A short break in Snowdonia

This is a trip I have wanted to do for many years! With so many activities to do in a close proximity, the Snowdonia National Park is the perfect place for a long weekend or short break. Here are our top 4 things to do in the area!

1. Snowdon Summit – Llanberis Path

Location: 
Llanberis, Caernarfon LL55 4TD
Car parks:
Parking for Snowdon (£8 all day)
Y Ganolfan, UK, Llanberis (£5 all day) – This car park has limited amount of spaces, so get there early!
Time length:
Walking: Approx. 6-7 hours depending on fitness (there and back)
Train: Up to 2 and a half hours (30 minute stop at the summit)

As we have never climbed the summit before, we decided to take the Llanberis path to the summit. According to many websites, this path is the easiest. However, it is still a mighty 9 miles in total (there and back) on mixed-terrain so it still can be quite challenging! Walking boots or trainers are essential!

Don’t fancy walking? You can also get a train to the top

If you are not comfortable with walking to the summit, take the Snowdon Mountain Railway instead. The service can last up to 2 and a half hours with a 30 minute stop at the summit.

Despite climbing in July, we still experienced all weathers; beginning our walk in  the beautiful, warm sunshine and reaching the summit in the thick, cold cloud; not being able to see more than 10 metres in front of us! Bring waterproofs and even gloves (our hands were frozen at the summit!).

For more information on climbing Snowdon, see my other blog post.

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2. Zipworld Slate Caverns

Phones are permitted on their course at their own risk! We didn’t bother as it is so dark! There are cameras in the caverns and you can purchase a photo at the end for £10.

Location:
Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog LL41 3NB
Price:
£60 each
Time length:
approx. 3 hours

Home to the longest zipwire in Europe, Zipworld has many different adventures to try from swinging in the trees in the Zip safari to bouncing from net to net in a cavern the size of a cathedral in Bounce Below.

For our adventure, we decided to tackle the many underground obstacles, ziplines and tunnels in the Caverns including the steepest zipline in the UK!

If you are a bit afraid of heights and the dark then maybe this one isn’t for you! But this adventure is perfect for when the weather is poor outside. Unlike some of the adventures, this course will not get cancelled due to weather conditions.

However, make sure you wrap up warm as the cavern can reach temperatures as low as 8°C all year round. Suitable footwear such as walking boots or trainers are essential as some of the obstacles can be pretty slippy!

For more information visit the zipworld website

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3. Pistyll Rhaeadr Waterfall

Location:
Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, Oswestry

One of the tallest waterfalls in Wales, this location is a nice place to stop and stretch your legs if you are making a long drive over to the Snowdonia National Park.

There is a cafe on sight but if you fancy bringing your own packed lunch, stop off at the village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant before approaching the long 4 mile country road to the waterfall. Toilets are also free to use there too! On site, it will cost 20p per person.

The village of Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, grab a snack here before making your way to the waterfall!

Or have a bite to eat in the cafe

The car park is £4 but there is free parking on a side-road approx. 50 metres from the pay-and-display car park. However, this may get full pretty quickly on a nice day in peak season!

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4. Trefriw Woollen Mills

The weaving machine. These machines are over 50 years old!

Location:
Main Road, Trefriw LL27 0NQ

Entry:
Free

We stopped here after visiting Zipworld as the rain started to pour! Trefriw Woolen Mills has been a family business since 1859, manufacturing traditional Welsh “tapestry’ bed spreads as well as smaller Welsh “Tapestry” patterns by the metre.

A timeline of tapestries from the 19th century right through to the 1970s.

Powered by a vintage water turbine, visit the factory and learn how raw wool is transformed into these beautiful tapestries. Some of the tapestries are made from natural dyes yet the colours are so subtly beautiful!

It is amazing being able to see these small industries still thrive, producing these beautiful tapestries for over 150 years! Visit the on-site shop to buy “tapestry’ bed spreads, cushions and more in a variety of colours!