As
some of you will know if you have recently read my last two 'Fitness
with Gru' blogs, I recently went to Wales for a 7 day trail running
adventure.
It was a joy to finally get back to Wales after it being locked down and I was in Wales for not one but two back to back trail running breaks, but I had two afternoons inbetween were I could take myself back off into the mountains for a bit of mental recuperation.
After saying my goodbyes to the great bunch of guests and fellow trail runners who departed at lunchtime on Thursday, I now had my spare time as the accommodation was being given a professional clean by the accommodations cleaner and it was made covid safe again ready for the new guests.
I decided I would stay out of the way for the rest of the afternoon to let the cleaner do her job and at the same time Geoff the trail running event organizer and his Chef Carl went off to do another mega food and drink shop (emphasis on drink as it was now the weekend!).
I had always planned on going up Snowdon at some point in my time between events, and today was a clear day. I was a bit tired after that mornings trail run with the previous guests, but I decided to go for it as it was clear on the mountain tops, and I needed a clear view for personal reasons.
Those that know me well will know that when my Mum passed away in 2017 we spread her ashes as requested in a particular spot on the hillside overlooking Llyn Padarn and of course Snowdon...
Every year in June I along with my Dad would go to Wales for a week to stay in the holiday farmhouse Mum and Dad used to stay in at Dinas Farm. We make a point of visiting 'Mums spot' and paying our respects.
When there for the week I usually do a personal and difficult charity challenge in the area to raise much needed funds for the local Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team. Last year I did 7 ascents of Snowdon in 7 days taking in a different route each day.
Sadly this year with the lockdown we were unable to go back in June, so when the Focused Performance events came up it was an ideal opportunity for me to at least be in Snowdonia I jumped at the chance.
To
be honest I found the inability to get to Wales with my Dad really
difficult mentally as it is something I really look forward to and being
up the mountains of Snowdon and her surrounding mountains is a vital
escape for me. It's a time I feel a oneness with my Mum while I'm up the
mountains and just being in the area brings many happy family memories
flooding back from our time there as a family. I also cherish the time
with my Dad in a place I know he loved going to with my Mum.
This was the reason I needed a clear day and views from the top of Snowdon. I couldn't get to my Mums spot as it was too far away on foot, and with the covid situation I didn't want to be on any local buses etc, but I could get up Snowdon whilst thinking about her and being with her in spirit at least, and I could actually see the spot on the hillside near Llanberis where we spread her ashes from the top of Snowdon.
Geoff kindly dropped me off at the bottom of the Watkins path and I set off up the mountainside and tried my best to achieve what would hopefully be a fastish pace for me as the complete Watkins path was the only route I didn't take in last year (apart from Crib Goch) as I diverted up over to the South ridge last time.
I
can't tell you how good it feels to step out off a car at the beginning
of a days walk with all your kit on and the freedom to roam as you
please, in a time that you please up a great route and mountain.
Within a few minutes of walking and jogging and snapping pictures , my phone crashed and just sat on the welcome screen. I wasn't impressed and pondered the disappointment of not being able to take memories of the route and indeed the day ahead.
I couldn't take the battery out to reset it as it was an interal battery.
After a little further on and severely disappointed I stopped and chanced trying to discover which button press combination would enable a reset. After multiple goes and a bit of swearing I finally hit the right combination and photo's recommenced prior to the waterfalls.
I managed to jog a few of the early bits prior to and alongside the waterfall sections, but my legs were suffering a little from that mornings activities and indeed the week so far.
I continued on with little 50 metre or so efforts and then walked again and repeated when not too steep.
The waterfalls and scenery was nice and clear and I had a good and warm day for my walk/climb ahead. Once across the little bridge beyond the waterfalls over the main stream I was now in new territory as I had turned left and gone towards the South ridge from here last time.
The path levelled a bit and I jogged a little more in small sections and it was now getting pretty warm with the jogging too.
I was thoroughly enjoying testing myself physically and now mentally, as I refused to just walk when I had already challenged myself to get up there as quick as I physically could in line with the ascents I did last year of the other routes as quick as I could.
After passing the remains of the old buildings and stopping briefly to look back at the views to Yr Aran, I now started the more serious ascent of the Watkins zig zags, it soon became apparent that doing this half way through a trail running holiday, with two runs a day including one this morning was not a good idea and sure as hell wasn't going to be easy.
I did get a few funny looks as I attempted to slowly jog bits, but I realised that my energy levels would not sustain this effort level without serious lactic acid build up and muscle failure. That is a posh way of saying I'm not fit enough to do it!
As I continued up the zig zags I chose to fast hike as quick as I could and after a ropey 10-15 minutes I started to feel normality in my legs and knew from there that was my best pace and course of action.
I would sustain a decent effort and then stop and take pictures as I went, a formula I have already liked as the combination doesn't lose you too much time overall.
At one point I considered going across to Lliwedd to get some pictures then back down to continue the Watkins across and up to the summit of Snowdon. But I knew my energy levels that day would probably not sustain it with the South Ridge descent I had planned afterward.
Next up was the final stretch of Watkins and the infamous shale path. I knew they had been working at putting stone steps in from the top last year, but had no idea how far they had got. It didn't look like they had progressed any further to be fair than June last year, but it's a slow progress with weather an all, and likely they haven't been working on it this year with the covid-19 situation etc.
Last time I went up this section on my Lliwedd ascent on my 7 in 7 challenge I had managed I think 25 mins to get up that section, as I was knackered and likely it included photo stops a many. This time I was chuffed to have made it up in 15 minutes with a few less photo's.
