The Trek Team visit Snowdon!
The Trek Medals team recently took a trip to Snowdonia National Park! Read Josh’s insights and experiences as a first time climber of Snowdon
The journey begins at the Watkin Path…
In stark contrast to Dan who has been up many times before, I began the day as someone with a love of outdoors and walking but having never actually scaled the peak of Snowdon, or any in Wales for that matter! As such I was more than happy to follow Dan’s detailed itinerary, depicting our route from Watkin Path, a detour ¾ of the way up to Y Lliwedd, descending down and around the lake to climb to the summit via the Miners’ Track, and finally the journey back down Watkin Path to the car park. Having been aware of the routes but no experience of them myself, I was just excited to see what the day would bring! So along with Ciaran & Bridy (also a first-time Snowdoner), we set out on our path…
We got to the car park at half 6 in the morning, to the heavens literally opening in a torrential downpour, so out came the waterproofs! Once we began our ascent at the very foot of the Watkin Path, we entered serene woodland shielding us from the worst of it. I was very pleased to see only a few hundred metres in our first picturesque photo opportunity, a stream with a mini waterfall. To be the start of many camera opportunities, I took several attempts at artistically angled shots and carried on up the woodland trail. Further along we hit the first tough part of the trail, and my lack of lockdown fitness soon began to show…
We began a climb up a wonderful old path with plenty of big rocks, as I began to get my first bout of aching legs trying to keep up with Dan, a sure-footed sheep engaged in conversation with us alongside the path, and then proceeded to leap up the slope with ease, as if to say ‘You really shouldn’t be tiring this early pal!’. Further up though a swift break, fistful of fruit pastilles and a cereal bar and I began to pick up again and we continued on with a second wind.
As we got further up the scenic route in the mist, it was tricky to see too many metres ahead to what was to come, but after much walking and a lot of complaining (me), we found the faint path that indicated a split to crack on towards Y Lliwedd…
Ah… Y Lliwedd, what a climb and how unexpected! Full of character from the offset, it was at times tricky to know where the path was as we trekked up the slope. Closer to the peak, it became less a tough walk and more of a scramble, carefully gripping on to rocks to ensure we safely climbed as a visible drop became more prominent in both sides of my peripheral vision! As amazing as the scenery would have been, perhaps I was glad of the thick mist all around us for not exposing the true depth of the drop! As a novice though this was exhilarating, the tough climb, hairy descent and feel of literally being inside a cloud is the sort of feeling that reminds how great it is to be alive, nothing is more refreshing! My top tip from this would be this is not a route for the faint-hearted or inexperienced though, particularly in bad weather! Having the luck of being with experienced climbers helped guide me to a safe scramble over the top. Climb carefully, on a good day and you can be expected to be treated to breathtaking views of the valleys!
After hours of climbing and a distinct lack of pictures due to the weather, as we climbed down Y Lliwedd, we got under the cloud cover to an increasingly clear view of the lake Llyn Llydaw, and Dan pointed out the path at the foothill was the start of our climb to the summit, the Miners’ Track. Deceptively far away, as the path levelled out my concentration gave way and queue a couple of rather comical slips and trips. Keep your eyes on the prize… no… sorry not the prize, the path, look at that, forwards, not backwards, or if you are going to look at the stunning view opposite, stop, find a safe spot and then get your camera out! Lessons learned just in time… the full climb was next!
A stop for lunch lakeside in front of the remains of the Mine, greeted by confused looks of people just starting their trek, ‘How the hell can they be stopping for lunch already, looking completely knackered and stretching their calves out?’ I was tempted to shout ‘Hey we just climbed Y Lliwedd via the Watkin Path before getting here!’ but covering somebody in sandwich in these uncertain times isn’t the most advisable course of action…
So anyway, after wolfing down some sandwiches (or 6 pork pies if you’re Dan), we began our trek up the Miners’ Track, compared to the quiet isolation of our early climb up Watkin Path and the rocks of Y Lliwedd, we were accompanied by a large amount of traffic, the early afternoon and easing weather bringing the big crowds with it. Tired legs from the previous climb kicked in early as we turned a corner and the gradient suddenly increased, some amazing views and photo opps of the lakes opposite eased the pain, and the peak of Y Lliwedd began to clear as we watched from across the way, it’s all about timing as they say!
As we began to see the PYG track above us and a cracking waterfall to the left, the angle of the climb to join up with PYG track suddenly became more apparent, this fairly tough climb just got real steep! Dan and the team cracked on still at a good pace, with some occasional muttering under my breath I followed, still loving life but starting to dislike my legs, don’t skip leg day at the gym folks...
As the mist became thicker again we knew we were getting close, signified by large troops of people gingerly coming down in single file from the clouds above, we were almost there! After a few ‘are we nearly there yet’ questions from yours truly and a long-ish hill that came from nowhere, we saw the tracks of the railway that originates at Llanberis, and the (closed) cafe, we were there! There were more crowds than anticipated so we had to queue for a while to get a pic at the summit, and then 5 pics later it was obvious in this light and wind there was no good angle, smile, take that hard earned pic and then for us find the start of the Watkin Path for our journey back down.
We’d climbed ¾ of the way up Watkin Path along the way, so we missed the last part on the way to the top, I’d been warned that it was treacherous underfoot with plenty of loose scree, I soon realised what they meant when nearly skidding my way down the mountain like a drunk downhill skier! Baby steps and a few casual butt slides helped to steady us as we climbed down, dismayed and amazed by the site of 2 runners zooming past us surefooted as mountain goats!
Soon after, the scree subsided, the sun came out as the clouds dissipated and I finally began to see those picture perfect views people always shared! Wonderful views of the path below, and climbing onto a hill, and stunning views of the now clear Y Lliwedd in front of our path, to across Glaslyn where we could see the Miners’ Track we had climbed, further up and adjacent the PYG track, and above/across that the jagged magnificence that is Crib Goch (disclaimer: seasoned climbers only). A sunnier, happier descent back down the Watkin Path ensued past sights vastly different in the afternoon glow, the trickiest part at this point was trying to control aching knees and shaking legs, a steep descent is much harder on the joints!
As we walked past the waterfall and back into the initial woodland where 10 hours earlier we had begun our trek, a last group picture by the start/finish, we drove back to camp for bbq, beers and basking in the evening sun with a day full of amazing views, and truly rewarding climbs I would recommend to everybody what a challenge! I’d say we all earned some sort of medal after that…
