Last weekend, my friends and I decided to climb Mount Snowdon, the highest mountain in the country of Wales.
We drove up on Friday afternoon and arrived in Wales after a six hour long drive from London. After resting for a couple of hours, we headed off on our way to Pen Y Pass Car Park where the actual climb starts. The morning in Northern Wales was cold and foggy but did little to dampen our excitement for the climb ahead, hehe.
We started up the Pyg Track on our way toward the summit then back down again via the Miners Route. Both tracks began and ended in the same place. The route up was quite steep at times and there were a few sections with rougher terrain that require you to scramble over rocks, which was pretty challenging. There are also sections of the path with steep drops that felt really precarious and could potentially be quite dangerous if you slip.
The weather was still foggy as a little bit of rain started falling. And as we neared the peak, low clouds came in and the temperature dropped quickly, so be prepared to bring layered clothing and a hat.
The view at the summit and along the way was simply awesome and worth every bit of effort we put into getting there. We did not stay long though as there were loads of people taking selfies, most of whom had made their way up by steam train. There is a café on the summit which sells pastries, savory snacks, an assortment of sweets and coffee, plus a quaint little gift shop.
The way down was probably just as hard as going up, being quite tough due to gravel and scree. Very hard on the knees so leg technique means everything. You really need to watch your footing as the terrain will get more difficult coming down. I would highly recommend climbing shoes as the path has a lot of loose rocks at the best of times, which again make it easy to lose your footing and slide.
The Miners Route down was equally beautiful and scenic, making you gasp at the stunningly fresh water lake. We also passed an old copper mine on the way back with a few derelict stone buildings.
It took us approximate 3 hours up and 2 1/2 hours down. The paths are easy to navigate but it can be tough hiking without proper training and footwear. However, this just makes it all the more of an amazing experience and very rewarding too!
上周末，我和朋友决定攀登威尔士最高的斯诺登山。
我们周五下午出发，从伦敦开了六个多小时车终于抵达威尔士。休息了一个晚上，第二天一早我们就前往登山点- Pen Y Pass停车场。威尔士北部的清晨雾很大，并且有点儿冷，不过这并没有减弱我们登山的兴致，呵呵。
我们选了Pyg Track路径登上峰顶，然后沿着另一条路径Miners Route下山。两条路径的出发和结束点都在同一个地方。上山的路线非常陡峭，而且有些地段的地形比较弯曲，需要手脚并用攀岩，极具挑战性。还有部分路段比较潮湿，一不小心随时有滑倒的可能，还是挺危险的。
我们越往山上爬，雾越来越大，天空也渐渐下起了蒙蒙小雨。快接近顶峰的时候，我感觉气温迅速下降，所以建议大家要准备保暖衣服和帽子。
站在斯诺登山顶峰，我们遥望四周环绕壮丽迷人的山峦和湖景，实在美得让人不敢相信！瞬间觉得辛苦的付出都是值得的，我们尽情享受这一刻的舒适与惬意，呵呵。顶峰有点拥挤，很多人自拍而且其中一部分游客是乘坐蒸汽火车上来的。这里有一家咖啡馆，提供各类糕点和饮品等，还有一家纪念品店。
下山其实并不比上山容易，特别是坡比较大的山路，对膝盖的压力很大。除了要注意走稳，穿着适当的攀岩鞋非常重要。因为路上有很多松散的岩石，一不留神很容易失去平衡并摔倒。
下山的路线有着与上山截然不同的美丽风景。我们沿途经过了一座古老的铜矿，废弃的石头建筑还有迷人的淡水湖。
我们总共花了三个小时上山，两个半小时下山。虽然山路很清晰，但如果没有经过培训和适当的攀登鞋，攀岩斯诺登山还是很不容易的。我非常享受这次威尔士斯诺登山的徒步体验，希望大家喜欢我的视频和照片，呵呵！
My video is at DLive