Sir Edward Watkin

Last minute decision to go up Snowdon this morning as the forecast weather was dry and the cloud base reasonably high. Turned out that the former was correct but he latter was very wrong. I've been up Snowdon a few times but never via the Watkin path - allegedly the hardest (and therefore least used) route up as it starts closer to sea level. If I do need knee surgery I might as well make sure the existing one really is worn out!

The path was named after Sir Edward Watkin, Liberal Member of Parliament who had a chalet in Cwm Llan on the foothills of Snowdon. The Watkin path runs from the former South Snowdon Slate Quarry through Cwm Llan to the summit and apparently was the first designated footpath in Britain. It was opened in 1892 by Gladstone - though I somehow missed the so-called Gladstone rock from which the prime minister addressed a huge crowd. I also missed the views as the cloud was pretty thick even lower down - I can't remember exactly where this shot was taken but I'd guess about 850m, so well below the summit. The top was really cold and rather crowded as a train had just arrived so I didn't linger and headed straight off down the Miner's.