Bucket List

We are staying with family in North Shropshire, and Snowdonia in North Wales is an easy 1.5 hour drive up the A5 for us. In 1969, my Maths Teacher, (future brother in law), his sister, a few teenagers including myself, spent a week youth hostelling and hiking around Snowdonia with him leading us. Over that week, we climbed a few mountains and hiked on lots of trails that were all very new to us. Just to note that in Welsh, Llyn is a Lake, whether big or small it seems, whereas in England, one gets Lakes, Meres, Tarns and let’s not get started on the Lochs of Scotland!!

Heading up over a very solid bridge, not “rickety rackerty” this one
Never far from a waterfall in Snowdonia
Clouds covering the tops
Broody Llyn Idwal, a Cwm, left behind as the glacier retreated

Its now the last week of July 2025, we are retracing one of these old hiking trails to the Idwal Slabs by Llyn Idwal. It’s a bit of a bucket list item, as Sue and I have not been back here together since summer 1969, when a bit of scratching on some rocks demonstrated that we were “together”!!. So we are back, 51 years of marriage later to hike the trail and to check out for the “rock scratching”!! The mountains have not changed, they are still spellbinding, moody, and beautiful.

Slate columns point to the mountains ahead
Looking down on Llyn Igarn from the Slabs
Looking across former marshland that we remember as the Llyn Idwal of 1969, it seems to have shrunk, or is that just lack of rain this year, many of the reservoirs we have seen across the UK, look very low

In 1969, we hiked to the top of a few of the Snowdonia mountains, Moel Siabod, Tryfan, Ygarn, Glydr Fach and Glydr Fawr, and the route up Ygarn took us past the rock climbing site called Idwal Slabs. So, now, in July 2025, on a spur of the moment decision and with a day of fine weather, towe drive up to Snowdonia, park by Llyn Ogwen and set off to hike up to the Llyn Idwal Slabs. Back in 1969, it was a tricky path through rocky/marshy terrain but today, with the huge number of visiting walkers and hikers, the paths have been renovated and replaced with brilliant stone slabs for easy walking.

Pavement of Welsh stone slabs
Looking north to the coast and blue sky
A splash of colour
Devils Kitchen narrow defile on the path up to Ygarn
Great walking track and lake view

The walk for us up to the Idwal Slabs was circular and about 5km as a loop, with lunch by the Slabs. It’s an easy walk and lots of families with quite young children up there, ending up at a small stony beach by Llyn Idwal for the compulsory stone skimming competition. Up in the mountains, shrouded in mist as we arrive, we can see groups of orange suited hikers heading up and down, picking their way on the mountain trail.

Climbers up on the Slabs
Family preparing to climb
Idwal Slab
Llyn Idwal selfie from the Slabs

We spent sometime scouring the Slabs for evidence of our 1969 scratching, but to no avail, weathering has taken over! The Slabs are a popular rock climbing spot with “easy climbs”. We saw a group part way up and a young family, Dad, young teenager and say an 8 year old, preparing to climb – very impressive gear and preparation. Post lunch we head around the Llyn and back to our starting point car park.

Tryfan as seen from our path up to Idwal
Tryfan from a car park by the A5

On our way back down the A5, heading for Capel Curig, we stop briefly to photograph Tryfan, which is an amazingly distinctive and photogenic peak – best viewed in winter when clad in snow and ice – and for our trip in 2026, it already is beckoning!!