0:00:06 > 0:00:09I thought it was Weatherman Walking, not Weatherman Climbing!
0:00:11 > 0:00:13Derek?
0:00:13 > 0:00:14- Derek?- What?
0:00:14 > 0:00:16- You can let go now.- You sure?
0:00:16 > 0:00:19- Yeah, it's this way. - Oh, all right, then.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48Walking in Wales often means climbing a mountain or two.
0:00:48 > 0:00:52So this week I'm tackling two iconic mountain ranges.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53The Glyders in Snowdonia
0:00:53 > 0:00:56and the Black Mountains in the Brecon Beacons -
0:00:56 > 0:00:59both different to climb, but equally breathtaking.
0:01:01 > 0:01:05Later I'll be scrambling to the summit of Glyder Fawr,
0:01:05 > 0:01:08taking in the highlights of Cwm Idwal along the way.
0:01:08 > 0:01:12But first, I'm heading to the heart of the Black Mountains,
0:01:12 > 0:01:15exploring the history of the Rhiangoll Valley,
0:01:15 > 0:01:19before ending with some brilliant Beacon views.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23The Black Mountains are steeped in history, myth and legend,
0:01:23 > 0:01:27so I've come to the small village of Bwlch, which means pass,
0:01:27 > 0:01:31to find out why this area should definitely NOT be passed by.
0:01:38 > 0:01:40Helping me hit the hills is Emma Harrison,
0:01:40 > 0:01:45who runs a bunkhouse in the area and provides guided walks up into the nearby mountains.
0:01:45 > 0:01:48She also used to be in the Army Reserves.
0:01:48 > 0:01:53So I'm hoping she's going to take it easy on me and not give me my marching orders!
0:01:53 > 0:01:56- Hi, Emma!- Hi, Derek.- Lovely to meet you.- Lovely to meet you too.
0:01:56 > 0:01:57- Welcome to Bwlch.- Thank you.
0:01:57 > 0:02:00We're on the A40 at the moment, it gets a bit noisy,
0:02:00 > 0:02:02so walk this way and we'll go somewhere a bit quieter.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09Nestled in the Black Mountains in Powys,
0:02:09 > 0:02:12Bwlch is just a short drive from Brecon.
0:02:12 > 0:02:14Leaving the village, we head along country lanes
0:02:14 > 0:02:17and cross fields down to the village of Cwmdu.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21Here we join the Beacons Way to enjoy views across the central
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Beacons before dropping back down to Bwlch -
0:02:25 > 0:02:27a total hike of nearly seven miles.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33The village of Bwlch gets its unusual name
0:02:33 > 0:02:37as a result of sitting in a gap between two hills.
0:02:37 > 0:02:41And this pass through the hills is now part of the busy A40.
0:02:45 > 0:02:51Originally it was the turnpike road, so it's been busy for centuries.
0:02:51 > 0:02:54The traffic used to come through, it was gated,
0:02:54 > 0:02:56and you had to pay to get past.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58And our bunkhouse was originally a coaching inn.
0:02:58 > 0:03:00The road goes all the way from London to Fishguard.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03That's right. And then they could get across to Ireland.
0:03:12 > 0:03:13This is the first hill of the day,
0:03:13 > 0:03:17but you'll be pleased to hear that it flattens out really soon.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20- It's a good warm-up for the hills ahead.- Absolutely.
0:03:33 > 0:03:37So we're going to head off into the fields for a bit of peace and solitude.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51Make sure you wear good boots,
0:03:51 > 0:03:53as it can get pretty muddy in places.
0:03:56 > 0:03:59So we're going to swing away from the Usk Valley now
0:03:59 > 0:04:02and into a new valley called the Rhiangoll.
0:04:02 > 0:04:06And just over here is a really interesting stone fortification
0:04:06 > 0:04:08called Tretower Court and Castle.
0:04:08 > 0:04:10You can just see it in the distance.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- Oh, yeah.- It's quite unusual to see a castle on a valley floor.
0:04:14 > 0:04:16Do you know why it's there?
0:04:16 > 0:04:19I think it's because the mountains were so inhospitable,
0:04:19 > 0:04:22there was no way of accessing around them,
0:04:22 > 0:04:24so when the Normans advanced on Wales,
0:04:24 > 0:04:27they decided to put the castle on the valley floor.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31And they controlled movement between the major towns of Abergavenny,
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Brecon, Talgarth and Hay-on-Wye.
0:04:34 > 0:04:36And what's this ridge called, here?
0:04:36 > 0:04:39That's called the Pen Allt-mawr ridge line,
0:04:39 > 0:04:42and it's got a lot of burial cairns on it, you can just see them sticking up,
0:04:42 > 0:04:46and in fact, the Rhiangoll Valley has got the highest concentration of burial
0:04:46 > 0:04:48chambers in the whole of the UK.
0:04:48 > 0:04:50Really? We're not going up there today, though?
0:04:50 > 0:04:53No. Luckily for you, we're not!
0:04:53 > 0:04:55We're going to keep going downwards.
0:05:09 > 0:05:12We're heading down into the village of Cwmdu now.
0:05:12 > 0:05:15You can just see the church tower in the distance.
0:05:15 > 0:05:18- It's a nice little place. - Oh, really beautiful.
0:05:25 > 0:05:29- So, where are you from originally, Emma, because your accent isn't local?- No, it's not, Derek.
0:05:29 > 0:05:32I'm originally from near Coventry.
0:05:32 > 0:05:35But school trips and family holidays to places like Snowdonia
0:05:35 > 0:05:39and the Peak District left me with a lifelong love of mountains.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42So what brought you to Bwlch in the Brecon Beacons?
0:05:42 > 0:05:44I trained to be a librarian,
0:05:44 > 0:05:46but I never really settled into the role
0:05:46 > 0:05:51and craved a bit of adventure, so I joined the Army Reserve in 2001.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55I spent ten years in the Royal Signals as a radio operator.
0:05:55 > 0:05:58I've got some photos, if you'd like to see them.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00And there you are, all kitted out.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Took me all over the UK and I managed to work overseas
0:06:03 > 0:06:07- for a couple of years.- You saw lots of action and adventure.
0:06:07 > 0:06:12Absolutely. This is me in Canada, learning arctic survival skills,
0:06:12 > 0:06:13and they also taught me how to ski.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18And that's me in the Middle East.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20- It was very hot.- Sat on a tank.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23And it was out there that I met my husband, Pete, who's Welsh,
0:06:23 > 0:06:28which is why we came back to Wales and we bought a bunkhouse up in the Brecon Beacons.
0:06:28 > 0:06:32Because this area is really popular for people who like walking,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34biking, everyone who loves the outdoors.
0:06:34 > 0:06:36Everyone who loves the outdoors.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47And as we reach the valley floor,
0:06:47 > 0:06:50we are treated to a walk through a carpet of buttercups.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56I think spring must be my favourite time of year,
0:06:56 > 0:07:00when everything springs into life, leaves on the trees,
0:07:00 > 0:07:03and just look at these beautiful buttercups.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05They're really pretty, aren't they?
0:07:05 > 0:07:07It's just magnificent living round here
0:07:07 > 0:07:09and seeing it all bloom around me.
0:07:14 > 0:07:17Arriving at the small hamlet of Felindre,
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Emma has some more Welsh history to share.
0:07:21 > 0:07:25And here there is a little school that was set up by a very influential local man
0:07:25 > 0:07:26called the Reverend Thomas Price,
0:07:26 > 0:07:31who was a very important man of his time, very passionate about Wales,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34its language and its people, and at the time when the British government
0:07:34 > 0:07:38were trying to squash the Welsh language, he decided to set up this
0:07:38 > 0:07:43tiny little school so that local children could learn Welsh alongside English.
0:07:43 > 0:07:44He wanted to keep the language alive.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Absolutely. I'll tell you more about him later.
0:07:52 > 0:07:55Instead of walking next to the busy road to Cwmdu,
0:07:55 > 0:07:57we pass through the peaceful caravan park
0:07:57 > 0:08:00and take the lanes to the village church.
0:08:08 > 0:08:11And, over here, there is an ancient memorial stone
0:08:11 > 0:08:14that was found in the fields about a mile away from here,
0:08:14 > 0:08:17and it was given as a gift to the Reverend Thomas Price
0:08:17 > 0:08:22and he arranged for it to be set in the wall and the inscription says,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25"Here lies Cattoc, son of Teyrnoc."
