Journey to the Top of the World…

Well, Wales to be more precise.

Saturday 26th September dawned misty and fresh. It was a long-awaited date and Catherine, Jo and I were finally glad to be setting off for the youth hostel car park at Pen-Y-Pass to make our ascent to the summit of Snowdon.

The somewhat early start was soon forgotten as we found our track and set off - layered up to the eyeballs in fleeces, windproofs, scarves and gloves. We’d chosen the popular Pyg track, for its reportedly incredible views and stunning scenery. We were not disappointed. With the hardened climbers treacherously scrambling through the swirling mists along Crib Goch, part of the Snowdon Horseshoe, above us and the shining sheet of Llyn Llydaw below, the track presented the ideal route from which to admire our first glimpses of Snowdon’s peak poking through the clouds.

With a ‘layers on/layers off’ approach to the rapidly warming day and crisp mountain air we reached the summit in a respectable two hours and forty minutes. The feat was marked by a show of appreciation for the Welsh slate used on the newly built visitor centre and the facilities within - every climber needs a cup of tea and a nice sit down after such an effort!

Reveling in the sunshine outside and feeling very lucky we were able to see the mountain in such perfect conditions we watched the thick cloud we’d trekked through burn away, revealing the panoramic valley with its winding trails filling up with walkers below. Choosing the Miners track for our descent, we enjoyed a closer view of the lake and marvelled at its vivid emerald green colour, a result of the nearby and now disused copper mine.

Pete’s Eats, a climbers’ cafe in Llanberis, provided us with a hearty supper before our return to Bangor. Of course, the opportunity to savour a Little Chef breakfast the next morning before heading home was not missed either - we couldn’t let Andy down.