Yr Wyddfa a'i Chriw

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-Train driver Gwyrfai Williams

-from Llanberis.

-Structural engineer Geraint Bowen,

-originally from Swansea.

-Works clerk Tecwyn Hughes

-from Caernarfon.

-Labourer and occasional chef

-Eifion Yates from Bala.

-Stonemason Robin Hughes

-from Nantlle Vale.

-And Gwyn Thomas,

-the 2007 National Poet of Wales.

-This is the story of

-the construction of Hafod Eryri...

-..through the eyes of people who

-have been part of the majestic plan.

-Every building starts with a plan.

-For Hafod Eryri,

-many plans were needed...

-..before construction began.

-One of the first people

-to draw up the plans...

-..was structural engineer

-Geraint Bowen.

-The architect is responsible

-for creating the building's shape.

-The architect makes sure that

-the building is conducive for work.

-The building must have

-practical elements.

-The structural engineer

-works with the architect...

-..to ensure, in simple terms,

-that the building stands up.

-If the building can stand up, we

-have to ensure it's easy to build.

-We work with the contractor

-to ensure that he can build it...

-..on site.

-At the end of the day,

-we want this project to succeed.

-The architect created a 3-D model

-on his computer.

-We transferred that model

-to the software package we use.

-From there, from that 3-D model...

-..we worked out every co-ordinate

-on every piece of land.

-3,000 different co-ordinates...

-..were processed.

-They were sent over

-to the steel fabricators.

-The first model was created

-by the architect.

-The second model was created

-using our software.

-The third model was created

-by the fabricators.

-The steel fabricators are in Kinmel

-Bay, about 40 miles from the site.

-Before they started, they had

-to make their own designs...

-..itemizing every beam

-and every bolt...

-..making sure that all sizes

-corresponded with the original plan.

-There was no room for error

-at a site...

-..where alterations

-were nigh on impossible.

-Each piece had to be small enough

-for transportation on the train.

-No longer than 11 metres, no wider

-than 2 metres - and not too heavy.

-We have to make sure

-that the building...

-..stands up

-to the inclement weather on Snowdon.

-The snow, the frost...

-..and the wind.

-Bangor University have monitored the

-weather on the summit of Snowdon...

-..for the past 50 years.

-We digested their information.

-One of the best statistics referred

-to the strongest winds recorded.

-It was around 150mph.

-That's a hurricane-strength wind.

-We had to make sure the structure

-could withstand the forces...

-..and could remain intact

-for the foreseeable future.

-One of the most unusual aspects

-of the project...

-..was to build the structure

-at another site...

-..to see if everything

-slotted into place.

-The only site large enough was the

-Corus plant of the banks of the Dee.

-Once it was all in place,

-it had to be taken apart...

-..the steel was treated...

-..and the 120 tonnes of steel was

-transported to the foot of Snowdon.

-Every piece of the jigsaw arrived,

-and it was transferred to the train.

-It was then taken to the summit.

-I'm the train driver.

-I've been a train driver

-for around 18 years.

-I've been working here

-for the past 26 years.

-When I started here,

-I worked as a guard.

-I worked here

-for around three or four seasons.

-I worked away in the winter because

-they couldn't keep me full-time.

-I asked if I could go

-on the footplate...

-..to learn how to be a stoker.

-We used to watch the old drivers,

-follow their every move...

-..listen to everything they said

-and pick things up from there.

-Sometimes, they would allow you

-to drive, from Hebron to Half Way.

-That's the easiest journey

-to control the steam engine.

-The gradient isn't as steep.

-The journey from Llanberis to Hebron

-passes a waterfall.

-That's well worth seeing

-after heavy rain.

-There's a historic chapel in Hebron.

-Further on, as you pass Cwm Brwynog,

-you can see numerous mountains.

-The terrain opens up

-the higher you go.

-If you look down to your left,

-down towards Llanberis Pass...

-..that's almost 2,000 feet.

-That's a lovely view.

-I like watching people's faces...

-..when they pull their cameras out

-as they reach that spot.

-Then, we reach Clogwyn.

-We've been stopping at Clogwyn

-since the construction work started.

-From there, people can see the Lleyn

-Peninsula, mid Wales and Anglesey.

-On a clear day,

-people can see the Isle of Man.

-For me, the best journey

-is from Clogwyn to the summit.

-You can see a lot more.

-Sometimes, you can see Ireland.

-I remember coming down towards

-a cutting near Half Way one day.

-When it's busy, you'll have

-two trains about two minutes apart.

-I was in the first train

-on the way down.

-I looked up and saw the other train

-entering the cutting.

-The only thing that came out

-of the cutting was the engine.

-It had left the carriage behind.

