Snowdon, Wales.

[expr]

Since I was a young lad in cubs, and then through scouts and now in my early forties I have climbed snowdon more times than I can remember, however last month I took our springer spaniel up, she absolutely loved it.

I had a little trouble at first with the convincing her that the sheep were not for chasing! I also took up with us my customary backpack with small "camping gaz" cooker and pan along with a packet of bacon, some sausage's and a few bread buns. What a fantastic time we all had and an accomplishment for "molly" the dog to be at the highest point in England and Wales..

It's places like that where you can just take in all the differences in the world and try and make sense of them, such beautifully places that money just can't buy. Just like some of the places that our bikes take us and make us take in a deep breath and thank ourselves we are who we are.

Does anyone have an "special" places they keep revisiting and what is it that keeps bringing you back.

Dave.

[rualexander]

Last time I looked at a map, Snowdon was in Wales?!

[jags]

Well yeah i have but it's only special to me nothing spectacular just nice coastal road and a lovely cycling route.
but when i done my irish tour going over the Healy pass into the Kingdom of  Kerry  now that was spectacular took my breath away  it was so beautiful .

[expr]

Last time I looked at a map, Snowdon was in Wales?!

Oops sorry, snowdon Wales....

[Danneaux]

Does anyone have an "special" places they keep revisiting and what is it that keeps bringing you back.

Oh, what a great topic idea, Dave!

Yes, there are many "magical" places that have me returning time and again, but there's several I find myself drawn to as a favorite in all seasons -- one is Alsea Falls in Oregon's Coast Range. It is a long 8% climb to get there, and I have been up (and down, in all uses of the word; fastest "off" I've had at 48mph/77kph in the wet and not a scratch, thanks to heavy leaf-mold on the rain-slickened road) in the ice and snow and heat of summer, in the rain and sleet and at dawn and at night, and it always looks different. In winter, the falls partially freeze-over and create huge overhanging spikes of ice. My father and I made one loaded tour through in an ice and snowstorm 30 years ago that had the highway department barricading the road behind us as unsafe to travel. In summer, the basalt creek bed has little pools just right to sit or lie in. Depending on water depth and August heat, one can choose a favorite for temperature, from ice-cold to tepid.

The paved road is my usual route, but I also love taking the old logging roads. I often see deer there, and once -- no, twice now -- have seen mountain lions (cougar) about 120-180meters below me. And...they saw me, making my blood turn a little colder. Close enough.

I've attached a couple photos; one of the Falls and the other of a favorite route to get there. I wish I could bottle and convey the green scent of the forest and the sounds of the birds and the way sunlight shafts through the trees, but these photos will have to do.

Best,

Dan.

[il padrone]

The Grampians in western Victoria. It is wonderful to take the back tracks away from the crowds at Halls Gap and explore the Banksia and Grasstree woodlands, climb to the spectacular top of Mount Stapylton or Boroka Lookout.

It's been quite a while since I've done a good four day tour there, as I've been off to other places, and then 18 months ago there was a 1 in 100 year flood that caused massive erosion of the roads and tracks. The main roads are now OK but the back tracks are still closed, and our wonderful government have decided to slash road spending and Parks budgets, so it may well be many years before the best tracks are open again  

Tower Hill view



The Eastern Wall, going into the Rosea Creek valley



McKenzie Falls



Austral Grasstree (aka Blackboys - politically incorrect  )



Mt Stapylton views




Wallabies at the camp-site


Hollow Mountain wind caves





Stumpy-tail or Shingle-back lizard

[expr]

Dan, il padrone, absoloutly breath taking... They seem a world away from the hussle  and bustle of day to day life..

I have an attraction for water falls and such places, it must be fantastic to just be there and take it all in. Dan, with a little imagination youcan smell all the forest trees and mountain fresh air, fantastic keep them coming.

Dave.

[il padrone]

Not my photo, but this is what the walk across the Stapylton Plateau is like - all rock scrambling, moss-edged tarns and 360  degree views. It has been described as the best single-day walk in Victoria. I did the full loop once and last time I tried we got stymied by some crevice climbs and ran out of time. I'd really love to get back there to enjoy the special atmosphere of the place 

[jags]

WOW 

[expr]

That looks stunning, makes your mouth water.... I would like to also have another go at a different accent up snowdon, if you look at crib goch on YouTube it shows some of the fantastic views and challenges of scrambling, this is a literally a knife edge ridge which requires an amount of skill and courage. Some of the climbers are actually running across the top of it....

[in4]

Snowdon is a great hill to climb up throughout the year. Crib Goch would be great fun save for one thing: So many people have walked across it that the rocks are very shiny and rather slippery. Given there is little or no margin for error proceeding with great caution is advised.

As for other magical places may I cast a vote for Bruny Island Lighthouse. One of the most wonderful places I have ever visited. if I believed in a flat earth this is where the edge would be. On my cycle tour list of course!
http://www.parks.tas.gov.au/index.aspx?base=2539

[expr]

In4,  that looks spectacular, we came over to Sydney in march this year for three weeks visiting family and very much loved the scenery, got to see a Tasmanian devil also...we were hoping to get over to the blue mountains but couldn't fit it all in.  Just had a look at Bruny island lighthouse and it does look stunning.

Yep snowdon is great and only just over an hour down the road from us. If you get the timing right with regards to the weather then the views are out of this world. I remember a few years ago when the new granite stone cafe at the top was being built and there were no facilities at the top for food or drink, this was the first year I took up my cooker and bacon, and we all had the best bacon butty we've ever had, I could have sold them over and over to fellow climbers and we did a bit of banter going with others.. So that's where my tradition to take up the cooking each time I go came from.

I must sort out a better cooker though as the small calor gaz seems to suffer a bit when the wind gets to it, I've tried putting a wind break around it but I could do with more power, I've been looking at the multi fuel type....

[in4]

Now you've got me down memory lane! I fondly recall being on top of Snowdon in the winter. We had great fun getting large rocks, placing them on the rail tracks, sitting on the rocks and whizzing down the slope! LOL  Fantastic fun!

[il padrone]

Also not my video, but this gives a great idea of what it's like cycling one of my favourite local multi-day tours - the Great Ocean Road through the Otway Ranges. This couple are riding Thorn Nomads as well

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeZU6ZlGv28

[Danneaux]

We had great fun getting large rocks, placing them on the rail tracks, sitting on the rocks and whizzing down the slope! LOL  Fantastic fun!

  Isn't it wonderful, Ian, how one can find such huge quantities of fun in the spontaneous little things?  I remember similar activities with such joy and pleasure, even decades later...

...Simple things, like making handlebar (bike content!) moustaches out of spaghnum moss and curling my lip to hold it in place when I was too young to grow one of my own, whistles made from from vine maple (you pound the bark with a knife handle, then surcingle it with the blade and slide it off, then cut a wedge from the wood at the end...and slide the bark "sleeve" back on and cut a window in it. Presto; whistle!), or making little "rocket guns" by folding-over the stem of a daisy bud, then pulling it sharply, causing the bud to launch several meters (good for an hour's worth of sleepy fun on warm-sunny days when nobody cares enough to do anything else but Be and shoot daisy buds for distance).

It sure feels fun to seize the moment, have fun like kids, and really let go and live in innocence for a little while. In a way, it is like the kid who unwraps a sophisticated toy at Christmas and then spends the most time with the box it came in. Imagination, joy, and good fun of that sort keep us well and healthy and fix a multitude of ills and ails. I wish I could bottle it and give it away to those who really need a fun, bright spot in their days.

All the best,

Dan. (...still smiling at the picture you described and happy you have it to look back upon...)