Snowdonia

Snowdon
Bala
Cadair Idris

Click here for details of our walks in the area.

The mountains, ridges and valleys that make up Snowdonia, or Eryri (the eagles nesting place) are the result of 500 million years of volcanic activity. These spectacular peaks which make up the national park include Snowdon itself (Yr Wrddfa). At 3560 ft its the highest peak in England and Wales, encompassed by the rounded crests of the vast and rolling Carneddau and the magnificent Glyders.

Snowdonia is vast and probably much bigger than you think! The national park takes in some of the most dramatic and alluring of all Welsh scenery in stretching up from Machynlleth in Central Wales up towards Bangor, Conwy and Llandudno in the north. Barren land with tortured ridges divides glacial valleys, whose sheer faces belie the fact that the tallest peaks only just top three thousand feet.

In 1277 Llywelyn ap Gruffydd, the last true Prince of Wales retreated from the area afer his war with Edward I, it was also in the same area where the famous Welch leader Owain Glyndwr held on most tenaciously to his dream of regaining the title of Prince of Wales. A few centuries latter the English came to remove the mountains; slate barons built huge fortunes from Welsh toil and reshaped the patterns of Snowdonia life forever, as men looking for steady work in the quarries fled from the hills to become town dwellers.

Snowdon

At 3560 ft Snowdon (Yr Wrddfa) is the highest peak in England and Wales.
Encompassed by the rounded crests of the vast and rolling Carneddau and the magnificent Glyders, the area surrounding snowdon supports some of the finest walking and scrambling you're find in Wales! There are several routes up to the summit ranging from the gentle Llanberis path (by far the busiest and follows the railway line up from Llanberris), to the moderate Pyg and Miners tracks (from Pen-Y-Pass YHA) and arms of the Crib Goch and South-East ridge horseshoes (again from Pen-Y-Pass YHA).

And there's more! Situated in the Ogwen Valley and close to the Glyders lies the conical mountain Trfan. This rock crowned peak is topped by the famous Adam and Eve, to pinnacles of rock a strides distance apart but precariously near a long drop. Another, somewhat less energetic walk goes from Beddgelert, a small characterful village close by. A famous legend tells the story of Beddgelert, Prince Llewelyn`s dog. After leaving the trusty dog to protect the Prince's treasured son while off on a hunting trip, the prince returned to find the infants room covered in blood and no sign of his son. When he saw Beddgelert covered in blood, the prince immediately stabbed the dog. Whilst his trusty dog lay there dying, he heard the cry of his son, unhurt. The dog had saved the child by killing a wild animal. Filled with grief, the Prince built a grave to celebrate the brave dog. This grave can still be seen, a short walk from the village. Although a well known story, it is really a fabrication, created by a Victorian hotel owner trying to attract more visitors to the village. The walk from Beddgelert goes past old mine workings and the route back into the village runs down along, disused railway tunnel.

Bala

Situated at the northern end of Wales' largest natural lake Llyn Tegid (Bala lake) lies the small town of Bala (Y Bala). The town is few hundred metres, probably to avoid another disaster which fooded the old town that once stood where the lake is now according to a ledgend. This tells of someone who forgot to put a lid onto a well, which overflowed during the night flooding the valley and town.

Cadair Idris

Cadair Idris (from the Welsh meaning "the seat of Arthur") lies to the south of Snowdon on the Southern fringe of the Snowdonia National Park. Although it's height nearly rivals that of Snowdon and for a while people believed it was taller, tourism has yet to discover this area. The mountain, quite close to the coast looms over the small market town of Dolgellau below where roads lead up and around its base. From a distance the glacial erosion features are obvious, these Cwms or hollows that have been carved out of the rock now are water filled and include Lyn y gadair and Lyn y Gafr on the Southern side.

Our walks in the area.

Snowdon Summer Trip - Grade C

Our most popular weekend away planned for the year and looking at the photos it's easy to see why! Many people go to climb Snowdon and going out of holiday gets you away from the usual hordes of tourists. At the usual time of year for this trip, don't expect the fernicular railway or the summit cafe to be open but do expect anything else, from wonderful, uninterrupted views over the surrounding hills to strong winds or deep snow. The usual routes include the popular Pyg, Miner and Llanberis paths which are all well maintained. After making the decent, we may stop of at Petes Eats cafe in Llanberis, the town below the mountain, home to the mountain railway, slate mines and a novel hydro electric PowerStation for producing electricity at peak times. From the HEP station, a WebCam looks up the valley to Snowdon whilst another WebCam shows a frequently updated image from a different side.

Photos from this walk are available here - For a map covering the walk area click here.

The Rhinogs & Cadair Idris weekend away - Grade C

Cadair Idris is one of the less well known peaks in Snowdonia, but still demanding well worth climbing. Of the many routes to the top, we usually follow the path from the northern side, this rises steeply to a large lake before following a ridge around to the summit. Other options include the similar Pony Track and the more adventurers Foxes Path with it's 1000 ft of very steep and loose scree. On a good day, views from the top should extend over the Irish Sea, including the seaside resort of Barmouth and North to Snowdon. As with all things around here, the possibility of a good view is entirely to chance but should the weather be bad at the top, at least there is a small shelter.

Other days walking could be further down the coast where the hills are much more gentle but the scenery is still enjoyable. The accommodation has in the past been in self catering chalets by the Tal y Lyn Lake. Probably the best accommodation we use, each chalet has proper bedrooms with proper beds, a kitchen, shower, fridge, cooker and possibly a television. A path leads along a short distance along a river to a waterfall - much more impressive at night by torch light as long as you don't fall in!