached $6000 in donations! THANKS TO YOU WHO HAVE DONATED!! Let’s get up to $7000!

I'm supporting Canadian Cancer Society! In trusted partnership with donors and volunteers, we improve the lives of all those affected by cancer through world-class research, transformative advocacy and compassionate support.

THE CAMBRIAN WAY
More ‘thank yous’ and ‘stats’
THANK YOU WYNFORD EDWARDS for picking us up at the CLAERDDU BOTHY, taking us to the RED LION in PONTRHYDFENDIGAID, and returning us the next day!
THANK YOU HUW and DAPHNE JONES for allowing us to stay with you on our journey towards CARDIFF!
THANK YOU DILWYN and LLINOS for bringing our belongings to BORTH from CARDIFF and for the great dinner together in Aberystwyth!
THANK YOU ALED DAVIES for joining us on 2 of the legs, one in the BUNNAU BRECHEINIOG (Brecon Beacons) and the other to BEDDGELERT and meeting your lovely wife, Julie. Best of luck on your 3 PEAKS challenge!!
STATS
-Over the 400kms we hiked we only met 3 CAMBRIAN WAY hikers
-SHEEP we saw…millions
-TICKS found attached…1
-RAIN DAYS ENCOUNTERED…18/21
-HIGH WINDS, RAIN & FOG DAYS…12/21
- 1 HELICOPTER SEARCH
-WORST HIKING CONDITIONS…wet rock and boulder surfaces, saturated boglands! & fern forests!
-BEST HIKING CONDITIONS… when the SUN shone

CAMBRIAN WAY - SOME STATS!!!
START JUNE 27 -FINISH JULY 19
HIKED: 704,299 STEPS
433 kilometers (in book 411.5km)
CLIMBED: 19,694 metres (elevation gain) - in book 18,630m ( must have taken a wrong turn!!
EXTREME WEATHER- MISSED LEGS = 3
Extreme weather=torrential rain and galeforce winds

More ‘Thank Yous’ and stats tomorrow!

CAMBRIAN WAY
FRIDAY, July 21st
IN BORTH (TRAVELLING SOUTH (by car..phew))
A MASSIVE ‘THANK YOU’ to EIRIAN OWEN who picked us up from several finishing points to take us back the following day to start again!
A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO JILL AND JOHN, MY COUSINS IN BORTH who gave us a place to on the way up and the way down
A MASSIVE THANK YOU TO NIGEL CHAPMAN AND PAT who picked us up when we finished in Ponterwyd and brought us to Borth for a 2 day rest on the way up and who then lightened our load by taking some kit to Dolgellau!
It was great that Mike Chapman was able to join us for the Ponterwyd to Dylife leg and great that his family could join us for a picnic at ‘Y Star’ inn.
THANK YOU Susanne Iuppa and Ray Davies for joining us on the walk and sharing some memories in Dinas Maddwy
NEXT POST - SOME STATS!

DAY 21 CAMBRIAN WAY
LLYN OGWEN TO CONWY FINAL DESTINATION!
32km. 1500M EG
WE DID IT!!!
Just checked my watch - 55000 + steps!! Sore feet!!
We remembered today Paulette, Oscars wife, Bonnie a girl Mona met at the school reunion who is fighting cancer, Jennifer whose losing the battle, our friend Lilly, Sister Cecile Falh, Barbara Cardinas, Carol, Estelle and Celine and Marcel. We also remember Rob Olexin and Robin Sproule who David remembers from Sir John days.
Today we had sunny breakthroughs the mists followed by longer periods of sunshine .. our best ‘sunny’ day.
Did a little rock climbing, boulder skipping and scrambling .. what a day!

DAY 20 CAMBRIAN WAY
PEN Y PASS To LLYN OGWEN
8.5 km. 810M EG (up, up, up!)
A brutal day of hiking, high winds and rain, rain, rain. Always great to see our destination even if its the far distance! Good navigating by Ioan through boulder fields with little evidence of trail. A tough one, the shortest but perhaps the toughest!

DAY 19 BEDDGELERT TO PEN Y PASS
17.5km. 1390 M EG
OVER YR WYDDFA (SNOWDON) in decent weather although the summit was socked in .. Very popular with tourists…now at Pen y Pass YHA

CAMBRIAN WAY: CARDIFF TO CONWY!

THANK YOU! DIOLCH! THANKYOU!
YOUR DONATIONS TO THE
CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY HAVE JUST TOPPED $5000 - Five thousand dollars.
We won’t stop here, we now are going to try to reach $10,000!!

I'm supporting Canadian Cancer Society! In trusted partnership with donors and volunteers, we improve the lives of all those affected by cancer through world-class research, transformative advocacy and compassionate support.