At the top of Watkins it was now across and up to the actual Snowdon summit and to be honest I was knackered at this point, yet determined not to be passed by anyone going up.
I finally made the top in 1hr 33mins of actual moving time and not too many un recorded breathers to be fair, and I was really happy with this.
Now was the time I had been waiting for, the view down to Llanberis, Llyn Padarn and indeed the spot my Mums ashes where spread. I could see the area from the summit and was thankful for the clear view.
It was a vital time for a mental reset. Just being up there allows me to put my past behind me and to erase my troubles which are mostly mental ones. I can't stress enough how invigorating it is being up there with the feeling of being on top of the world for a change.
Just the feeling of self worth and self belief after suceeding in getting up there is something I would recommend to anyone with any issues including and especially mental health ones.
We condemn ourselves to misery so many times by doubting our worth and our abilities in our day to day lives. Being up on that mountain or any mountain positively reinforces our self belief that we are indeed capable of great things and we are indeed sat on top of that mountain looking at the world below our feet....
I spent the next half an hour max taking photo's from around the summit and had a snack bar and uploaded a few pictures to social media. I sat and quietly thought about my Mum and how much I wish she had made it up to the summit with me in real life, as she loved Snowdon and it's surroundings so much yet I'm not sure she ever got to the summit as me and my brother were always with her and we weren't old enough or keen enough to want to take that challenge on.
After half an hour and getting cold I donned multiple layers and set off for a descent via the South ridge. I have been up this before but in atrocious wet and windy weather and couldn't see any further than 20ft ahead at any point. But this time it was clear and I was going down this time with views abundantly lay before me.
It was great fun to try and jog a few bits. It was tough terrain in parts for foot placement but trail running experience helps a lot and confidence.
I did have a fair few iffy moments were my ankle almost rolled and my mid height trail running boots with ankle support certainly saved me many a time.
I
continued taking photo's as I descended, or stopped and took photo's I
should say and I now have some clear photo's for my collection.
Once at the bottom of the South ridge I tried to find a route I had seen on a picture of Snowdon previously that led towards the Rhyd Ddu path but more directly down towards and around the back of Yr Aran and towards the road that takes you back to Beddgelert and to my accommodation.
I lost the path in the remains of a bit of a slate quarry as I was too far too the left, and over to the right seemed too far off track. It turned into a cross country adventure to say the least and the navigation training I had received earlier in the week certainly helped from this point, especially when my GPS clearly didn't know where North was!
Thankfully I had line of sight of where I wanted to end up and an A to B bearing would have been the norm, but I could see the road at all points anyway eventually, so slowly found my way around Yr Aran and Craig Wen and down to the road and just had a mere 0.9 miles back to base.
I was actually amazed to see my GPS route for the descent and my cross country effort as I felt like I was wandering all over the place, but my GPS route video actually shows a fairly linear route.
Here are the links for my Ascent via Watkins and another for my Descent via South Ridge 'Relive' route video with pics for those interested :
Watkins ascent: https://www.relive.cc/view/v8qV8E2rr3O
South ridge descent: https://www.relive.cc/view/vZqNPEZBw3O
After returning home safely to base I met up with Geoff and Chef Carl who had returned with new supplies and a fairly chilled evening ensued.
As the next batch of guests were not due to arrive until Fri teatime I decided to get out of the way again on Fri afternoon and took I myself off on two of the routes we had done earlier in the week including, the first one along the far riverbank and along the Aberglaslyn pass from Beddgelert and the second one up Mynydd Sygyn again.
This time I tried to get a little higher up Mynydd Sygyn than the normal path that goes more directly over towards the descent to Llyn Dinas.
There were several clear routes on the map and they all eventually led you up to the ridgeline of Mynydd Sygyn, some spots where higher than others. It was exceptionally windy up there and getting cold and my target was being able to see down into Beddgelert and snap a picture of our accommodation so I could say 'I can see my house from here!' and post the pic on social media back to my trail running colleagues etc.
Again I enjoyed the stress free freedom of being out there alone and deciding there and then what I was going to do, and the mental relief it gave me was a tremendous boost, especially in reestablishing self belief in oneself. Time in the mountains is a great source of help, relief and often recovery from mental health issues and it is one we need to do as often as possible.
After
this was a cracking descent down to Llyn Dinas as I traced my way along
the ridgeline to the descending path I had previously done earlier in
the week with my running friends on the holday.
From Llyn Dinas I
added a little run out to the Nant Gwynant cafe/coffee shop for a well
earned and yes actual VEGAN friendly cake, but only just, as it was the
last slice (clearly a market for it) and I sat outside and chilled in
their spacious outside seating area.
I set off back for the accommodation along the road but sadly lost my GPS lock at that point and it would not reacquire a signal, so although I did 9 miles overall which my watch did record, it didn't record the route on the route video beyond the cake stop.
I thoroughly enjoyed my route that day and the previous day up Snowdon and the freedom to choose where I went and when I went, along with the mental freedom of exploring the great outdoors and all it's rewards.
Please do and try and get out there when you can, especially as we suffer through our various lockdowns and restrictions of movement and freedom, our mental health has and will continue to take a battering.
Look after yourselves and if you haven't already been fortunate enough to have climbed your own mountain, then start with a local walk in the outdoors, enjoy what nature has truly given us, that which hasn't been fully tainted by mankind yet as we continue to abuse life around us.
Join a local walking or rambling club and bit by bit you may well get the chance to sit and ponder, and admire the wonder around you!
Relive route video here for most of the above afternoons run up and down Mynydd Sygyn via the Aberglaslyn pass: https://www.relive.cc/view/vPv4MZjKQRO
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