0:08:25 > 0:08:27- How old is it? - It's from the Dark Ages.
0:08:27 > 0:08:29Very, very old.
0:08:30 > 0:08:33And over here, Derek, is Thomas Price's tomb.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37He actually designed it himself and it's Grade II listed.
0:08:37 > 0:08:39So who exactly was he, what did he do?
0:08:39 > 0:08:44Well, a local man who did so much for the Welsh language and the
0:08:44 > 0:08:45literature as well.
0:08:45 > 0:08:49He's one of the original translators of the Mabinogion, and we've seen
0:08:49 > 0:08:53the school that he set up to teach Welsh language to local children,
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and that was his bardic name.
0:08:55 > 0:09:00- Can you say that?- Carn...huanawc... Carnhuanawc.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01Do you know what it means?
0:09:01 > 0:09:05It's archaic Welsh, and I've read that it translates as Sunny Hill,
0:09:05 > 0:09:07and that's the name he used
0:09:07 > 0:09:10when he submitted his poems and pieces of literature
0:09:10 > 0:09:11to the Eisteddfods.
0:09:11 > 0:09:15In fact, one of his poems is inscribed on top of this tomb.
0:09:15 > 0:09:18So he was a great man and a hero of his time.
0:09:18 > 0:09:20Indeed.
0:09:20 > 0:09:25'He also wrote the acclaimed Hanes Cymru, a comprehensive study of Welsh history,
0:09:25 > 0:09:30'as well as playing a major part in the revival of the Eisteddfod.
0:09:30 > 0:09:34'It's such a shame that so many people don't know about him today.
0:09:37 > 0:09:41'Leaving Cwmdu, we begin our long climb up into the Beacons.'
0:09:44 > 0:09:46So, you've had quite a gentle walk so far,
0:09:46 > 0:09:48but we've now joined the Beacons Way, which is
0:09:48 > 0:09:52a long-distance footpath traversing the whole of the National Park.
0:09:52 > 0:09:54So, where does it start and where does it end?
0:09:54 > 0:09:58It starts at the Holy Mountain just outside of Abergavenny and ends in a
0:09:58 > 0:10:00little village called Bethlehem.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02How long does it take to walk the whole thing?
0:10:02 > 0:10:05Probably be about eight days, Derek.
0:10:05 > 0:10:07- I quite fancy doing that one day. - Yeah. Are you feeling fit enough?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09- Definitely.- Good.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36Emma, have you heard of the old saying,
0:10:36 > 0:10:38"Ne'er cast a clout till May be out"?
0:10:38 > 0:10:40No. What does that mean?
0:10:40 > 0:10:43It dates back to about Elizabethan times
0:10:43 > 0:10:46and I think "May" refers to the hawthorn blossom,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50not the month, and a clout is an old word for a piece of clothing.
0:10:50 > 0:10:54So in other words, don't strip off until the may blossom is out!
0:10:54 > 0:10:56Wise words. I'll remember that.
0:11:01 > 0:11:04- Oh!- It's hard work, this.
0:11:04 > 0:11:06- It certainly is.- I've got an idea.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Come on, I thought you were in the Army!
0:11:10 > 0:11:12- Faster!- You're too heavy, Derek!
0:11:16 > 0:11:17Oh, look, blue sky!
0:11:30 > 0:11:32Are you enjoying it so far, Derek?
0:11:32 > 0:11:36Now that steep bit's over, yes.
0:11:36 > 0:11:39As a reward for your effort, it's the most magnificent view,
0:11:39 > 0:11:41probably the best in the Black Mountains,
0:11:41 > 0:11:43across to the central Beacons.
0:11:51 > 0:11:53Just over there is Pen y Fan and Cwmdu.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57I've been up there so many times, it can be like a motorway.
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Yet, you come here, it's so peaceful.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01We've hardly seen a soul.
0:12:01 > 0:12:05'In fact, this walk is so quiet it's been named locally
0:12:05 > 0:12:09'as "Walking with solitude". And today, it's just us,
0:12:09 > 0:12:13'a circling kite and the beautiful song of the skylark.'
