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Snowdon Trek. The 'Horse Shoe'.
Snowdon is the highest mountain in Wales standing at 1,085m (3,560ft). It is located in North Wales in the Snowdonia National Park.
There are a number of ways that you can ascend the mountain. One of them is the train that runs up the back of the mountain in the summer months. There is also a trail that runs alongside the train track. There is also the 'Horse Shoe' - the real way to experience the mountain. |
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Preparation:
You need to start the trek as early as possible for two reasons. The first being the time that it takes to trek the Horse Shoe ( between 5hrs to 8hrs ) and the second being the car park. The car park which is at the bottom of the mountain has very limited space so you need to arrive there no later than 7:30 am to be in with a chance of a space.
We trekked the Horse Shoe in the winter so the right clothing is important. You will need a good pair of walking boot, breathable coat with a hood and a high neck, jumper, hat, gloves, walking socks, light weight and warm trousers and a day back pack consisting of:-
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Food. High energy foods but not sweets. Good examples are nuts, energy bars, nut bars, fruit, chocolate, sandwich and water (not too much water because of the weight. We took 2ltrs each but if this is too heavy just empty some away).
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Survival kit (available in outdoor activity shops)
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Mobile Phone (in case of emergency)
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Remember to let someone know where you are going and what time you expect to return
The Trek:
We started walking from the car park heading for the foot hills of Snowdon.
It takes about 15mins until you start to ascend the foot hills and then you get to look down the valley and experience the beautiful scenery |
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About an hour into the trek and we began to realise how high we where getting as we passed through the clouds. It's all an amazing sight, but still no sign of Snowdon. |
Remember to stop and have food and water at regular intervals. It is important to stay hydrated. Even though it was cold we were still sweating and we found ourselves constantly taking off hats,gloves and coats in the sun and then having to put them back on as soon as we were out of it.
The terrain began to get more rugged and less like a path. We had reached the ridges that take you Snowdon. This is where your heart rate goes up. A sheer drop on each side of the ridge and it looks like it going to be like this the rest of the way. In the distance we saw Snowdon for the first time and it was breath taking. The picture on the right shows Snowdon in the distance and the ridge that leads you there. |
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| We walked and scrambled along this ridge for about 2hrs and finally reached the summit of Snowdon to be rewarded with an amazing 360 degree view of the Snowdonia National Park. Mountains and hills as far as you can see with the odd cloud below you. We picked a great day to trek Snowdon. It was a very clear day. If you go on the wrong day you can't see a thing so check the weather forcast before going. |
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The ridge that you can see in the distance to the left in the picture above is the way down. A steep descent down the side of Snowdon consists of lots of very loose rocks and a winding path. This leads to one more small mountain which from the top of you get your last look at Snowdon before finding the path back to the car park.
It was a great day enjoyed by everyone who went. The type of day that made you feel good to be alive and that is what all of the sports featured on this site are all about.
Want to find your nearest trekking and mountaineering club in the UK? Just check out the link.
www.chamois.org.uk/world/#United_Kingdom |
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EVEREST TREK 2009
Or
“Quite simply the greatest adventure of my life.”
