I parked at Llyn Ogwen and walked to Llyn Idwal, the only sign of human life a lone tent at the shore of the lake with its flap open for the occupant to better enjoy the dawn.
My rucksack contained all the usual suspects, plus a copy of The Plant Life of Snowdonia - this was not just a walk but a treasure hunt searching out the arctic alpines, most of which flower for just a few weeks from around 20 May.
A friend had indicated a couple of likely hot spots to explore and I began at the base of the Devil's Kitchen. My eyes latched hopefully onto any splash of bloom and the first occurrence would be studied and photographed before walking further up to find more and better specimens.
Should I be looking in the shade? Or only on rocks which sheep and goats can't reach? Some of the best specimens were in the most inaccessible places with binoculars being the safest (for plants and humans) way to appreciate them.
The label arctic alpine means what it says, they are mostly at home in the Arctic or the Alps and the higher north facing slopes and cliffs of Snowdonia provide a similar habitat. They survive as specialists in extreme conditions safe from more vigorous plants that would otherwise swamp them.
There is tremendous variety and as I climb higher the types of plant change with pockets of colour here and there. The mixture of rocks in Cwm Idwal, especially all those jumbled up in the Devil's Kitchen, provides a rich variety of minerals and nutrients.
Each location has a different aspect of shade, wind, moisture, altitude and temperature which encourages a profusion of diversity.
My favourite low down plant was the Moss Campion, a sponge of green with masses of pink flowers offset beautifully by the blue skies above the cliffs to which it clung limpet-like.
During the day I photographed and ticked off many species of plant, different types of saxifrage, an appropriate name which means 'rock breaker', Roseroot, Globe Flowers, Northern Marsh Orchids, and many more that I have yet to match up with descriptions in books.
But my real quest was the Snowdon Lily. I had heard that Castell y Geifr (Goat Castle) was one of the six or seven cliffs in Snowdonia where it could be found.
After much scrambling over rocks and bilberry and retreating from fruitless expeditions up gullies I eventually found one on the shady side looking towards the sea. So prim and proper like a ballerina posing on one foot with her arm and face stretched upwards. The petals were closed so she was not the ideal photograph.
Looking upwards over the dark overhanging rock I could see a line of five or six plants running up a crack and the highest was temptingly but dangerously in full bloom. A small inconspicuous label bearing the number '10' had been glued to the rock - proof that I had not discovered a new colony of this rare plant.
I carried on with my walk up Glyder Fawr and across to Glyder Fach with a feeling of elation, even telling a couple of passers by about my discovery. It's the sort of challenge or experience that should be on the 'Welsh bucket list', things to be done before you kick the bucket.
As I descended I came across wild goats eking out their existence in difficult conditions but today enjoying a spell of sunbathing. Many of those wonderful plants were within reach of a hungry goat ...... but maybe they don't taste as nice as they look? Huw Jenkins
Are the Arctic alpines on their way out?
ALSO ON BBC.CO.UK:
