Llanfendigaid Adventures, Day 5.

On the Thursday a group of us opted for an ascent of Snowdon, despite having a forecast of low cloud and freezing temperatures on the high tops.  In the event we did well, with cloud only on the very summit, although it was bitingly cold on the top.  Becki was the inspiration for the trip.  She is an extremely talented runner and was keen to run up.  My days of running up mountains are behind me, unfortunately, but Thomas, Beth, Alejandro and myself were keen to walk up in support.  Becki wanted to run the main tourist route so we were away early, parked up opposite the station in Llanberis and soon heading up the first steep road section with Becki running on ahead of us.  The walk went well; steep at first and then the gradient easing slightly past the Halfway House, before ramping up seriously again below Clogwyn Station and then easing again when we reached the final summit ridge.

We met Becki, running strongly on her way down, at the foot of this steep section.  She had made the summit in 62 minutes and the round trip in one hour 39 minutes for the 10 miles.  We weren't hanging about, but took 5 hours over it!!  At this point there were fabulous views of Lyn Du'r Arddu and the formidable cliff of Clogwyn Du'r Arddu or Black Cliff.  This remote bastion is thought by many to be one of the best rock climbing cliffs in the country and first ascents of many of the climbs were made by Joe Brown and Don Whillan's, among others, at the time the hardest climbs in the UK.  

I had forgotten how steep the path was after Clogwyn Station and it found me huffing and puffing like a broken down traction engine.  Although this was the tourist path and there were plenty of people on it, it was relatively quiet until the Snowdon Ranger Path and the Pyg and Miner's Paths joined on the summit ridge along with that from over spectacular Crib Goch.  It then became like Blackpool Prom in the summer.  We had views down onto the Pyg track and it was heaving, reminding me why I tend to steer clear of Snowdon.  My favourite route is The Horseshoe via Crib Goch and Lliwedd and the Watkin Path from the Nant Gwynant Valley on the Beddgelert side of the mountain is usually relatively quiet.

After the traditional selfie on the summit we had a quick bite to eat and then, before we froze too much, headed back down, meeting Becki at the same spot as we had done on the way up - she was heading back up to meet us!  We enjoyed watch the manoeuvres of a chinook helicopter in the valley below us for a while, but were disgusted to find two plastic bags full of empty sandwich packets just abandoned by the side of the path.  Just who do people thing is going to clear it up.  Fortunately we were able to leave it in a bin at the Halfway House.

An excellent day topped off with pots of tea and looking at the winners board for the Snowdon Race in the Royal Victoria Hotel.