On Thursday (20th) we took the bus from outside the campsite to Llanberis with tickets booked for the Snowden Mountain Railway. We arrived early and noticed plenty of activity in a nearby field. It turned out they were filming an episode of Sky Arts’ Landscape Artist of the Year. Lots of talented people painting mountain views – we even spotted the programme host Stephen Mangan.

The mountain railway consisted of a single carriage pushed up the track by a diesel locomotive. The track uses cogs to prevent slippage. Vintage steams locos also make the ascent but unfortunately not at the time we visited. The trip takes an hour each way with a 30 minute stop at the summit. We were blessed with good weather and excellent visibility. The actual peak (1085 metres) was marked with a stone cairn topped with a bronze trig marker.