I am in spain

Walked into a vodafone shop  with me carefully worded request for an  unlimted data sim..and the bloke spoje beautiful english.

So I am here in ìrun about to find the hostel.

Thank you Mr Fletcher and Mr Whitehead

My schoolboy french got me out of the airport at Biarritz, onto the correct bus, down to the railway station, purchased my ticket to Hendaye. The train..a TGV... has just left and I am really pleased that I got on the correct one. The plane only landed 35mins ago. My flight over was with Ryanair...all blue and yellow like St Matt's school. 2 hrs from Stanstead. ..I'm quite pleased so far.

A break in transmission

I'll use my Spot device on Facebook for the next couple of days until I have got data sorted in Spain. 
Flying from Stanstead to Biarritz and then bus to where I am  staying tonight..Irun.

The Camino starts in the morning.

The nerves are there.

Last night in Brighton

All packed ready to go.  Just getting some dinner and found this great place that gives you a free pizza.

That's great..one for dinner and one for eating on the plane tomorrow.

Heading up to london early tomorrow to be ready to catch the plane to Biarritz at lunchtime.

Everest Day

Today is 60 years since Everest was conquered by the team including two kiwis.

I have gathered some resources and added some of my own photos from Snowdonia.

I have included photos of Tenzing, Hillary  and Lowe, some links and photos of some of their training walls in Snowdonia.

Old film footage
History info
New way to get off Everest

The nerves are growing

Back in Brighton now...and just sorting out some of my final details  before leaving England. 

I head to Spain on the Dad's birthday 31st may and then the Camino starts proper.
I am very nervous about it.

I have replacement shopping to do, gear to post home, gear to leave here in Brighton for after the Camino, spanish and basque phrases to continue to learn. ..hopefully enough to keep my mind busy.

It's about 15 degrees already and the beach is beautiful.
I need to plan a walk later..the joints need to remember they  have big distances each day.

London is crazy!

I left Betws y Coed 5 hours ago. I have got 20 mins before I catch the train to Brighton. .it is so nice to stop on a seat that is not moving.
There was a beautiful English sheepdog in the train by me from Chester. .as well as a child who had watched too much apprentice on tv.
He wasn't getting what he wanted and he said very confidently for a 4 or 5 yr old..Daddy..you're fired!

Betws-y-Coed

As i write this i am staring  out the window while eating dinner. The view is outstanding looking towards Grib Goch with rain cloud hovering just above the saddle. Even  though it is pouring with rain it is just so beautiful here.
The hills valleys and streams are full of memories and stories yet to be told.

Today was full of heavy rain so I spent the day in Betws y Coed down in the valley. I had some gear to replace and this town has a number of good outdoor stores, as well as an outdoor expo on. I had a great time looking at about 100 tents they had set up.
My jersey that I have with me is not windproof at all and it has been tricky getting the right warmth layers with it..it can be a warm walking day with a cool wind...but too hot with the raincoat over the top.
I found a replacement in a sale that I  will test over the next few days.
My dad's old rainbird 'pack up in a pocket' overtrous leaked brilliantly on Hadrian's Wall and I was waiting for the right deal to replace them.
I spoke to someone over the last couple of days about the camino and they talked about the ticks. We met these in Italy but I had forgotten about them. So I got a tick remover to add to my 1st aid kit
My kit needs replenishing in Brighton. ..it has been well used..by others! I hpave used 2 plasters but I treated a few ailments with others during my time here in UK. The worst was a bad sprain last night and this morning.  Time to stock up.

I head to Brighton tomorrow leaving from Betws y Coed at midday. .gets into Brighton about 7 at night.

This is one of the two best days this weekend!

What a great day! Whoo..say no more.

David (irish guy) dropped me off at Gwern Gof Uchaf..a small camping ground. .and off I went.
Tryfan was hard to miss and I was able to plan my route  from a distance while on the approach track . 
Because I was climbing by myself it was going to be a cautious day, so I choose a steep but less scramblely route.
My phone buzzed into action after about 2km and I stopped for a break after a tough climb through a cleft. Checking my phone showed some messages from the  girls so I vibered them....and spoke to them both as they were walking home from dinner. It was so good to talk to them, but bizarre from my location.

Then the slog up from there. It took another 2km to reach the top ...a mixture of large rock scrambling and steep loose rock trail. The summit was packed with people. At the summit are 2 large blocks about 3m taller, located side by side 1.5m apart. Both are near the edge but one is the edge...too close for this kiwi today. If you leap from one to the other you gain the freedom of the mountain. Rick and I did back in 1990. I found a very quiet and sunny spot behind Adam n Eve and it was a great  place to eat lunch. Overlooking the valley was beautiful but even that was too close to the edge for me, again feeling cautious by myself.

