Nadolig Llawen 2021!

Merry Christmas everyone! 

(View on way up to to 2015 to Snowden, Yr Wyddfa, looking back on the Watkins Path. Now looking forward to Easter 2022 climb). 

Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) - Watkins Path April 2015

Off message but earlier this month I went to North Wales for my mum's birthday but also to walk up Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) to pay my respects in memory to my father whose ashes were scattered on at the summit in April 2002. I normally go with my sisters but this year for various good reasons I was by myself.

The weather was simply glorious. Warm in the sunshine and you could clearly see for miles.

I went up via Watkins path and despite having walked it before and being one of the most clearly marked routes, I got lost right at the beginning (due to sheer stupidity) and then also lost my glasses and had to retrace my steps until I found them. After about an hour and some cross country scrambling, I re-joined Watkins path.

This is a lovely and relatively quiet route up way Snowdon. You go past waterfalls and long ago abandoned mines and quarries.

I passed Gladstone Rock where the 19th Century Prime Minister is said to have stood on and speak  to a crowd of 2000 people.

A shepherd who was driving sheep upland with dogs and whistles shouted up to me to open a gate to allow the sheep through. The sheep then followed me along the path for about a mile.

The last part of Watkins Path was a long, hard slog. Especially the scree at the very end. You have no choice but to just take your time and go on and on. I was very glad it was not wet and slippery.

In return for the effort, the views were simply magnificent and (not that I had much left) breath taking. You feel that you are on top of the world.

At the summit it was still clear but cold and windy. So after saying hello to John Gray Senior and a brief bite to eat, I started back along the ridge via a different route down.

I got a little lost again but managed to re-join the path and for the next 2 hours passed no one as I made my way down the other side of the valley. Going down can be as hard work as going up and even more hazardous. My knees were complaining and my walking sticks were more than a nuisance when climbing down. Eventually I came to a old quarry tramline and dropped down again to Watkins path.

It took me about 4 hours to climb and nearly 3 hours to come down. Watkins path is well made but very difficult at the end and I would not go this way in bad weather nor use the route back either.

All in all it was a fantastic walk. While I enjoy company, walking by yourself, at your own pace, with your own thoughts, in such beautiful surroundings is refreshing and good for your soul.

I was staying in Betws y Coed  and stopped off for my traditional end of walk cold beer to toast the Mountain at Bryn Tyrch Inn in Capel Curig.

(check out more photos at Facebook)

Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) - Easter 2014

    
Picture (off message) from summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) last Monday. I went last week to North Wales to see my Mum and family (and also sneaked in a few walks).

The weather was again sunny and clear and I have even returned from North Wales with a bit of a tan. Most unusal for April (or dare I say North Wales?)

We went up and down the Rangers Path which I recommend for its stunning views (in good weather) but also it is the quietest by far of any of the routes up the mountain with no hoards of walkers that you will find on the more popular paths.

April 14 was also the 12th anniversary of the death of my father, a keen hill walker, whose ashes the family spread from the summit. I also remembered an old friend who also is no longer with us who did the 3 Peaks with me in 2004.

But it was not at all a sad day. It was a glorious day and one to remember and celebrate.

More pictures on Facebook here

Snowdon 2011: Ranger Path up and Rhyd Ddu down

On Mayday this year I walked up Snowdon with my sisters, Helen and Lucy, for the pleasure of walking and to pay our respects to our father whose ashes we spread on the summit in 2002.  This year Lucy's husband Rob and their (very) grumpy Border terrier, Chili, joined us.  We hadn't been up the Snowdon Rangers path before.

The weather was absolutely glorious apart from the wind.  The route was very quiet compared to the paths on the other side of the mountain.  As we went up the views were outstanding.  It was probably one of the easiest Snowdon climbs to make as well.  We said hello to our Dad at the summit, then made our way down by the Rhyd Ddu path.   This picture is of a white baby Mountain goat (a kid) and the Ranger path is behind.  (double click photo to bring up detail) It was simply wonderful.

On the way down we cut across country to try and go direct to our starting point car park by the Llyn Cwellyn.  We had to walk thorough the remains of a old Copper mine and a massive slate quarry.  It is strange now to think that Snowdonian use to be a heavy industry economic powerhouse.  We got a bit lost at the end so probably best to keep to clear way mark routes. 

It was a wonderful day.  The views were magnificent and out of the wind, it was lovely and warm but we know we were lucky with the weather and that we will pay for this the next time.

I'll post more pictures of the day on Facebook.  Some previous posts on Snowdon walks: Watkins Path (first mention of Chili), Grib Coch (the horror! the horror!) and something poignant.

Crib Goch and the fellowship of fear (1)

Mostly off message and self indulgent, but what the heck. Last month Mrs Grayee and I were in North Wales, looking after my sister’s house, Jazz the Chocolate Lab and the cats (Psycho Jack and New Moses) while the family were on some lovely hot Greek Island.

On the Friday before the Bank holiday, I was let off for good behaviour to go and walk up Snowdon by myself.

Now there are various footpaths up and down Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon – the highest mountain in Wales). I have gone up all the main footpaths a number of times over the years, but I had a yen to get there via the famous Crib Goch ridge walk. I had a vague idea that I had walked this path with my Dad when I was a kid. I thought it had been a bit hard but not that bad. That day the weather forecast was pretty good, so I thought - go for it. I had an OS map which appeared to show a footpath all the way.

I drove to the car park at Pen-Y-Pass and luckily managed to secure one of the last parking spaces just after 8.30am. I was full of energy and enthusiasm and stormed up the Pig’s trail to the turning off for Crib Goch.

Pretty soon the path disappeared apart from cairns. I then soon lost the cairns and was scrambling and climbing up what I thought was pretty damn steep climbs. It wasn’t a great day to wear shorts either and my knees and shins were just scraped to pieces. At this early stage I was not that happy (little did I know that it got worse – or how worse). The really good thing was that my fellow climbers were not sure about the best route either and that we started chatting about what we should do next? We didn't know each other. Now on a normal busy day, the footpaths to Snowdon are the fresh air equivalent of the M25 at rush hour. As you pass people bye up and down, you usually only exchange a "good day" or a joke at best. The half of dozen of us within sight at this time attempting Crib Goch were calling out to each other, warning about loose rock and discussing about the best way forward.

You don’t walk up Crib Goch, you climb. Now, while to any experienced climber, I have no doubt that this so-called “climb” is to them a “walk in the Park”. To the majority of us, it was bloody hard work and very difficult. A few times I climbed up so far, only to lose my nerve and think, nah – I ain't going any further this way. You then had the even unpleasant climb down to some point where you could start again via another possible route.

One completely unexpected problem was that the rock itself was not always that secure. Much to my horror, you would grab hold of what appeared to be a secure bit of rock or use it as a foot hold and it would come away. I dislodged a rock the size of a half brick which came tumbling down and nearly hit a very friendly young couple below. Eventually, I found that there were climbs that you initially thought were impassable but eventually you could scramble ungainly up them, with sweat pouring out of your every pore.

When we finally got up to the top, after what I thought at the time was a really unpleasant and in fact, bloody awful experience, I was to be absolutely horrified at what I found next.

(to be continued)

Land of Our Father - Yr Wyddfa 14 April 2007

On route to summit of Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon - highest mountain in Wales) with my sister's Lucy and Helen (with daft Chocolate Labrador "Jazz" and very serious Boarder terrier with the even more daft name of "Chili"). Off message, of course, but we try to walk up Snowden every Easter to remember our Dad, John Gray, (1929-2002) who died of a heart attack on April 14 2002 while on a long distance walk ("wild camping" aged 73 against all medical advice!) practising for his 5th Camino de Santiago also known as "The Way of St James" (Spain). We scattered his ashes on top of Snowdon.

We walked up "Watkins path" (2nd picture) for the first time in many years. It is probably the most pretty and dramatic route in good weather (free parking) but the final climb through scree is pretty tough and only do it if you are well prepared (four hours up, 3 hours down).

The third picture is of Dad's grandchildren, Hannah, Rachel, Matthew and David on an oak bench we have put up on the Marian, Colwyn Bay. With a plaque that says "John Gray Passed this Way"

Despite being a lifelong atheist, Dad enjoyed the challenges and fellowship of taking part in the longest pilgrimages in Europe. He was also a life long member of the Labour Party, former Buckley Labour Councillor and trade union activist.

Ironically on April 14 2002 I took part in the London Marathon (never again! 4 hrs 24 mins) which caused some confusion on the day about which "John Gray" had actually died!