Yr Wyddfa

Snowdon is the biggest mountain in Wales...
It is 1085 metres (3569 feet) above sea level.

It has 6 footpaths to the summit, plus a train!

Years ago we walked up the Miner's Track & down the Llanberis Path, which was about 9 miles altogether including some very scary scree climbing...

This time we took the train, with the intention of walking it again before our holiday was over.
Unfortunately, the walk never happened as the weather just wasn't good enough & the mountain was constantly covered in thick mist...


So we purchased our very expensive tickets in advance in order to catch the 'Earlybird' train.
The station forecast had been good for the day we chose, but as you can see the mountain was completely enshrouded...

Although the scenery on the journey was wonderful...
We have reviewed our experience with the Mountain Railway on Tripadvisor, as it wasn't brilliant!
The journey takes 2 1/2 hours altogether (1 hour up, 1/2 hour at the top & 1 hour back down again).
They still use very old carriages, with uncomfortable seats - which is fine, but they charge £25 for adults & £18 for children or they knock £6 off each ticket to travel on their early train.
They must be making huge profits, but these are probably not passed on to the staff - who are quite miserable (& rude at times), so it makes us think that the working conditions are probably really poor...

The fact that the track was built in Victorian times is incredible...
It is a rack & pinion track & the carriages are pushed up the mountain.

And not only are they uncomfortable, but cramped too!

But after saying all that - the views are stunning... 

As we climbed higher, we met up with the mist...

The scenery is so different...

Like being on another planet...

It seemed that I was the only person on the train who couldn't look down...
I was clinging on to Sime at this point & was convinced that the train was going to go off the edge!

At the top...

Thick fog...

And wind!

We couldn't see a thing!

So everyone took shelter in the mountain top visitor's centre...
Which we had to pass through to get to the summit.
A vile monstrosity that really doesn't belong on top of a mountain!
18 years ago it was just a small cafe - which was all boarded up when we walked up... 

Our train.

A cyclist walking up with his bike...
We also saw while on the train a Car which had been driven up the mountain for a second time!

We've done the trip now...
But next time we'll definitely walk!!!

Bye for now,

Kay & Sime xx


Comments

  1. Anonymous19 October 2011 at 04:25

    You are a lot braver than I am. There is no way I would have done that.

    ReplyDelete

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Kay and Sime
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