After lunch there was a good scramble down up and down to the pass by Glyder Fach. As I debated the Bristlely Ridge route a rescue helicopter hovered above it...I decided to take the more gentle route to the saddle.
A great choice...plenty of scramble. .plenty of rock to ohh and ahh about..and then finally on to the top by Glyder Fach. 
The top was amazing. .a broad open bog filled plain about1km across. I got to the edge and then picked a bearing to the hostel and headed down..and down and down. Rocks bog and knee high heather..a real bash.
The river and Lake made useful landmarks for me.

This last haul up the hill brought to above the hostel and back into bedlam. Same as yesterday. .loads of buses.
A group of us spent 2 cold but pleasant hours sitting on the rocks above it all just people watching.

I thought it would be a 12km trip but I was out by 1.75..so the day was a respectable 13.75km.

Last time I forget the sun screen though..caught a few rays today.

Viber rulz

Just stopped for a break fron the climb and viber called the girls who were together in Auckland. Makes e feel so close and also so far away at the same time.

There are many people on this mountain!

Onwards and upwards...

What to do tomorrow?

I'm sitting on a rock getting the last of the sun. It's 2010 in the evening and it has been a very good day. I counted 17 full size buses...1 double decker bus and 15 3/4 sized buses arriving to take people of the mountain. Not to mention so many cyclists. It is now quiet as the sun starts to sink lower.

Tomorrow I think I will get a ride or bus to Tryfan and walk over Tryfan and the Glyders back to the hostel. It should be about 10kms and with less climb.

Tryfan is a mountain I loved back in 1990 so it will be nice to climb it again. It won't be lonely there..there are thousands in this park walking!

Best day ever...well since yesterday

What a great day...weather was delightful. .climbs were fantastic. ..company was so good.

It was a 15.8km day with a lot of climbing. You can see from the green graph how thst worked out... but I went from 359m to 569m on a nice path and then climbed to 923m up rock faces..brilliant.  then some contouring over vast loose rocks to 993m and joined the masses to 1085m at Snowdon's summit. It was down to 744m to a pass then up again to 898m. Down to 446m by the lakes and the last 2km dropped me back to the start of 359m.

Some of the ridges were quite treacherous. .only about 50cm wide made of eroded  rock.

It took me 7.5 hrs to do this trip and it is called the Snowdon horseshoe. The cold drink back at the hostel was AMAZING.

Snowdonia at last

What a day yesterday turned out to be. Train was stopped near Flint because if a large factory fire next to the railway line. After about an hour we went back to Chester and about 600 people had to be bussed to Rhyl. I gathered a couple of others and we got a taxi...we needed to catch the train from  Rhyl and they were not quick at getting the coaches.  We made it to the train just..the buses didn't. Our taxi had 2 irish blokes..2 english girls and a kiwi. It was very funny.
When I eventually got to Caernarfon the bus drivers put me crook...I think they thought I was English.  Finally got to the hostel at pen y pass. It will be a great base for the next three days.

Snowed on Snowdon

(Say the title quickly)
It snowed overnight up here. Dodgy data access so a quuck update...all safe and well having lunch on top of Snowdon.

Huge fire stops my train

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/local-news/north-wales-live-news-sport-4010439

http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/mainetti-fire-gas-explosions-heard-4011535

Watch out Wales...

The mountainous region of UK that is...not the royal family...

I walked out of Tewkesbury this morning at 0720. .half an hour brisk walk to the station at Ashchurch.
I purchased my tickets on board with my card..cheaper than I was expecting.

We have just pulled into Bromsgrove.

My plan today is to head to Pen y Pass in Snowdonia. There is a youth hostel there right beside Mt Snowdon.

To get there I am traveling to Birmingham, Crewe, Chester, Bangor, Llandudno, Betws y Coed and finally Pen y Pass.

After 3 days without carrying my pack I found it heavy and the walk was fast...so I am definitely dumping a lot before Spain. All the guides suggest  8 to 10 kgs..my total is 23kg at the moment. .including all the paperwork from my course and the Camino guides. Thankfully I can leave it at David's place while in Spain.

Just pulling into Birmingham. .time save..back soon.

Found a slightly more scenic train..leaving earlier..I'll My track it so I know where I have been.

Olympic torch ... really

Steve was one of the Olympic torch bearers and I got to hold it.

It has been lovely staying with Jane and Steve.