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Snowdon, Tryfan, Crib Goch: fascinating names for the elite of
Snowdonia's mountains. These bastions of hard rock have, over the last two centuries, inspired and challenged walkers, climbers and runners alike.
Surely the finest of their challenges is the
27-mile Welsh 3000s traverse, which takes in all 15 of Wales 3000 ft peaks. Roy Clayton guides walkers through the route, while experienced fell runner, Ronald Turnbull, gives the necessary advice for runners, and
for walkers who wish to step up the pace in the tradition of the greats like Joss Naylor, Eric Beard and Colin Donnelly.
Turnbull also describes the 200-mile Dragon’s Back race and the
47-top Paddy Buckley Round. The latter is probably the most difficult 24-hour challenge in the British Isles, but one that can also be tackled by mere mortals as a spectacular 4-day backpack.
Harvey Lloyd, a former warden of Pen y Pass youth hostel, gives a fascinating account of the history of the Welsh 3000s event from the pioneers, through Fairbank's first traverse to Colin Donnelley’s present day record.
The book is crammed with good advice: suggestions on safety, diet and how to travel that little bit faster than you thought you could. Whether your aim is up Crib Goch and down the railway, or
eight days over everything there is, Turnbull and Clayton go up it and show you the way.
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