-The driver hadn't realized

-for a few minutes.

-I was still looking back,

-and he returned for the carriage.

-Then, all the passengers were

-applauding and shouting hooray!

-Things like that happen sometimes.

-Before starting the work, a special

-vehicle was built - a flatbed...

-..to carry the materials

-and steel pieces to the summit.

-It was built in Leeds and

-transferred to Llanberis on a lorry.

-The flatbed has been used

-to transport all the materials up...

-..and transport the old,

-dismantled building down.

-I've been an important part

-of the process...

-..transporting it all to the summit

-and helping the lads build it.

-We've been responsible for carrying

-everything up to the summit.

-The weight on the flatbed is similar

-to a carriage full of passengers...

-..about 10 tonnes.

-After transporting 4,000 tonnes of

-materials, let alone passengers...

-..how many times has Gwyrfai

-been to the summit?

-How many times have I been to the

-summit? That's a difficult question.

-I wish I could tell you.

-In the past 26 years,

-it could be thousands of times.

-This is the strangest and most

-picturesque building site in Wales.

-Every now and then,

-the weather can be so bad...

-..it's impossible

-to reach the summit by train.

-Some still have to walk the last two

-and a half miles to the summit...

-..to inspect the building.

-Between the snow and the clouds...

-..it's sometimes difficult

-to know where you are.

-Once at the summit, some clearance

-work is required to gain entry.

-At the end of April 2008,

-the work was on hold again.

-The machines were required

-to help clear a path for the train.

-No train, no materials.

-No materials, no work.

-Time waits for no-one.

-I make sure the building

-is constructed...

-..to a satisfactory standard.

-I inspect every aspect of the work.

-The foundations,

-the roof, the walls...

-..every aspect of the construction.

-My father worked

-on the original building.

-It was more difficult for them.

-They would stay here during the week

-in zinc sheds.

-They used to stay

-in the old building.

-I don't know how they coped

-during the nights.

-It's extremely cold here at night.

-It's cold here during the day.

-They must have been close

-to freezing at nights.

-They were strong lads.

-My father was a plasterer.

-He told me how he'd plastered one

-corner 12 times because of the ice.

-The plaster would crumble away.

-Nain would cook a breast of lamb

-for my father every Sunday night.

-That would keep him going all week.

-These days, we have mobile phones

-and walkie-talkies.

-They had nothing

-when they worked here.

-They had no contact with the base.

-No-one worried

-where he was during the week.

-They're worried

-about the weather this year.

-Will the elements disrupt the plan

-to finish Hafod Eryri on time?

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-After a delay over the winter...

-..the construction work restarted

-at the end of February 2007.

-More machinery was needed

-for the process.

-For some machines, there's only

-one slow way to the summit.

-In early 2007, there was

-no building on the summit...

-..for the first time in 170 years.

-It was only a temporary situation

-as work began on the foundations.

-In April 2007,

-the first concrete was set.

-With the foundations in place

-by the end of May...

-..the steel parts were put in place.

-By September, the skeleton

-was complete with the roof in place.

-There was less than a year

-until the scheduled opening.

-Every army needs to be fed...

-..and that's no different

-at the summit of Snowdon.

-The responsibility falls on Eifion.

-We're having beef today...

-..with new potatoes,

-roast potatoes...

-..carrots, cut green beans

-and Yorkshire pudding.

-We eat more up here

-than we do at home.

-We have a Sunday lunch once a week.

-It's better than sandwiches!

-Eifion Yates has been working at

-Hafod Eryri since the first day...

-..come rain or shine, wind or snow.

-On Sundays, the spade and hammer

-are put to one side...

-..and replaced

-with an apron and an oven.

-The roast potatoes

-go into the oven first.

-If we have peas in the pod,

-I cook them at home.

-They take a long time.

-We only have 30 minutes for lunch.

-30 minutes

-isn't enough to cook them.

-The meat goes into the oven.

-You wouldn't expect to see an oven

-on Snowdon.

-The lads have made the cabin their

-second home over the past two years.

-I only bring these up

-when we're having a roast lunch.

-I take them home

-and keep them in the cupboard.

-Otherwise, they'll get broken.

-A place for everything

-and everything in its place.

-George is having lunch with us.

-It's a great lunch.

-It smells nice here.

-Eifion's prepared lunch

-for twelve today.

-I've made a mistake.

-There are only eight of us today.

-Three roast potatoes.

-The cabin is the first place

-to open each morning at 8.00am...

-..after an hour-long journey

-on the train.

-The workers return to Llanberis

-by 6.00pm...

-..and are back on the platform

-early the next day.

-This is the order of the day

-seven days a week.

