Singletrack

We climb higher. Al leads the way, pedalling powerfully
and smoothly up the rocky slabs. I glance back and Andy’s
right behind me, picking careful lines through the tricky
sections. We’re soon passing the shuttered-up halfway house
and approaching the hardest section of the climb, the bit I’ve
never seen anyone close to riding. Once a boulder-strewn
slope, it’s been resurfaced with stone steps but is still nigh
on impossible. I make it up the first couple before giving up.
Andy tries to sneak round the outside, but he too is soon off
and pushing. Pushing all the way through the tunnel and all
the way up the loose slope beyond.
As we climb, Al spots another rider high above us.
Then we meet a couple of runners, a dog walker, and a
group of school kids who’ve camped at the top. ‘YOU’RE
DAWDLING, BOYS!’, bellows their teacher. I don’t think he
meant us.
We’re greeted at the summit by the rumble of a diesel
generator and a friendly blast from its exhaust. Prince Charles
once described Snowdon as ‘the highest slum in Wales’. A
little harsh, perhaps, but with a concrete railway station
and associated paraphernalia, it’s certainly not the prettiest
mountaintop. But ignore the immediate surroundings and it’s
stunning. The sun’s out and the morning mist is just burning
off. There are mountains on three sides and the sea on the
other. Ridges and valleys climb towards us from every angle.
We can spot the different tracks leading up the hill, see where
we’re going and where we’ve been. It’s spectacular.
It’s also busy – at 8am. We don’t stop long before turning to
rattle down the summit steps. Right away the descent leaves
an impression. Rocks dotted across a smooth track means
there’s plenty of line choice. Cruise a bit here, pick a fast line
there and hop off a rock when you fancy it. But don’t get
too carried away, as awkward lines or big rock steps seem to
appear the instant you stop paying sufficient attention. Two
minutes into a 700m descent and I’m already having a whale
of a time.
Concentration at an all time high.
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