0:12:30 > 0:12:32'And it seems it's not just me
0:12:32 > 0:12:35'who's been inspired by the scenery up here.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38'JRR Tolkien, author of The Lord Of The Rings,
0:12:38 > 0:12:41'might have got some ideas from this landscape, too.'
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Just before we start our final descent back into Bwlch,
0:12:46 > 0:12:48can I tell you a fantastic story?
0:12:48 > 0:12:51It's said that Tolkien holidayed here,
0:12:51 > 0:12:54just before he started writing Lord Of The Rings,
0:12:54 > 0:12:56and he was inspired by this landscape.
0:12:56 > 0:13:01So just look into the distance, that mountain that looks like a volcano,
0:13:01 > 0:13:06that's Sugar Loaf, and that's said to have inspired him to create the Lonely Mountain.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10And just across there, the town of Crickhowell,
0:13:10 > 0:13:12that became Crickhollow in the books.
0:13:12 > 0:13:16And Llangattock and Llangynidr Commons are The Iron Hills,
0:13:16 > 0:13:22and beyond them is the industrial belt of Ebbw Vale and Merthyr Tydfil.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24If you can imagine when Tolkien was here,
0:13:24 > 0:13:27there might have been lots of smoke and fire coming from the iron and
0:13:27 > 0:13:31steelworks and so, that is said to have become Mordor,
0:13:31 > 0:13:33which sounds very much like "Merthyr".
0:13:33 > 0:13:37And then this hill in the foreground, that's Buckland Hill.
0:13:37 > 0:13:40If you walk round there, it really feels like Middle Earth.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42You can just imagine hobbits running around.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45And Buckland is actually where the hobbits live in the books.
0:13:45 > 0:13:48When you tell it like that, it really is believable.
0:13:48 > 0:13:51This landscape is so inspiring.
0:13:51 > 0:13:54Emma, thank you so much for a wonderful walk.
0:13:54 > 0:13:57The Black Mountains really are beautiful, and so quiet.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01We definitely have been walking in solitude, haven't we?
0:14:01 > 0:14:03We have. I'm so glad you've enjoyed it.
0:14:11 > 0:14:12And if you fancy trying this
0:14:12 > 0:14:15or another of our walks, go to our website...
0:14:19 > 0:14:22It's got detailed route information
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and walking maps for you to print off.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27Or you can download it onto your tablet and take it with you.
0:14:29 > 0:14:33Snowdonia is an adventure playground for outdoor lovers,
0:14:33 > 0:14:35packed with peaks, climbs and scrambles
0:14:35 > 0:14:38that get your heart pumping and your head spinning.
0:14:38 > 0:14:40So I've set my sights on Glyder Fawr,
0:14:40 > 0:14:43the fifth highest peak in Wales.
0:14:43 > 0:14:47I'm going to need stamina, an iron will, and a head for heights.
0:14:50 > 0:14:54Taking up the challenge of getting me to the top and back down again is
0:14:54 > 0:14:57mountain man Berwyn Evans.
0:14:57 > 0:15:02He's been climbing and guiding all over the world for over 30 years,
0:15:02 > 0:15:06and all started right here in the Ogwen Valley.
0:15:06 > 0:15:08Bore da, Berwyn. Sut wyt ti?
0:15:08 > 0:15:11- Bore da, Derek.- I'm looking forward to today's walk,
0:15:11 > 0:15:14doing some scrambling, but it's going to be a challenging walk, isn't it?
0:15:14 > 0:15:16I think it will certainly be a challenge,
0:15:16 > 0:15:18but there are a few things that we need to make sure first,
0:15:18 > 0:15:21that we got the right equipment and we're prepared for what's to come.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23OK, OK.
0:15:26 > 0:15:27Right, all-important hat.
0:15:28 > 0:15:30Lunch, of course.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Some water in the sides.
0:15:32 > 0:15:33Fleece.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37Waterproof trousers and a light waterproof coat,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40just in case there's a cheeky shower.
0:15:40 > 0:15:41Yes, let's go for it.
0:15:41 > 0:15:45'Berwyn is also carrying a map, compass and a first-aid kit and,
0:15:45 > 0:15:49'most importantly, he knows how to use them.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52'One of the biggest causes of mountain rescue call-outs
0:15:52 > 0:15:54'are for people who are unprepared on the mountains.'
