Time to hang up your boots

The picture of Hilary and Tensing at Base Camp 1 in 1953, together with their boots from the '53 Everest expedition.

I'm often asked which is the best hotel in Snowdonia. The answer of course depends on what you are looking for. If you want an early start to get up Snowdon mountain then the Snowdon Ranger Hostel is for you. If you want luxury then the Seiont Manor is hard to beat. If you want a charming atmosphere then the Royal Goat is a good choice.

But if you are looking for somewhere that evokes the atmosphere of the past and the roots of the great climbing tradition of Snowdonia then there is only one place and that is the PYG, the Pen y Gwryd Hotel which can be found near the Roman camp at the junction of the A4086 and the A498 - just 5 miles west of Capel Curig. www.pyg.co.uk.

Memorabilia from every member of the lead party in the expedition.

Signatures on the ceiling from the leading members of the party - don't try this at home!

Memorabilia at the hotel covers the whole history of climbing in Wales.

And the bar's good too!

VIPs on Snowdon

Surely the least likely place to meet your MP would be on top of Snowdon, but eight members of the Mountaineering All Party Parliamentary Group (Mountaineering APPG) walked to the summit of Snowdon on the 7th of September as part of an informal working day to discuss and share concerns affecting hill walkers, climbers and mountaineers.

Joining the MPs and Lord Greaves were officers from the British Mountaineering Council (BMC), Plas Y Brenin's CEO, mountain guide Al Hinkes and the first Welshman to summit Everest, Caradog Jones.

Setting off from Pen y Pass along the PyG Track in low-cloud, conditions steadily improved and the summit itself was bathed in sunshine with spectacular views and only a light breeze. The tops of Lliwedd and Cadair Idris in the far distance stuck out through a sea of cloud.

The party divided at Bwlch Glas with one group returning down the Miners Path and the others continuing over Crib y Ddysgl to Bwlch Coch where they dropped down into Cwm Glas to pick up the foxes path back to the PyG Track.  

Co-Chair of the Mountaineering APPG, John Mann, Labour MP for Bassetlaw, said: "When we lobby Government we're keen to stress that hill walking and climbing are pastimes that people continue to do throughout their lives. The physical health benefits save the NHS money. I'd also like to see more research into the mental health benefits."

"It's important to ensure key ministers realise the economic value that participants of these activities bring to rural communities and now of course we have to link to the broader Olympic legacy."  

Relaxing at Plas y Brenin after the walk, Mountaineering APPG Co-Chair, David Rutley, Conservative MP for Macclesfield, said: "It's been a highly enjoyable and productive day. North Wales always feels special to me since it's where I started rock climbing as a 16 year-old."

BMC Access and Conservation Officer, Dr Cath Flitcroft, said: "Hopefully with the success of these events over the last two years this will now become an established annual fixture. It's a great way to share with politicians the real concerns of hill walkers and climbers, in an informal setting, evoking a cross party enthusiasm for the cause.

Pilgrimage and Poetry in the Landscape

Next Saturday, the 8th of September, there will be a walk from St Hywyn's Church in Aberdaron to the nearby headland of Pen y Cil to celebrate the area's rich tradition of poetry.

11am - Meet in St Hywyn's Church.

11:30am - Walk to Pen y Cil.

1pm - 2pm - Lunch (bring a picnic)

2pm - 3:30pm - Walk from Pen y Cil or return by car.

Tel: 01758 730794

Email: d.i.wood@btinternet.com

Lepers keep out!

