The classic view of the Snowdon Horseshoe from near Plas y Brenin, Capel Curig
When is a horseshoe not a horseshoe? When it’s only half a horseshoe, and then it’s a halfshoe! Well, at least in my world it is. The Snowdon Horseshoe is regarded by many as being one of the finest circular walks in the mountains of the UK, and includes the crossing of the knife-edge ridge of Crib Goch.
‘Mist’ keeping an eye on ‘body’ Richard
Just back from a good weekend – training with ‘Mist’ with Search And Rescue Dogs Association (Wales) on Saturday, and I passed the selection hill-day for my local Mountain Rescue team NEWSAR (North East Wales Search And Rescue) on Sunday.
Definitely not in West Yorkshire! Rhuddlan Castle built by Edward I in the late 13th century – © George Tod
My recent posts have had a bit of a history bias, which is no bad thing – a day in the hills sometimes comes alive when there’s a tale to be told. Living in North Wales means that there is no shortage of stories, and we are surrounded by history – the slopes running down to our house once had an Iron Age hill-fort on the summit (see post #73), and at nearby Rhuddlan the English king Edward I signed the document that provided the constitutional basis for English rule in Wales.
Penycloddiau seen from the Vale of Clwyd
Despite the last 12 months having had some of the wettest weather in the UK since records were kept, we seem to have managed quite a few dry days out, though the ground is frequently completely mired, being at saturation point. That’s when the hills become even better for walking, with the water draining off down to the soggy valleys.
Maen y Bardd tomb, near Tal y Fan in the Northern Carneddau
Living in the UK we don’t have to travel very far to find traces of those who lived here before us. North Wales is particularly rich in examples, but pick almost any upland area of Britain or Ireland and you will find the traces of our ancestors stretching back over centuries and even millenia. Why the upland areas? It’s all about the weather.
‘Mist’ having a good time in the snow with Moel Famau behind
‘The Spine’ race is one of those events that takes over your life – for the competitors it’s the culmination of months of planning and training, but the members of the support team also had to prepare for a week on the road, with no idea of what the next day would bring. Then suddenly, it was all over, and life returned to normality. In my case that meant a walk out on my local hills.
Image by John Bamber, assisted by Naomi and Olivia
Saturday morning 12th January – It must have been getting quite tense at the start line of ‘The Spine’ race. After all, running the 268 mile Pennine Way in winter in less than one week is a pretty tough challenge. I could only imagine the tension though, because I was exactly 100 miles away in Snowdonia with tensions of my own.
The Spine – Britain’s most brutal race!
The usual Monday blog post will be delayed a day or so, as we are all just back from this years race, and I don’t have the pics yet. Suffice it to say there was cold, there was pain and there was drama – and that was just for the staff!
Come back soon for (my version of) the story.
Text © Paul Shorrock – Image © John Bamber
15 extreme athletes at the start line of ‘The Spine’ 2012 – three finished the course!
Let’s face it, you must have a screw loose to compete in an event like ‘The Spine’ race. The Pennine Way in winter, 268 miles of the worst that Pennine weather can throw at you, and all to be completed in seven days – most ordinary mortals are pleased to finish in 17-18 days, but Spine contestants are not ordinary mortals!
Mid-Wales. The small red rectangle is map view 2
Map view 2 – Our Route around Esgair Penygarreg
If you wanted to describe Wales in one word, you wouldn’t go far wrong with “hilly”! What’s more, hills are usually a good excuse for a walk, so when we visited friends at Llandrindod in Powys over Christmas, the rucksacks took up more car room than the Christmas presents! The plan was to follow a circular walk around Esgair Penygarreg above the reservoirs of the Elan Valley. I hadn’t realised, however, that the road to the start point passed by Niagara Falls!
Paul offers guided hillwalking in the UK through Hillcraft Guided Walking. He is also a freelance outdoor writer.
Hillcraft Guided Walking Website
Paul Shorrock - One Man's Mountains AKA One Pillock's Hillocks 