Hello and welcome back to the blog for the Chamois Mountaineering Club. As anyone reading this blog will be aware we have a fantastic and very large centre in the heart of North Wales (about 10 mins from Llanberis) that we hire out to a variety of groups looking for self-catered accommodation with access to the hills and mountains of Snowdonia. As the centre is used by a wide range of groups looking to access Snowdonia, North Wales and the Llanberis area I thought that over the next few blogs we could look at how the centre is suitable for a variety of groups and the options that it offers specifically to each of these varied groups. In this blog I thought that we could start with looking at how our amazing facility the Chamois Mountaineering Centre which is located in the centre of Snowdonia is ideal for walking groups looking for self-catered accommodation in North Wales with easy access to the mountains and Snowdon itself.
Before looking specifically at why the centre offers ideal accommodation for walking groups I think we need first to cover some details about the centre itself, where it is located and the general facilities on offer for groups wanting to book self-catered 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 only 10 minutes drive from Llanberis and the start of many paths up Snowdon itself. 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 a walking group 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.
For more information about the facilities on offer please have a read of our blog here.
So, having had a good look at the facilities that the Chamois Mountaineering Centre has to offer I think we need now to look at how these facilities, the location, activities nearby and ease of booking all help make the centre ideal for walking groups looking to book self-catered accommodation in North Wales.
Location:
The centre really could not be more ideally located for walking in Snowdonia and the mountains of North Wales and for walking groups it provides easy access to all of the main walking areas and peaks in North Wales. The centre is located in the small hamlet of Ceunant which is between the villages of Waunfawr and Llanrug. It is situated high on the north westerly slopes of the Snowdon massif and has great views of Anglesey, Snowdon, Ogwen and the Lleyn Peninsula and as such it is easy to see where the best weather currently is and make your plans for the days activities accordingly.
A short ten minute drive takes you easily to Llanberis and the start of the railway path up Snowdon which is an amazing way to get to the top and you can even have a brew part way up at Half-Way House. Should you not be feeling up to the walk itself you can always get on the train! The centre is close to all of the starts of the walking paths up Snowdon such as the Snowdon Ranger, Rhyd Ddu, the Watkin Path and also the Pyg Track and Miner’s Track. If you don’t want to drive but still want to get up Snowdon and don’t mind a challenging walk it is possible (many of our club members have done this) to walk over to Snowdon from the centre itself via Moel Eilio.
If you wish to avoid the Llanberis Pass area it is only a bit further to the beautiful Ogwen Valley and the amazing mountains of the Carneddau, Tryfan, the Glyders and Y Garn. Cwm Idwal is a particular favourite area of mine with the beautiful Llyn Idwal, the atmospheric Devil’s Kitchen and for the more adventurous: climbing on the Idwal Slabs. Driving a little bit further from the centre will enable any walking group to access the beautiful and historic village of Beddgelert and the grave of Gelert. There are several low level walks in this area that can be accessed and are ideal when the weather is not as good as you had hoped. Betws y Coed and the great mountain of Moel Siabod can also be reached easily if wished. The centre is also extremely close to the famous Welsh slate mines of Dinorwig where you can explore the abandoned mines and see what is now a World Heritage Site and if you fancy you can continue up to the summit of Elidir Fawr.
Should your walking group fancy a beach or coastal walk the centre is within an easy drive of Anglesey, the Lleyn Peninsula and the historic towns of Caernarfon and Bangor. Overall the centre is a fantastic base for exploring the whole of Snowdonia
Activities Nearby
Next I think it might be good to take a in-depth look at all of the activities that are within striking distance of the Chamois Mountaineering Centre and that any walking group visiting the area might be interested in doing.
Walking
Well, rather obviously there is an abundance of walking in the Snowdonia and North Wales area (in fact I would suspect there is more than one lifetime to go at) and so it is outside of the scope of this article to detail all of the walks in North Wales. In fact, there are many books and guidebooks on this exact topic. Instead, I thought it might be helpful instead just to highlight a couple of the main areas in Snowdonia that are within easy striking distance of the centre and should be on the hit list of any walking group visiting Snowdonia and North Wales:
Snowdon and the Llanberis Pass Area
For most walkers the Llanberis Pass are and Snowdon itself are the iconic sites of North Wales and really are a must visit and see place. The scenery is simply stunning and no matter how many times you visit the “Pass” it never gets old. Snowdon itself is an incredible mountain with a large number of ways up it, many of which are easily accessible from the Llanberis Pass area. Possibly the most well travelled and well known is the Pyg Track which starts from the top of the Llanberis Pass and takes an awesomely scenic route past the bottom of Crib Goch and then up to a junction with the railway and then onto the top of Snowdon. Slightly further but equally as amazing is the Miner’s Track which also starts from the top of the Llanberis Pass but takes a lower path past some beautiful lakes before a steep rise to join the Pyg Track. Nowadays it is extremely difficult (not to say expensive!) to park at the top of the “Pass” and so most people will use the excellent park and ride scheme from Nant Peris which has the added benefit of bus ride up to the top of the Llanberis Pass whilst taking in the views. For the fitter and more adventurous there are many scrambles and longer walks starting from the “Pass” but probably none more iconic and spectacular than the Snowdon Horseshoe which traverses Crib Goch, Garnedd Ugain (better known as Crib-y-Ddysgl), Snowdon and Y Lliwedd.
