Cwm Clogwyn, Llanberis, Gwynedd, Wales

If you want to see how it is that a narrow gauge rack and pinion railway got built up the side of Snowdon, then use the Llanberis Path for part of your walk. Mind you, things do look interesting near the top because of steeper gradients and views over the likes of the Glyderau. When you get away from that, the walking is gentler and the surroundings less dramatic. If that kind of drama is your thing, there are plenty of alternatives to this way up and down Yr Wyddfa.

Even with gentler slopes, rock faces remain on show as this scene with Cwm Clogwyn should show. In fact, more observant viewers might spot a path swinging around just above the walls of the cwm. What's more obvious is a protruding peak and I reckon that to be Yr Wyddfa itself. As wild as this looks, the railway line is never far away and I wonder those who use it lose by letting time be dictated by someone else's timetable rather than your own. Summits are so much sweeter when you get all of the there under your own power and back down again in the same fashion. Speaking of the latter, the Llanberis fulfilled its role of landing back me in Llanberis in plenty of time to catch the bus that started me on my journey home after a good summertime hike surrounded by many who were less prepared for it than me.