‘Behind the scenes’ of the adventure
10 adventure ideas
We often see a photo and create a vivid representation of what it would be like to be there in that moment, there is always a story behind the photo. In this blog I aim to share some ‘behind the scenes’ to the photos of adventures that I have been on, in the hope to inspire you to visit some of these places too.
Cnicht
Picture this, it’s been lockdown for what feels like an eternity, you’ve been restricted to the five miles radius from home, which includes your local hill, but you have a yearning for the wide open spaces of the mountains. Then, freedom is granted, the mountains have snow and the weather report predicts clear skies. Heaven.
On an unusually snowy day in April, a friend and I walked up to the summit of Cnicht which is the 5th highest peak in the Moelwynion Range in Snowdonia. Cnicht, which translates to ‘knight’ in English, is also known as the Welsh Matterhorn due to its pointy shape when seen from certain angles. This photo wasn’t particularly staged but it totally captured how I was feeling in that moment. I was grateful to be back in the place that makes me feel happy and free, and inwardly promised never to take the mountains for granted again.
2. Yr Wyddfa, Snowdonia National Park
As I set off up the Llanberis path on my Ebike (electric bike - don’t let that fool you, it still requires effort and weighs approx 25 kg which I had to push some of the way!), I questioned why I had agreed to doing this whilst enjoying a few drinks the previous evening.
Could I really cycle to the highest point in Wales?!
Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) is such a popular mountain that there is a ‘Voluntary Cycle Agreement’ which involves cyclists agreeing not to exercise their legal right to ride the three bridleways to the summit between 10am and 5pm from May to the end of September.
To avoid this, Rob and I slogged it up in March with the cold air biting at our noses and snow covering the summit. The way up was filled with huffing and puffing, me cursing Rob but also so many people cheering us on with lovely words of encouragement. The clouds parted briefly for our arrival on the summit and I enjoyed a sausage roll whilst queuing for the all-important ‘summit selfie’.
The descent was epic, down the rocky Rangers Path, with confused walkers watching us whizz by. The final stretch through Telegraph Valley was fast and flowy, all the way back to Llanberis for a well deserved pint.
3. Death Valley National Park, California
With a love of capturing photos on my travels, when I have a trip planned I turn into a research queen. I love to seek out all the best spots, particularly for sunrise or sunset. Planning our American road trip was no exception, and with only one day to explore Death Valley National Park we had to ensure we crammed in all the best bits.
Our day had started at 5am as we made our way into the National Park and headed to Zabriskie Point, a popular destination for an early morning light show. It was a short walk from the car and there were plenty of others that had made the voyage to this well-known destination, including lots of photographers with their tripods and fancy equipment. All I had was my trusty, beat up Fujifilm that had been with me on so many adventures. What it lacked in spec, it made up for with memories.
As the sun came up, the crowd sat in silence, all in awe of the sunlight slowly moving over the strange shaped, coloured rock formations. It was my first glimpse of Death Valley and I could not wait to see what else it had in store for us.
4. Lac Blanc, Chamonix
We hadn’t planned to go to France. It was 2021 and travel restrictions were playing havoc with our plans and we had finally settled on the safe bet of Scotland. However, the week before we were due to leave (with our insect repellent already packed!) France and the UK announced the easing of restrictions and with that we decided to cross the channel in our campervan with very little planning.
After an intense few days of downhill mountain biking, we headed to Chamonix. On arrival, we hiked up to Lac Blanc which really should be a bucket list hike for anyone visiting the French Alps. An eight-mile round trip with superb alpine scenery and views over to the impressive Mont Blanc Massif on a clear day. We set off in heavy fog which thankfully cleared, and we were able to sit in awe by the water’s edge and take in the breath-taking view.
I was desperate to see an Ibex. I had made it up to the lake without seeing any up close, just mere moving dots in an immense landscape. On the way down, however, they were everywhere! We even got to see two go head to head in a battle of the horns which was just brilliant to witness. In my excitement, I missed the photo opportunity but stored the experience in my memory bank.
5. Stwlan Dam, Snowdonia National Park
Llyn Stwlan is a mountain reservoir at an elevation of 510m, nestled right on the edge of the Snowdonia National Park. Stwlan Dam and the reservoir are situated at the foot of Moelwyn Mawr and Moelwyn Bach, the mountains protectively surrounding the glistening water.
The tarmac road up the dam, which is closed to vehicles, is two miles long and has six hairpin bends. Prior to taking this photo I had cycled up this on my road bike and held on for dear life on the white-knuckle ride down!
On this day, a friend and I had done some bog dodging and following the end of our noses to try and get a view of the dam from high up. This is one of my favourite photos. I love the angle, the colours and seeing the twists and turns of the roads that I had previously cycled up. This is an absolute must if in this area of Snowdonia.
