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!
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! Entirely by coincidence, we are visiting the three Welsh National Parks first, followed by the ten English ones and finishing off with the two Scottish Parks. So, having visited the Brecon Beacons and Pembrokeshire Coast in January and February respectively, we are heading to Snowdonia next. In fact, we are planning a double Park visit this time and will be spending a few days in the Peak District after Snowdonia.
Snowdonia National Park is the largest National Park in Wales and lies in the north-west corner of the country. There are nine mountain ranges which cover 52% of the Park and one of the peaks, Snowdon, is the highest mountain in England and Wales (at 1,085m above sea level). Unusually, you can travel to the top by the Snowdon Mountain Railway (www.snowdonrailway.co.uk/) from Llanberis, although it only travels to Clogwyn (about 1 mile and an hour's hike from the summit ) from mid-March to May and only goes all the way to the top from May to October (and assuming it is not too windy). We've decided to stay at another YHA hostel and I am looking forward to a couple of nights at the YHA Snowdon Ranger (www.yha.org.uk/hostel/snowdon-ranger) - but in a private room rather than a camping pod this time. It is conveniently located at the base of Mount Snowdon, with a hiking route to the summit right from the doorway. The Snowdon Ranger Path (www.eryri-npa.gov.uk/visiting/walking/mountain-walks/snowdon-ranger) is one of the easier routes up to the top of Mount Snowdon and our plan is to attempt that. I'm still a little nervous about Jay's capability, as this would be a longer, high walk than he has ever undertaken before (at 6 hours +), but I have high hopes that having tackled Pen y Fan in the snow (taking 4.5 hours), he would be able to climb up Snowdon on a fairweather day. I'm assuming, of course, that the weather will be good when we are there and I know that is not a given in the spring! To be honest, I am not necessarily wedded to the idea of reaching the summit. The point is to enjoy a day outdoors and I don't want to ruin a good day out by forcing the kids to walk further than they are comfortable with. The resulting grumpiness is no fun for anyone! The YHA Snowdon Ranger is also based by the side of a lake - Llyn Cwellyn - and I am super excited by the prospect of getting out in our canoes again. We haven't been paddling since last summer and I am itching to be on the water, hopefully in a peaceful location. I am making another assumption here - this time that we will be able to fit all of our canoeing, hiking and other stuff into the boot of our car. Our two canoes are the inflatable type and fold up into bags the size of large suitcases and our buoyancy aids are also quite bulky. I'm not entirely sure what we will sacrifice if it doesn't all fit! |
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