Text contributed by M-L and Christina; pics various.
This year the destination of our annual IOG Easter trip was four nights in the Plas Gwynant Outdoor Education Centre at the foot of Mt Snowden in Wales. Altogether about 47 members gathered in a beautiful location in various room configurations – quite a feat of organisation by Kate, who worked for weeks to bring it off. As usual, each day offered a range of walks of various lengths and challenge and other activities that ranged from kayaking through horse riding to caving and zip wiring. And each day a team of around 10-12 cooked dinner and then breakfast for everyone else: quite a steep learning curve but (hopefully) mostly fun.
Christina offers a sample of a typical day’s activity in what follows.
A long drive from Ipswich to Snowdonia the day before, and having to feed 47 hungry walkers in the evening, led us to plan our route carefully so not to tire us out on our first walk of the trip. Glen led our little group expertly a short distance along the main road near our accommodation, then through a gate and across a grassy field where we followed a stream, and eventually a woodland path which allowed us a gentle climb to a massive rock overlooking a lake where we stopped for longer to take in the breath-taking scenery.
A big attraction were three mountain goats which were resting further down our rock, at a dangerous and inaccessible spot for well anybody apart from gulls and goats. A solitary canoe glided silently past. The rock proved a perfect spot to enjoy a panoramic view from a heightened perspective and to feel on top of the world. 🌎
We then started our gentle descent back along a brook and across a scenic stone bridge which led to a campsite. Once we had reached the opposite side of the lake and had crossed the main road we were quite surprised to be walking through a dense and dark forest where pine trees stood tall. From there it was not far to the education centre. This gentle circular walk of around six miles offered everything we wanted and probably more.
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