Snowdonia. True to its name, when a group of Brunel members (and two dogs – Poppy and Escha) visited there this May bank holiday, the mountains did have snow on them. But as spring had sprung, the valleys were a lush green and the views were spectacular, whether enjoyed from the valley vantage point or from one of the higher altitude walks on offer over the weekend. These included two of Snowdonia’s highest mountain peaks: Snowdon at 1085m, via the Rhyd-Ddu path (950m ascent) descending via the Snowdon Ranger path, and Carnedd Llewelyn at 1064m (979 metres of ascent) which included some scrambling, walking through snow and icy cold winds up in the swirl of mist. Brunel also headed to the Berwyn mountains with involved ascending Cadair Bronwen, Cadair Berwyn and Moel Sych, affording stunning views of across Snowdonia National Park. Other walks on offer included a precipice walk starting in Dolgellau climbing up to the Llyn Tan-y-graig reservoir followed by views of the Barmouth estuary and
Cadair Idris, and a walk above the eastern side of Bala lake taking in two peaks with a return journey by steam locomotive!
The campsite was located at the western end of Bala Lake, near the railway in the small village of Llanuwchllyn – I’m not sure if anyone actually managed to master the pronunciation! Many chose to take advantage of the location of the campsite and pitched up by the stream, watching (and often hearing early in the morning!) lambs enjoying the spring sunshine. In terms of nourishment, a Brunel camp is not complete without the Brunel barbeque and hungry hikers were not disappointed with the delicious food on offer. The introduction of extra-large marshmallows and chocolate biscuits to make s’mores was very much enjoyed. Later, from a distance, the camp could have been mistaken for a small inferno as log burners were lit to keep campers warm. Those who stayed up as it became dark were rewarded with a magnificent starscape overhead.
On bank holiday Monday Brunel broke camp and headed in different directions. Those who were feeling brave went on an 8000m zip wire ride over the old quarries with stunning views over Blaenau Ffestiniog and the valley. It was a memorable weekend. Many thanks to the organisers Matt T and Tara!