This April I took a proper detox trip to Snowdonia. I needed a break from research projects, papers, and job applications (London job market for analysts and data scientists is a mess 💀). I always wanted to see Wales and Snowdonia, but after five years in the UK, never made it. Now, I finally saw the land of dragons!
The plan for this trip was simple: minimalistic journey with my old friend, maximum distance from anything resembling a laptop, focus on chatting and fun. Together we drove 1000 km in 5 days. The trip turned out to be everything I needed. Two old friends hiking in the mountains. Airbnb caravans in the middle of nowhere. Numerous old Welsh pubs visited on the way. Endless mountain views. Snow. Hail.
I want to save these memories and share my pictures of Snowdonia with you.
But first, the car. To match Welsh landscapes and make the trip special, we hired this beauty:
Highly recommended for romantic/fun trips.
We packed a lot into 5 days, and most of the places we visited are on my recommendation list now. If you ever plan a London → Snowdonia → London trip, the map below might be a useful starting point:
Now, let me take you through this journey.
(Special thanks to my phone Vivo X200 Ultra. Bought it in China last year. Best purchase so far.)
1. Rendcomb Aerodrome
We drove to Snowdonia in one day, no overnight stops. My friend, however, needed a detour on the way. How to explain… He loves adrenaline. Maybe he needs it, I don’t know. Anyway, he convinced me to stop at Rendcomb Aerodrome for the wingwalking experience.
What’s wingwalking? Well, it’s when you are attached to the wing of a plane, and then the plane flies. With you on it. I would never do it, but my friend happily paid £500 for the 20-minute flight. So, here we go. Red Bull content photos from the airfield:
Taking off. This is what the flight looks like 🙈
After the wingwalking, we had a few more hours of driving ahead. Stopped at Berwyn Arms pub for dinner on the way. Snowdonia was getting close. The views already so peaceful. Stress somewhere behind us. Only beauty and serenity ahead.
(By the way, narrow Welsh roads are quite dangerous at night. We saw an overturned car on the way to the camp. Drive carefully and try to finish before dark.)
2. Cae Gwyn Campsite
We arrived at the campsite late at night. It was cold and rainy. This strange, spooky feeling of arriving at a new place in the dark. Nobody was waiting for us. The key was left in the hut’s door. A stack of firewood inside.
You don’t check emails. First thing – make the fire to keep the hut warm. So different from the city.
This is how the hut meets us at night:
Enjoying the night at the camp and Guinness:
One thing I loved about arriving at night: you don’t see where you actually are. The beauty of the place is hidden. But you know that it is there! The mountains and forests are around you. So, the only thing you should do is go to sleep. The view will reveal itself in the morning.
The first thing I saw when waking up was Snowdon. Right through the window. The campsite turned out to be a perfect base. You could already see the summit from here and feel the adventure waiting.
I loved the place. Very peaceful. Surrounded by green hills and mountains. It also has a Haruki Murakami vibe: a lonely hut, and a keyring with a metallic sheep.
Even though we could see the peak, getting there was another story. There was no direct route from the campsite to the top. So, we got in the car and headed to Llanberis.
3. Llanberis
Llanberis village – our final stop before the Snowdon ascent. There is a well-known path running from Llanberis all the way to the summit. So, we parked the car there, had breakfast, and got ready for the climb.
The village was charming. Colourful houses, Welsh dragon flags, cosy cafés.
4. Snowdon (Yr Wyddfa)
Now, the ascent. The ornamental iron gate welcomes you to the path.
The Llanberis side of Snowdon isn’t the most challenging hike in the world. But it’s a meditative one. You walk on a more-or-less straight path, always seeing Snowdon in front of you. Crawling to the summit and enjoying the views. Plenty of time to talk and think.
It took us around 6 hours to get to the summit and back. There was an easier way to see Snowdon – the tourist train. But we skipped that. We wanted to conquer the mountain ourselves.
Getting closer to the top, I was surprised how much snow there was! The upper hills were fully covered. That’s why it’s called Snowdon, I guess. I haven’t seen so much snow since I moved from Russia. So I sat down on a slope to enjoy the contrast between the white mountain and the green valley below.