Ogwen and The Carneddau
If Snowdon and the Llanberis Pass are the most iconic parts of Snowdonia then Ogwen and the Carneddau are only very slightly in second place in terms of spectacular scenery For the more adventurous walker looking for challenging scrambles or long days out away from the crowds Ogwen and the Carneddau are truly unmatched in Snowdonia. On one side of the valley you have Tryfan, the Glyderau, Y Garn and the amazing Llyn Idwal where you will be able to find more than one lifetime’s amount of scrambling and climbing and on the other side you have the mighty Carneddau which provide some of the more remote walking in North Wales. As mentioned there are a lot more amazing walking areas accessible from the centre but to detail them all would make one extremely long article. Instead I would just suggest that if you are a walking group visiting North Wales and you would like to try somewhere else than the Llanberis Pass or Ogwen then the Moelwyns, Arenigs, Rhinogs and even the mighty Cadair Idris itself are all within a reasonable drive of the centre.
Mountain Biking
North Wales has an incredible amount of options available for mountain biking or even just road cycling and the centre is ideally placed for any group to access these. A short drive or a 20 minute ride will take you to the forests of Beddgelert and an abundance of great forestry tracks. Should you be happy to drive further then the amazing mountain bike area of Coed Y Brenin is also accessible. The centre itself also has some bike storage at the rear of the centre and a tap outside to clean and wash your bikes if needed.
Open Water Swimming
A highly popular sport in North Wales is open water swimming and any walking group staying at the centre can easily access a number of great spots to pursue this activity. North Wales and Snowdonia has a large number of lakes with the easiest to access from the centre being Llyn Padarn and for the more adventurous the coast is only a short drive away.
Zip Wire
For any walking group staying in North Wales for an extended period of time wishing to have a rest from the mountains but still wishing to have an adrenalin filled day there are several zip wires in the area that can be easily accessed from the centre. For more information click here https://www.zipworld.co.uk/
Surfing – artificial and natural
If after a few days walking in North Wales your legs have given up but your arms and core are still feeling good then there is a large amount of excellent surfing on the coast. The most well known spot is at Abersoch and Hell’s Mouth. Should the waves not be working then there is also an artificial wave pool not far away: https://www.adventureparcsnowdonia.com/
Climbing:
North Wales has quite literally several lifetime’s worth of rock climbing scattered throughout Snowdonia. If the weather is good then the Llanberis Pass and the Ogwen Valley have an abundance of amazing traditional routes of all grades and if the coast is looking like the best option you can head out to Anglesey and Gogarth.
Dinorwig Quarries
This amazing industrial landscape has recently (and very deservedly) been granted world heritage site status. It is hard to do the scale of the Dinorwig Slate Quarries justice but I think any visitor to North Wales really needs to have a walk through the quarries and marvel at it all. The quarries are only a 5 – 10 min drive from the centre and can be accessed at a range of points.
Bad/ Wet Weather Activities
One perennial question for walking groups in North Wales is: what shall we do if the weather is bad? Now I know some people subscribe to the idea “that there are no bad conditions, just bad equipment” but there are those days in Snowdonia where no matter how hardy you are the weather really doesn’t make you want to get out into the hills. Below are just a few options for any walking group staying at the centre:
National Slate Museum
This amazing museum is located in Llanberis and is only a 10 minute drive away for any walking group staying at the centre. It provides a detailed look into how the Dinorwig and other quarries were created and the people that worked there. The slate cutting demonstration really has to be seen. For more information: https://museum.wales/slate/
Copper Mines
If you are not claustrophobic and want to look at an old mine works then the Sygun Copper Mines just near Beddgelert is brilliant and well worth a visit: https://www.syguncoppermine.co.uk/
Indoor Climbing
Located only 10 mins away from the centre the Beacon Climbing wall offers routes of all grades, bouldering and snacks at the café. So if you and your walking group have lost enthusiasm for the Welsh weather but fancy something adventurous then you should check out: https://www.beaconclimbing.com/
Caernarfon Castle
Only ten minutes away from the centre is one of the best and largest castles in North Wales, even if the weather isn’t wet this is a must see for any visitor to the area and especially a walking group staying at the centre. For more information: https://cadw.gov.wales/visit/places-to-visit/caernarfon-castle
Okay, I think that is enough for this blog. In the next blog we will continue looking at how the centre offers great self-catered accommodation for different groups in North Wales.. 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!