In October 2009 24 employees from Galacoral (And one crazy girl from Sue Ryder Care) embarked on a remarkable journey to the base camp of number one, Mount Everest in the Nepalese Himalayas. The trek was the driving force behind a colossal fundraising effort that saw over one hundred thousand pounds being raised for Sue Ryder Care. Each member of the trek pledged to raise a minimum of four thousand pounds and there have been some truly brilliant fundraising totals rolling in, that show the level of commitment and fortitude that frankly would also be apparent on the mountain passes. Having seen first hand the amazing work that Sue Ryder Care do and from the wealth of knowledge provided by Laura, our charity liaison, mentor, shoulder to cry on and friend. Every member of the trek knew that every pound donated would go to relieve the suffering and improve the lives of so many people. A year's worth of hard work and planning was realised on the 16th of October as one by one members of the trek appeared at terminal 4 in Heathrow airport and looked at each other with excitement and adventure. This was it……..Everest baby! |
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“Everest Baby”
The trek would take us the best part of 2 weeks. Two weeks of hard work, two weeks of pain and hardship, two weeks of emotional and physical challenge. Actually it was more like two weeks of fun, friendship, laughing, stunning scenery and a great sense of comradeship. The trek was by no means easy, far from it. Each day was filled with hard work. A typical day would see the group rise early, often before sunrise. Have breakfast consisting of porridge (sweetened with half a jar of honey), followed by egg on toast. Then fill up our water bottles for several hours of trekking through some absolutely epic vistas. We would stop for lunch at a tea house and be fed with steamed cheese sandwiches and vegetables. (A local delicacy). Then hit the trail again, arriving in camp just before sunset. Each day’s events would be discussed at dinner along with large amounts of gambling and attempting to snatch each others fingers off in card game called “Spoons”. All the while we would huddle around a “yakpat” (Nepalese cowpat) burning stove in our hats, gloves, thermals and down jackets contemplating the next day’s tasks. The trekking involved walking many kilometres over uneven, rocky and dusty terrain but all in the shadow of the imposing giants of Everest, Ama Dablam and Lokste. In the lower sections of the trek the environment was very pleasant with forests of pine trees, waterfalls and stunning rivers of milky white glacial melt water. One of the most exhilarating parts was traversing the canyons and ravines on steel rope bridges that would sway and rattle in the wind. My own fear of heights was tested to the limit but I’m glad to say it was well and truly conquered. On the higher sections of the trek the environment turned to brush land and then almost desert. We would make our way along the remains of ancient river beds and cover ground through deep valleys that were carved from the landscape by glaciers eons ago. Every step getting closer to our goal of base camp. |
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“Base Camp”
The ultimate goal of reaching the base camp and playing a game of bingo was within reach for everyone in the group. A massive achievement in itself, as it was expected that not everyone would make it through a combination of fatigue and altitude sickness. Almost all in the group, including myself, felt the effects of the extreme altitude. It’s crushing effect on the lungs ability to supply muscles with oxygen and also the minds ability to function correctly and process the sensory onslaught of the environment. Some truly amazing personal efforts were put in to reach the base camp and I know I speak for everyone when I say how proud we all were that the whole group made it. Being one of the first to the base camp afforded me the luxury of being able to see what it meant to everyone as they crossed the line. The smiles and the tears, the hugs and kisses, the quiet moments of reflection will stay with me forever. My own sense of achievement brought a tear to my eye as I was hugged and high fived continuously by those around me. I shouted “Everest Baby!” and took a few moments to look around and soak up the atmosphere. As each group |
| member got close, a chorus of encouragement would ring out to show our support. Then as the final person crossed the line, the group was complete, we had made it. The major hook of our fundraising plan was to play the world’s highest game of bingo at base camp. It must have seemed like a good idea at the time of conception but now we actually had to do it. Books and dabbers were made ready to play as our bingo caller “Ross O’Shaughnessy” donned a gold jacket to call the numbers. The wind whistled around us, as quiet descended for our game. “House” was called by the lucky “Paddy King” who became the winner of the world’s highest game of bingo. I’m not certain as to whether this will be accredited into the Guinness Book of World Records but I can sleep safe at night knowing that I am unlikely to ever meet anyone else who has achieved the same feat. |
“Local Swagger”
