With Easter so early this year, it was a bit strange having some snow around for the Bank Holiday, even if it did mean trekking up the mountains to get to it. It was the first big trek out for Megan, she’s well-trained enough now but still much younger than when I first trusted Sami on a Black Label route.
I started from Capel Curig, using the car park behind the shops where the A5 splits to go off to Bangor or towards Snowdon. The map figured the trip was 5.3 miles and would take about 3 hours to complete but with decent snow I added an extra half hour to my estimate as I was meeting Paula and the in-laws in a nice little hotel at the other end for lunch.
My route was going to take me up Cefn Y Capel, across Bwlch Goleuni and straight over the top of Y Foel Goch, coming down the Miner’s Track and into the Pen Y Gwryd Hotel. We would basically go across the top of the right hand side of the valley if you are looking towards Snowdon, with Moel Siabod on your left.
We were walking in slushy snow from the beginning, with intermittent spells of ankle-deep mud – which is where the dogs come in to their own, if they sink you know to avoid that bit! Half a mile of continuous climb and we were in the snow.
With the first hard climb done it levelled out and gave me a chance to get my breath back – the dogs just seemed pleased I was finally picking the pace up a bit… The wind was howling by now but the views were stunning.
The next climb was a bit harsh and I had to get out the Yak-Traks to keep my footing, the dogs just thought it was great because the snow was getting deeper and they could dive right underneath it! But by the time I reached the top, visibility was quite low because the wind was whipping up so much snow and ice – with my jacket fully zipped up I was OK but the dogs were less impressed with their ears streaming behind them and their eyes just little slits – I didn’t have to mention walking to heel once! Having the map as well as the GPS was invaluable as I could pick out the path and know what was coming up ahead; you could see the path because the snow was very even rather than broken up with the heathers on either side. Even so, I relied on the GPS more than once to know exactly where we were going. We eventually hit the Miner’s Track and then it was all down hill.
You might have noticed the harnesses the dogs are wearing. They aren’t fashion accessories, or even to keep them warm, they essentially mean the dogs have a handle on their backs so they are easy to pick up and they also have a lead loop so you can attach them without getting soaking wet! If you’ve ever tried to put a lead on a wet spaniel you’ll know what I mean… They were especially useful at the end of this walk – towards the bottom of the Miner’s Track there is a footbridge over a small river, it’s a grated metal effort, half a metre wide, with a hand rail. I went straight over it without thinking only to turn round and see both dogs staring at me as if I was mad and may have just levitated across the water. Sami loves a bit of water and after a moment’s thought dived straight into the river and swam across. Megan on the other hand loves a bit of water but only if it has a lot of mud involved and she doesn’t actually have to do any swimming – so I went back, picked her up by her handle and carried her over, during which time Sami was back in the river, out the other side then back in again, thoroughly confused but very pleased with herself.
That just left the Pen Y Gwryd for a well deserved pint, roaring fire and roast beef with all the trimmings – huge portion so plenty for the dogs to join in! Happy spaniels must be one of the greatest aids to floor sweeping any human has ever witnessed.
We’ll definitely being doing this walk again but I’ll be waiting for some sunshine so I can properly appreciate the views and show that there aren’t always grey clouds in Snowdonia!
