This was my first day's work
for RAW Adventures.
I spent the preceding night
at the Llwyn Celyn Bach campsite in Llanberis, just up the hill from the YHA
youth hostel. Pete’s Eats did not open early enough for me to have breakfast
then get to the leaders’ briefing, but fortunately the briefing was at the
Victoria Hotel, so I had a vegetarian fry-up there, instead.
So we started from the hotel,
a group of fifty-three walkers and a good number of Mountain Leaders, eight, I
think; I took up position at the back as we headed along the verdant
fragrant woodland path to the Pen-y-Ceunant Isaf café.
By the time we had moved
beyond the café it was obvious that the last person, the one at back of the
group, was going very much slower than everybody else, so I was assigned to
look after her on my own while the other leaders looked after the other
fifty-two participants – fortunately we were able to stay in radio contact for
the whole trip.By the time she and I had reached the start of the
Llanberis Path, the others were clean out of sight.
I have seldom seen such
self-discipline and determination. Although it was really hard going for her,
she managed to find a sustainable pace, and by sheer grit and willpower she
made it all the way to the ridge at Clogwyn, and was rewarded with fine views of
the Vale of Llanberis, though not of the summit, which was shrouded in hill
fog. The railway bridge at Clogwyn is at about 779m, and the
Victoria Hotel is at 130m, so that makes for about 649m of ascent, and of
course, descent afterwards.
By then, the others had
reached the summit and were about to start down, so it was time for us to turn
round, too, so that we would all arrive together for the post-walk
celebrations. The descent from Clogwyn is difficult underfoot, especially for
the first 100m or so travelled, so we took that very slowly and carefully, then
sped up towards Halfway House, where the fastest of the other participants
overtook us.
Further down, I took another
participant under my wing, someone whose knees were locking up painfully, but only
as she walked downhill – the locking up disappeared immediately when she was
walking in the level or uphill. I recognised this condition immediately: it is
to do with having flat feet and the secondary effects of that on otherwise
healthy knees, and I will write about it separately in a few days.
In the end, everybody arrived
pretty much at the same time, and there was a good celebration afterwards.
Well to done all the
participants, especially to the two that I looked after.
