Northern Wales: Snowdonia
After seeing castles and walled cities we moved on to the nature hike part of our trip. The highest peak in Wales is Snowdon in Snowdonia National Park. Eric found a trail midway up the mountain. We drove by it in the morning but the lot was full, so we went castle-ing and then came back in the afternoon. Sure enough, there were a few spaces by then, and it worked out well because we had only planned to hike for a couple hours anyway. On the peak there was crazy wind chill and we weren't prepared for cold-weather mountaineering! So we hiked about an hour, then turned around and came back.
Actually, I started back with the kids, and Eric continued on another twenty minutes or so. We were racing the clock because it gets dark so early this time of year and so far north. By the time the kids and I got back to the car it was solidly dusk and by the time Eric got back it was dark. I am sure he would have hiked farther and higher had I not made him promise to turn around by 3:30 to beat the dark. Ah, the shackles of a wife and children...:)
After we got done hiking, the kids and I got hot chocolates from the little cafe and then met Eric back at the car. We got dinner at a delicious hotel restaurant (the food was delicious, that is, not the restaurant...we didn't taste that.) It was a little mountain hotel nestled in a small village that seemed to cater mostly to seasonal climbers coming to conquer the highest peak in Wales.
It was a fun day overall, and a good ending to our full day in Porthmadog. The next day we started our drive back home. We've been home for a good three weeks now, but I'm still slow at blogging.
On the way up, Rebecca was up ahead with Eric while Justin and I took up the rear. So I have more pictures of him on the way up. Then Eric and Rebecca waited for us and took both kids back down. So the ones of both kids are from the descent.
There's a huge valley down below in this picture, but it was so cloudy and foggy you couldn't see it at all. It looked like a big steaming cauldron of Welsh soup.
Wales is known for its waterfalls, and we saw a lot, both on this hike and on the drive through Snowdonia. So pretty!
See to the right of the little lake the old stone building ruins? I really wondered what it was from. Our best guess was an old shepherd's house or something.
We're heading down now, and the light is starting to fade...Also, it was starting to rain lightly. We managed to hike during a brief and lucky interlude.
And here we go back by the lake on the way down. There's a sort of closer view of the ruined building. It was a long and narrow rectangle.
And here we are, all happily reunited and at dinner.
Northern Wales was really beautiful and we're glad we went. We'd probably like to go back another time and hike longer in Snowdonia which had some really beautiful trails. We were also glad to get back home to our cozy house and its Christmas tree, though!
Actually, I started back with the kids, and Eric continued on another twenty minutes or so. We were racing the clock because it gets dark so early this time of year and so far north. By the time the kids and I got back to the car it was solidly dusk and by the time Eric got back it was dark. I am sure he would have hiked farther and higher had I not made him promise to turn around by 3:30 to beat the dark. Ah, the shackles of a wife and children...:)
After we got done hiking, the kids and I got hot chocolates from the little cafe and then met Eric back at the car. We got dinner at a delicious hotel restaurant (the food was delicious, that is, not the restaurant...we didn't taste that.) It was a little mountain hotel nestled in a small village that seemed to cater mostly to seasonal climbers coming to conquer the highest peak in Wales.
It was a fun day overall, and a good ending to our full day in Porthmadog. The next day we started our drive back home. We've been home for a good three weeks now, but I'm still slow at blogging.
On the way up, Rebecca was up ahead with Eric while Justin and I took up the rear. So I have more pictures of him on the way up. Then Eric and Rebecca waited for us and took both kids back down. So the ones of both kids are from the descent.
There's a huge valley down below in this picture, but it was so cloudy and foggy you couldn't see it at all. It looked like a big steaming cauldron of Welsh soup.
Wales is known for its waterfalls, and we saw a lot, both on this hike and on the drive through Snowdonia. So pretty!
See to the right of the little lake the old stone building ruins? I really wondered what it was from. Our best guess was an old shepherd's house or something.
We're heading down now, and the light is starting to fade...Also, it was starting to rain lightly. We managed to hike during a brief and lucky interlude.
And here we go back by the lake on the way down. There's a sort of closer view of the ruined building. It was a long and narrow rectangle.
And here we are, all happily reunited and at dinner.
Wonderful account. The ruins are curious--so long and narrow. Does not seem like a house???
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful! Is it hard to get to Wales from Oxford without a car? The kids and I are trying to learn Welsh because it seems like an excellent secret language and Duolingo has lessons.
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