Total ascent 1100m (3609ft).
What a strange day.
I had originally intended an early start but decided that however early I started the summit of Snowdon would be swarming. So I opted for a normal start (for me that's up at 8:30 and away at 10) as I only had 10 and a half miles to do. I hadn't considered the third option, which was the fire alarm going off at 7 (it could have been worse I suppose).
It just so happened that, not for the first time this trip, my room was also the fire exit (2nd floor). I was expecting people to start running through my room screaming but nothing happened. As I couldn't smell anything I got dressed, went to the loo, washed, cleaned my teeth, brushed my hair, added DO and hay fever eye drops, put on sun tan lotion, filled my water bottles, packed my bag and wandered out of the fire exit and across a metal bridge. I then sat down on the hill behind the hotel and waited. I then got up and ran back in again because there were midges everywhere. Fire or midges? I know what I'd choose.
It was now 7:45 so I went down for breakfast. The dining room was packed with very awake people and a landlord who had obviously been hoping to start a bit later than this! I only wanted scrambled eggs on toast so I was served quickly. When they arrived I strained a strange liquid off them, had a few mouthfuls, couldn't taste anything and opted for jam instead.
Not a great start to a day I wasn't expecting to be great. I was walking by 8:45, spookily enough along a shady lane followed by a riverside path. Both were better at this end of the day, though I had the cobweb problem again on the riverside path.
The iPhone at full zoom! Enlarging picture not recommended.
After an hour or so I was at the bottom of my one and only target today, Snowdon. I was heading up the Watkin Path initially, then veering up west to a bwlch and along the Clogwyn Ridge to the summit. The Watkin path starts at just 40m so it's quite a climb.
The day was dominated by 3 related (on the day) things: sun, water and children. Firstly it was noticeably warmer than yesterday and there was no shade to be found. Or breeze for that matter until I got onto the ridge. Secondly I drank 3 litres of water going up (albeit with a large rucksack), filled up at the top and drank 2 more on the way down, plus a can of ginger beer. Thirdly, oh God, thirdly. I'll come back to it when I'm mentally ready.
Climbing out of the valley was tough and the ridge was steep, but I made decent progress. I knew I was getting near to the end of my trek when I met the man from Buckley pet shop! To be honest I'd seen very few people so far so was quite happy, but knew it was about to change because I could see ahead to the summit, with some impressive mist to my left. Of course I couldn't see the actual summit because so many people were sitting on it. I clambered over yet more rocks and I was almost there, and everything did indeed change.
Impressive mist.
My brief was simple - get to the 'almost as gruesome as the old cafe' cafe, fill up with water and, in true Monty Python and the Holy Grail style, "run away, run away!" The first two were easily achieved but the third was tricky, because I would have to queue up to run away, in fact I'd have to queue up to do anything.
I forced my way through to the railway line and began my descent, then at the junction where the paths split had a perverse desire to sit down and people watch. So I did. Most people were suffering. Those having the most success seemed to be coming up the wheelchair ramp from Llanberis. It may be a long way and begin low down but it's one of the easiest walks in Snowdonia, and it was in the breeze.
Those coming up the Miners' / Pyg Track however were not having any success at all, despite starting much higher, nor any sort of breeze. This was my descent unfortunately, and as it was only 1:30 I found myself going down the carriageway the wrong way.
Crib Goch and more mist.
Preachy time. It's simple. If it's as hot as it was today you do not take your kids up Snowdon if none of you are capable of walking up it. Because it's hard! And it was obvious that pretty much everyone thought they would get themselves and their children to the top, even those lying comatose and groaning for water 1500ft from the summit.
I have never seen so many children crying, or adults arguing, in one place in my life. And as for blatant lying: "How far is it now Daddy?" "Oh we're nearly there." NO, YOU'RE NOT NEARLY THERE AT ALL! LOOK, THERE'S THE TOP, YOU CAN SEE IT! IT'S THAT POINTY THING RIGHT UP THERE AND IT'S MILES AWAY!
See, it is miles away! The summit, as seen from the M6.
I wanted to hold up a big placard like the man in the middle of Chester and shout, "YOU'RE ALL GOING TO DIE!" But I didn't have one. Relief came when the Pyg Track forked away from the Miners' Track, but I was still within sight of Pen y Pass, the end of the walk, when it was finally peaceful enough to stop for lunch!
So I finished at 3:15 and caught a bus straight down to Capel Curig, where I am staying for 2 nights in a B&B (no, not a pub!). This means a day sack only will be needed for tomorrow's 5.4 mile, er, saunter over the Glyders. Capel Curig is, in my head, the centre of the Welsh walking universe. It consists of a t-junction, two walking shops and a cafe. It just feels so perfectly located for everything that is enormous around here. I'm sitting at the cafe now, eating their fantastic Welsh cakes, drinking coffee and watching the world go by. In fact it feels as if most of the world has gone by in the last hour.
The early finish has allowed me to type this post early, before Mike gets here. He's staying for two nights and just doing tomorrow's walk because he's got knee and Achilles injuries (yes, we're all at it!), and of course because he's scared of the last day's walk. He'd just moan if I started blogging, and I don't want him moaning any more than he will when I tell him we need to find a pub showing the Utd v Chelsea match.
-- Posted from Kev's iPhone
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