This months Cazzasize, 'hiking up Snowdon from a campsite', the best campsite to stay at and my review of the Watkin Path.
Hiking is in Vogue! Reporting ‘hiking is the chicest form of exercise in the city of the beautiful and toned’ LA for their March 2017 cover shoot. Sounds so glamorous and reminded me of our hike up Mount Snowdon from our campsite, well the walking bit, one of the best forms of exercise and fun too!
Easter 2012; a lovely gang of 7 camped at the foothills of Snowdon, walking from tent to top. We stayed at beautiful campsite by a little stream, perfect location for a hike up Snowdon.
Our crew; husband, stepson 1 and 2, my brother and Emma & Elwood, friends from Brighton, who had fallen love at Snowdon a few years before.
It had just snowed on Snowdon. We were totally unprepared for the freezing night time conditions, the summer sleeping bags where not quite cutting it. I thought my toes where going to drop off and the boys were blue in the morning. A mad dash to the local camp shop to buy some Artic Sleeping bags and we were toasty and warmed by a breakfast fire.
( unattractive photo in this post )
We chose to walk up the Watkin Path, it wasn’t the easiest.
There are 10 different walks up Snowdon, if you’re really lazy or unfit or unwell, you can get the cable car to the top, not open that day because of the snow.
We laughed at the poster in the bathrooms.
The poster read Watkin Path ‘Route that starts a the lowest point (80m) Wonderful start to the walk through Cwm Llan. Atrocious ending via treacherous scree slope that’s an accident blackspot.’
How hard can it be?
We were a merry band setting off from the campsite...
Through a pretty wooded area, we pass pretty rivers and fields, we reach the path in 45 minutes.
The beginning of the assent is very pleasant despite falling over a couple of times, my hiking boots are too slippy on the wet rocks. Sunshine turns to overcast, then mist.
Lots of steps up in various heights, the path starts to get quite difficult and steep, a bit of rock climbing and then the scree slope, very slippy and we were weary.
There were high screams of ‘ELWOOD!’ From a stuck Australian on a side of a mountain, not as romantic as their first adventure.
We scrambled up the scree, unable to see the top, having no idea how long the scree would go on and on.
We turn a rock and we are at the top! Packed full of hikers, we felt proud and a sense of achievement climbing the Watkin Path. Not as easy as others, it was a challenge and we did it!
We perched on the side Snowdon to eat our packed lunch and the clouds parted to reveal a beautiful view.
Going down was much easier and we even found some snow to slide down, it was super fun.
Click the pic for a video...
And Emma managed to step in a stream, 'it's not an adventure until something goes wrong!'
We were joyous on our return to camp.
We stoked the fire for the a mighty feast alas the potatoes were hilariously over cooked…
The adventure was so much fun! I highly recommend it. The boys 13 and 15 did a grand job and didn't complain, much.
The Watkin Path is difficult and people have died climbing it. Good levels of fitness and common sense will see you ok. Always check weather reports and have a charged phone, but don't use the GPS app too much it drains the battery. Take a map, compass and water and energy bars, weather proof clothes and good hiking boots.
Have fun!
I would love to go back and do it all again. Maybe a future Strolling Sisterhood…
Thank you for reading my memory and I hope I've inspired you to go on an adventure.
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Peace, love and happiness,
Cxxx