It just struck me this morning, that everyone seems to be talking about hiking these days. When my dad was young, they had to walk everywhere. There were buses and trams of course but cars were a rarity around Colwyn Bay in those days. (At the time of writing dad is just a couple of weeks away from his 96th birthday) His family walked for fun, and he attributes his longevity to the amount of walking he has done throughout his lifetime. He is still walking now, more slowly and with a stick but up the hill he goes on a sunny day.
Getting back to hiking though, is it a more energetic version of walking? Keeping with the family theme, in her youth my mother used to go rambling. I wonder if that is somewhere between walking and hiking? Is it a gentler version of hiking but one step up from a walk? My cousin is a walker, she sometimes leads guided walks and travels around the country to do so.
Whatever the actual definition, there are so many places to walk, hike and ramble in North Wales. I should say that I don’t get out walking much, only on the hill behind the shepherd’s hut, and the occasional walk around the lanes in the early summer mornings. My guests though, are happy educate me and the vast majority of them have come to stay precisely, because what they want to do is hike.
Waterfalls, Mountains and Lakes
I always suggest Aber falls, which is a nice easy walk, you can even take a pram. Conwy mountain is also a lovely place with fabulous views of the castle and the Great Orme. Of course, lots of people want to climb Snowdon, the highest mountain in Wales and now known as Yr Wyddfa. It gets so busy though. People often forget that we have a LOT of mountains in North Wales. There are plenty to choose from and they are all amazing.
Betws Y Coed is well known beauty spot which is busy all year around with walkers and climbers flocking to the area. It also has a famous waterfall (Swallow falls) and so many walks that someone has taken the time to list the top ten!
Then there are the lakes, and North Wales has many stunning ones to choose from. Staying closer to home, our shepherd’s hut can walk on our own farmland with one of the best views for miles around being less than 5 minutes up the hill (we call it the mountain, but trust me, it’s just a hill). Cottage guests, staying in Llysfaen, are a 2 minute walk from Mynydd Marian which is a nature reserve and site of special scientific interest, it also has fabulous views of the countryside and out to sea.
Local Walks
In fact, the cottage has many walks you can take straight from the front door. It is in a fabulous location, a short drive to the beach and easy access to Colwyn Bay, Conwy and Llandudno but you are also out in the countryside, so all that’s needed is to pull on your hiking boots and you are good to go.
So whether you are trekking, or trudging, tramping or scrambling, you will never be short of somewhere to walk or hike when you come and stay with us at Sunsets and Stars.
By the way, I asked AI and it told me ‘the main difference between walking and hiking lies in the environment, intensity, and purpose’ So there you have it. Happy hiking everyone and we hope to see you here soon.