.svg)
My new home for the next few days
View out of the bedroom window
As I had quite a bit of time before everyone would meet up I stowed my stuff away and decided to go back to Betws-y-Coed and check out the sales in the outdoor specialist shops. I got side tracked on the way and I stopped off at "Swallow Falls", somewhere I'd not been since I was about 10 years old ! 
After a quick wander round Betws-y-Coed and managing to bag myself a bargain - a North Face down parka which hopefully will be perfect for next month (at a superb saving), it was time to head back to the hostel and meet up with all the others. I think most of us were a bit apprehensive as to what to expect but it was very easy going and relaxed. We chatted about our various challenges and what we'd been doing (or not doing) as we tucked into a realy lovely meal ! Over the weekend Claire, our trainer/leader gave a presentation on the various challenges that everyone was undertaking, talks on typical kit that would be needed, how to keep healthy etc.
Saturday we spent on a walk to the summit of Snowdon via one of the popular routes - the Pyg track. We all met up for a hearty breakfast and then suitably kitted up left the hostel at 9 am for our walk. It was a bit windy and a little bit misty and we wondered how long it would be before it poured down and if we would actually get to see anything from the summit.
Claire (3rd from left) our trainer/group leader from Expedition Wise
Glaslyn & Llyn Llydaw
Lunch break a bit higher up, getting quite misty now ! 
Our "drink stop" with, apparently, a lovely view of the lake !!!!
Pat and Myself doing the "obligatory pose" at the Summit
Martin & Evelyn at the Summit
Going back down via the Miner's track (The track was built during the 1800's to serve Britannia Copper Mines which were abandoned in 1917)
Getting a pep talk from Claire in front of the old Copper mine buildings
http://www.mountainwalk.co.uk/snowdonfacts.html
Kit Inspection !!
Having given a talk on the different types of kit useful for the different challenge events, Claire (looking very thoughtful) gives her opinion on one of the group member's kit
Sunday
On Sunday morning the weather bulletin posted in the hostel reception ???." rain, mist, fog, gales, snow, blizzards" .... I kid you not!! Needless to say the planned walk up Tryfan had to be changed to a more low level walk and the weekend cut a bit short as people were worried about getting snowed in and not getting back home /back to work (they had a fair bit of travelling to do up to Newcastle and down to Oxford). The wind had been battering the hostel during the night and everything seemed to be banging and creaking keeping quite a few awake all night. At breakfast we found out that John's car window had been smashed during the night, the winds must have picked up some debris and shattered his back windows. Unfortunately, he had to stay behind and wait by the pay phone (no mobile reception) for a few hours just to see if Autoglass could get hold of glass suitable for his type of car which didn't sound too promising on a Sunday morning.
Rebecca, one of my "room mates", who is going to be doing the Great Wall of China trek in June.
Looking across to Tryfan which was our intended walk but due to the bleak weather bulletin this had to be switched to a more low level walk instead.
A bit higher up on our low level walk !!!!!!
My other "room mate" Evelyn who is on the Dalai Lama trek to the Himalayas next month
Coming back down a scree slope
Despite having to cut our weekend short because of the weather we had a great time. Everyone was very nice and we got on really well together. We all felt the weekend had been extremely worthwhile and having picked up lots of useful info feel a bit happier about coping with what we're about to take on. Hopefully a few of us will get the chance to meet up again and go on some more walks together and catch up on each other's challenges which are staggered over the next few months.
No comments:
Post a Comment