-Lovely! Very nice.

-On 7th September 2007,

-a stonemason in his sixties...

-..went to the summit of Snowdon

-for the first time in his life...

-..along with over 400 tonnes

-of stone from Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-I'm a stonemason.

-I left school

-when I was 15 years old.

-I worked at a horse riding school...

-..in Plas Nantlle

-with Major Watkins.

-I stayed there for a few months.

-I was fortunate enough to find work

-with the county council...

-..as an apprentice stonemason.

-Believe it or not, I've been

-doing that work for 50 years.

-I'd never been to the summit

-before this job.

-It amazes me that so many people

-walk up here.

-The weather can be atrocious

-up here, with thick fog all around.

-But like many other places...

-..when the weather's good,

-it's lovely up here.

-This job is more complicated

-than the work I'm familiar with.

-There are many different angles.

-That makes life more difficult.

-You have the follow the angle or

-shape of a piece of iron or steel.

-The stones have already been cut.

-Over the years, I've shaped my own,

-randomly selected stones.

-I prefer working like that.

-It's an interesting process.

-It's quite a challenge.

-There's hardly any need to alter

-them, not the way I'm used to.

-Years ago, I'd use a hammer

-which weighed around 50lbs.

-It might have been heavier.

-It was shaped like this.

-The stones were huge lumps.

-We had to cut them down

-to around six inches in size...

-..for the wall of a house.

-We had to do that by hand.

-I know that you needed more skill

-in those days than you need today.

-Quarries do a lot of the work now.

-They're almost the finished product

-when we get them.

-You don't have to be as skilful

-these days as you were years ago...

-..even though I say so myself.

-I have plenty of other jobs to do -

-I don't have to work here...

-..but I want to be part of this.

-With the construction period

-coming to an end...

-..and only a few months to go, the

-finishing touches are being applied.

-Everyone's working hard inside

-and the tiles are now in place.

-The stones aren't the only materials

-sourced from Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-The last part of the jigsaw

-is also Blaenau-made.

-They're the words of Gwyn Thomas

-on the westerly-facing windows.

-This commission came from the

-National Park Authority of Wales.

-I was the National Poet of Wales

-at the time.

-They gave me the commission.

-Snowdonia has always been

-an important place for me.

-They're the mountains around

-my home in Blaenau Ffestiniog.

-The mountains have been

-an important part of my life...

-..as have the slate heaps and

-the rivers and lakes of the area.

-I often travel

-from Bangor to Llanberis.

-Llanberis is virtually the next

-village to Blaenau Ffestiniog...

-..in terms

-of its nature and character.

-I started by meeting people

-from the National Park...

-..and representatives of the people

-who were designing the building.

-I was eager to include elements

-relating to the area and to Wales.

-They wanted to incorporate

-the surrounding landscape.

-That's how we determined

-which elements to include.

-Some things were historic...

-..and I wanted to include

-the history of the quarrymen.

-These short verses needed to reflect

-the grandiosity which surrounds us.

-I only write poetry in Welsh.

-I can translate into English.

-Very few people can write poetry

-in two languages.

-The first National Poet,

-Gwyneth Lewis, is an exception.

-She can write in two languages.

-Most of the time,

-when you're asked to write poetry...

-..you think about

-the subject matter for some time.

-Then, it eventually comes to you

-as if you're composing it...

-..if you complete it successfully.

-In some ways, it takes over.

-If you've been doing it

-for many years...

-..it's like shoeing a horse -

-there's an art to it.

-You can do

-whatever people ask of you.

-You also hope that you receive

-enough poetic inspiration.

-Primarily, you have to rely

-on your ability.

-Imagine you're reaching the summit.

-This is what you'll find

-on the summit.

-On Snowdon's summit -

-"Here, you are nearer to heaven."

-There are two meanings to this.

-You're high up and, literally,

-nearer to heaven.

-You're also nearer to heaven...

-..because of the grandiosity

-of your surroundings.

-I hope that people who reach

-the summit will read the words...

-..and see what I saw

-when I wrote the words.

-I also hope they will realize

-that there's a special bond...

-..between the words

-and their location...

-..and a connection between

-the history of our nation...

-..and the extraordinarily beautiful

-landscape that surrounds this area.

-Since the initial dream in 2002...

-..and after two years of work

-in extreme conditions...

-..Hafod Eryri will open its doors to

-half a million visitors every year.

-They will marvel

-at Snowdonia's splendour.

-"There are aeons of creation

-in these rocks.

-"Our task is to protect

-this grandiosity.

-"Look and you will find the torrent

-and tranquillity of Snowdonia.

-"Around us there is success and woe

-of an old, old nation."

-S4C subtitles by Simian 04