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North Wales

The time of day, the brightness of the sun, shadow and hues and air temperature all impact how we feel and influence our perspective on place.

Hiking a mountain, walking a beach or cycling a canal tow path is an enriched experience when undertaken at dawn or dusk when the light is low.



Mount Snowdon

Mount Snowdon in north Wales is 1085m high and on a clear day one can see across the Irish Sea and to the Isle of Man. We set off when it was just light enough to see the path, about an hour before the sun rose. It was a perfectly clear autumn day. The colours in the sky enhanced by jet streams combined with the mountain hues and their reflection on the lakes were beautiful. Our experience was significantly enhanced by the time of day.

The miners track is the old route taken by the miners.  Along the lake edge is the old workings and some old stone building ruins. We hiked this route in and along the higher Pyg track back down. We beat the cog railway to the top hiking the mountain in 2 ½ hours.  A perfect warm autumn day with little breeze and a rewarding view.


Barmouth

The Welsh north west coast is largely sandy. Its sand is similar in colour and texture to Australia’s beaches.  Like Australia the beaches are walked and fished from dawn to dusk.  The ocean beach at Barmouth has a series of timber groins to retain the sand. With a tide in excess of 5m, the water moves swiftly on both the ebb and flow, patterning the sand.

In the late afternoon we shared a pint or two in a beer garden overlooking the beach. As the sun set, the light softened and shadows lengthened.
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