Читать книгу Great Mountain Days in Snowdonia. 40 classic routes exploring Snowdonia онлайн

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ROUTE INFORMATION

Distance12.6km/8 miles; with Yr Aran 14.5km/9 milesHeight gain1070m/3510ft; with Yr Aran 1320m/4330ftTime5–6 hours; with Yr Aran 6–7 hoursGradearduous/strenuousStart pointNational Park car park, Pont Bethania, Nantgwynant SH628507Getting thereNantgwynant; there is a small car park and adjacent toilets next to Pont BethaniaMaps(Harvey Superwalker) Snowdonia and the Moelwynion; (Ordnance Survey) OL17 Snowdon/Yr WyddfaAfter-walk refreshmentCafé near start, along the road to Beddgelert; pubs and cafés in Beddgelert; pubs at Pen y Gwryd, and Pen y Pass

Striding out along the Watkin Path

Tablet, Gladstone Rock

Press on past Plas Cwmllan, and soon reach a huge embedded rock on the left bearing a large stone plaque.

This is Gladstone Rock, commemorating the visit in 1892 of W E Gladstone, then in his 84th year and Prime Minister for the fourth time. Here he addressed the People of Eryri on the topic of Justice in Wales.

The path continues clearly beyond Gladstone Rock, while prominent all around are the remains of the South Snowdon Slate Works, which began operation in 1840, but because of the expense of transporting slates to Porthmadog had to be closed in 1882. The large building on the left is the barracks, where the men slept through the week, returning to their homes only at weekends. Other ruins are dressing sheds and workshops. This wide cwm was used as location for the 1968 film Carry on up the Khyber.