Snowdon in the background lay beneath a thick blanket of clouds all day as we climbed up one side of Glyder Fach from a path just behind the Pen-Y-Gwrhyd Hotel. Rocky outcrops and wet grassy areas between made for slightly sketchy hiking at times but we managed it ok, you just had to be extra careful where you trod. These mountains turn out to be quite different to those I’m used to in the Alps; albeit less in size (Snowdon’s 1km to Mt Blanc’s ~4.8km) when it rains most of that water runs off over there but here it trickles through the peat beneath and slowly accumulates into streams, waterfalls and rivers. I was certainly different reaching the top to find grass under-foot rather than just rocks! Despite their apparent lack of size the landscape is no less impressive and a day’s hiking can be a serious undertaking, more than just hills they do require careful attention, and appropriate care in changeable conditions, as with any high altitude location…that said they are extremely accessible and its easy to see how you’ve become so popular to the many…and their dogs!