DAY 18 CAMBRIAN WAY
MAENTWROG TO BEDDGELERT 22km 1340M EG
Aled Davies will be with us on this leg.
Today, as we walked, we remembered Ceri Davies and Dave Potts, friends of Nigel, and Mick Rafferty, friend of Aled. We also remembered a child suffering from brain cancer.
So started in mild weather, after a steep climb with some scrambling weather turned to rain with galeforce winds on the ridges slowing us down. Weather cleared in pm. Some fantastic views. Sodden socks and boots.

Yfory, dyn ni’n cerdded o Maentwrog i Beddgelert!
Tomorrow, we’re walking from Maentwrog to Beddgelert!
Yn Dolgellau, un munud mae’n bwrw glaw fel y diafol, un munud nesa, mae’n heulog!
One minute it’s raining like the devil, next minute its sunny!
Very happy with ABER B&B, Dolgellau. Absolutely top class and reasonable! Hosts are great!

DAY 17 CWM BYCHAN TO MAENTWROG
16KM. 860M EG
HIKE CANCELLED DUE TO EXTREME ERYRI (SNOWDONIA) MOUNTAIN WEATHER CONDITIONS
Another disappointing day.
Our good friend Eirian will drive us to Maentwrog where we will meet Aled Davies for tomorrow’s leg.
We are staying in the beautiful town of DOLGELLAU, outstanding for its wonderful, historic stone buildings.

DAY 15. BWLCH LLYN BACH TO BARMOUTH
20km. 970m EG. OVER CADAI DAY 15. BWLCH LLYN BACH TO BARMOUTH
20km. 970m EG. OVER CADAIR IDRIS to the OCEAN
A great day… no rain! Climbed out of Bwlch Llyn Fach to pass dozens of photographs waiting to take photos of the RAF jets which weave through and below the mountain tops we’re climbing. After the days of rain mists shrouded the mountain tops but duri g breaks wonderful vistas were to be seen. R IDRIS to the OCEAN

DAY 14 CAMBRIAN WAY
DINAS MADDWY TO BWLCH LLYN BACH
15.5km. 1170M EG DAY 14 CAMBRIAN WAY
DINAS MADDWY TO BWLCH LLYN BACH
15.5km. 1170M EG
Well, BEAUTY TRUMPS WET WEATHER AND WET BOOTS!! This was a scenic hike that took us over several hills, ridges and mountains. Interrupted once or twice by RAF fighters flying below us in the valleys

DAY 13. DYLFE TO DINAS MADDWY
37km 1400m EG
START AT 7:30am
A challenge
Completed over 37 km in weather, while changeable, slowly improved. Now resting….after a guiness or two! Great to see Ray Davies and Suzanne Iuppa again.. like old times!
Massive thanks to Eirian for your help!

Beautiful scenery.. enjoying the greens and its unique wildness!

DAY 12. CAMBRIAN WAY
PONTERWYD TO DYLIFE
23.5 km 920m Elevation gain

Major thanks to Nigel for taking us back to our starting point!! We will joined by Michael on this leg. Forecast is showers and cool… cool is good..
Huge thanks to John and Jill for your kindness, putting up with us, and Dilwyn and Llinos for your great help
Now to prepare feet for the day!!
And just as well, within an hour or so of our walk it rained and as we climbed towards Pumlumun Fawr and Fach it bucketed down, shrouded in mists and stung by high winds. Improved towards the end of our 7 ish hour hike. Great to have Michael and Pepper (springer spaniel) to join us… Pepper throughly enjoyed the entire hike.

THANKYOU TO ALL WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO OUR CANCER RESEARCH FUND!
WE’RE HALF WAY ON OUR JOURNEY, PLEASE HELP US RAISE MORE $$$/£££ AS WE CONTINUE ON MONDAY… THE TOUGHEST TWO DAYS TO DATE..
60kms with a2000m elevation gain
Follow us on Calgary Welsh Society page

The smallest donation helps the fight!!

I'm supporting Canadian Cancer Society!

DAY 11 CAMBRIAN WAY - TEITHIO CAMBRIA
CLAERDDU BOTHY (that little house tucked in the hills) to PONTERWYD
24.5km 920m elevation gain
Forecast SUNNY!!!!!! 24c

Tonight the start of a two day rest in BORTH my childhood home
Thanks to Wynford Edwards ( an old Trinity College friend) for his great help!

https://fundraisemyway.cancer.ca/campaign/WALKING-THE-CAMBRIAN-WAY

David and Ioan are walking the Cambrian Way in Wales to help raise money for cancer research! Today they passed the half way mark!

I'm supporting Canadian Cancer Society! In trusted partnership with donors and volunteers, we improve the lives of all those affected by cancer through world-class research, transformative advocacy and compassionate support.

Day 10 CAMBRIAN WAY
TYN CORNELL TO CLAERDDU BOTHY.
26 kms 800+ m elevation gain

No phone/ internet….BUT PASSED THE HALF WAY POINT TODAY!!!!

Today as we walked through the hills and marshes and moorlands of Wales we remembered elders and youth who have passed away in Whati, Behchoko, Gameti, Wekweti, and Sambake in the Northwest Territories. We remember their wisdom, guidance on the land, their company in hunting, trapping and fishing and their wonderful sense of humour. Masi, Masi! Masi cho!

