Fat Goat Walks

Okay that’s enough of that, I know how to count from 1 – 99 in Welsh – after that my knowledge of the language is exhausted. Suffice to say that the title of this post translates to “We’re going to Wales”.

Last year Chris and I spent a fantastic few hours driving (okay, Chris did all of that!) to probably one of the best little coastal towns in the United Kingdom – Llandudno. This gave us the opportunity to experience “The great Orme” – apparently this was ancient Norse meaning “Great Worm” allegedly what the peninsula looks like from a distance….well if one squints!

The town of Llandudno itself is one of the jewels in the crown of North Wales managing somehow to be both modern and yet traditional, Victorian and metropolitan at the same time.

The Great Orme is undoubtedly on my top ten list of great hilltops to be on for many reasons: It’s not very tall – being just a little under 700′ (therefore minimum effort for maximum rewards!), There are plenty of things to do at the top – one could even engage in a windy game of pitch and put if one so desired, there is also a shop, café and amusement arcade, one can engage in a spot of natural graffiti and spell out one’s name (or other) using limestone rocks on “Names Hill” – a disused quarry (Bishop’s Quarry). There is an ordnance survey pillar for us peak-baggers and last but by no means least the dramatic views in a full 360 degrees panorama ranging from the Irish Sea to the peaks of Snowdon are simply breath-taking!

The walk from the town centre to the summit of the hill is certainly not to be taken lightly as parts of the trek are unrelentingly steep – evidence of this is in the fact that there is a tram (funicular) upon which one could joyfully observe the surroundings without the energy expenditure, which goes almost to the very summit of the hill! Many people opt to take the tram up the hill and then walk back down, I’d hazard a guess that we will be doing this in reverse!