Page 70 - Wish Stream Year of 2019

Exercise QUALITY CADET
OCdt King
Deployment to a relatively local venue is a relaxed affair. In our case there were four friends, a six-hour road trip to Snowdonia,
and little else to worry about beyond regular McDonalds stops. After cruising through pro- gressively steeper Welsh countryside, some members started seeing echoes of Exercise LONGREACH in the terrain, but these fears were set to rest upon arrival at our comfortable accommodation, well situated near good pubs. We set about organising our kit,
cised caution as there are numerous sudden falls, unstable buildings and tunnels. The scale of the quarry is genuinely amazing. Moving to the peak you will pass Marchlyn Mawr reservoir, used to generate hydroelectricity for the town of Llanberis. Post hike the team liked to relax after a tough and hectic Intermediate Term. Inspired by the quarry, we decided to explore some of the history that surrounded us and headed to Caernarfon to visit the castle, pubs and restaurants there.
putting on a brew and consolidat- ing our planned routes with the Welsh weather. Over the course of the week we ventured all over the area and there were a couple of standout days on Elidr Fawr and Mt Tryfan that we enjoyed most.
The scale of the quarry is genuinely amazing.
Mt Tryfan – This mountain sets an imposing silhouette on the skyline as you approach. It is a steep-sided blade of rock with little vegetation and looks quite different from the green gently sloped mountains more commonly found in the area. From
Elidr Fawr and Dinorwic Slate Quarry – This 923m peak sits above the vast Dinorwic Slate Quarry and makes for a fantastic route. After a walk towards Llanberis, you cross the river next to Dolbadarn Castle and enter the base of the quarry. It contains tunnels, machinery, buildings and endless infrastructure from when operations began in 1784, making it a very interesting place to explore. It is not an unsafe place, but we exer-
the valley base you will see a small pair of figures on the summit that are too large to be people but seem too out of place to be natural. Upon arrival at the summit you learn that these are in fact the ‘Adam and Eve’ stones. The way up is an easy to navigate scramble and is good fun. Just take care not to get ahead of yourself if things get too risky. Naturally the team found its way to the prominent ‘Cannon Stone’ that juts 20 feet out from the mountain over the valley. Once there, it
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