Snowdonia: 30 Low-level and Easy Walks - South: From Ffestiniog to the Dyfi, and Bala to the coast

Updated review having completed all but 3 of the walks...:This appeared a decent compendium of walks in an area of Wales little covered collectively in any other walk book I can think of.It was a much anticipated pre order item, which will formed the backbone of a solo two week walking trip I finally took in July 2021.I know a little of the area (my mother's childhood spent in Barmouth) and have walked areas covered by the book many years ago, but the great majority of the routes in the book remaining new to me.To date I have now completed most of the walks in the book, the second in Wintertime which presented the walks with a differing perspective given there was light snow on even the lower hills.I did extend a lot of the walks slightly, many being a little short for me (being a 10 to 15 mile a day walker), but would say they is definitely a good balance in the main.There was only one walk in this book that I rated poorly, and that was the walk to the fall at Coed Y Brenin (walk 8: Pistyll Cain). It's obviously a well known and popular destination, but I found it really far to touristy, and (being unnatural forest) frankly a bit boring.Contrast that to a couple of beautiful circular valley walks, and the two Precipice walks above Dolgellau (11&12), and you are well rewarded.The walk above Barmouth (9) was amazing, and was such a contrast to what has now become frankly an unpleasant to visit town down to tourism (it was my mother's birth town so I feel validated in saying this).My absolute favourite was a walk up the Black Falls (across the road from the Coed Y Brenin walk). The walk was beautiful going from beautiful wooded waterfalls (devoid of tourists), then heading into the lowland hills where you know you will meet no one whatsoever. That one contained many surprises for me, including a pine marten crossing the path within 3 metres of me & finding a spring populated by Brown Skipper and Small Pearl Bordered Fritilliary butterflies... Absolute magic :).A lot of these walls (I have discovered now I have done them ) are in fact popular well known tourist routes. This may be perfect for a great many people, but for me there was slightly too much of that stuff. The Mawddach Estuary walk was an obvious one here. I predicted this walk might be a little busy with cyclists and tourists so formulated a walk that included it, but also went into the forested hills above it via well founded paths and tracks. I can assure you the beauty there matches the Mawddach Estuary any day, plus you will not have cyclists and walkers to dodge every few minutes.It may be an absolutely perfect compendium for most people, but for me the commerciality loses a star in my review, as anyone can pick the popular routes up easily on various websites.The book is easy to follow and uses standard Ordnance Survey mapping.Great effort and a refreshing compendium of middle distance walking in a little categorised area of Wales. Not everyone goes to Wales to walk mountains every day... Great to do so now and again, but looking at your feet all day rather than the admittedly fab views so as not to tumble isnt my favourite in all honesty.A great effort little collection and a worthy addition to my walking book collection.