It was my great pleasure to be working with my friends at Mountain Escapes on the longest day of the year, leading a group of 20 enthusiastic walkers to the top of Snowdon to watch the sunset. After assembling in Llanberis we took the Sherpa bus to Pen y Pass and began a steady ascent … More Snowdon Summer Solstice Sunset
It seemed like ages since Deb and I had wandered amongst Snowdonia’s higher peaks so with a free weekend looming, we booked a couple of night’s stay at the National Mountain Centre, Plas y Brenin, emptied the contents of our ‘outdoordrobe’ into the back of the car and piled up the A5 to Eryri. Woohoo! … More Snowdonia’s Idwal Skyline
Pumlumon (pronounced “Pimlimon”, meaning ‘five peaks’ and often anglicised to “Plynlimon”) dominates the wild, empty uplands of mid-Wales. Its windswept summit, Pen Pumlumon Fawr (752m/2467ft) is the highest point in the Cambrian Mountains, while its flanks give rise to three major rivers; the Rheidol, the Wye and the Severn (the UK’s longest river at 220 … More Pumlumon – from summit to source
For a long, long time I’ve been meaning to visit the Howgills, that appealing range of velvety lumps on the wrong side of the M6 from the Lake District. That was our plan for the weekend. On Friday evening a route was plotted and bags were packed and early Saturday morning we were off… to … More The Howgills…erm The Aran Ridge
Some years ago I remember someone saying that the Cairngorms were “a bit boring…just rounded hills, lacking in interest”. Looking back, I now wonder if they’d actually ever been there because my word, how wrong they were! For wild and remote mountains, huge views, dramatic crags and wonderful wildlife, the place has few equals. Since … More A couple of Cairngorms classics
‘Macedonia? Where’s that?’ Even now this is still the most common response we receive when asked where we’re going on our holidays. It’s the southern-most former Yugoslav republic, bordering Albania, Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece, in case you’re still wondering. We’ve been visiting Macedonia for many years Mrs. C and I, largely due to the fact … More Macedonia: Polite cheese and a mountain called Steve, but beware the peacocks!
Julian Cartwright 