"Gorau adnabod, d'adnabod dy hun." - The best knowledge is to know yourself

As a young girl scout, I learned very early on that since we coexist with nature, we should appreciate and take care of it. My interest in the great outdoors was sparked by hikes I took with my girl scout troop. A few of the camping/hiking trips I participated in involved planting trees to offset the deforestation that was prevalent in my native country around that time. So, apart from teaching me about vegetation, flora, etc., it also provided me a good perspective about growth and regrowth: literally and figuratively.

I barely recall the exact location of the areas we explored as scouts and how many friends I made in the process, but the experiences left a profound impression in my young mind: taking care of nature and people would be an integral part of my growth and that the quality of my relationship with nature and people would greatly define who I become.

Later, as an adult hiker, my first true love is no other than Wales (Cymru). The decision to visit Wales, on my own, was a challenge I decided to subject myself to. It was to test my resolve. It was fraught with anxiety, but also with excitement. It was a time in my life that required some serious self-reflection. I knew I had to find a place that was not only inspiring, but also challenging. So, off I went to discover Snowdonia, Wales. I wrote this journey like a sweet, promising poem as I warmed up to this place called Wales.

My journey started in London. Sitting quietly on the train at Euston Station, observing people surreptitiously as they come aboard, one passenger piqued my passing curiosity. She was dressed in white from top to bottom: hat, dress, and a pair of mid-heel boots. I caught her watching me as well from my reflection on the window, so I smiled and, to be polite, I averted my gaze elsewhere.

A few hours later, the scenery from my window seat underwent a transformation. The train ride provided me a quick peep to sheep grazing in lush woods in nearby hillsides and steep slopes. I started feeling really excited. I completely forgot that my train approached the North through the coastal rail tracks, so it came as a nice surprise as the journey continued when, less than an hour later, I saw boats sailing on the sea through the windows across the aisle. And just as I was trying to contain my excitement, out of nowhere, a view of a towering castle started to emerge from my window. But then, just as the train made what felt like an abrupt sharp turn, the castle disappeared from sight as we sped away.

Finally, I reached Bangor around midday. Nothing outstanding - at least not from what I could see where I stood at the train station! Quickly, I made my way to the taxi bank and met Ken. He was a friendly, chatty taxi driver. I asked him what was there to see in Bangor and he kindly replied that Bangor University was the centre of Bangor’s life. He pointed out to me that if one stood in the middle of the university grounds on any given day, one was likely to hear hundreds of different languages spoken by students from all over the world.

Ken, like a good old local taxi driver, was pointing out places of interest as we made our way to the village of Llanberis. He asked me if I was going for a hike–to which I replied yes. I told him that I almost cancelled this trip because I just recovered from a bad bout of cold and flu the week prior, but was glad I did not. Sweet old Ken was so worried that I was going to climb up to a certain altitude so soon after the flu and attempted to dissuade me. I promised him that I would take extra care and would not push myself too hard.

I set out to Wales with extremely high expectations as I read about Snowdonia a few years back. And as a shock to the system, having gotten used to the city scene in London, the breathtaking view of the village of Llanberis could not be more welcoming. It was what I thought it would be and so much more.

I booked a room at Plas Coch Bed & Breakfast. It is a Victorian house built around the mid 1800s located in the heart of Snowdonia. After having been shown my room and dropping my bags off, the lovely owner showed me around the bed and breakfast.

I took a walk after lunch, and was taking in the countryside scenery when, lo and behold, I happened upon the base of a mountain. I tilted my head back to see how high it was, but could not see the top. I was in awe and, for a tiny moment, I could almost hear it sing like a choir–captivating, enticing, teasing, coaxing me to climb and be part of it all. Then this warm feeling descended on me whispering, “You have arrived!”

Just before sunset I doubled back towards the bed and breakfast looking for some place to grab dinner from. I saw a pub and went in, ordered a drink and food at the bar and sat at a table. Some chap was curiously looking at me, probably because I was a lone diner. The server came with my food and asked me if I were hiking and I shared that I would be, on the weekend. He then informed me that the weather would be nice for hikes, adding that I came at the right time because come October time, the area would be buzzing and heaving because of the Snowdonia Marathon.

My first stop was the Electric Mountain, properly known as the Dinorwig Power Station — a pumped hydroelectric power plant. It is a massive and very impressive piece of engineering work with an approximately 16 km of underground tunnels. The lengthy process of building this power station lends for an interesting story after all, the site is on the boundary of the Snowdonia National Park. For the history buffs and engineering enthusiasts, there are several write-ups online you can avail yourselves of.

The beauty of Plas Coch was that it was walking distance to the Snowdon Mountain Railway, the Llanberis Lake Railway, and the entrance to Padarn Country Park. So, I found myself visiting these places.

Snowdon Mountain Railway is the only public narrow gauge rack and pinion railway in the United Kingdom and has more than 100 years of operation under its belt. A single carriage train took me to the summit of Snowdon and, on the way up, I saw hikers at different points of the ascent. I started wondering what my hike would be like in the afternoon.

The ride on the Llanberis Lake Railway train provided a view of the lake and enabled me to see kayakers.

To be continued…