Llanberis, Snowdonia

Today we climbed Mt Snowdon, which the Welsh are keen to point out is the highest peak in Wales and England. Forecasts for the region over the last week had not been particularly encouraging, with reports ranging from clouds and rain to lightning bolts. However, weather for our drive to Wales yesterday was pleasant, and the trip was mostly smooth despite an apparently predictable traffic jam on the motorway past Birmingham. We arrived at our Bed and Breakfast to a cool but dry afternoon in Llanberis on the foothills of the mountain. We were glad to have pre-booked as we discovered that the annual marathon that starts and finishes at Llanberis was being held today. The town was booked solid.

The day dawned relatively clear, and our hiking-savvy hosts at the B&B recommended we should climb the mountain today. As we set off up the road to the trail carpark, the peak of the mountain was veiled in a thin layer of cloud but there was no threat of rain. Unfortunately, as the marathon ran right past the mountain carpark, the park was full and we had to drive down the mountain some distance to find a place to park. We thus had already hiked for 20 minutes by the time we got back to the carpark. It may have been this which led to me confidently leading us down an alternate path from the carpark, despite Bronwyn's protestations and desire to check the map. I still maintain the map was somewhat misleading. In any case, as a result we ended up walking the first half hour or so on the trail we planned to follow on the return journey. The two trails almost overlap at one point however, divided primarily by altitude. A moderate hike up a fairly steep section thus put us back on the high road even if I had to give up the moral high ground and admit I was in fact wrong about the tracks!

Overall, the climb was excellent, with the cloud layer burning off so the summit was clear. A couple of hours later we thus found ourselves, with a hundred or so other people at the time, at the top of the mountain. The views were excellent, and we could see water in three directions around the Peninsulas. People at the summit claimed to be able to see Ireland, which is apparently possible on a good day. Neither of us could really claim to have seen it. In any case, our new digital camera was put to good use on the climb and at the summit, and photos of our trip will be uploaded in the Travel section eventually. We climbed back down the mountain, taking our intended route along the entire journey, and drove back to Llanberis seeking more than anything sleep, glorious sleep.