Trip to Snowdonia, Wales

Friday 18th September 2009

This weekend was based at the youth hostel in Capel Curig North Wales. This was a good but basic youth hostel in lovely surroundings. Evening meals were in a nearby pub, the Bryn Tyrch Inn, which served good old fashioned pub grub and plenty of Spitfire and Pedigree ales!

Andy, Judith and Rob travelled down on Friday morning and the rest of the party travelled down on Friday afternoon. I (Rob), Andy and Judith arrived at the youth hostel at around 3pm and decided a short walk was in order so we set off to follow a short 5 miler around the ‘heritage walk’. This was all low level with some woodland and lakes. The weather was beautiful and made for a perfect introduction for me to ‘walking in Wales’.

We got back to the hostel at around 6:30pm and waited for the others to arrive. I (Rob) had never stayed in a youth hostel so this was a new experience for me. Andy and Judith had booked their own room (very wise) so I was left to discover the delights of sleeping in a dormitory. As I entered the room I was greeted by a fairly strange individual shaving in the sink. He muttered something I couldn’t understand and shortly afterwards disappeared. (I made a mental note to sleep as far away from him as possible) and chose a bed at the other end of the room. At 7:30pm the others arrived and we set off in search of dinner.

We went to one pub where the food didn’t really appeal and Owen suggested the Bryn Tyrch Inn (I think Owen’s been there before) which we all agreed to. This was a much better place, the food and beer was excellent and conversation turned to where we would go on Saturday. After some deliberation it was decided that we would walk to the summit of Tryfan and then cross the Glyders.

Conversation then turned to our dorm mate that I had met earlier. The rest of the group had not met this chap yet and Owen had drawn the short straw and ended up sleeping above him. By the end of the evening I think we had convinced Owen that he might not make it through the night and would surely be dispatched in ever elaborate ways by ‘the man in the bottom bunk’. I’m sure he went to bed with his walking stick close by him (only joking Owen). We then turned in for an early start in the morning.

Report – Rob

Pictures – Rob, Judith and Owen