We hiked on April 12th, so I expected mild spring weather. In London you can wear a t-shirt in April. But Snowdon was different. The wind was brutal. The higher we climbed, the colder it became. The summit itself was fully covered in clouds. No views. We kept moving not to get cold.
The peak of Snowdon had a funny artefact – gym kettlebells scattered here and there. I guess some people bring them here as part of a climbing challenge. The one in the photo is 28 kg. Yes, I tried lifting it.
On the way back, we got ambushed by hail. It was quite strong and dense. The road quickly covered in ice balls. We turned our heads down as the hail was scratching our faces. But anyway, we walked back happy. We saw Snowdon. We climbed there ourselves. I lifted the kettlebell.
When we came down from the mountain, a reward was waiting for us. Llanberis pubs! The sun was still shining, helping us warm up. Hard to believe we’d been in a hailstorm up there just a few hours before.
5. Bangor
For dinner, we drove to Bangor. We parked near the pier and went to the Tafarn Y Garth pub. What a stylish and cosy place! I loved its blue design, matching the evening sea view outside.
The pub had everything a tired hiker could need. Want a large fish and chips with Guinness? Sure. Strawberry milkshake? Here you go.
6. Betws-y-Coed
The next day, we wandered around Snowdonia. No clear plan, no pressure. Stopped at many peaceful viewpoints and cafes. I was spamming pictures of these landscapes. Some of the photos came out layered like paintings: a lake, then a field, a cottage with our red car, then mountains in the background. I’d like to print a poster with them.
Then we drove to Betws-y-Coed. This village is on all the recommendation lists for Snowdonia trips. And it does have charm. You can walk the whole village in under an hour, as there are only two main streets with cafes and shops. But the Pont-y-Pair Bridge view deserves more than a quick look. We sat under the bridge and watched the river flow. A perfect place for a picnic.
Afterwards, we explored a nearby hill and stopped at Pont-y-Pair pub for lunch.
7. Airbnb in a forest
You know how some Airbnb options are in the middle of nowhere? Well, this caravan was the Welsh edition of that nowhere. It was the only caravan rented out on a huge 30-acre farm. No shops or villages around. The closest pub is 3 km away. Yes, we walked there through fields, to avoid driving back drunk.
The farm is unreal. First, as I said, it’s completely isolated. A couple live there running it in a sustainable way – growing their own fruit and vegetables, using solar panels, collecting wood from the forest, etc. Second, the farm sits on a hill with this view:
This isn’t a famous viewpoint that you need to drive to or buy tickets. This is an everyday view that you get by living here! An unbelievable luxury. We don’t get that in a city. I think the whole detox trip culminated here. Yes, Snowdon views were amazing. I knew they would be. But having my own private view like that was beyond my expectations.
We spent the evening at that bench, drinking cider and just watching.
This is what two boys do in a caravan:
The next day we made full use of that view by setting up a photoshoot with our MINI Cooper. What is this photo? Is it from a movie? An album cover?
Rural scenes around our farm:
By the way, the farm owners told us that in winter the hills are fully covered in snow for months. Even the roads are blocked sometimes, so they can’t drive out. I’d like to come and see that! We have almost no snow in London. And Snowdonia delivers it, as promised.
8. Drift Limits, London Motor Circuit
Heading back home. It’s about a 5-hour drive back to London. The journey is almost over.
Hey, remember I told you that my friend needs extreme sports? Well, on the way back, we stopped for one last drop of adrenaline. We booked a racing session for an F1000 single-seater. This time, I was strapped in:
Back to work
Obviously, the trip didn’t fix the job market or academic research pressure. But I stopped thinking about these problems for 5 days. I got what I needed: completely disconnected from the city, the laptop, and even from supermarkets on certain days.
I am writing this post many weeks after Snowdonia. Didn’t have time to write about it right after. The work pressure came back. The city problems sucked me in again and again. But coming back to these Snowdonia memories, I feel better and stronger. I know that places like that exist, and that I can get there when I need to.
Andrey Churkin (Андрей Чуркин) 2026
