Film photos from North Wales
Recently I went on a trip to North Wales, Eyri to be exact (the Welsh name for Snowdonia - Snowdon, the mountain the area is named after and the tallest mountain in Wales, is Yr Wyddfa in Welsh).
We didn't hike up Yr Wyddfa - it's the busiest peak there, and there are many other mountains to climb which are less busy and just as spectacular. We were there to do some Scrambling, which is sort of hiking with some climbing bits - but climbing that can be done in your walking boots with minimal or no protection (ropes, etc).
This doesn't mean it's not scary! A lot of climbing related things are psychological I've discovered. Even the easiest climb - a straight shoot up some ledges or manoeuvring yourself up inside a corner with lots of good hands and footholds - is scary if there is a big drop looking up at you from below. What if I fuck it up? What if the rock I'm holding onto randomly breaks?
Anyway, it was a good, fun experience with a little element of danger. None of these photos are from up on the mountains we scrambled - I wasn't confident enough to use the camera while I was up there and was worried about distracting myself - which is a shame because there were some beautiful views.
We used a very charming book called North Wales Scrambles and went up two routes (I actually only did the first one, as I felt too knackered on the second day to join and walked a scenic route around the beautiful village of Betws-y-Coed instead).
Some of these photos are from there, and others are from the town we stayed in at the edge of Eyri, Llanberis. It's a nice little town, and quite touristy as it acts as a gateway for anyone interested in visiting the area.
I find myself on these trips often correcting the pronunciation of Welsh words from my English friends. Ironically, mine isn't that good myself - I don't speak Welsh, and am often corrected by my Welsh-speaking mum at home. If you're interested in how to pronounce some of the place names, I found this quick guide, written by a university hill walking group. It can be fun to see the difference between the Welsh pronunciation and how an English speaker assumes it sounds.
Lesson over, here are the photos. I took these on a cheap point and shoot using Kodak 400TX film.
The shore of Llyn Elsi
Another shot of the shore of Llyn Elsi
A view of the mountains surrounding the lake in Llanberis
Castell Dolbadarn
Castell Dolbadarn
Someone doing some unofficial climbing up what is possibly an old latrine of Castell Dolbadarn
A view towards Llanberis from the hills opposite
An old cart suspended above an inactive slate quarry, outside Llanberis
On the walk from Llanberis to Fachwen, featuring someone cleaning their walking boots.
Sheep between Fachwen and Llanberis
Abandoned, ruined cottage outside Fachwen
Walking around LLyn Padarn, in Llanberis
LLyn Padarn, in Llanberis
A second abandoned, ruined cottage in the woods near Fachwen
Standing on the shore of Llyn Padarn
Standing on the shore of Llyn Elsi (I think!)
And here are a couple I took to finish the film off when we got back.
Arches in Bristol
Some construction in Bristol