Mellow Expeditions - @fingibson_
For this week’s Mellow Expeditions feature we spoke to @fingibson_ who has made it their goal to summit every Snowdonia Nuttall. After completing a third of the 72 mountains @fingibson_ talks to us about his favorite 3…
My story started like many others, dragging my lungs up the Miners Track on the mighty Snowdon. That weekend, I left Snowdonia amazed with how incredibly idyllic humble Wales could be, and it quickly became my refuge for a weekend mental reset. From here, I sort of fell into the idea of summiting every Snowdonia Nuttall - a Welsh summit of 2,000 feet or more. Having only completed a third of the 72 mountains on the list, I still have plenty of hiking to do, but here are my top three so far.
Garnedd Ugain - At the tailend of summer, I chased the good weather with a midweek excursion to take on the Pyg Track up Garnedd Ugain, Wales’ second tallest peak standing at 1,065M. None of the routes are particularly appealing with a full 50L pack, but I'd choose the long gruelling slog of the Pyg track over the chance of death on Crib Goch any day.
With a flat and grassy summit to get a peg in, and panoramic views for sunrise & sunset, in my opinion, it's one of the best spots in the national park to wild camp. Although, being on an exposed summit, the wind did get a little sketchy in the night so be careful and always be prepared for the worst. On this occasion I witnessed one of the best sunsets I have ever seen, and the sunrise was even better. I enjoyed a coffee watching over the horizon, packed up my gear and most importantly, left no trace.
Y Garn - This is still one of my favourite hikes to date. Easter Sunday, and if I remember correctly, there had been snowfall across Snowdonia that week. Much of it had melted by Sunday, but there was still some hanging round, not enough for crampons but enough to make for some good hiking.
The hike up to Y Garn is pretty special, park on the A5 (not on double yellows!) then up into CWM Idwal. I chose to ascend via Devils Kitchen (and I suggest you do too), passing the crack in the rock on your right and following the path round, eventually hooking right at the lake. The summit looks over the whole valley, with the iconic Tryfan ridge lurking in the background. This whole craggy area in the snow had some kind of unmatched aura that I haven't experienced anywhere else in Snowdonia.
Nantlle Ridge - one of the most underrated hikes in Wales. This was my first camp of the 2024 summer and I was determined to get a sunset hike in, not even the oil light on my car could stop me. I had seen this ridge on a facebook page I am in (Called ‘Eryri National Park’), and I had no idea how I'd never seen it before. The post failed to mention however, the brutal incline ascending the first summit from Rhyd-Ddu.
The ridge is nothing major, but isn't to be sniffed at. Some scrambling and a nice bit of exposure. The view is unobstructed over to Anglesea so is perfect for watching the sunset. I fired up the jetboil, cooked up some Soba noodles and savoured the solitude at the summit. I'll be back with my Phoxx for a wild camp up here.
I have a long list of adventures to tick off over the next few years; thru hikes, international national parks, and of course the 50 Nuttalls left on the list. I use my instagram to document these adventures, and I created a tiktok (@gobyfoot) to hopefully provide some value to someone. I am the most average bloke going, with a below par vo2 Max who enjoys a Guinness on the weekends, so hopefully this inspires at least one person to get out and enjoy the outdoors!