Capel Curig

 In a nutshell. Small mountain village with a big reputation.

 All self-respecting outdoor enthusiasts will have heard of Capel Curig. Mountains are its raison d’être. The village stands in a crucial fork in the road. Go north-west along the A5 Nant Ffrancon Pass and you’re into the glacial wildernesses of the Glyders and Carneddau, with the triangular peak of Tryfan – a siren not to be tackled lightly – looming above the waters of Llyn Ogwen. Go south-east and you’re soon at the foot of Snowdon and the boulder-strewn Llanberis Pass, where legendary rock climbers like Joe Brown and Don Whillans cut their teeth, and the team that first conquered Everest trained (incidentally, Joe opened his shop selling outdoor gear in Capel Curig in the late 1960s, and it’s still going strong).

Make no mistake, this is an elemental landscape.

Water as well as rock makes a dramatic appearance, for the village is almost on the shores of the twin lakes of Llynnau Mymbyr, framed by the classic ‘horseshoe’ view of Snowdon and its neighbouring peaks.

With such inspiring and varied terrain on its doorstep it’s no surprise to discover that Capel Curig is home to Plas-y-Brenin National Outdoor Centre, the UK’s leading outdoor pursuits centre with a wide range of courses that appeal to everyone from beginners and families to macho mountain men (and women).

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