Welsh Heights

Days 1-2 (1-2 April 2010)
London, Llanberis

My four day weekend of trekking started yesterday evening with the hardest bit: Squeezing past the thousands of other rush-hour Londoners who were equally desperate to get out of the city for the Easter break. A six hour bus, tube, train and car-hire journey later, Susanne and I arrived in Llanberis, the gateway to Snowdonian mountains in Wales.

We wake to find the overnight showers gone, and a mix of sunshine and clouds covering the mountain peaks at each side of the valley. It’s Easter Friday and we visit the impressive (disused) slate quarries and climb up the north side of the valley, giving a great view of Llanberis, our home for the next few days. It’s a relaxing day, walking around Dolbadarn Castle and Llyn Padarn, warming up our muscles for tomorrow’s trek, the first since I was in Chile in November.

Day 3 (3 April 2010)
Llanberis, Mount Snowdon

An Austrian alarm wakes me at 07.30 and after a greasy breakfast we jump in the car and park it 10km away in Pen-y-Gwryd. The journey back is the long way: We start by trekking up the rocky path towards Crib Goch. This is the more challenging walk to the peak of Mount Snowdon, but it’s actually quite straightforward.

There is the option to go via summit of Crib Goch, but with the deep snow, it’s considered highly dangerous without the right climbing gear. In fact, whilst walking around the valley of the beautiful Llyn Llydaw, a rescue helicopter hovers beside the top of Crib Goch, where some climbers appear to have become stuck.

I’m always going on about how lucky I am with weather, but this trip seems to take the cake. The forecast was four days of rain, yet the sun in shining and there are even times when we stop to take in the view and the rays of Vitamin D that I’ve missed so much.

Only near the top does the weather change; and boy how it does! The falling snow slices my face from a horizontal angle and my feet sink deeper into the ground. Despite being the tallest mountain in Wales, it’s not actually that high at just 1,085m. However, the strong wind and snow makes it feel four times as high. It makes the final climb a real slog, but hugely satisfying and memorable.

I’m truly shocked at the beauty of this part of the UK. The mountains really live up to their name, with jagged peaks and cliff-edges everywhere to be seen. The only disappointment is the number of people on the mountain. The peak is truly packed and feels just as busy as a London Underground platform.

We don’t stay long as it’s a complete whiteout, so I do my obligatory ‘jump’ photo before heading back down the north side of the mountain. The path is so smooth that it’s just as easy to sit on your backside and slide down the mountain! It’s a total of 14km and on our return in Llanberis, we grab a bus, pick up the car and return to the hotel for a celebration wine and dinner.

Days 4-5 (4-5 April 2010)
Llanberis, Mount Tryfan

Another early start and another calorie-filled breakfast before we head towards Llyn Ogwen. It’s a 20 minute drive and once again the sun in shining, allowing a great view of the dramatic Mount Tryfan. It’s a really unusual shape with rugged crags and various routes to its three peaks.

We’re advised to stay clear of the north face. The recent heavy snowfall means it’s particularly dangerous, especially without ice-axes and crampons. It’s good advice; the walk around the west of the mountain takes us past Llyn Bochlwyd, a lake which resembles the shape of Australia and is a beautiful spot for sipping whiskey and relaxing in this mainly undisturbed part of the world.

My new boots carry me through the streams and deep snow up the south face of Mount Tryfan. We take a slight wrong turn which means there’s a slightly challenging climb up a narrow stretch of rock, right next to a cliff-edge. Whilst I’m not exactly dangling from a rock like Stallone, my heart is still pumping as we successfully reach the first peak unscathed!

The scramble to the highest peak is fun, especially as the sun is really strong and you can’t help but love the views in every direction. The contrasts of colour, from dark rock and white snow to the green and yellow plants and grass, it’s a truly gorgeous location.

At its peak, Mount Tryfan is famous for two large rocks, nicknamed Adam and Eve. The tradition is to jump from one to the other, gaining ‘Freedom of Tryfan’. I was well and truly up for it, but the wind is strong, the sheer drop would be fatal and my tail is well and truly tucked between my legs!

I settle for a jump in a slightly less dangerous spot, before working my way through the maze-like route back down the mountain.

It’s a much shorter trek today, but even more enjoyable since the mountain was practically deserted, the views were even more spectacular and the terrain more challenging. We reward ourselves with our second enormous indian dinner and rest up before the morning’s six hour journey back to London.

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