Trip to Snowdon

 This last weekend the wife and I tried our first ever coach trip. Journey in question was a weekend in Lllandudno, featuring a trip up Snowdon, a visit to Betws y Coed and a few hours wandering around Llandudno itself. A memorable trip for a few reasons. We have been there before but in the summer. There was a Triatholon on the promenade which was exciting to watch and it was also Marlene's (wife) first trip up Snowdon.

We caught the coach in Portchester, so just a few minutes walk from the house at 7:30am Friday morning, then just over 7 hours later we had arrived at the Marine hotel, Llandudno. Four star, but it wasn't bad, rooms were spacious, clean and warm. 

Saturday morning bright and early and we were off to climb Snowdon, well, take the railway up anyway.

Being late September the station wasn't too busy although there quite a few people coming and going at all times, some waiting for the train and other, far more hardy people walking up the mountain.

The journey up by train takes an hour, then you get half an hour at the top and an hour train journey back down. The views on the journey are awesome, up until about halfway the weather was kind and although the sun wasn't exactly shining it was at least bright.

Then, as we got further up the mountain, the mist started to close in and visibility was quite reduced. The good thing is, all the walkers that we saw had all the right gear, plenty of layers and such like. People were taking their dogs with them and even young kids. We spoke to some at the top cafe and everyone seemd to have enjoyed their walk, albeit, some were wet and tired.

Sorry about the picture quality but they are taken from a moving carriage

Then, finally we were there, at the summit. We were worried that we wouldn't be able to get all the way up as weather conditions can change so rapidly. When we started, we were told that the summit was in bright sunshine, as you can see, an hour later it was all change.

A shame really because the views from the top on a sunny day are awesome, you can literally see for miles. However we made it and as Marlene's first trip, she enjoyed it. She even got nearly to the crag on the very top, however she doesn't like heights so stopped about 20 metres short. Brave woman because it was also quite windy.

Then it was off for a quick visit to Betws y Coed. Nothing much there but it is quite pretty, however we have been there numerous times, so we just wandered around and sat and had a chat.

Then back to Llandudno for a meal and a quiet evening. Sunday morning was a wander around the town for a couple of hours before boarding the coach back home. Marlene told me to keep a lookout for a man in a scruffy T-Shirt, walking two welsh terriers and eating a premium scotch egg. Where were you John Gray

As we were walking back down the promenade we saw a Triatholon in progress, it was the Llandudno Sprint Triatholon 2024. 

 

Some very hardy people there, better them than me, that Irish sea was cold.

 

And so we left it all behind at 1pm. got home at 8pm, it was raining, surprise, surprise. A cup of hot chocolate and a bit of relaxation and it was time for bed. Tired but happy. Would we do it again, hmmm. not sure, coach travel takes away the stress of driving and I wasn't tired when we arrived, but it's not the most comfortable way to travel if your a big bloke like me. Not a huge amount of leg room and the seats are a little narrow. Decent value for money though so can't complain.