In March I took a gamble and booked a week off work to visit Snowdonia, knowing how unreliable the weather can be in the UK this time of year I opted to book a hotel rather than camp for a week in the rain ( a decision I was glad I made in the end).
I was going with the idea in mind that I would photograph the hills and the coast, taking only my Hasselblad and shooting 6×6 which I will eventually use for a book project I’m dreaming about.
Dog, camera and hiking gear on board I Travelled to Llanberis, dumped my belongings at the dog friendly hotel (thank god) and made my way to Betws-y-coed where I had planned to walk a route up to Swallow Falls, along the Afon Llugwy river. As wonderful as the waterfall was, I enjoyed the hike more, the view itself was a little obscured with leafless branches, and your distance and angle to it left you with no real sense of scale so I didn’t photograph it, sometimes just being outside is enough, even if its raining!
The following day I wanted to do some hiking, but having done it numerous times now, I avoided Snowdon and decided to take a look at Tryfan and the Glyder’s.
On Tryfan’s north side sits a lake with the mountain towering above it. Cutting between them is a small road – the one I’m approaching from, and looking up at its summit you can just make out two figures – Adam and Eve. Not two hikers, but two rectangular monoliths sat side by side at Tryfan’s peak since the beginning of time. Sadly this journey won’t see me making the leap of faith between Adam & Eve, March still has snow in the area, and from this side Tryfan looks incredibly steep, oh no I’ve come this way for the view as I enjoy my lunch.
From the hills directly opposite there is the most perfect place to sit and watch the world go by. Each vehicle that passes below really throws into perspective how dominating the peak is over the surrounding area, cars are made to look like ants, and people are near enough indistinguishable.
Having satisfied my appetite I returned to the south side of the Glyder’s and Tryfan to begin a route which takes me to the top of Glyder Fach. Looking behind as you make your way up gives you a spectacular view of the snowdon Ridgeline and the lakes of Llyn Gwynant in the distance where I camped last year, the sun just teasing through between the broken clouds.
Once atop Glyder Fach the landscape is like something from another world, Snow is scattered all over and the terrain is littered with huge slabs of sharp rock rising from the surface, this is Castell Y Gwynt – Castle of the winds.
The following day I set sail for the coast….