Directions OS Reference SH645557
Follow the Miners Path up to Llyn Llydaw, across the lake causeway to the ruins of the old copper mine. It's fairly easy walking up to here with a good surface, negotiable even for wheelchairs - which might find it a bit of a long slog on the way up, but an easy ride on the way down. It gets steeper and rougher from here on to Llyn Glaslyn and very steep from there to the summit.
Producer Sophie Thomas describes the walk:
"We came prepared for all kinds of weather, and it was just as well because as we looked up towards the top of Snowdon at the beginning of our walk, we were nearly blown off our feet.
Derek had contacted the Weather Centre to make sure that there weren't any rain clouds approaching, so we knew we'd stay dry. So it was a case of zipping everything up as tightly as we could and staying away from any steep slopes or nasty drops.
We started off along the Miners Track from the Visitors Centre at Pen-y-Pass. It's worth remembering to turn up early here, as car parking spaces fill up quickly. Twm mentioned the Sherpa Bus service, which runs a shuttle service between several routes up Snowdon, so that it's possible to walk up one way and down another.
Within metres, Twm's woolly hat had blown off, and he told Derek, the legend relating to the eagles of Snowdonia. The word Snowdonia means The haunt of Eagles. Unfortunately, they no longer fly above the mountains, but the myths about them survive. It was once believed that eagles soaring high in the air heralded victory in battle, while eagles flying low signified defeat.
Their flapping wings were thought to create the fierce storms associated with the area, and it was claimed that Owain Glyndwr had special communion with the eagles, and through them power to create the fierce weather that helped thrwart his enemies.
Derek was hoping that he would see the beautiful and rare Snowdon Lily. This is the only place in Britain where it can be found, and its existence is threatened by global warming. Snowdon lies at the southern limit of many rare alpine plants, and is of particular interest to botanists and naturalists. This time, however, luck was not on his side. Twm explained that you really need to be something of a rock climber to have a realistic chance of finding this lovely flower.
Along the way, Derek and Twm saw large white sacks full of stones which had been airlifted to the mountain side. These will be used to maintain the footpaths of Snowdon. There are major improvements underway, with a brand new café at the summit being planned to replace the dilapidated building of Clough Williams-Ellis which stands there today.
With the wind blowing fiercely, and making recording difficult, it was hard to imagine how tough it must have been working in the Snowdon copper mines of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Twm explained that wooden clogs and homespun wool kept the workers warm, and were as warm and effective as today's modern, synthetic outdoor gear.
We paused for a while to enjoy the spectacular view of Llyn Llydaw, and Craig Lliwedd, the legendary resting place of King Arthur. Apparently, his soldiers are still there hiding in a secret cave waiting for King Arthur to come back to life. Their secret den is protected by a bell, which has already caught out a couple of intruders.
After a brief rest here, we turned back to head back down to the Visitor Centre. There were plenty of sheep observing our movements, and a word of warning came from Twm. If you come with a picnic take care that it doesn't end up in the stomach of one of our woolly friends - they'll certainly be watching you tuck in!"
(This walk was part of the original Radio Wales Weatherman Walking programme, from Series 2 in 2003)
