Snowdon and ‘Huey’

Well summer is drawing to an end and it’s time to introduce you to our new friend ‘Huey’ as he (it) is known. Having had a Landrover since we came to Wales (which was indispensable in the worst of the winter) we had to acknowledge that we didn’t use it enough the rest of the year and what we really wanted was a campervan. This led to a big dilemma as we didn’t want to be running three vehicles. Eventually we ‘bit the bullet’ and decided to buy a VW California 4motion. One of the few vans that comes in a 4×4 configuration. So after handing over an inordinate amount of money here is ‘Huey’.

'Huey' named after his numberplate
'Huey' named after his numberplate

So after an initial weekend away walking in the Radnor Forest last weekend we seized a brief interlude in the weather and drove up to Snowdon last night to climb Snowdon or Yr Wyddfa as it is known in Welsh. We over-nighted in a small lay-by not far from Beddgelert and then drove to the car park at Rhyd Ddu (off the A4085 – SH 571 526) to have breakfast and make an early start.

Room with a View
Our Room with a View Complete with Quilt Cover from the Charity Shop

The plan was to walk up Snowdon via the Rhydd Ddu path and descend via the Snowdon South ridge. Other than a slight navigational error on the descent that is what we did. The walk up took us around two and a half hours. The cloud cover cleared, as forecast, as we ascended giving us some good views at the top. The routes up Snowdon are detailed here our route is below.

Rhydd Ddu Track
Rhydd Ddu Track and Snowdon South Ridge Walk

The ascent up Rhyd Ddu is fairly gentle in most places, the South Ridge path is a tad more challenging.

Near the Start of the Ascent from Rhydd Ddu
Near the Start of the Ascent from Rhydd Ddu
The Ascent up Snowdon
The Ascent up Snowdon
The South Ridge of Snowdon
The South Ridge of Snowdon. In the distance is where the Routes Diverge.
Near the Summit of Snowdon
Near the Summit of Snowdon and quite possibly the highest sheep in Wales!
Liz Near the Summit
Liz Near the Summit with the new Cafe in the background where most Tourists Arrive by Train

All in all we had a great couple of days and we’re pleased to have ‘Huey’ to help us to take advantage of the amazing countryside in Wales

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