The Lost Walks of 2004

Since I am unable to walk up a mountain at the moment I have nothing to post in this blog, so I have been going back through time to check whether there are any old walks that had not previously been described here and there are some walks in 2004, but they are difficult to put on here. I have no pictures taken from my walks in 2004 as I didn’t start taking a camera with me until a year later and I have very little written down about them. They could almost be described as the lost walks as they have slipped between the gaps by taking place before I got a camera and before this blog started, but with a good trawl around in my memory it may be possible to reconstruct them.

Snowdon for the third time

Saturday 21st February 2004

After going up Snowdon for the first time in 2003 and again the day after I was keen to go up again so when some of my friends suggested spending the weekend in North Wales I immediately suggested we go up Snowdon despite it being February so it would probably be covered in snow. Surprisingly my suggestion was not rubbished and everyone was eager to climb the highest point in either England or Wales. I never fail to be amazing at the widespread attraction for climbing one particular mountain over any other, simply because of its height. Fortunately the weather was perfect with almost no snow anywhere on the mountain and clear views all around so while some people were beginning to have second thoughts we drove over to the village of Llanberis. I parked in the Padarn Country Park car park, which I have used several times since and is an excellent place to park in Llanberis. However after putting on my walking boots we got a call from the other car to say they had parked beside the Royal Victoria Hotel, which was slightly closer to the path and they had permission, so I drove round there to join them. I doubt this Hotel would allow parking for Snowdon these days, but I’ve never tried.

Setting off we headed along a quiet residential street and up the road onto the Llanberis Path. I remember it wasn’t long before some of our group were complaining about the steepness despite still walking on the road so it shouldn’t come as a surprise when I reveal that not everyone reached the top of Snowdon. Halfway up Snowdon on the Llanberis Path is a café in a building called the Halfway House. There we stopped for a rest and after much debate at least half our group decided they had gone far enough and would prefer to visit the ruins of Caernarfon Castle instead. I was desperate to keep going as the weather was fantastic with hardly a cloud in the sky, which had not been the case on my two previous visits when I had not seen anything from the summit due to low cloud. Eventually I managed to persuade two of my friends to accompany me up to the top of Snowdon while the rest went back down to Llanberis. Setting off again one of my friends soon revealed that she was getting blisters on the back of her feet. Refusing to turn back I gave her some micro-porous tape to put on her feet and this worked a treat so we were able to keep going all the way up to the top of Snowdon.

Despite the wintry month there was no snow on Snowdon with just a little frost in sheltered spots and very cold temperatures the only consequence of the time of year. I remember some people were asking why the café at the top of Snowdon was not open, but it was not because it was February, and the train wasn’t running. We had fabulous views and I really wish I had taken a camera with me. I have been up Snowdon seventeen times and I have had a good view from top on only a handful of times. Turning around we headed back down the Llanberis Path and I was very grateful to my two friends who had stuck with me while everyone else had turned back. The weather was surprisingly good and I loved being able to enjoy every moment as our shadows gradually got longer during the slow descent all the way back into Llanberis.

Arenig Fawr

Saturday 7th August 2004

Another walk I remember in Snowdonia that year was in August when I got away for a weekend exploring a quiet part of the National Park going up Arenig Fawr, which is a mountain that I have a lot of fond memories for, which begs the question why the only time I have been up it since was just before Christmas 2008 in terrible weather.  If I recall correctly I think I parked for this walk at the car park marked on maps at the junction with the B4391 on the A4212 road. This is not particularly close to Arenig Fawr and there is a better place to park on the minor road that branches near this junction parking near the disused Arenig Quarry. I had to walk along this road for a mile or two until I reached a track that heads up to the reservoir of Llyn Arenig Fawr where a path continues the climb up the great rocky ridge of Y Castell. The climb may have been relentless, but in the excellent weather that I had in 2004 I had a very enjoyable climb all the way up to the top of Arenig Fawr. Although it was very windy, I had fantastic views from the top that included almost all of the mountains in Snowdonia. I particularly remember seeing a noticeable pass between two hills far to the west that prompted me to seek out those hills and the following year I did a walk up the Rhinogs.

I completed this walk by heading south along the summit ridge before crossing the col and climbing steeply up to the top of Moel Llyfnant. I then descended the long grassy northern slopes that took me onto the track of a disused railway line that I was able to follow all the way back down to my car. I had reached the car early, about mid-afternoon and I had considered climbing Arenig Fach on the other side of the valley, but the slopes seemed tedious and boggy so I just went off in search of the youth hostel. I have a lot of affection for this walk up an oft ignored mountain where I remember an abundance of rock and tremendous views, so it is tragic that the only time I have been up since was in really bad weather. It is a very isolated mountain with nothing else nearby that appeals, which mean this is a very short, but worthwhile mountain walk. I really must return when I am able.