Our adventure had reached its climax and we now started the trek home. The group was in high spirits the whole way back and we all looked forward to a well deserved drink of refreshing “Everest” beer. The trek back was a blur as we could feel ourselves getting stronger with every step. More and more oxygen filled our lungs and I swear we could have run home. It felt like I had conquered the world. A new and exotic mix of chemicals filled my brain (all natural of course) and at that point I felt invincible. The group laughed and joked all the way back to our starting point in Lukla, It felt as though we had known each other all our lives. We had shared so much, comforted and encouraged, laughed and cried. There will be a bond between us all and whenever we think of our adventure we will remember the great time we had together. Our final night in the mountains was a memorable one indeed as we presented our support team with well earned pay and some exceptional words of |
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| gratitude and respect. Our support team of Sherpas, Yak handlers, cooks and porters were a phenomenal bunch of warm hearted, dignified and humble people. Some real characters shone through making us laugh and winning our respect and friendship. Never before have I felt that so much was given to me without expecting anything in return. Our support team always had a smile no matter how hard the work was or how cold it was. I will never forget them or the immortal words of “Zum Zum!” to get us all moving. We returned to our hotel in Kathmandu for a final day of shopping and sightseeing and to enjoy a celebration dinner at the famous “Rum-Doodle” bar and restaurant. Kathmandu was a great experience for me as I have not travelled far before. My expectations were blown away by what I can only describe as a city straight out of Indian Jones. My senses were cranked up to eleven in an instant, the sights, smells, sounds, hustle and bustle of the streets and bazaars swirled around my head like an exotic intoxicant. At first I was a little jumpy sharing the narrow roads and alleyways with all manner of vehicles. Busses, cars, bikes, rickshaws all jostled for position all the while beeping incessantly on their horns to warn the thousand people in front of them of their presence. After a couple of hours of being immersed in the melee, I developed the “Local Swagger” as I like to call it and the traffic was swerving around me. We ambled around the bazaars haggling with the locals and having coffee whilst watching the world travel past at the speed of light. The group assembled in the famous “Rum-Doodle” bar, named from the novel “The ascent of Rum-Doodle”, a story about a fictional forty thousand feet high mountain and the attempt to climb it. We ate and drank in celebration of our achievements and reflected on personal triumphs. Each group who treks the Himalayas leaves a Yeti footprint covered in messages on the ceiling or walls of the bar. Ours was proudly hammered up by Laura and will stand as a tribute to us all. For many in the group, fears were conquered and doubters proved wrong. We returned home to a heroes welcome at the gate in Heathrow airport. Colin Morgan, Galacoral Group Corporate Social Responsibility Manger, beaming with pride as he introduced us to Dominic Harrison, Chief Executive of Galacoral and Paul Woodward, Chief Executive of Sue Ryder Care. We were home and our adventure was over but we will regail any who will listen with our stories and anecdotes of the trek and look back with pride at what was for me the greatest achievement of my life so far. |
“Thank You”
It just remains to say thank you to so many people who made the trek possible:
To Charity Challenge, for such a smooth and enjoyable experience. Our Group Leader Jez was a huge laugh and was a major force in encouraging the entire group to base camp. Thank you.
To Sue Ryder Care for providing the opportunity to have such a great time and life changing experience. Laura Savoury our charity partner on the trek was truly inspirational. Someone we all looked up to and liked immediately.
To Sol Steerin for support and help.
To Paul at Outdoor & Active for all the advice and my equipment.
To Galacoral for allowing us the time off and making us ambassadors for the company. Colin Morgan has mentored us from the start and I always enjoyed his cheery and enthusiastic mood on phone calls and meetings. Thanks Colin.
To our friends and families for their support and encouragement. Thanks Mum!
And importantly to everyone who sponsored us and helped us raise the £100k we have donated to Sue Ryder Care so far. Money that will mean so much too so many and allow new and existing programmes to relieve suffering and provide a better life for many people. Thank you so much.
“Sign me up”
This experience made me realise what kind of person I was and what I could be. I kept a diary on the trek which I hope to publish. In it, my feelings and thoughts were recorded on all manner of things. I would read passages out to the group who listened intently to what I hope was encouragement and reflection. Although I had only known each member of the group a short time, I felt a connection to everyone in really positive way. As a tribute to each person I wrote a short rhyme about our experience, personal to everyone in some way. |
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They went down brilliantly and shows what a great bunch they were. In completing the trek and hitting my fundraising target, my sense of achievement was such that I would sincerely love to be part of this again. A new challenge is just around the corner and so I say “Sign me up”! I urge anyone who is reading this to get involved in some way. Big or small it all helps and I can say that the feeling you get is truly uplifting. Reach for the stars, you won’t regret it.
Zum Zum! |
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