Hello and welcome back to the blog for the Chamois Mountaineering Club. In this blog I thought it would be good if we took a tour of our amazing facility the Chamois Mountaineering Centre itself and had a look at the fantastic self catered accommodation it offers in North Wales, Snowdonia. We will be running a series of blogs over the next year looking at the history of the club and the centre itself but first I thought it might be helpful for anyone reading this blog to have a look at the facilities of the centre, where it is, activities nearby and what it offers anyone looking for self catered accommodation in North Wales. The Chamois Mountaineering Centre is owned and run by the Chamois Mountaineering Club and it offers self catering accommodation in Snowdonia, North Wales for groups, university climbing clubs, walking clubs, school groups and any group wishing to have access to the hills of Snowdonia. In fact the centre is only 10 minutes drive from Llanberis and Caernarfon and offers amazing access to the heart of Snowdonia, the Snowdon Mountain Railway, Snowdon itself and all of the other amazing mountains that form Snowdonia. There are 46 beds for hire, all of which are bunk beds and it is ideal for large groups looking for self catered bunkhouse style accommodation in North Wales.

General Description

The Chamois Mountaineering Centre is large and spacious, offering 46 beds for hire in the heart of North Wales. It offers great self catered accommodation in North Wales for groups wishing to get out into the hills and access Snowdonia. The centre is on two levels with beds and washing facilities upstairs and cooking and socialising downstairs. There is a large communal kitchen with mass catering facilities for groups to make communal meals or eat individually. The kitchen has microwaves, gas hobs, ovens, toasters, kettles and a large amount of cutlery and crockery for your usage. The centre also has a spacious dining room where everyone can eat together. Socialising and planning the next days activities takes place in the common room /lounge with a coal fire to keep everyone warm even on the coldest of nights (which as any regular visitor to Snowdonia can attest are very common!).  

Talking of cold nights or even days the centre has central heating which can be quickly fired up to keep the place nice and toasty. WIFI is available and free of charge and there are instructions in the centre as to how to access the WIFI. There is a large free car park outside the centre and coaches can navigate the road up to the centre with care. You will find 3 showers and toilets upstairs and also a toilet/shower downstairs and an excellent drying room to get all your gear dry should the beautiful weather in North Wales let you down and get you wet! Alongside this list of facilities there is a large boot and equipment room where you can store all your gear ready for the hills or whatever activity you are pursuing the next day. If the North Wales weather really does come good then there is a verandah at the rear of the centre with amazing views of Anglesey and the coast and several benches out front to enjoy a drink in the evening sunshine. If you are looking for self catered accommodation in Snowdonia, North Wales the Chamois Mountaineering Centre really is a special place.

The Chamois Mountaineering Centre is located pretty much in the very heart of North Wales and Snowdonia and really couldn’t be more ideally situated for large groups wishing to access the hills, the coast, go mountain biking, canoeing or do virtually anyone of the multitude of activities that North Wales has to offer. The centre is in the small village of Ceunant which is in between the villages of Llanrug and Waunfawr and is approximately 10 minutes drive from Llanberis or Caernarfon. In terms of self catered accommodation in North Wales the Chamois Mountaineering Centre provides great access to all of the areas of North Wales such as Snowdon, Beddgelert, Anglesey and Ogwen to name but a few and all within about 20 minutes driving time.

Facilities in Detail

Having had a look in general detail at the facilities and where the centre is located in North Wales it might now be helpful to examine more closely the facilities that the Chamois Mountaineering Centre offers anyone looking for self-catered accommodation in Snowdonia, North Wales.

Cooking & Dining Facilities:

There is a large and well equipped communal kitchen with gas hobs, ovens, fridges, microwaves and toasters. Boiling water is easily available on tap from a large boiler and also there are several kettles available should this not suffice. The kitchen has its own ceiling suspended heater (for when it is especially cold) to supplement the central heating and a large table for sitting at, chatting, preparing and eating food.

There is a large array of cutlery, crockery and pots and pans of every description to enable you to prepare  pretty much any meal and if you are wishing to all cook together the kitchen has mass catering pots and pans (you need to inform the booking secretary at the time of your wish to use these). Adjoining the kitchen is a spacious and warm dining room where everyone can have meals together. If you are looking for self catered accommodation in North Wales for large groups the Chamois Mountaineering Centre really does have excellent cooking and dining facilities.

