#35.SNOWDON SUNRISE.27-5-12.

With us enjoying a mini heatwave and the night's being clear me and Julie left Wrexham at 11 p.m. and drove up the A55 to reach Llanberis at 00.30 a.m. Having spoke to Steffan from the Pen Ceunant Isaf Tea-room's about parking at the cafe he told me of a lay-by further up the lane so we left the car there.We started walking at 00.45 and the temperature was 18 degree's C.It was a beautiful clear night as we started to ascend the Llanberis Path.I was soon sweating with my headtorch on so took it off and carried it in my hand for the rest of the journey.Gaining height we were stopping ever couple of hundred metres and switching the torch off and just staring up at the star's.With no light pollution they were very bright,some bigger then other's and lot's of them shimmering away,it was a fantastic sight,just as i looked down at the light's of Llanberis and beyond Julie spotted a shooting star but i didn't see it,dam.On a flat bit of path i left the torch off and we were just walking by the moonlight but when we reached a rocky bit i had to put it back on as i didn't want an injury.It was a weird experience walking up a mountain in the dark,having to look at your feet,watching every step you took and i noticed i was developing a pain in the back of my neck.This resulted in more stop's to sit down and look up at the star's,we were moving fast so i wasn't concerned we were going to miss the sunrise.As height was gained the wind started to pick up and we noticed the temperature falling as we reached the Halfway House Cafe just below the Station.The cafe had it's shutter's down and they were rattling in the wind making it quite spooky by here and as we were walking away from it i kept looking back as Julie kept saying "what was that noise",it was just our mind's playing trick's.Nearing the tunnel near Llechog Station the path get's very steep and i was getting a bit concerned because the wind was very strong here,blowing me and Julie about so we took another short break by the tunnel and i was amazed to see my own shooting star,happy day's.We put our coat's on,crossed under the railway track and carried on carefully up the scree path making sure we didn't stray to near the big drop into Cwm Glas Mawr.After a short distance the big drop is on the other side into Cwm Clogwyn and again great care was needed to concentrate to stay on the path.We were now sheltered from the wind by Garnedd Ugain and as the path get's flatter we were really sweating as it was still quite warm.Looking across the valley we could see the silhouettes of the nearby mountain's and as i looked up to the summit of Snowdon i could see about 10 headtorches flickering away.We now had reached the zig-zag's monolith and were back into the strong wind and as i looked down into Cwm Glaslyn i could see about 50-60 headtorches making their way up the mountain on the Pyg Track,what a fantastic sight.Looking eastward's on the horizon an orange glow was appearing as we neared the summit.Walker's were descending past us now and on the summit step's there was a checkpoint for the charity walk that was taking place,hence all the headtorches on the Pyg Track.A quick visit to the summit for photo's,that was a task in itself as the wind was trying it's hardest to blow us off,and we walked down to Hafod Eryri.Somebody was sleeping in a sleeping bag in the doorway so we got into the corner by the wall above him.This wasn't fully sheltered from the wind but good enough.I had made a flask of hot chocolate and a lemon drizzle cake and we had these here.We soon got cold as we had stopped moving so Julie produced a fleece blanket to wrap us up in,clever girl,and keep the wind out.We reached the summit at 03.15 a.m. the walk only taking us 2.30 hour's which i was amazed at as we had a lot of small stop's.The next half hour's was spent watching all the charity walker's check in,touch the summit and head off again.Twice i went back up to the summit to see if the sun had started to rise and take a few photo's as it was getting lighter and on my third visit i could see it starting to rise so went back down for Julie and we went back up and sat on the eastside below the summit marker with the blanket on us and for the next hour sat in amazement as we watched the sun rising.There were about half a dozen of people above us watching it now all the charity walker's had gone.As the sun was gaining height the colour of the sky was orange,it was beautiful.We decided to pack the blanket away and walk around to take photo's from different angle's and we were leaving the summit at 5.30.A slow walk back down the Llanberis Path now entailed.As the sun gained height Snowdon was casting a shadow on the distant mountain's,we could see for miles.There were lot's of bird's flying around going about their business and i was amazed at how many Wheatear's there were.Passing under the Llechog Tunnel the sun was now shining on Clogwyn Du'r Arddu and it's lake and Moel Cynghorion and beyond.We started to pass a few people walking up now and they stopped us and were astounded when we told them of our walk and all said they would like to do this.Coat's came off now as we lost height and were sheltered from the wind once more and we got back to the car at 7.40,a quick wash and change and were at Pete's Eat's in time for the 8 a.m. opening and a hearty breakfast.We had walked 8.5 mile with an ascent of 3,500 on this splendid night walk and both said we would do it again.

MILEAGE      244
ASCENT       60,800
TOPS            61.