Trip report: A week in Wales
Just realised my Virgin account where I put my photos is running out of space - ha - they are clearly too busy concentrating on zooming off to space rather than providing me with hosting space :). So ...
Forum Discussion
Wednesday
We were both starting to feel ill this morning, but again it was wonderful weather. Last time we climbed Mount Snowdon (highest mountain in Wales, 2nd in the UK) it was in fog and horrible. This time the weather was clear to the summit and I wasn't going to lose the opportunity since there was a threat of more usual weather moving in.
It was just after 9am when we arrived at the car park where we planned to start the walk. This was on a pass, so we had the benefit of starting above sea level (though in the end we did ascend and descend more than the height of the mountain). I was worried we had left it too late, and I was nearly right - despite being mid-week outside holiday season during a time when the weather is often not at its best, the car park was almost full. Luckily we found a space suitable for the camper and paid the rather expensive £10 all day parking charge.
Most people took the higher level Pyg track up towards the summit, starting from the other side of the car park and heading around the other side of a hill (it has the benefit of gaining altitude right from the start, rather than in one big push just under the bulk of the mountain). Instead we took the flat Miner's track and were virtually the only people on it (we had a different plan). After a couple of mile we hit the lake in the bowl below the mountain:
Here we deviated from the normal tourist route and took a path straight up a peak on the left hand side of the horseshoe. This involved some scrambling up rock faces, but was worth it for the view and isolation when we reached the top:
We skirted along the edge of the horseshoe, climbing up and down the peaks adjacent to Snowdon, before descending down to join the popular Watkin track. Along the whole of the ridge we had been alone and had great views.
Having descended several hundred feet to join the track we then had to climb several hundred feet up scree to get to the summit of Snowdon. The disappointment there is that the funicular railway that goes to the summit disgorges large numbers of day trippers to the cafe at the top, so after quite a substantial slog up a mountain you are greeted with crowds:
However, I cannot complain - there are few peaks in Britain where the elderly or disabled can access such views and it would be selfish to demand that only those fit enough to climb the mountain could enjoy the benefits.
We didn't stay long and continued our circle around the horseshoe, descending by the Pyg track, which during the first mile also contains the traffic descending to the Miner's track:
I suspect a lot of people starting in the car park we started from take the upper Pyg track to the top, then descend by the Miner's track giving them a nice walk by the lakes on the way back. So once these two tracks diverged and we stayed on the higher Pyg track we found ourselves virtually alone.
It had been a fantastic walk, with some scrambling / climbing thrown in and stunning weather. During the walk I hadn't even noticed my illness. So back to the campground for tea and medals :B
We were both starting to feel ill this morning, but again it was wonderful weather. Last time we climbed Mount Snowdon (highest mountain in Wales, 2nd in the UK) it was in fog and horrible. This time the weather was clear to the summit and I wasn't going to lose the opportunity since there was a threat of more usual weather moving in.
It was just after 9am when we arrived at the car park where we planned to start the walk. This was on a pass, so we had the benefit of starting above sea level (though in the end we did ascend and descend more than the height of the mountain). I was worried we had left it too late, and I was nearly right - despite being mid-week outside holiday season during a time when the weather is often not at its best, the car park was almost full. Luckily we found a space suitable for the camper and paid the rather expensive £10 all day parking charge.
Most people took the higher level Pyg track up towards the summit, starting from the other side of the car park and heading around the other side of a hill (it has the benefit of gaining altitude right from the start, rather than in one big push just under the bulk of the mountain). Instead we took the flat Miner's track and were virtually the only people on it (we had a different plan). After a couple of mile we hit the lake in the bowl below the mountain:
Here we deviated from the normal tourist route and took a path straight up a peak on the left hand side of the horseshoe. This involved some scrambling up rock faces, but was worth it for the view and isolation when we reached the top:
We skirted along the edge of the horseshoe, climbing up and down the peaks adjacent to Snowdon, before descending down to join the popular Watkin track. Along the whole of the ridge we had been alone and had great views.
Having descended several hundred feet to join the track we then had to climb several hundred feet up scree to get to the summit of Snowdon. The disappointment there is that the funicular railway that goes to the summit disgorges large numbers of day trippers to the cafe at the top, so after quite a substantial slog up a mountain you are greeted with crowds:
However, I cannot complain - there are few peaks in Britain where the elderly or disabled can access such views and it would be selfish to demand that only those fit enough to climb the mountain could enjoy the benefits.
We didn't stay long and continued our circle around the horseshoe, descending by the Pyg track, which during the first mile also contains the traffic descending to the Miner's track:
I suspect a lot of people starting in the car park we started from take the upper Pyg track to the top, then descend by the Miner's track giving them a nice walk by the lakes on the way back. So once these two tracks diverged and we stayed on the higher Pyg track we found ourselves virtually alone.
It had been a fantastic walk, with some scrambling / climbing thrown in and stunning weather. During the walk I hadn't even noticed my illness. So back to the campground for tea and medals :B