Sleeping Arrangements:

All the bedrooms are located on the first floor which is accessed via the stairs in the main entrance hall and the Chamois Mountaineering Centre is able to sleep 46 people. All beds are bunk beds and are in communal dormitories and have comfortable mattresses. Bedrooms are located off a long upstairs corridor and there is quick and easy access to the male and female washrooms and toilets off this corridor.

For those with electronic devices there are USB charging points in the bedrooms and WIFI also reaches each bedroom (strength of signal can vary though). As the centre offers bunkhouse style accommodation you do need to bring your own sleeping bag and pillow case. If you are looking for bunkhouse self-catering accommodation in Snowdonia, close to Llanberis then the centre is ideal.

Washing Facilities:

We understand that after a long day out in the hills of Snowdonia or exploring North Wales you are going to be feeling fatigued and in need of a hot shower. Having a nice warm shower available at the end of a long day exploring the hills of Snowdonia and feeling clean is important to everyone. As such here at the Chamois Mountaineering Centre we have endeavoured to ensure that there are ample washing facilities for everyone staying.

Upstairs and easily accessible off the main corridor there are two bathrooms: a male and female washroom. Each of these bathrooms have a shower and a toilet. The showers are warm and the washrooms are kept clean. Downstairs there is another shower and toilet.

Socialising:

The centre has a large and spacious common room with a fantastic coal fire which can make even the coldest and wettest Welsh weekend feel great. It is well equipped with sofas and even some reading material. The WIFI signal is strong in the lounge meaning that if you want to check emails, look at tomorrow’s route, plan activities or simply watch a film you can.

Drying Room:

As a mountaineering club we understand all too well the importance of having somewhere to dry your boots and wet clothes after a long wet day out in the mountains of Snowdonia. As such we have built a fantastic, spacious drying room at the centre with the specific aim of ensuring that gear is dry for usage the next day. So, no matter how wet or challenging the weather is in North Wales you will always have dry gear to put on the next day.

Boot Room:

Downstairs just off the main hall is a large room where you will be able to deposit and store all of your outdoor gear ready for the next day. As a mountaineering club we understand that at the end of a long day in the hills of Snowdonia much of your gear will be dirty and you probably won’t want to take it up to your bedroom and as such we have created a “boot room” to store all of this gear for easy access the next day.

Decking:

At the rear of the centre for when the North Wales weather turns it on and provides one of those amazing warm evenings that we all dream of when going to Snowdonia we have built a verandah or decking for you to enjoy a drink on. This gives amazing views of Anglesey, Snowdonia, Llanberis, Caernarfon and Bangor. Unfortunately we cannot guarantee that the weather in North Wales will be good enough (although we wish we could!).

Front of Centre:

Outside the centre, at the front is a spacious grass lawn equipped with a bench for socialising and enjoying the views of Anglesey, the Lleyn Peninsula and mountains of Snowdonia. Sunsets from the centre can be truly spectacular and watching the sun set slowly over Anglesey is a memorable experience from the front of the centre with a drink in hand.

Parking:

One of the major issues when booking any self-catering accommodation in North Wales and Snowdonia is the availability of parking spaces. At the Chamois Mountaineering Centre this really is not an issue. There is a large car park at the front of the centre that has space for at least 20 cars and can even accommodate a coach or two. Coaches are able to pass up the road to the centre but will need to be driven with care. So, if you book to stay at the centre then you can guarantee that you won’t be desperately searching around for a parking space!

Access to Snowdonia & Anglesey:

We will be doing a blog about this topic in more detail later but I still think it is worth mentioning one of the key features of the Chamois Mountaineering Centre: easy access to Snowdonia, Anglesey. Llanberis and Snowdon itself. The centre really does have give amazing access to all of the areas and mountains of Snowdonia and from its elevated position it is easy to see where the weather is likely to be best and take advantage of weather windows. The centre offers self-catering bunkhouse style accommodation only ten minutes drive from Llanberis itself and Caernarfon. All of the popular paths up Snowdon can be reached quickly and easily and in fact one can walk up from the back of the centre over Moel Eilio and along a ridge to Snowdon. Mountain ranges such as the Carneddau and Glyders can be seen from the centre and easily accessed within 20 minutes driving. Beddgelert and the Nantlle Valley are not very far and if the weather is inclement in the hills the Lleyn Peninsula and Anglesey are within easy reach.

Okay, I think that is enough for this blog. In the next blog we will have a look at some of the activities and areas that are easily accessed from the centre. To finish: should you be wishing to book large group self-catered accommodation in the heart of North Wales, only 10 minutes drive from Llanberis and with great access to the mountains of Snowdonia and Snowdon itself then look no further!