Outdoor pursuits
With a great coastline and miles of mountains, rivers and valleys, we're truly spoilt for choice when it comes to exercising and exploring in the great outdoors. This selection of websites should help you on your way.
Plas y Brenin
http://www.pyb.co.uk/
Probably the best known outdoor activities centre in Wales, Plas y Brenin at Capel Curig is the National Mountain Centre. It has a first-class reputation and excellent facilites, including a dry ski slope, climbing walls and a canoe pool, as well Snowdonia's natural assets right on its doorstep.The site gives full details of courses in hillwalking, climbing, mountaineering, kayaking, canoeing, ski touring, first aid, team building and multi-activities for all ages and levels.
Ramblers Wales
http://www.ramblers.org.uk/wales/
This is the Wales section of the Ramblers Association website and the gateway to masses of useful information, including details of local ramblers groups you can join for regular walks.
The British Mountaineering Council
http://www.thebmc.co.uk/
From the national body representing climbers and mountaineers, this website covers everything from climbing walls and competitions, to the latest news from around the world and a section for young climbers. There are details of clubs and huts, a crag access database, equipment reports and lists of events and publications. Plenty for even the most serious climber.
UK Climbing
http://www.ukclimbing.com/
An excellent resource for serious rock climbers, with a searchable guide to crags and climbing walls, messageboards on a range of topics, listings for books, shops, guides, equipment and centres, and a place to swap and sell or arrange lifts and meetings. With all this, who needs to actually go outside?
Carneddau
http://members.lycos.co.uk/Carneddau/
Teacher Keith Jones of Rhyl shares with you his love of the Carneddau mountain range in northern Snowdonia. There are detailed routes for walkers, plus photographs and useful contacts.
Megalithic Walks
http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/celynog/
Combine an interest in ancient monuments with walking, through this fascinating website which describes routes visiting a wealth of megalithic sites all over Britain. There are plenty to choose from in North West Wales, all illustrated with photographs of the cromlechs, burial chambers and stone circles.
Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team
http://www.ogwen-rescue.org.uk/
We hope you never need them, but you might be interested to find out more about this vital voluntary organisation and, if you're hard enough, how to join them. There's a map and photos of the area and a link to the support group that raises funds for the team. There's also a webcam now, which points up the Ogwen Valley from Bethesda.
Llanberis Mountain Rescue Team
http://www.llanberismountainrescue.co.uk
A nice-looking site that's well laid-out and includes excellent mountain safety advice, a view of the RAF rescue helicopter you never want to see and, just to make you think hard before venturing onto the hills, a catalogue of incidents the team have attended.
Barmouth Walking Festival
http://www.barmouthwalkingfestival.co.uk
The annual September festival offers a programme of guided walks of varying lengths and difficulty. This very clear site gives you all the information you need, including walk details, cost, online booking and how to find accommodation.
Suggested by David Clay, Barmouth.
Wales 1000 Things
http://wales1000things.com/
This site encourages you, the internet surfer, to send in your pictures, films and thoughts on your travels in Wales - including great places to cycle, fish, walking, watersports and generally having outdoor adventures.
Bryn Halliwell
South Snowdonia Search and Rescue
www.southsnowdonia-mountain-rescue.org.uk
The home page of this easy-on-the-eye website takes you through to just half a dozen pages of straightforward information on the volunteers who do mountain, wilderness and urban search and rescue from their Trawsfynydd base. All you need to know in a simple and attractive format.
Suggested by David Griffiths, Blaenau Ffestiniog
High Trek Snowdonia
http://www.hightrek.co.uk/
Want to know how to build an emergency snow shelter, take good mountain photographs, walk up Snowdon or test how many Welsh peaks you can recognise? Then this is the site for you. There's also a brief introduction to Welsh language and culture, some great pictures, snow reports (when appropriate) and lots more to interest the walker, climber or scrambler.
Suggested by Ian Whitehead
Carneddau Triathlon Club
http://www.carneddautriathlon.com/default.aspx
A triathlon is a race in which you swim, bike and run against the clock - the winner is the quickest in all three sections. This excellent website, featuring race info and pictures of local fans, explains all.
Suggested by Simon Roxburgh.
More Outdoor Pursuits websites. Cycling now has its own web guide.
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