Llyn Cwellyn is a reservoir in North Wales, situated along the A4085 near Rhyd-Ddu. It was conveniently (for us) across the road from the YHA Snowdon Ranger where we were staying, which made going out for a paddle in our canoes very easy. For non-hostel residents, there is a public car park nearby - typically used by hikers heading up the Snowdon Ranger path. We were lucky to have the entire lake to ourselves on the day we decided to go canoeing. It was perhaps not a surprise, given it was a little chilly and raining that day! I was very tempted not to bother but the kids were up for it, so how could I not be as well?? They are very good at bringing good cheer to a dreary situation! It took 45 mins to get both canoes pumped up. It was our first canoeing trip since last summer, so we were a little rusty when it came to getting everything set up. One day we might buy an electric pump and get it done faster but for now, it's all about good old-fashioned muscle-power! As usual, we had a girls' boat (which Eve and I have provisionally named 'The Platypus Princess') and a boys' boat (which Simon and Jay call 'The Green Dragon'). We spent an hour and a half paddling in a loop around the edge of the lake and enjoying the peace. It's immensely soothing just drifting along, admiring the scenery and wildlife watching. Sheep were the theme of our time in Snowdonia, and we spotted many more in the fields by the lake!
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We ended our hike up Snowdon feeling tired but happy and we were looking forward to a well-deserved rest back at our hostel. Sadly that was not to be...we returned to discover that we were locked out! The main door was kept locked out of check-in hours and we hadn't picked up that day's door code. We are not ones to let unfortunate events get us down so, with an hour to kill before we could get in, we hopped in our car and drove to Beddgelert, in search of a cup of tea.
Beddgelert is a picturesque little village about a 10 minute drive from our hostel. We parked up and mooched around until we found the Glandwr Cafe. It looked nice, they served tea and cake, and there were free tables, which was pretty much all we were looking for. To find that the Cafe also had free wifi was an unexpected but very welcome bonus! As is the case for much of Wales, the 3G/4G signal had been mostly non-existent during our stay, so it was nice to have an opportunity to check emails. We really recommend this Cafe, if you're ever in the area. The staff were friendly and the cake was delicious. In fact, it was so good that we decided then and there to change our plans for the following day so that we could return for lunch! The co-joining ice-cream parlour, Glaslyn ices, sells award-winning ice-cream in a huge variety of flavours, and it is worth dropping by there as well. Earlier this month, the view from the summit of Snowdon was voted the best view in the UK. It was rather fortuitous timing as we planned to climb up Snowdon just a few days later - the perfect opportunity to see if we agreed! Snowdon is the highest mountain in England and Wales, peaking at 1,085m above sea level, higher than anything climbed by Eve or Jay (Scafell Pike, 978m and Pen y Fan, 886m respectively). We didn't set out expecting to reach the top but hoping that we might, so with that in mind, we went brought warm clothes, a packed lunch and prepared for a 6+ hour hike. We followed the Snowdon Ranger path as we were staying at the YHA hostel located near the start. For non-YHA residents, there is a public car park across the road from the start, where there are also a couple of port-a-loos. There is also a bus stop and train station. This route is supposed to be one of the easiest to the top and we certainly didn't find it too difficult. However, the ground is rough and uneven in places and there are a couple of steep sections. I think any reasonably fit and healthy adult could complete it and it wasn't too difficult for Jay (6) or Eve (10). We ran into two issues, which may be relevant to others who are considering this trip with kids. The first is that it is a long walk and Jay started to get bored on the way up. This is a common problem for us and our secret weapon is Eve, who remedies Jay's boredom by telling him adventure stories, which she makes up on the spot, inspired by the local surroundings. She is quite an amazing storyteller! Did I mention she has her own website on writing stories and poems? The second problem is that it is quite a bit colder at the top of the mountain than at the bottom. It is therefore very easy to head out unprepared. We know of one family who set out in just trainers and lightweight jackets and returned with two cold, tired children in tears, without reaching the summit. It was perhaps 10C at the bottom of the mountain but the summit was -1C, before you even take into account wind chill. It may have been mid-April but we were glad we wore thermal underwear, packed hats and scarves, and brought hand warmers! All in, it took us about 3 3/4 hours to reach the summit. The return trip was quicker, taking 3 hours including our lunch stop. If I'm honest, the walk back down was actually harder for me and most likely the cause of my aching knees and thigh muscles the next day. I was glad to have brought my walking poles as they took some of the strain on the steep downward sections. So, did we think the view from the summit was the best ever? Ummm...no....it looked like this!!! Unluckily for us, the summit was in the clouds the entire day. When we were lower down the mountain, the views were lovely and the frolicking spring lambs were adorable! We all enjoyed the walk and I hope to return again - perhaps one summer when the visitor centre at the summit is open, so that we can enjoy a cup of tea and cake and - hopefully - a better view!
I'm conscious I haven't written much about our adventures in Snowdonia yet but there hasn't been time. We did two back-to-back Park visits and there were far more interesting things to do with my time than blogging! ![]() So, after we waved a sad farewell to Snowdonia, we spent Easter weekend in the Peak District. That's four Parks visited now! It was a bit damp at times but as we knew it was going to rain, we planned to be underground in a cave or in a tearoom eating cake during those times. And when it rained when we didn't expect it to...? Well, we just put on our hoods and waterproofs, and head outdoors anyway. It didn't seem to bother the kids so I tried to not let it bother me. It helps that Eve's endless enthusiasm and good humour, whatever the weather or situation, is infectious and humbling. She is the best adventuring companion! Now that we've visited Snowdonia National Park, that's 3 done, with 12 still to go.
I miss the majestic mountains, sparkly lakes and super cute lambs already. This is one Park we are definitely returning to. I love any place that allows me to climb a mountain and canoe across a lake on consecutive days (although all my muscles do ache after it!). According to the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways website (www.festrail.co.uk), the Welsh Highland Railway is the UK's longest heritage railway. It runs for 25 miles from Caernarfon to Porthmadog and looks as though it takes in some stunning scenery on its 2 1/4 hour journey: lush fields, wooded river valleys and views of Snowdon - see this helpful leaflet. I've just discovered that it stops near the YHA hostel, where we will be staying. The Snowdon Ranger is a request stop only and I am endeared by the idea of hailing the train as though it were a bus!
I would love to take a ride on this steam train, perhaps leaving our car behind for the day and travelling up to explore Caernarfon. Sadly, I don't think we will have time, as we are only in Snowdonia for a few days and our trip is now being cut slightly shorter by a necessary trip to the dentist. I cracked a molar and, thanks to a resulting infection, require a root canal if I want to avoid losing the tooth - ouch! I've been instructed to avoid chewing on the left side of my mouth until it's all sorted and it's made eating a terribly unenjoyable experience. Aside from feeling unnatural, food just doesn't taste the same! Anyway, I want to get my tooth fixed asap but the soonest my dentist can fit me in is the day we planned to head to north Wales. So, we are going to delay our departure by a few hours but it means we lose all our valuable daylight hours on our first day and canoeing on arrival is now out. I still want to paddle, so we'll try to do that on another day but it unfortunately means we will have less time to explore the rest of the Park. I think we will have to return another year to experience everything we are missing this time! The Peak District National Park was designated as Britain's first National Park in 1951. It covers 555 square miles, mostly in northern Derbyshire but also parts of Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordshire and Yorkshire. It is often described in two halves: the Dark Peak, which is the higher, wilder northern half, known for its moorland; and the White Peak, which is the lower, southern half, where limestone caves and dry river valleys are common.
Since we are planning to drive straight from Snowdonia to the Peak District, we will have our canoes with us. I'm not sure the Peak District National Park is hugely known as an area for canoeing but we may as well make use of all the kit we are bringing to Snowdonia, so I think we might paddle part of the Peak Forest Canal using this route I downloaded from the British Canoeing website. It is not technically in the National Park but never mind... As we are aiming to experience something that is special about each National Park, visiting a cave is a must. The current plan is to visit the Treak Cliff Cavern (http://www.bluejohnstone.com/) near Castleton, which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest and is famous for its large deposits of Blue John Stone. Blue John is a blue-purple semi-precious stone, which looks a bit like amethyst in the pictures but I'll let you know what it's really like when I've seen a real life piece. On certain dates (including when we are visiting) you can choose, prepare, polish and take home a piece of Blue John, which sounds like a great souvenir. I'm trying not to over-plan our trips, so that we have time to fit in anything exciting that we come across while we are out there. As such, we have planned just one short walk. We will probably have had enough of the mountains after our attempt to climb Snowdonia, so we're going to keep it simple in the Peak District. However, I still want to do something a little bit different, so I purchased 'Making Tracks', a set of walks for kids. The directions are written in a fun and easy style for children aged 5-12 and the intention is that they lead the walk. I reckon Eve and Jay will love taking charge. Currently we are thinking of doing the 2 mile walk around Eyam, as it is only a 15 minute drive to Bakewell and we can pop over there in the afternoon for tea and a tart! |
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