0:15:56 > 0:16:00And today my Glyder gauntlet starts in Snowdonia.
0:16:01 > 0:16:03Parking up near Ogwen Cottage,
0:16:03 > 0:16:05we head off to Cwm Idwal before climbing up from
0:16:05 > 0:16:12Devil's Kitchen to reach the summit of Glyder Fawr at over 3,200 feet.
0:16:12 > 0:16:16We then retrace our steps and make our way back to our starting point,
0:16:16 > 0:16:18a walk of nearly five miles.
0:16:32 > 0:16:34This is where we start to climb.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37That's right. This is where the hard work starts - just here.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41I'd like to show you something over here.
0:16:43 > 0:16:44This is Ogwen Cottage.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48This is where I spent five years of my life working in the outdoors.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Ogwen Cottage was owned by Birmingham Education Authority.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55And they brought children from Birmingham up here
0:16:55 > 0:16:59for a week to experience the outdoors,
0:16:59 > 0:17:04and part of that work was working with young adults and
0:17:04 > 0:17:06also getting qualified as well.
0:17:06 > 0:17:08What a perfect place to start your career,
0:17:08 > 0:17:10with all this on your doorstep.
0:17:10 > 0:17:12- Shall we carry on?- Yeah, let's go.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20And today, young people still come to Ogwen Cottage, as it runs regular
0:17:20 > 0:17:24outward bound courses aimed to get them into the great outdoors.
0:17:31 > 0:17:33So, heading towards Cwm Idwal now, Berwyn.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36And I just love this landscape, the big,
0:17:36 > 0:17:40towering mountains, and just look at that low-hanging mist.
0:17:40 > 0:17:42It's awe-inspiring, isn't it?
0:18:00 > 0:18:02This is Cwm Idwal, Derek.
0:18:04 > 0:18:06And this is a glaciated lake.
0:18:06 > 0:18:09All the features that we see around here are pretty much
0:18:09 > 0:18:12what's left over from the glaciers that were here about
0:18:12 > 0:18:1510,000 years ago, so we've got hanging valleys up there,
0:18:15 > 0:18:19we've got moraines along here as well and we've got
0:18:19 > 0:18:20these boulders here, as well,
0:18:20 > 0:18:24and these boulders were really kind of important
0:18:24 > 0:18:28in a chap called Charles Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
0:18:28 > 0:18:30Yeah, I THINK I've heard of him!
0:18:30 > 0:18:33Yeah. He came here in 1831 and discovered
0:18:33 > 0:18:36that there were seashells in there.
0:18:36 > 0:18:39So he deduced that, at some stage,
0:18:39 > 0:18:42that rock must have been under a shallow sea.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46Millions of years ago, Wales was in another part of the world.
0:18:46 > 0:18:49That's right, it was a lot warmer and a lot further south.
0:18:49 > 0:18:53It's amazing to think, isn't it, that Charles Darwin was once here
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and this area helped to form part of his Theory of Evolution.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58It's an extremely important place.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02And a lot of people come here to visit because of these features.
0:19:05 > 0:19:09WOMAN SINGS IN WELSH
0:19:30 > 0:19:32Any legends of the lake?
0:19:32 > 0:19:37Yeah, there is. One is that the name, Cwm Idwal, comes from Idwal,
0:19:37 > 0:19:41who had his head chopped off about a thousand years ago,
0:19:41 > 0:19:44it was thrown into the lake and, ever since then,
0:19:44 > 0:19:47no bird has ever flown over the lake.
0:19:47 > 0:19:49It's not true, though, is it?
0:19:49 > 0:19:53Ah, well, the minute I tell a group the story, within seconds
0:19:53 > 0:19:55there's a seagull flying over the water!
0:20:02 > 0:20:06This area really is an adventure playground for all ages.
0:20:06 > 0:20:08There's just something for everyone.
0:20:08 > 0:20:11Rather them than me, Berwyn.
0:20:11 > 0:20:12Yeah, these are the Idwal slabs.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14They're very popular with beginners.
0:20:14 > 0:20:16There are about 200 metres high,
0:20:16 > 0:20:18but there are more challenging routes here, as well.
