MR. PENNANT’S ASCENT.
“Ascend above Cwm Brwynog a very deep bottom. In the course of our ascent, saw on the left above the Cwm, Moel y Cynghorion, or the Hill of Council; pass through Bwlch Maes-y-cwm, and skirt the side of Snowdon, till we reach Bwlch Cwm Brwynog, where the ascent becomes very difficult on account of its vast steepness; people here usually quit their horses. We began a toilsome march, clambering among the rocks. On the left were the precipices over Brwynog with Llyn Du yr Arddwy at their foot; on our right, were those over the small lakes Llyn Glâs, Llyn y Naddroed, and Llyn Côch. The last is the highest on this side the mountain; and on whose margins, we were told that in fairy days, those diminutive gentry kept their revels.
“This space between precipice and precipice formed a short and no very agreeable isthmus, till we reached a verdant expanse which gave us some respite before we laboured up another series of broken crags; after these is a second smooth tract, which reaches almost to the summit, and by way of pre-eminence is styled Y Wyddfa, or The Conspicuous. It rises almost to a point, or at least there is but room for a circular wall of loose stones, within which travellers usually take their repast.
“The view from this exalted situation is unbounded. In a former tour I saw from it the hills of Yorkshire, part of the north of England, Scotland, and Ireland; a plain view of the Isle of Man, and that of Anglesey lay extended like a map beneath me with every rill visible. I took much pains to see this prospect to advantage, sat up at a farm on the west till about twelve, and walked up the whole way. The night was remarkably fine and starry: towards morn, the stars faded away, and left a short interval of darkness, which soon dispersed by the dawning of the day. The body of the sun appeared most distinct with the rotundity of the moon, before it rose high enough to render its beams too brilliant for our sight. The sea which bounded the western part was gilt by its rays, first in slender streaks, at length glowing with redness. The prospect was disclosed like the gradual drawing up of a curtain in a theatre. We saw more and more till the heat became so powerful as to attract the mists from the various lakes, which in a slight degree obscured the prospect. The shadow of the mountain was flung many miles, and shewed its bicapitated form; the Wyddfa making one, Crib y Dysdyll the other head. I counted this time between twenty and thirty lakes either in this county, or Merionethshire. The day proved so excessively hot, that my journey cost me the skin of the lower part of my face before I reached the resting place.”
At another visit, the same celebrated traveller remarks—“On this day, the sky was obscured very soon after I got up; a vast mist enveloped the whole circuit of the mountain; the prospect down was horrible. It gave an idea of numbers of abysses concealed by a thick smoke, furiously circulating round us. Very often a gust of wind formed an opening in the clouds, which gave a fine and distinct view of lake and valley. Sometimes, they opened only in one place, at others in many at once, exhibiting a most strange and perplexing view of water, fields, rocks or chasms, in fifty different places. They then closed at once, and left us involved in darkness; in a short time, they would separate again, and fly in wild eddies round the middle of the mountains, and expose in parts both tops and bases clear to our view. We descended from this various scene with great reluctance, but before we reached our horses a thunder storm overtook us. Its rolling among the mountains was inexpressibly awful, the rain uncommonly heavy. We remounted our horses, and gained the bottom with great hazard. The little rills which on our ascent trickled along the gullies on the sides of the mountain, were now swelled into torrents, and we and our steeds passed with the utmost risk of being swept away by these sudden waters. At length, we arrived safe, yet sufficiently wet and weary, to our former quarters.
“It is very seldom that the traveller gets a propitious day to ascend Snowdon; for often when it appears clear, it becomes suddenly and unexpectedly enveloped in mist by its attraction of clouds, which just before seemed remote and at great heights. At times, I have observed them lower to half their heights, and notwithstanding they have been dispersed to the right and to the left, yet they have met from both sides and united to involve the summit in one great obscurity. The quantity of water which flows from the lakes of Snowdonia is very considerable; so much, that I doubt not but collectively they would exceed the waters of the Thames before it meets the conflux of the ocean.”