Enjoying the wilds of Snowdonia

I had been looking forward to this weekend away for a long time now. Originally I had hoped to take part in the Run Snowdonia training weekend in November, but after being unwell for a fair while, I had to cancel: my training simply hadn't been up to scratch, and I knew I wouldn't enjoy it.


So I rebooked for February, something to look forward to after a challenging few months. My fitness wasn't fantastic, but it was substantially better than in November, so I looked forward to enjoying a weekend of navigation and fell running training in the heart of Snowdonia.

Despite Storm Doris raging it's way around the UK, and some pretty miserable weather forecast for the best part of the weekend, Friday was utterly glorious. Blue skies and warm sun had me overheating as I pootled my way westward along the busy A5. It was very reminiscent of all the car journeys we took as a family to the Welsh coast: the weather increasingly brooding, the radio desperately trying to cling on to any station other than Radio 2, before eventually giving in and switching to the crackling long wave tones.


But this time, the sun continued to shine brightly and break through the growing clouds, the peaks of Snowdonia National Park drawing ever closer, snow sprinkled like icing sugar on the upper reaches.


After the turning at Capel Curig, I took the opportunity to stop and pause by Llynau Mymbyr. I have been out in this direction on a couple of occasions before, but each time the weather had been so bad I couldn't see beyond 100m. So it was a real privilege be out in such a beautiful landscape with complete mountainous vistas. I gulped deep lungfuls of the fresh mountain air, and enjoyed the complete lack of other people. No one encroaching on my view.

Taking a break on route

When I eventually made it to Llanberis, my mind was clear, and I couldn't wait to get started.

The weekend, organised by Sarah Ridgway, was a fantastic introduction to fell running and navigation. Although I have some background in both, I enjoyed having the navigation taken right back to basics, starting in the classroom, and gradually transitioning to walking and then running pace over the three days. I gained a lot of confidence in both my current and new knowledge.


And then, there was the running. You may have not guessed this about me, but I love going out in all weathers, and getting seriously muddy exploring new places.


This was a whole new level.

I have enjoyed some experience in exploring lower hills, but have never felt confident enough to take myself up to higher ground, particularly with the potential issues of changeable weather and heightened risk. And it was for these reasons that I was happy that the weather was, to be blunt, god awful. I wanted to get out in tough conditions to see how my body reacted, and to gain confidence in my ability to deal with bad weather.

The climbs were long as we headed up into the hills, and I quickly realised just how much of a non-specialist runner I am. And my relative lack of fitness. The others skipped merrily away into the growing mist like mountain goats, while I brought up the rear, dragging my feet along the path that was rapidly becoming a stream in its own right. However we maintained visual contact throughout the run, which was reassuring.

As we regrouped at the bwlch, I couldn't help but feel a little demoralised. In my mind, I was clearly struggling compared to the rest of the group, despite Sarah's encouragement. We made for the summit, which was painfully steep.


At the top, it was pretty bleak: we were in the cloud layer, the rain was horizontal and the wind was about 60mph, trying to force us back down the hill.

Here, we started descending. And this is where I came into my own. It was exhilarating: hurtling down the hillside, rapidly gaining speed, crashing through streams, zig-zagging across mossy, boggy ground, before slowly pulling on the brakes to regroup back at the main path. I'm fortunate to have enjoyed a lot of outdoor experiences in the past, but there's nothing quite as thrilling as feeling yourself cascading down a hillside, feet skimming the ground, the wind and rain howling but you simply switch off your brain and embrace the moment.

The Sunday run was longer and at lower levels, due to the worsening conditions. Our route took us through basins encased by mountains, up windswept valleys, through streams and forests, remnants of quarries and skirting the edges of lakes. The trail along the edge of Llyn Geirionydd was a real highlight, the path tangled with roots and rocks, following the very edge of the lake. The water was so high from the recent rainfall that at times the path appeared to merge with the water.

The final rolling descent back to café took us through a series of intertwining streams, thick slabs of slate forming bridges over the frothing water.

Each session over the weekend we finished drenched to the skin, and fairly well covered in mud. This was mingled with a prolonged endorphin rush, and that sweet satisfied feeling as you savour each mouthful of cake, slightly smug in the knowledge of finishing a challenging run, that was completely fulfilling. It satiated my immediate thirst for adventure - and helped me to feel more confident with taking myself on new routes and exploring fresh trails. I can't wait to head back out to Snowdonia to do some more exploring.

If you are passionate about running, and fancy trying some off-roading, I would thoroughly recommend checking out Sarah Ridgeway's website - www.runsnowdonia.co.uk. It really gave me confidence with my fell and navigation technique, you get guided runs in some stunning locations, and you can enjoy some excellent cake in great local cafes - what more could you possibly want from a weekend?!