0:20:18 > 0:20:21- Have you been up there?- Yeah, I've done a lot of climbing here,
0:20:21 > 0:20:25not just taking people from Ogwen Cottage, but also for my personal
0:20:25 > 0:20:28climbing around the edges as well, the steep bits.
0:20:28 > 0:20:31You've got Homicide Wall on the right and Suicide Wall on the left.
0:20:32 > 0:20:34Fantastic names!
0:20:35 > 0:20:37It looks good fun, but let's stick to the path.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Yeah, let's go for it. Onwards and upwards.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56So, quite straightforward so far, Derek, eh?
0:20:56 > 0:20:58Yeah, not too bad.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01We're coming to a bit of a tricky bit coming up now.
0:21:01 > 0:21:03I've been on steeper paths in the Alps.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05- Shall we go for it?- OK. - OK, let's go.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11We take it nice and slowly, and make every foot count.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20Do many people come a cropper here?
0:21:20 > 0:21:23They have done in the past, yeah, a bit of a slip.
0:21:23 > 0:21:24It's easily done.
0:21:27 > 0:21:30- Good, fantastic. - 'Well, that wasn't too bad but,
0:21:30 > 0:21:32'in winter or after heavy rain,
0:21:32 > 0:21:37'the stream is a lot wider and harder to cross, so do take care.'
0:21:39 > 0:21:41It's getting a bit steeper now.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47This area's called the Devil's Kitchen, isn't it?
0:21:47 > 0:21:48Yeah, that's right, Derek, yeah.
0:21:48 > 0:21:52- Why's it called that?- The story goes when there were ships out at sea at
0:21:52 > 0:21:55Red Wharf Bay just off the coast of Anglesey,
0:21:55 > 0:22:00you could look up into the mountains and see this valley and the clouds
0:22:00 > 0:22:03and the mist swirling, and it looked quite ominous up here.
0:22:03 > 0:22:07So the warm air rises upwards, condenses, cools,
0:22:07 > 0:22:10forming all these swirling clouds that look like steam.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13That's right, so the Devil's Kitchen, yeah.
0:22:13 > 0:22:16And in Welsh it's called the Twll Du, which is the "black hole".
0:22:16 > 0:22:18I think I prefer the name the Devil's Kitchen!
0:22:18 > 0:22:21Yeah, yeah, it's a little bit more spectacular, isn't it?
0:22:31 > 0:22:35So, Derek, it's a good time of the year to see some wild flowers
0:22:35 > 0:22:40growing in the mountains. We've got some wild thyme, and a rarity here,
0:22:40 > 0:22:42- moss campion.- Pretty, isn't it?
0:22:42 > 0:22:46It is. This is a good plant to indicate that we're at altitude,
0:22:46 > 0:22:48because it only grows up here.
0:22:48 > 0:22:51- What about the Snowdon Lily? - That plant's isolated
0:22:51 > 0:22:54up on the high cliffs around here and on Snowdon.
0:22:54 > 0:22:57So, I'm afraid we're going to be out of luck today.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Unless we've got a rope.
0:23:04 > 0:23:05Onwards and upwards.
0:23:20 > 0:23:23There we go, Derek. It's steepening up a little bit now.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25We don't need ropes for this bit, then?
0:23:25 > 0:23:28No, no. We're going to have to use our hands a little bit.
0:23:40 > 0:23:42Not for the faint-hearted, really, is it?
0:23:42 > 0:23:44No, no, it should be all right.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48That was a bit of a challenge there, Derek.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- It was, a bit.- How about if we have a bit of a sit-down
0:23:51 > 0:23:53- and have a bit of a snack, eh? - I think we've earned it.
0:23:53 > 0:23:55Take advantage of this lovely view.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- It's fantastic, isn't it? - Yeah, it's beautiful, isn't it?
0:24:01 > 0:24:04I always think food tastes much better when you're outdoors.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06Yeah, you feel as if you've earned it, eh?
0:24:07 > 0:24:10So, have you always enjoyed being in the mountains?
0:24:10 > 0:24:14Yeah, yeah, ever since I was a teenager roaming the hills
0:24:14 > 0:24:17down in mid Wales. That's what inspired me, really,
0:24:17 > 0:24:20to get involved a bit more and earn a living from it.