DAY 9 CAMBRIAN WAY
LLANDOVERY TO TYN Y CORNEL HOSTEL. 26 km 870M EG
Follow us!
Two days .. no phone / internet

DAY 8 CAMBRIAN WAY.
GLYNTAWE TO LLANDOVERY. 29km. 1100+ EG

Huge thanks to Lesley Matthews for her great support!
Thinking of Batbara, Lesley’s sister!

AFTER MUCH DELIBERATION WE HAVE DECIDED TO TAKE A REST DAY! The forecast was rain, rain and rain. SO WE WILL HOPEFULLY RETURN TO COMPLETE THIS LEG AROUND JULY 23/24!

To date we have COMPLETED 165 km (100 miles). Opportunity to rest, treat feet…

DAY 7 CAMBRIAN WAY
STOREY ARMS TO GLYNTAWE.
19 Kms 650 Elevation gain

We were warned that trails would not be obvious as we walked across moorland.. this was true but made worse by driving rain in gale force winds.. hence fewer pictures.. helicopter and road rescue looking for missing hiker…

DAY 6 CAMBRIAN WAY
CRICKHOWELL TO STOREY ARMS. 33km 1700m elevation gain………
We made it. A tough day with some steep gradients!
Lots of people walking our final climb Pen y Fan! Good company with Ioan and 3nd cousin Aled! What a beautiful country! Have walked through Bunnau Brecheiniog for the last 3 days.

THE CAMBRIAN WAY. DAY 3
ABERGAVENNY TO CAPEL Y FFIN 21.5km with 580 m elevation gain

Tomorrow on our walk from Abergavenny to Capel y Ffin we will remember Janice ( Mantla) and Aunt Dora Marie

We will also remember Elfyn (Eirian)

For Matilda and children we will remember Yun Young Chan

THE CAMBRIAN WAY. DAY 3. 21.5km with 580 m elevation gain

On our walk from Pontypool to Abergavenny, we will remember Jan Mather, Glenna Mather Stevens, Arthur Halford, J Layton and Wilf Hanson. (Ruth Mather Halford)

For Kathy we will remember Aunt Deborah

For Gwendolyn Giffin Carter we will remember her dad, Earl Kitchener Giffin

We will remember our good friend and husband to Ruth, Peter Murray and Ruth’s sister in law

A bighter day made things a little better. Beautiful countryside! Negotiated a very steep slope down to Abergavenny (y Fenni)

THE CAMBRIAN WAY

Today MACHEN TO PONTYPOOL 18.5 km 800+m eg

For cancer research, remembering:
Robert Griffith Evans and Suzanne Evans who lost their battle with cancer and we think of Alison who is battling cancer! (Heather)

And remembering of Ernestine in an Edmonton hospital and “we remember with love Ernie Camsell, Grandma Celine, Aunty Adeline Knapton Pain, Uncle Don Camsell, Vern Steinwand and Grandma Lilli Steinwand”. (Tammy)

Well, a day of steady drizzle made the hike a little more challenging with moving through narrow areas with a lot if wet vegetation! After completing 18.5 km we had some difficulty finding our hotel which was on a busy motorway. That added several kms. Now drying wet socks, boots etc and nursing sore feet!

THE CAMBRIAN WAY

If you are interested in donating towards cancer research, please click on the following link!

I'm supporting Canadian Cancer Society! In trusted partnership with donors and volunteers, we improve the lives of all those affected by cancer through world-class research, transformative advocacy and compassionate support.

THE CAMBRIAN WAY
DAY I
CARDIFF CASTLE TO MACHEN 24.5km

On our walk today we will remember Sian Cartwright (nee Davies), Margaret Matthews, JC Matthews and Darrel Parry!
Just made it by 2:15pm

CAMBRIAN WAY

Ioan and I are willing to dedicate a day’s hike to a family member or friend of yours who is battling or has battled cancer. For example, our first day is dedicated to the memories of JC Matthews, Margaret Matthews, Sian Davies and Darrel Parry…..
Just let us know!

CAMBRIAN WAY
Checking out tomorrow’s starting point - Cardiff Castle!!

WALKING THE CAMBRIAN WAY!!
During our 1st day of adjustment, we are enjoying a great Welsh dinner of lamb, roasted potatoes, yorkshire pudding, and a variety of veggies.. delcious!
A warm welcome from my sister and brother in law!
One more day of prep, getting mobile phones set up, confirming arrangements, etc!

Touched down in Heathrow about 11:30am on Saturday. Then a bus to Cardiff!

COR CYMRY GOGLEDD AMERICA TO TOUR WALES!!

Enjoyed a beautiful day hiking down in the foothills! While snow-covered in the morning, it was rather muddy on our return. But the beauty of the Sheep Country’s High Noon hills is stunning!!