Wales - Snowdonia.
Our centre is Llanberis (6 miles from Caernarfon) a village unique in the history of mountaineering and of Wales. It is an ideal base for our walking holidays. When possible we stay at the Hotel Royal Victoria a 3 star hotel of character with en suite single, double or twin rooms available.
We offer holidays in spring (April and May) and autumn (September, October). When conditions are most likely to be dry and sunny and the hills are at their best.
Dates and prices are set out in the Dates and Prices section.
The provisional programme of walks is drafted once the group is confirmed and we have an idea of people's fitness levels and interests from their questionnaires. The programme is finalised on the day when we have the weather forecast.
- Easy walks will explore the woodland paths and lower hills within walking distance of the hotel.
- Moderate Walks will explore the mountain ranges of Snowdonia.
- Hard Walks will also be available.
See Fitness Questions? for definitions of easy, moderate and hard walks.
Everybody who wants to climb Snowdon (the highest mountain in England and Wales) will get the opportunity to do so by an appropriate route.
- Easy grade walkers will take the easiest route to the summit of Snowdon. Approx 11km ( 7miles) with 600m (2,000 feet) of ascent. At an easy pace the walk will take approx. 5hours.
- The moderate groups circular route to the summit of Snowdon starts and finishes at the hotel. It is approx 18km (11miles) and 1,100m (3600 feet) ascent. It should take approx 5hours.
- The hard groups circular route is approx 22km (14miles) and 1600m (5,200 feet) It should take approx 6 hours.
- The option is available on one day for moderate to hard grade walkers to do Either
An Adventure day. This involves taking more adventurous and exciting routes to the summits. Such as Snowdon via the Crib Goch ridge.
Or
Sample a Challenge walk - Do a section of 'The Welsh 3s' which will take about 7 hours.
For information about Adventure Days and Challenge Walks see Fitness Questions?
Something about Llanberis, Snowdonia, Gwynedd, North Wales.
Snowdonia is the English name for Eryri which in Welsh means 'the place of the eagles'. These are the rugged mountains of Gwynedd in the North West of Wales. Conquered by the English in the 13th Century it is still ringed in by ancient castles such as Harlech, Conwy and Caernarfon, built in 1283 by Edward 1st of England. However eight centuries later Gwynedd remains the heartland of Welsh culture and language.
Caernarfon on the coast is 6 miles from our base the Hotel Victoria in Llanberis, at the foot of Snowdon. Llanberis was the centre of the world's greatest slate quarrying enterprise, the great and spectacular quarries and mines last worked 40 years ago are a unique element of the landscape, an evocative piece of industrial archaeology.
Fascinating to walk "the fox's path" and wonder at the enterprise and hardihood of the men who worked here. Their work places now the home of Ravens, Peregrine falcons, foxes and a fast developing playground for climbers and other adventure sports.
This village, where 97% of people speak Welsh as their first language, stands in a landscape on which the history of Wales is engraved. On a hill a mile from the village are the remains of an iron age hill fort dating back to 500 B.C. On a rocky knoll behind the Victoria Hotel, where we stay, is the Dolbadarn Castle built before 1230 a.d. by the Welsh prince, Llewellyn the Great. Facing the castle across the lake we have the 'Electric mountain' in which is the largest underground chamber ever excavated by man but only part of the Dinorwig Power Station the largest pumped storage hydro electric scheme in Europe. It took 10 years to build and was opened in 1984.
Over the last 100 years Llanberis and the Llanberis Pass has become a mountaineering centre of international significance. The Pen y Gwryd hotel was a training base for the Everest expedition of 1953 which made the first ascent of the worlds highest mountain. All expedition members signed their signatures on the bar ceiling (now covered by glass). The Vaynol hotel features photographs and displays commemorating the enthusiasts who made Llanberis and the 'Pass' famous as a cradle of hard rock climbing and climbers who have made their mark world wide.
WalkAbout Walking Holidays
Phone - 0151 724 2006
Mobile - 0773 403 8266
