Less than twenty-four hours in Snowdonia…how to make the best use of my limited time?

I get to the caravan at 18:30, and an hour later have been dropped at Pen y Pass. A later start for running than I’d usually like, but it has the welcome effect of meaning that Snowdon is nice and quiet. Over Y Lliwedd – still warm, even in the breeze, to Bwlch Ciliau, and then down into Cwm Tregalan in fading light. A hundred yards from my eventual campsite, on boggy ground, I step on what I think is a rock. It turns out to be a deep pool, into which I fall waist deep. The muggy evening actually makes this amusing, rather than potentially hypothermic, and after  pitching the tent I have a quick bath in the river while dinner bubbles away on the stove.

Saturday dawns bright, as the forecast suggested, but hazy. A little breakfast and then I’m moving quickly over to Bwlch Cwm Llan and then more slowly upwards to the summit of Yr Aran. A quick blast now down to Beddgelert. It’s further than I remember, and the added conundrum of avoiding a herd of cows adds to my time. Great views over the western edge of the park, nonetheless.

Back at the caravan by 09:00, I shower and head over to Ogwen. I know Gary’s around here somewhere, and sure enough I’m confronted by his camper van as I round the corner by the MRT base. I pull over and leg it up to Tryfan Bach, where Gary’s giving a lesson in belaying to his cousin. We get up a couple of routes in a very enjoyable and chilled out manner – it feels good to climb again, as I’ve focussed a lot on running lately. A dash back to the car, and then it’s the monotony of the A55, pleasantly broken up by visits to some friends and then my brother.

So that’s running, camping, climbing, and visits to two sets each of friends and family, all within a day. Satisfyingly efficient, and lots of fun.