Adventures with Hunter: Visiting Snowdonia

Meet the Sloly Family

With a burning desire to explore the natural wonders of Planet Earth, the Sloly family take every opportunity to get outdoors and into nature. They have a trusty VW camper van (Thunderbolt) in which they explore the UK, public transport and walking boots for the rest of the world. Annette’s first experience of hiking was when she was 6, in the incredible Tatra Mountains with her Grandfather, the same Summer her Mum taught her how to row, and fillet a fish for dinner.  Having travelled to some of the most obscure places in the world on family holidays, David continued along the same line, one year crossing the Sahara in his Land Rover Safari to meet The Tuareg, the “Blue Men” of the Desert. These experiences have helped shape their family values and passions which they are now passing onto their son, Hunter, a curious 6 year old explorer with a passion for adventure

Visiting Snowdonia

When Sir Edmund Hillary set his mind on conquering Everest, he looked to Mount Snowdon for his training ground. Standing at 1085 metres, it is the highest mountain in Wales and England, and looking up at her in the day is awe-inspiring.

But Snowdon is not just a beautiful mountain in isolation; the entire Snowdonia National Park is one of the most stunning places to immerse yourself in nature. 

Autumn – the perfect time to visit Snowdonia

Autumn is a particularly amazing time to visit Snowdonia, and its less crowded. Even if you are not hiking, then being around the incredible ancient trees between Nant Gwynant and Betws-y-Coed is enough to give you a sense of awe and wonder. You will probably have an urge to take up watercolours, or in Hunter’s case, get the crayons out… and he did!  We pitched our Campervan at Llyn Gwynant, a wonderful natural campsite beside a Lake, river and mountain – a perfect walking base for Snowdon.

Walking Routes in Snowdonia

There are around six paths to choose from to walk up to the Summit, the popular and easier of the routes we chose was Llanberis path – we felt this more suitable for our 6 year old and, if the weather doesn’t look so great (yep, we had clouds and drizzle), you can always take get the train to the summit and walk down, as we did. But make sure you book the train in advance.

If you’re feeling brave then other paths to consider taking to the summit which are more varied and scenic include PYG track, Miners’ Track, Watkin Path, Snowdon Ranger Path and Rhyd-Ddu.  Once you are at the summit you feel a real sense of adventure quickly followed by a need for food. You suddenly feel very hungry at 1085 meters and sandwiches seem to taste nicer too!  

On a clear day the panorama from the summit includes Cadair Idris; The Glyders, Great Ormes Head and Anglesey – stunning! Be ready to carry little ones on your shoulders and when you’re not, keep them focused on their footing as the path is a mix of rocks, slate and mud!  Good walking boots are a must, and adequate clothing including waterproofs are essential.