Snowdonia Odyssey - Day three

A day in the glyders

Well..

Considering the low cloud, the rain and the stiff breeze, the planned scramble up Tryfan's slippery rocks into the view-obscuring white, suddenly didn't seem a good idea.

Snowdonia odyssey - day two

Carnedd horseshoe

Breakfast

Dunnock?

Pied wagtail

Off at 9:30-ish. Not bad for us!

Snowdonia Odyssey - Day one

Bus anyone?

The plan was to take the bus a little way to Swallow Falls and maybe an early lunch.

Well.

Snowdonia Odyssey -Travel day

We're in Wales now...

Travel day saw us speeding towards Betws y Coed, the nearest main line station. Everything progressed as expected until the last stage when we had to use a Rail Replacement bus. Despite the fact that the tracks had been washed away by storms some nine months previous, Virgin had still reserved seats for us on coach 'C'. Try as we might we just couldn't find them.

Snowdonian Odyssey - preamble

Betsy Who?

Snowdonia a different way.

On a typical trip we'd pick a route and plan a multi-day backpack from one end to the other, possibly with the odd short day.

This time I thought differently. We'd pick a couple of fixed bases from which to attack the surrounding peaks.

The planning continues

But why does it hurt so...?

I'm trying to get hill fit. Cycling the hillier route to work, running 5km every other morning and climbing the local footbridge with 15kg on my back.

Training with Ole' Trusty

Bugger this......

But no, I can't cave in this easily. If I put in the work now, I'm more likely to enjoy my Snowdonian backpacking odyssey.

Enough moaning. Plans are coalescing... condensing... congealing... Well, one of them.

Train tickets are booked, routes are drawn up, dehydrated food is about to be sampled, packing lists are agonised over. Not long now!

The trouble with Northern Snowdonia on foot, as I've found out, there is a long way between hostelries. Or shops. Or cafes. You hear stories of Pete's Eats, Pen Y Gwern Hotel, Pen Y PassYH, etc. but they are a fair way from any campsites.

In fact it looks like we'll have to carry most of our food with us. For a week. That's like 6 kg, dry weight. Oh well... Better carry on training then.

Training 'mountain'

The Ridges of Snowdonia

By Steve Ashton.

From here

I bought this to do some research for my Summer holiday this year.

As guide books go, it does a first rate job.

It contains all the information: General descriptions of the various areas of Snowdonia, very detailed step by step route descriptions with OS maps, not only for the main ridges but also for several variations.

Includes stunning photographs and a final section covering a complete transverse of Snowdonia.

Everything you need, where you need it. Marvellous.


What makes this book stand apart from the rest is Mr Ashton's wicked sense of humour. After each 'step by step' there's a rather entertaining, more readable description of the route.


Here's what I mean. Discussing the descent from Yr Wyddfa South from page 83:

"Unless you want to fritter away the rest of a perfectly good afternoon doing good deeds for people, do not descend directly to Bwlch y Saethau along with misdirected and ill-shod tourists heading for Beddgelert. Why? Because that slope is set exactly at the critical angle for human beings in unsuitable footwear. Normally, of course, most of these people will proceed downwards according to the law of acceleration down an inclined plane; but there's always a few who will discover that as long as they keep very still, they are able to hold position on the slope indefinately....                ....follow the path down to Bwlch instead - falling bodies permitted."

Some parts made me laugh out loud.


Even if you have no intention of walking in Snowdonia, it's worth a read. Go and buy it now!