Snowdonia
Llynau Mymbyr and Snowdon
The Welsh for Snowdon is Yr Wyddfa, which means tomb or monument. Legend has it that it is the tomb of Rhita Gawr, an ogre who used to kill kings and make cloaks out of their beards until King Arthur climbed to the summit and killed him. I presume he buried him there and thus the summit is his tomb.
Although in English we refer only to the highest peak as Snowdon, it is actually a range of six mountains and the whole group in welsh is known as Eryri. From Garth Farm, where I used to camp whenever I spent a day or two in Wales, one has the most wonderful view of the whole six mountains. I used to sleep in my little van with the windscreen showing that view and the back door open onto the view of Llynau Mymbyr, Capel Curig lakes. As the sun went down its rays would strike Eryri from the side, giving the impresion that the peaks were transluscent so that at one moment one seemed to be in front and the next a different peak. Unfortunately, I never had a camera to hand when this occurred.
The valley between there and Snowdon is still my favourite spot on this earth. Some say it is bleak, and it is, but it is magical.