0:24:20 > 0:24:21So tell me about your job.
0:24:21 > 0:24:25- What do you do, exactly?- I do a lot of training these days and a lot of
0:24:25 > 0:24:28kind of technical advice work, but it wasn't always that way.
0:24:28 > 0:24:32I had a bit of a scare around 11 years ago, when I was diagnosed with cancer.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36I was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
0:24:36 > 0:24:39So that was two years out of my life, really.
0:24:39 > 0:24:40You must have been really worried.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42Yeah, the family,
0:24:42 > 0:24:44my boys were young in those days as well,
0:24:44 > 0:24:47and it was a really traumatic time for them,
0:24:47 > 0:24:48for me and the family.
0:24:48 > 0:24:51But we kind of battled through and there was light at the end of the
0:24:51 > 0:24:55tunnel, in the end but, really, it was my family,
0:24:55 > 0:25:00keeping healthy and keeping going in the outdoors really inspired me.
0:25:00 > 0:25:04So staying out here and coming into the mountains made you stronger and
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- helped you get over it.- Yeah.
0:25:07 > 0:25:11- Shall we carry on?- Yes, we better get to the top before sunset.
0:25:15 > 0:25:19'This walk is now getting pretty hard and involves some scrambling,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23'so make sure you're prepared for this type of terrain.
0:25:23 > 0:25:26'And as we leave Devil's Kitchen, the going gets even tougher.'
0:25:42 > 0:25:44- The fog's getting thicker.- Yeah.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46Yeah. You have to be prepared for...
0:25:46 > 0:25:49You've got to be careful, haven't you, on this stuff?
0:25:49 > 0:25:52Yeah. And you've got to be prepared for all weather conditions.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04'I'm glad Berwyn is with me.
0:26:04 > 0:26:07'Up here, the weather is closing in - fast.
0:26:07 > 0:26:12'We're at 2,300 feet and totally surrounded by fog.'
0:26:12 > 0:26:15Yeah, I'm not sure we're going to see much from the top, unfortunately.
0:26:15 > 0:26:17Well, I don't know, we might be lucky.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19It might clear by the time we get to the top.
0:26:27 > 0:26:30Now, there we go, Derek. Look at this.
0:26:30 > 0:26:32- A fossil.- This is a fossil of a shell
0:26:32 > 0:26:35that was laid down in a shallow sea.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37- Millions of years ago. - 400 million years ago.
0:26:37 > 0:26:40This mountain used to be under the sea.
0:26:40 > 0:26:42So that is a fantastic find, there.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45Isn't it? It's a geologist's paradise up here, isn't it?
0:26:45 > 0:26:46It absolutely is.
0:26:46 > 0:26:49Just goes to show, we don't have to have fantastic views to get
0:26:49 > 0:26:50an interesting day out.
0:26:51 > 0:26:53- Fossil.- A fossil. All yours.
0:26:58 > 0:27:01It's starting to clear up, Derek.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03That's what we call a sucker's gap in the weather world.
0:27:03 > 0:27:06Yeah, and there's a nice view from here.
0:27:06 > 0:27:09- Fantastic. And we can see the top, now, as well.- Nearly there.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26It's unbelievable, but it's clearing,
0:27:26 > 0:27:29and just check out the landscape up here.
0:27:29 > 0:27:33It's like the moon, with finger-like rock formations all around us.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39- Ah!- There we go.
0:27:41 > 0:27:46We made it. The summit of Glyder Fawr.
0:27:46 > 0:27:48And it's covered in midges!
0:27:48 > 0:27:49THEY LAUGH
0:28:00 > 0:28:03- Just look at those views. - Fantastic.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12Well, Berwyn, thank you for being a wonderful guide and for such
0:28:12 > 0:28:14a challenging and rewarding walk.
0:28:14 > 0:28:17I know you've climbed all over the world, but with views like this,
0:28:17 > 0:28:20there's no better place than home, is there?
0:28:20 > 0:28:23Absolutely. But it does look like it's clagging in a little bit again,
0:28:23 > 0:28:25so I think we better make our way down.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26I think you're right. Come on.