24 June 2010 Trip to Mt Snowdon nr Llanberis

The Welsh people don't like vowels!


Mt Snowdon from a distance


Mt Snowdon train


All the signs are in 2 languages around Wales


Slate remainder


Road to Snowdon - no room for error


Major damage if you get off line!


Ditto


After a hearty breakfast we headed off to Llanberis which is the town nearest to Mt Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa). The trip up there from Overton took about 2hrs, with frequent stops to take in the sights.

As we approached Snowdonia National Park the landscape became very mountainous and spectacular. Closer to the township we saw many climbers making there way up the slopes surrounding Mt Snowdon.

When we arrived at the town the only parking available near the tourist centre cost 6pounds ($10) and the man on the gate said the earliest we could get on the train up Mt Snowdon was 4.30pm as they were fully booked, despite the fact that the summer school holidays have not started. As it turned out there was a train break down and many people missed out on their trip altogether anyway.

The total cost for the train trip for the 2 of us would have been 63 pounds ($105).


Unable to take the train we enjoyed the day taking in the sights and visiting the local craft and souvenir shops, the slate museum and going for a trip on the train around the nearby lake. Mick also watched several short movies on the mountain, train and the slate industry, while Lyn visited the local craft shops and rested her tired feet under a shady tree.

The slate production from the hundreds of sites around the Mountain is no more and the scars on the sides of the various hills around there remain.

Mt Snowdon is 3560 feet in height (1085 metres) and is the tallest mountain in Wales and England excluding Scotland.

After enjoying the sights we drove back to Overton where we had dinner with Davina and Geoff. After dinner Geoff took us to one of the smallest and oldest pubs in Wales. The pub is called the Sun Inn and is 700 years old. It consists of a very small bar with 3 bar stools, 2 tables to seat 4 on each, the next room also had 2 tables to seat 4, outside was a beer garden with 1 table and 2 pews, outside loo and a shed with a pool table in it. Upstairs were 3 bedrooms which could accommodate 12 people, bathroom and loo, clean but basic. We downed a pint and headed home.