Saturday 16th October was the date we had set for our biggest event of 2021... Climb Mount Snowdon in Wales.
When we put the idea out there, the response was fantastic. Many of the members at OnPoint Fitness in Ware had climbed it in the past, but they couldn’t recommend it enough, and so many were also taking it on for the first time in their lives, including me.
We contacted RAW Adventures a few months back and arranged for a tour guide to take our group of 20 up to the summit and all agreed to book somewhere to stay on the Friday night before the climb and also on the Saturday night after the climb, so it was a weekend to look forward to in many ways.
On the Friday morning, once the bootcamp classes had finished at Onpoint, there was a sense of excitement in the air, knowing we were all meeting to go on a road trip and take on something monumental.
As you can probably imagine, the M1 and M6 motorways didn’t offer much to the imagination, but a few good podcasts got us through, and then we got to turn off the main roads to take in the views… WOW!!!
It was almost impossible to take a bad photo.
We eventually pulled in to Llanberis, where we would be staying, found our accommodation and got ourselves settled in before checking out the local establishments for a well earned Guinness.
The WhatsApp group was going off as everyone was arriving in town, but an early night was needed as we had to be at the Snowdon Railway Station in the morning for an early start.
The team of guides were great. From start to finish they kept us very engaged and they all took turns at the front and back, ensuring no one was left out, and their knowledge of the mountains and local area was fantastic.
The climb itself was, at times, very challenging. Multiple terrains to deal with and plenty of climbing, putting our workouts at OnPoint Fitness to good use, and then there was the constant changing weather to deal with, making it feel like we were forever taking clothes on and off, but after a few hours in, everyone found their stride and the conversations were flowing, which made the whole journey very enjoyable.
The scenery was phenomenal. I’ve personally never done anything like this before. I have cycled through Snowdonia, but never really stopped to take in the breathtaking views it had to offer.
The day was topped off with a lovely celebration dinner at The Royal Victoria hotel with all the members of OnPoint, superbly organised by our coach Kate Ollard, and we doubled up the celebration by singing happy birthday to member George Brankin, followed by devouring a Colin the caterpillar cake.
The pubs all close at 10pm in Wales due to their existing Covid-19 restrictions, but that done us a favour as the 5 hour drive home meant an early start on the Sunday. Between the driving and walking, there was a lot of travelling involved, but this is definitely one trip that I and all the members will remember for the rest of our lives.
I want to take a moment to say a big thank you to the team at Raw Adventures for their professional guidance, I also want to send a big congrats and thank you to all the members of OnPoint that made the journey and contributed to a wonderful few days away, and to our very own team of Kate and Ryan for their part in organising the event and keeping everyone entertained.
I write this having returned very motivated, a little bit tender, but very inspired, as plans are already in place to take on the other two peaks, Scarfell Pike and Ben Nevis in 2022.
If you would like to join our fitness community in Ware, Hertfordshire and take part in our many social events throughout 2022, why not Contact Us today and book a free trial.