Snowdonia

 Eryri is a national park in the northwest of Wales of 823 square miles that was the first designated park in Wales. It has nine mountain ranges which cover just over half of the area and most of those mountains are over 3000 feet. It is a stunning area of deep valleys and gorges, rich woodlands and beautiful wild and rugged coastlines.

Undoubtedly Wales’ adventure capital, there are extensive walking trails criss-crossing the region and climbing, mountain biking, cycling, horse riding and watersports are popular pursuits. There are over 100 lakes and some truly iconic peaks and ridges including of course, Yr Wyddfa, the highest mountain in Wales at 3560 feet.

The region is rich in culture and history which goes back to prehistoric times. Mining for slate, stone, copper and gold has been a huge industry in this area for generations. Beautiful churches, Celtic hill forts, religious shrines, standing stones and some truly magnificent medieval castles make this area a fascinating place to visit. The beautiful Welsh language, one of the oldest in Europe, is also part of that culture and heritage and is the day to day language still spoken by many.

The region has a long association with some of the most famous names in mountaineering history; George Mallory honed his climbing skills here, Chris Bonington and Doug Scott climbed in the Ogwen Valley and Hilary and Tenzing and members of the 1953 expedition stayed and trained for their Everest attempt from the famous Pen-y-Gwryd hotel at the foot of Yr Wyddfa.

Combined with beautiful hotels, a rugged coastline, narrow-gauge railways and some fantastic pubs, restaurants and cafes, this national park certainly has something for everyone to enjoy.