Mynydd Mawr rears above the hamlet of Rhyd Ddu with a steam train just about to arrive in the station on picture left. www.plotaroute.com/route/507006 8.6 miles 950 metres ascent This route is a less popular way to top out on Snowdon, with some nice airy ridge walking near the top and plenty of squelchy bog trotting towards the end. Views are, as usual on Snowdon, either tremendous when clear or non-existent when the clouds come down. The tottering rocks of Craig y Bera on th

While I was on holiday in Crete for two weeks, in 30+ degree sunshine, autumn arrived in Snowdonia. It seems early this year but I probably think that every year. There’s certainly plenty of colour to be had. The day was slightly overcast, good for going to water and woods. I went to the Aberglaslyn Gorge, next to Beddgelert. A spectacular sight any time of year but a prime spot for autumn with a great mix of trees and rushing river. Towards evening I moved out of the gorge a

Drive from Caernarfon towards Beddgelert on the A4085, past Llyn Cwellyn, and you arrive at Rhyd Ddu. It’s a hamlet with pub and cafe and is the starting point for one of the paths up to Snowdon from the south-west flank. The path along the Nantlle Ridge. The path sticks to the ridge crest with vertical drops on the right to the sharp summit of Mynydd Drws-y-coed and continues towards the right edge of the shot. In the distance on the left is Moel Hebog. On the other side of

Bwlch Tryfan, Tryfan and eastwards. Bristly Ridge is one of the best known scrambles in Wales. It’s only grade one but has some great exposure and positions and is an adventure all the way. The scrambling starts at Bwlch Tryfan, the saddle between Tryfan and Glyder Fach, and it’s often done in conjunction with the Tryfan north and south ridge traverse. I’m not fit enough for that at the moment, perhaps later in the year. This was a perfect day for it, bright, not too windy, n

In response to the WordPress Daily Post challenge Solitude …in which we discuss how you can find one of the best views in Snowdonia with a minimum of muscle power and far from the usual madding crowd. I went on a photo trip to Snowdonia yesterday. I’d met a man on top of a welsh hill on sunday and we were chatting about the distant views to the Snowdonia mountains and the amount of snow we could see. The chat wandered, as it does, and he told me about the Moel Siabod cafe, in

Monday was supposed to be a bright sunny day in Snowdonia. It was just that as I arrived at Conwy for my morning coffee, a perfect mix of puffy clouds and bright winter sunshine. There’s a saying though that the mountains make their own weather. As I headed inland the clouds got thicker and more continuous. The tops were engulfed. The valleys were grey. I carried on regardless. What else can you do? I’d driven two hours to get here, no point in turning round and going home. B

Some shots taken last week looking toward the end of the Snowdon range, with Lliwedd and Yr Aran prominent. Lliwedd is the double headed peak, and part of the famous Snowdon horseshoe. The location is a relatively small but very rugged hill immediately south of the lovely village of Beddgelert, supposedly named for being “Gelert’s grave”, Gelert being “the faithful hound of the medieval Welsh Prince Llewelyn the Great.” Whatever the history, it’s great walking country, wild a

This set of shots was taken at and around Ogwen Cottage in the Ogwen Valley, Snowdonia. It’s a fantastically photogenic location with spectacular shots within a short walk of the car and, at the right time of day and year, some good angles of light from the sun. The problem is all the man-made clutter around the place – telephone wires, cars and car parks, farmyard junk, roads, etc. You have to find your angle to avoid this stuff if that’s your preference, as it is mine. You

The first time I’ve been in the mountains for a few months and this time it’s Snowdonia, which is now nearer to me than the Lake District. Llyn Ogwen is very easy to get to and you can walk from there up to Llyn Idwal, in it’s spectacular cirque, in about fifteen minutes. The forecast was not good but it was sunny when I arrived so I hurried on up while the light lasted. I’d had a surprise during the drive down, as from quite some distance away I’d seen the tops of very snowy