Less than one week to go, and I’m gearing up to climb Snowdon—or Yr Wyddfa, as it’s known in Welsh. Climbing a mountain has always been a dream of mine, but as a lifelong procrastinator, it wasn’t something I ever thought I’d actually do.
Fast forward a few decades, and here I am, about to live the dream. Here’s how it all started:
On July 20th, 2024, Darren and I took a trip to Hertfordshire for a family BBQ (I have a pretty big family spread far and wide). My youngest cousin Jess and I were having a random conversation—I can’t even recall what we were discussing—when out of the blue, she asked if I wanted to climb Snowdon. My automatic response was, “Hell yeah! I’ve always wanted to climb a mountain!”
By the time we arrived back in Portsmouth, Jess had already messaged me a list of dates she was free to climb and a few Airbnb options. The date we opted for? August 24th, 2024!
What had I gotten myself into? I can’t even climb the stairs without sounding like a 40-a-day smoker…
Drastic times call for drastic measures. I knew I needed to boost my stamina and leg strength fast.
I’d already been on a health kick with another cousin—calorie counting, clean eating, and mindfully eating for good gut health. (I say “had,” but we’re still at it, although she’s way more committed than me.)
Anyway, I digress. I downloaded the Couch to 5K app and started Week 1, Run 1 on July 22nd. I’m now in Week 5, with my climb coming up this weekend! I’ve also been swimming weekly when possible, though not as consistently as I could. And I take the stairs to my third-floor apartment at every opportunity—though it’s still a challenge, and I refuse to carry the shopping up or the rubbish down. Living in a flat city like Portsmouth hasn’t exactly conditioned me for inclined walking.
Today (August 19th), I took a trip to the sports shop to get some waterproofs, walking boots, and a lightweight rucksack, which I’ll review and tell you all about in my post-climb post.
For now, I’m off to get some well-earned sleep.
