Snowdonia Campervan Adventure - a scramble up Tryfan North face and Bristly Ridge

When we set off from the Dales on our Snowdonia campervan adventure, the weather forecast was pretty awful and we did not hold out much hope for getting out into the mountains. The weather forecast was so wrong! It chucked it down for most of the drive but as soon as we arrived at the campsite the skies cleared and we had a great weather window for the weekend.

Dolgam Campsite

Dolgam Campsite has been a family favourite for decades and we have made so many happy memories there over the years. It is based on a family working farm and what better time to visit than in the middle of lambing season! Unfortunately, it does mean that no dogs are allowed on the campsite as there are sheep everywhere in the surrounding pastures.

Situated between Betws-y-Coed and Capel Curig, the campsite is a perfect base to explore this part of the Snowdonia or Eryri National Park. On a clear day, there are incredible views towards Moel Siabod, probably one of our favourite Welsh peaks. The river runs to one side of the campsite and we were really lucky to get a pitch right next to it – on warmer days it is a great spot for a paddle.

Something I really like about the campsite is that prices are per person not van so for single travellers it is only £12 a night. We thought it was great value at £48 for 2 nights – the facilities are spotlessly clean and well tended to, we saw the farmer cleaning at least 4 times a day while we were there – and we were out most of the day! EHU is available on the prebooked hardstanding pitches for an extra fee.

From the campsite, there are a couple of buses that stop outside the gate so you do not need to move your van once parked up. We caught the bus to the Ogwen Valley which was £4.40 each return and it was just so easy, there was no worry about getting one of the precious car parking spaces. They run every hour, including a bus that goes through to Pen-y-Pass if Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa) is on your agenda. In the other direction, there are regular buses until early evening in Betws-y-Coed.  

Tryfan, Bristly Ridge and the Ogwen Valley

It is probably about 7 years since we first hiked in the Ogwen Valley and we were quite surprised at how much busier it now is. Granted we were there on the Saturday of the Mayday bank holiday.

After a truly awful weather forecast earlier in the week for the bank holiday weekend, we were given a reprieve and actually had pretty perfect conditions for a scramble up the north face of Tryfan. It was dry, very calm and quite cloudy so we didn’t over heat on what was a very strenuous hike.

The bus dropped us off just before the lake, perfect for the path to start our ascent. It is a grade 1 scramble up the north face with some trickier paths that we left for the more experienced climbers with the proper equipment. The scramble is perfectly safe as long as you have a head for heights, the confidence to heave yourself over and up some of the steeper rocks and suitable footwear. We were following a route that Richard found in a book called North Wales Scrambles: A guide to 50 of the best mountain scrambles in Snowdonia by Garry Smith.

About half way up, we came across one of the first cantilever rocks, and being the big kids that we are, we had to get up on it! It is not as perilous as it looks, but it was a bit of a heart in the mouth moment. There were certainly more of those moments to come!

We must have chosen a quiet, less trodden route up Tryfan, because once we joined the main path, it was like being on a motorway with dozens of hikers. The summit was busy and we spent a good half hour watching as a variety of people had a go at the Adam and Eve leap of faith. Hats off to them, I couldn’t even work out how I would get up on to the plinth and I definitely don’t have the head for heights to do this.

It was a bit of a struggle to get a summit photo but luckily we bumped into a lovely subscriber up there who took a quick snap for us in a brief moment before the crowds descended again. At this point, it did look as though the weather was going to change and we almost made the decision to head back down to the valley, but we spotted a path that we could take across to Bristly Ridge that had a bail out point if we needed to get off the mountain quickly, so we carried on. Luckily, the clouds moved on and we persevered.

The scramble up Bristly Ridge was super fun, but wow, there was one moment not far from the summit where I could see how people get ‘rock bound’. There was a short steep section for about 10m where you needed to descend and it was very exposed with a sheer drop. I am sure it was safer than it looked but it did nothing for my nerves.

Once at the top, we had superb views across most of Snowdonia and we had lots of fun scrambling on the rocks and posing for more photo’s on the Glyders. The hike back down to the valley was less dramatic but just as scenic. We had a wonderful view back across to the ridges that we had scrambled up and came across a small herd of the famous mountain goats. We came back down with superb views across the Mach Loop, sadly as it was a Saturday, there were no RAF or military jets training, I can imagine it would be awesome to see them.

The hike was further than we anticipated and we were in rush to get back down to the valley to catch the bus. Descending quickly was not great for our ankles and knees and the path was rocky underfoot which didn’t help. In all, we hiked over 10km with 1028m of elevation gain. We definitely earnt the beers that we drank that evening.

All things Cadac

We have been firm Cadac BBQ fans for the past 8 years since we got our first van Nelson and were really pleased when Cadac Dometic reached out to us to see if we would like to try out one of their new outdoor cooking systems the 2 Cook Turbo FFD Deluxe QR. This was the first trip away to try it out and Richard had a breakfast favourite that he wanted to have a go at. With the ability to have a flat plate and a griddle plate on the go simultaneously, it was super easy to use and clean afterwards.

Cadac have kindly given us a 10% discount code for our subscribers to use on any of their products on their website – This is not an affiliate link and we will not get any commission from it. But it is a product that we have used for years and firmly believe in.

The code is ERW10 on any full price items on the the Cadac Dometic website using the link below:

https://www.cadacuk.com/product-category/barbecues/stoves/

Betws-Y-Coed

The next morning, we could have caught the bus into Betwsy from the campsite, but it was a beautiful morning so we decided to do the 6km hike along the river instead. It is a really pretty valley hike – so not too strenuous and it takes you through some bluebell woods and past a view point that I think gives you a better view of Swallow Falls than if you paid to go in on the official trail.

Once in Betwsy we had officially entered the bank holiday tourist trail with all of the cafes and pubs jam packed. There is a nice feel to the town with a complete mixture of people from avid hikers to motorbike visitors and lots of families enjoying the fresh air and mountain views. Having not spent anything apart from our bus fare the previous day we decided we could have a full on treat day - starting with tea and cake at the cute Caban-Y Pair cafe. Perhaps some of the most delicious cakes we have had in a while!

After a nosy around the outdoor shops we had a pint of the local craft beer before hiking back up the river valley to the campsite. It is fair to say after 2 long days of hiking our legs were tired and our bodies weary.

We had actually booked to move on to another favourite campsite - Llyn Gwynant for a night so we could have a hike up the Watkins Path but we had a better offer. An impromtu family BBQ at my mums with my sisters and family for Isobel her daughters 21st birthday. One thing we never turn down is a family feast and get together and we had a lovely time.

With a road trip through France and exploring the islands of Sardinia and Corsica to plan and pack for, we had a quiet week at home. As I finish writing this blog, I am sitting in the shade after a lovely afternoon on the beach.

Catch up with where we visited on our drive through France in the next blog

Jackie and Richard