Traveller's Journal: Snowdonia National Park - Day 3

I cannot recall the moment I discovered my fear of heights. I can remember falling from the top of a bunk bed once whilst on holiday as my sister slept on the bottom. I don't think that was the defining moment, though I'm sure it played some part in developing my phobia.

But one thing was for certain. I knew I couldn't come to Llanberis without a journey on the Snowdon Mountain Railway. "Did you go on the mountain train?" they would ask.

"Er, no," I would reply rather meekly.

"Why ever not?" the inquisition would continue.

"Er, I was scared." I could hear the sniggering even now. The heights are not a problem provided the land slopes gently and there is no dramatic change in gradient. But I had seen the postcards, and boy did some of those drops look spectacular.

So it was with a certain amount of trepidation that I approached the ticket booth. The advent of internet bookings has left the railway struggling to meet demand, especially during the busy tourist season.

Each journey to the top is made by just a single carriage pushed along either by the more romantic steam engine or a modern diesel. The distinctive smell of the steam engines is evident throughout the station and can become a little overbearing at times. But there's no tiring of the traditional sounds of bells and whistles and the whoosh of the engines.

Ice at the summit of Mount Snowdon means a reduction in the return fare from