A Weekend in Wales

Thanks to an enthusiastic bunch at work a trip to Snowdonia in Wales was organised. This was great as it not only gave me a chance to see Wales again (I had visited once before as a child) but also to actually get out and about hiking around a national park – something that I’ve not done as much of as I’d like in Europe.

So, after the hire car turned up 2 hours late I was off on Friday afternoon with a couple of others to meet up with the remaining 20 or so at a hut in Capel Curig, Snowdonia.

One of the most interesting things about Wales is that all the road signs are in both English and Welsh. Welsh is a language whose pronunciation can only be described as inventive and requires a healthy amount of phlegm hocking noises. If you think pronouncing Maori place names is tough for New Zealand’s tourists you’ve obviously never been to Wales. Some of the more unique places we passed were Betws-y-coed and Cwn Llwn. Don’t ask me how you pronounce the second one, it has no vowels!!

The eccentricities continued as we visited pub that apologised for having run out of mashed potato and offered new potatoes or chips instead. So they had potatoes, but were unable to offer mashed potato?

Anyway, back to the main purpose of the visit. Snowdonia is a national park in North Wales famous for hiking and crowned by Mount Snowden which can be ascended by either cable car or a long hike. I joined the ‘short walk’ group as I’m shockingly unfit and discovered that ‘short walk’ actually meant 807m up to a rocky outcrop then back down to a waterfall covering a total of approximately 18km. Needless to say my knees are still recovering but it was absolutely beautiful and reminded me very much of Central Otago.

The next day, Sunday, the masochists amongst us went for another hike and got soaked to the core as it rained all day. Those of us of a less adventurous nature browsed the shops and cafes of the aforementioned Betws-y-coed – much more civilised!

It occurred to me as we went from one outdoor equipment shop to the next looking at the latest GPS navigation system, poly-synthetic-ultra wonderful materials guaranteed to keep you cool, warm and dry, and every engineered nutritional whatsit under sun just what a lot of technology is involved these days with getting back to nature.