Snowdonia through the eyes of a Fellwanderer

There is a rumour that there are more sheep than humans in Wales. And all the road signs are in Welsh and English. Plus you can see the Milky Way when the weather is nice. Intrigued? Come and find out for yourself!

Wales has several national parks with quite different features. Snowdonia National Park is beautifully wild, with steep ridges, rocky mountains, plenty of sheep, and views stretching as far as Ireland on a clear day. It’s also home to the highest mountain in England and Wales: Snowdon. There are multiple paths to go up Snowdon, from the scenic and not-too-taxing Rhyd-Ddu path, to the challenging horseshoe path, which requires fair bit of nerve and scrambling. You can choose whatever option suits you best. Alternatively, you can even take a little train that zigzags up the Snowdon.

Once you’ve climbed up, you can enjoy a mug of heavenly hot chocolate at the top of the mountain as a reward. In the past, people were drinking beer there too! But just to warn you – the chances of getting a view at the top are relatively slim: usually you can see more on your way back down, once you leave the enshrouded mountain top.

Apart from Snowdon, there are plenty of other routes you can take in the Snowdonia National park. For instance, there is also a nice circular mountain path called Y Garn, where you start at a magnificent mountain lake, ascend a rocky climb, and finally come to a gorge, nicknamed the Devil’s Kitchen, or, quoting one of the medical students, “Batman’s Cave”. It is then followed by a fairly leisurely descent.

So if you are interested in hiking in the UK, you’re welcome to join the Fellwanderer Hiking Club. We run cheap weekend trips and day walks throughout the term, and all levels are welcome!