The Great Trek up Snowdon

To walk up Snowdon is a great trek. Especially from your back door, and I don’t mean from Llanberis or Beddgelert, I mean from the Vale of Ffestiniog.

We set off from Campbell’s Kingdom on a fine summer’s day; estimating one hour to Stwlan Dam, another to Llyn Adar and a further hour to the start of the Watkin Path. Each leg was under-estimated and it took almost 3 ½ hours to cover those first 9 miles.

Despite it being a sunny Sunday the path was quiet. A few bathers were splashing in the alpine turquoise pools above Hafod y Llan and the view across Llyn Llydaw was superb. For the first time in several years I approached the top of Snowdon free of cloud – on previous occasions it had been a steep scramble through the mist, but this time I was able to follow the more gentle angle of the ridge, then turn right to the summit.

There were French, Welsh, English and German walkers and train passengers of all shapes, sizes and ages ... it was really cosmopolitan, and busy, busy. By the time I squeezed my way onto the compass at the top, it had been just under 6 hours since leaving home and an estimated 1,600m of altitude gain.

We had a drink and some jelly babies before descending the ridge overlooking the Watkin Path towards Y Garn and then stopped at Caffi Gwynant, a brilliant community café, for ice lolly and ‘Powerade’. Our heavy legs plodded up the narrow lane, then through meadows alongside streams to Llyn Llagi, and up to the plateau between Snowdon and home.

At Rhosydd quarry we turned down into Cwmorthin, adding an extra mile, but avoiding the steep descent from Stwlan Dam. Our weary legs finally reached home 27 ½ miles and 12 ¼ hours since setting off. That’s what I call a great trek!

Our Good Samaritan

For an Italian themed dinner with neighbours Ann prepared canapés, I did carpaccio, Ian rolled meatballs, Marie served cheesecake with flutes of Amaretto and Ann topped it off with petit fours. The food, the setting and the company were excellent, but one story stood head and shoulders above the rest. Or should I say hand and arm?

One of our neighbours is Denis, retired from the London fire service and well used to emergencies. At this time of year, the field in front of his house is busy; lambs racing around, weary ewes trying to get a break and pregnant ones keen to get on with it. Most manage an unaided natural birth, but some need the ministrations of a shepherd. 

Spring in the Vale of Ffestiniog

As Denis admires the view, he sees that one is lying on its side, with wriggling legs, up in the air!

A phone call to the farmer; no answer. A phone call to the next farmer; also no reply. A third call was answered by that farmer’s wife who said ‘If you do nothing, the ewe and the lamb will die’.

Denis had seen the farmer at work and knew roughly what to do. Rolling up his sleeves he inserted his right hand, but that hand was too sore for any serious probing. So he took off his watch and tried the left hand. Somewhere inside should be some legs or something else to pull out, but it was beyond his reach.

Professional help was needed and eventually the farmer at the far end of our lane was contacted and, picking up his bottle of fairy liquid, agreed to come and assist. On arrival he looked at the ewe with her legs in the air and asked the would-be rescuer if he’d been fired from the fire service? Did he always stick his hands up anyone who called for help? 

‘That sheep’s not pregnant, it’s fallen over and can’t get up.’ He grabbed the sheep by its wool, rolled it onto its feet and off it ran.

Each time he walks down the lane our good Samaritan neighbour gets a strange look from this ewe. I like to think I would have been as willing to ‘lend a hand’ and not just walk on by. If nothing else, I am sure that within a couple of weeks, the story will have brought a smile to hundreds of shepherds across North Wales.

Deliveries to Campbell's Platform

Easter is approaching and the railway will be busy so it’s time to make Campbell’s Platform look its best. A quick mow of the grass. A new hanging basket or two. And a lick of paint on the signal box. Not any old paint – it needs to be the Ffestiniog Railway platform specification.

The friendly person in charge of paint agreed to send up a tin on the next train.

I waited for our delivery at the platform and the train came into view with the wind whipping up the steam. But as it approached there was no slowing down and it steamed straight on to Blaenau. Surely they hadn’t forgotten?

No, they dropped it off on the way back down. It’s more energy efficient to start when you’re pointing downhill.

The Snowdonian on Grand National Day

At about the same time as the horses and jockeys race around Aintree on Saturday 8th April I'll be looking out for The Snowdonian.

It's a triple marathon covering the 80 mile round trip starting from Porthmadog at 08:45. Breakfast is served on the train en route to Caernarfon, with lunch at The Goat in Beddgelert on the return to Harbour Station. Then it's up and down the Vale of Ffestiniog and back to the starting point at 18:15 if all goes to plan.

The very few first class tickets cost £400 but if you don't mind slumming it in 3rd class it's a mere £180. Booking details are here. 

The last time I watched it going past it was running a bit late as it rounded Tank Curve and past Campbell's Platform.

Trains over the Roof

There’s something really relaxing about water flowing through the garden; the stream, various ponds and waterfalls. But the best water feature of all is steam – steam trains gliding over the roof of the house. Running water and running trains. All the mod cons at Campbell's Kingdom.

One Swallow does not a Summer Make

Merddin Emrys marks the start of summer

Yes, but the first train at the end of March marks the start of the summer timetable and from now until autumn there will be trains every day.

Next week we’ll have some ‘blue days’, that’s the colour coding on the timetable for four trains a day, and then over Easter we’ll ratchet up to yellow with six – that’s a dozen times I’ll be waving to people as they trundle past Campbell’s Platform.

Somehow the novelty of waving never fades.

Depending on the direction of the wind you can hear the whistle of the train from way down the line, but the first train managed to sneak up the valley, and I had to make a dash for it ..... as you can see in this short film!

Spring in Ancient Woodlands at Dolmelynllyn

Rhodri and one of his helpers

Spring is here and it’s time for ancient oak woodlands to wake up and burst into life. One of my favourite woodlands is Dolmelynllyn, half way between Campbell’s Kingdom and where the Colonel used to work in Dolgellau.

The Dolmelynllyn estate was the one-time home of William Maddocks, the MP and entrepreneur, famous for building the Cob which established the deep-water harbour at Port Maddock i.e. Porthmadog. For many years Dolmelynllyn has been owned and managed by the National Trust, but what exactly does it mean to ‘manage a woodland’? 

My assignment from the National Trust was to try and bring the subject to life by making a film with Rhodri the ranger. We recorded the activities that corresponded with each of the four seasons and then joined them together to create ‘A Year in the Life of a National Trust Woodland’.