Kicking off the 20s with a hike up Snowdon – what did you expect?
It was to be my fourth hike up Wales’ highest peak and the first time I’d do it without Brendan Clayton Photography. This blog proves to you that I do have other friends. Saying that, Dan Murray has already featured in one of my blogs – one from January last year when we went up Mam Tor. As the hikers amongst you will know though, that is not a challenge at all; Dan has been talking about doing Snowdon for ages, so I finally offered to take him. For me, it was a chance to walk off all those mince pies.
First things first: food prep. I had breakfast bars, snacks and energy drinks, but being a boob I left my house without water. Egg and my face were in alignment. Luckily, Winsford has a sandwich shop that opens at 6am.
God bless Nodens! And obvs, we bought big butties to enjoy on the hike.
8:35am. The Snowdon Ranger Path.
My fourth time up, my fourth route up, and my first hike from this side of the mountain. Being only the 3rd of January, I recommended to Dan that he wrap up and layer up – temperatures at the top would not get above -2℃.
The first stage of the Ranger Path is a miserable zig-zagging trail on which Dan quickly learned that, despite the fact I’m often on hikes and rambles, I’m very unfit. The path is sloped, not stepped, and it absolutely kills your calves. We were both huffing and puffing and quickly removing layers.
It was chilly but calm and not really that cold. Soon, my fleece, hat and gloves were stashed in my bag. Dan kept his coat on but I like having few layers on when I hike – even if it is cold. My movement keeps me warm.
At the top of the zig-zag section, Snowdon loomed into view.
Doesn’t it look inviting?
Annoyingly, all the other mountains in the area had clear summits.
Bloody typical that the only one with cloud on it was the one we were climbing.
After the zig-zags we spent around 25 minutes on a section of path with only a very slight incline.
T’was almost a nice leisurely stroll. However, we could soon see that this easy walk would end abruptly.
Another zig-zagging path heading sharply up. You can just faintly make it out in the green. I was really starting to regret the amount of mince pies and chocolate etc I’d eaten over the festive period.
I was also regretting having a shave a few days prior. My face needed a blanket.
We stopped at a small stone bridge and I pretended to be Brendan Clayton Photography.
Crazily enough we were already around half way to the summit after just 45 minutes. “Half way” in terms of distance – I knew the second half would take longer and hurt more.
As you come around a lake called Llyn Ffynnon-y-gwas (no, I don’t know either), the path starts to get steep again, and at times it’s part-path, part-cascade. Nothing intense, but enough to get your feet wet if you were an idiot in trainers.
An hour in, it was time for a break.
Not a bad place for a snack. After 10 minutes I started getting cold so I spurred us on.
Soon the trail brings you close to a ridge from which you can gaze across the valley towards Llanberis. You can also see the Llanberis Path and the tramway.
We took a few photos and carried on. We were now approaching the cloud line.
The cloud was making my hair damp.
The zig-zags were coming to an end but the trail was still quite steep. Have I mentioned my dodgy knee? I probably should. I have a dodgy knee nowadays. It’s always been dodgy but now it hurts. Maybe I should see a doctor. Maybe I’m being a hypochondriac. But still, it was hurting a bit progress was slow for the next 40 minutes.
In this time I started noticing frost clinging to grass blades, and then stones. By the time we reached the tramway and the Llanberis Path, the frosty landscape had turned into an icy landscape.
At one point, Dan lol’d behind me. I turned around and he pointed at my head.
My damp head was starting to freeze over in the icy fog. It was indeed cold.
Reaching the Llanberis Path not only meant an increase in ice, but also an increase in the amount of fellow hikers. For the entirety of our ascent up the Ranger, we saw 5 people and 2 dogs. Now we were seeing loads of folk, all wrapped up very tightly in big coats, snoods, snow gloves and hats. And then there was me – gloveless, hatless, scarfless, and in only two tops – looking like an idiot I’m sure.
Finally we reached the summit steps where the mountain was at its iciest.
And most beautiful. Every single rock had a glaze of ice. I would have taken more photos if my hands hadn’t started going numb.
The final steps up to the cairn were deadly. But at 10:52, we made it.
Getting down from the cairn we took no risks and slipped down on our arses.
All the standing around at the top (and my novel descent method) had brought on shivers. Now I was cold. Very cold. We made it down to the cafe that’s never open when I get here and hid in the doorway.
Celebratory beers. Tbh I only did this for the pic – didn’t fancy a nice cold beer at this present moment. I did fancy that nice warm Nodens sandwich though which itself had turned cold. I also quickly put on all my spare clothes to stem the shivers.
The face of a cold man. After sheltering in the doorway for a good half hour, it was time to leave.
CAREFULLY – every step made with care. The wind had picked up too and Dan and I honestly felt like our eyes were freezing over.
The cloud line was a bit higher on the mountain when we were descending, thus we were able to see this part of the ridge where you could walk right up to the cliff edge. Selfie time.
We also found this small crag.
It was a good place to take in a view, as well as hide behind whilst weeing.
Meanwhile, God was apparently guiding us back to the car…
He was a probably a mile out. I suppose there are a lot of white Corsas in the world and it’s easy to get mixed up.
Again, the Snowdon Ranger Path is noteworthy for its lack of people. We saw one couple on the way down and that’s it. The tranquillity was lush.
Dan turned around to talk to me and told me to look back at the mountain. I was pretty annoyed to see it was clearing up at the summit.
So bloody typical. The clouds continued to clear until we could see the summit and the cafe at the top, looking like a crashed spaceship. If only we had been even slower hikers, we might have been able to enjoy a view at the summit.
Hey ho. We made it back to the car park at 13:25. Up and down with 3 stoppages in just under five hours. Good going.
We went for a game of pool and a coke at a place called Snowdonia Parc before heading around to Llanberis for a now-traditional post-Snowdon pub grub tea.
We ended up at The Heights. I’ve been before. They do good chips.
The southern fried chicken burger was also pretty damn good. We washed it down with some Guinness.
A Guinness Clear for me, of course.
All in all, I enjoyed the Snowdon Ranger Path. It’s a sudden hike, followed by a leisurely stroll on which to get your breath back before another steep climb. But best of all its quiet – being on the west side of the mountain, it takes longer to get to if you’re driving the conventional route across the north coast. So if you love climbing Snowdon but hate people, this is a path for you.
A final shout out to Dan Murray, who this day completed his first of Great Britain’s Three Peaks. Woop woop.
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