6. Zermatt, Switzerland
Visiting Zermatt, Switzerland was definitely a highlight on our six-week European road trip in our campervan. My partner and I had managed to mix work with pleasure, travelling from place to place with my laptop and Rob doing a few race weekends in between. We had two days to explore the picturesque village of Zermatt, which lies at the base of the mighty Matterhorn, meaning we had to cram in as much as possible. We visited Glacier Paradise, from here thirty-eight 4000m summits can be seen, as well as fourteen glaciers. We walked the five lake trail, a six mile loop taking in beautiful lakes with the Matterhorn always lurking in the distance.
My personal favourite, however, was the Gornergrat railway, the first fully electrified cog railway. This photo was taken just a few minutes’ walk from the busy station whilst waiting for the next train. I could have sat there for hours soaking up the sun staring at the majestic Matterhorn in the distance.
7. Tre Cime Di Laverado, The Dolomites, Italy
The Dolomites had been high up on my list of places to visit for as long as I could remember. On our European road trip, this dream was finally realised. We had such a short time to explore but I knew I had to see the famous Tre Cime di Laveredo. We walked a 10km loop round these mesmerising peaks to see them from every angle, the photos we took do not show how epic these ‘natural three peaks’ are. My partner had scrambled up this rock and I snapped away on my camera, he looks so tiny compared to the towering rocks behind him!
There is a (very expensive!) paid private road that is used to access the area, which includes parking right at the base of the peaks, overnight if you wish. We had mainly used free allocated parking spaces on our trip up until this point and my eyes watered at the cost. That said, I would 100% recommend it. It meant we had the most beautiful sunrise from our home on wheels the next morning and were able to walk to the Cadini di Misurina viewpoint, another bucket list location in the Dolomites.
8. Abersoch, Wales
If you are looking for something new to try that gets your heart rate going, coasteering is the one! I hadn’t actually anticipated that I would be jumping off a 25 ft cliff edge into the sea in all honesty. I had imagined some gentle scrambling across rocks and splashing about in the sea…boy was I wrong!
When we made it to the biggest jump of the day, I peaked over the edge and my knees started to shake and my vision went a little blurry. Every fibre of my body screamed at me to come back from the edge, get down and swim round to safety. However, I really wanted to do it! The voices screamed in my head to return to safety, but I managed to get a hold of them and launch myself into the air. My friends whooped and cheered before I was plunged into the refreshing water. I had done it!! “You better have got that on camera” I screamed at the coasteering guide!
9. Black Moss Pot, Lake District
This is one of the most memorable swim experiences that I have had to date…for all the wrong reasons. It was the end of February and a friend and I were in the Lake District for a weekend of adventures. We had walked up the gorgeous Langstrath Valley to find a swim spot that we had seen on instagram plenty of times. It was freezing cold but we had packed our stoves to enjoy a hot chocolate after our swim and our winter down jackets would keep us toasty.
After putting on our swimsuits, we ventured down the rocks towards the water. There didn’t seem to be anywhere easy to get in but I perched on the edge allowing my lower legs to get used to the freezing water. I could see what looked like a ledge below, slowly lowering my foot towards it. My friend, still standing on the side, shivering from the cold air, waited to see the route I took in.
It turned out to be the most direct route as there was no ledge and suddenly I was neck deep in freezing cold water unable to touch the bottom. I took a huge gasp of air and could feel my body panic, I slowed my breathing and continued to move, my friend standing in complete shock on the rocks. “I wouldn’t get in that way” I gasped. I would consider myself fairly experienced with cold water swimming but this was like nothing I had ever felt. My friend started to make her way round to an easier section to get in when I realised I definitely could not wait for her. “I’m not staying in here, take a photo, quick!” She quickly made her way back to the camera and frantically snapped away until I hauled myself out of the water.
Needless to say, she decided not to get in after seeing my skin turn as red as my costume. However, she did have the hot chocolate ready for me by the time I had got my warm clothes on.
10. Dinorwig Quarry, Snowdonia National Park
Dinorwig Quarry stretches high above the busy village of Llanberis, steeped in local history of the mining industry. It is the second largest slate quarry in Wales and was awarded with UNESCO World Heritage status in 2018.
We had started in Llanberis, snaking up the slate lined paths exploring all the different buildings and enjoying the views of Yr Wyddfa in the distance.
This photo shows the ruins of the Anglesey barracks, where the quarrymen used to stay. Some of the men who resided in these two rows of eleven cottages were from Anglesey, and some travelled from other communities in Gwynedd travelling home at the weekends.
To get this shot, I clambered up a wet, slippery bank with my camera, clinging onto the mossy tree to get the angle I was after. The green of the moss on the trees, the shiny slate and the misty clouds add to the eerie atmosphere. Dinorwig Quarry offers a great day for some historical exploration.
Finding places to go on adventures can often feel like a chore or time consuming, however this is something that I love to do. In The BeWild Membership I have created a supply of places to visit so you don’t have to do the research. From wild swimming spots to low level walks- we have it all and it is added to regularly. Join the waitlist for the membership now and receive a reduction in the cost when the doors open.