I have been spending more time than usual recently in the churches of North Wales. When I am out on my walks I always call in to a church when I pass and hope to find it open. I will be particularly active in September because Conwy and Gwynedd are running a series of open days for churches and other public buildings. One of the things that has cropped up that I didn't expect was mention of Leprosy in the Middle Ages. During the Middle Ages, Church Law required that those suffering from Leprosy were separated from the rest of the population by a ritual “burial service for the living”. The priest would throw earth from a spade at the sufferer’s feet before leading him or her from the church covered by a black cloth. The sufferer would literally be considered a “dead man walking”. So that those suffering from Leprosy could still witness the eucharist, special windows were often cut (called leper windows or squint windows) this meant that the afflicted could see the eucharist but the congregation could not see the lepers and was out of infection range. The best example I found is the tiny pilgrim’s hospice church at Pistyll, dedicated to St Beuno. This is typical of the basic single knaved Llŷn Church with a single bell. Though founded in the 7^th Century, the present structure is probably 12^th Century with a small extension at the Eastern end in the 15^th Century. Services are still held in the church. It is popular for weddings and holds the traditional Lammas service in early August-a sort of early harvest festival held to celebrate the first ripe grains of wheat, the centre-piece of which is the offering of the unleavened Lammas bread-a hope offering for the harvest to be safely gathered in.  On special holidays the church floor is strewn with wild flowers and herbs-survivals of Dwarf Elder, Hop Vines and Danesberry (meant to assist journey into the afterlife, the transmigration of the soul) that are still growing in the churchyard -flowers and herbs which were used to treat the sick Pilgrims in Medieval times and before modern drugs arrived. On the nearby hill to the northeast was once located a hospice “Cefnydd” which gave its name to the farm there today. Nearby is a field called Cae Hospice Pennla where lepers were housed.

150 metres East South East of the Church is the remains of a Holy Well now covered by a concrete slab. Features to look out for in the Church are (1) the Welsh inscription painted over the altar-“Sing the praises of the Lord for he is Good”(2) the leper’s window, a small window opening in the North Wall from where lepers could sit outside and watch the service- but in such a way that the congregation were spared the sight of the lepers.-often called  a “squint window”(3) the ancient font adorned with the Celtic continuum pattern, symbolic of “Life without ending or beginning” (4) the remains of beef fat and lime plaster on the North Wall, a survival of plaster and paintings which would have once covered the whole church. This one is thought to have depicted St Christopher.

An inscription “Alleluia in Gothic type and DDL (1050 AD in Roman numerals was also traced (5) the remains of a small ledge about knee high which can be seen in the wall around the altar. This is a survival of a wall seat that would once have run around the entire church, and did so in all medieval churches before being chiselled out in Victorian times to enable wooden pews to be fitted snug to the wall. In medieval times the congregation was expected to stand or kneel. Only the old and weak would sit down on this ledge-hence the expression “let the weakest go to the wall”(6) You can see the entrance to an earlier form of the building in the form of steps jutting out from the base of the south wall. (7) The grave of Rupert Davies, the actor who played Maigret, the French detective in the 1960’s TV series. His tombstone is by the wall in the highest part of the graveyard. (8) The roof was thatched with rushes until the 19^th Century, the holes through which the ropes tethering the sheaves can still be seen in the roof timbers (8) Slightly upstream from the present millpond (thought to have been once a fish pond) is the holy well that served the Church.

The Romans are coming

Visitors to Holyhead last Saturday, may have been surprised to find Roman legionaries marching through the town.

Chester based company Roman Tours put on the spectacle as part of the Anglesey Heritage Open Day.

Wales Coast Path Video

We have heard a lot about the Wales Coast Path this year, but there is an awful lot more to learn about this stunning path, the first path to go all around the coastline of a nation. We have found this video from Visit Wales - it's well worth watching.

Autumn Walks in Conwy

The Conwy Countryside Service is running a series of walks this autumn. It's the perfect opportunity to get out and see some spectacular autumn colour. You can find full details at http://www.conwy.gov.uk/upload/public/attachments/516/Autumn_Walks_2012.pdf

The first walk is taking place on Monday the 24th of September. It's a moderate walk on the Little Orme and through the Penrhynside Woods. Meet at 1:45pm on the Penrhyn Bay car park, grid reference SH 817 815.

If you would like more information on these walks, or would like to volunteer to lead a walk in the future, contact Jenny Towill, the Community Walking Officer, on 01492 575543 or at Jennifer.towill2@conwy.gov.uk.