Eagle's view

This year we don't have The Old Man with us at Easter so instead of a big lunch we took to the hills for a family walk. We headed for Foel Eryr/Eagle Mountain - not an impressive summit to look at but a fine viewpoint to look from, over a panorama of north Pembrokeshire from sea to shining sea: north, west and south, and valleys, reservoirs, quarries, scattered farms.

The wind was bitter. There were icicles in streams, freeze-dried frogspawn around ponds, bleached bones among the gorse and hardly a bird stirred (certainly no eagles) but Casey was on a roll. We crouched in the shelter of this pile of stones (left) for tea and simnel cake. Cerrig Lladron/Robber Rocks, it was once the hideout of the local bandits as they waited to pounce on travellers on the lonely mountain road below. Long before that, prehistoric people used this summit for a safe if windswept settlement with a long view.

It was too cold to stay on top for long. We caught the sun and filled our lungs, and stopped on the way back to collect wild garlic and firewood. At home a slow-cooked leg of mutton awaited us.

Here are Huw and Gwyn and Casey at the summit cairn. No extra oxygen was needed.