In Wales, land of mountains myth and music, lies Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park – the place where eagles fly. They once used to but today it is a place where our spirits can soar and you might even hear angels singing!

Wild Wales

Mist swirls between the mountains covering then revealing craggy peaks as the clouds break. As shadows move across the hillsides the colours change creating different moods. Below in secluded valleys there is the sound of rushing rocky streams and the call of sheep echoes from the hillsides. Above the peaks, where eagles once flew, ravens call to each other. Lower in the valleys lie small hamlets where slate miners used to live. Now there is silence leaving the deserted quarries to tell their old stories of the past.

But there is a quiet beauty here. A gently melancholic sense of a land that was. Myths and legends drift like the mist through these valleys. 

Mountains

My first encounter with this rugged landscape was as a youngster climbing Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) for the first time. As mist surrounded us there was a sense of being exposed with unseen drops into the misty chasms each side of us. To add to the drama there was the eerie sound of the Snowdon steam train, puffing up the mountain somewhere in the distance shrouded in mist. Such memories remain for life. They leave a sense of deep respect for the power of mountains and the need for care when climbing them.

As well as the Snowdon range the Ogwen valley (above) is also full of climbs. Tryfan is always a favourite. Its shapely peak stands in grand isolation. Nearby, a scramble up neighbouring Bristly Ridge takes you to the top of Glyder Fawr. Next door is Cwm Idwal and the Devil’s Kitchen gulley. To the right is Y Garn.

Eryri (Snowdonia)

But Eryri is more than mountains.  It has seaside towns with beautiful beaches, historic castles and the little steam railway from Porthmadog to Festiniog. There are many quiet places like the Lleyn peninsula and the peaceful Mawddach Estuary (above). No wonder that the old slate mining has been replaced by tourism. Wales is a land that draws you. We have had numerous family holidays here

This area of North Wales is strongly Welsh in both language and culture. The Welsh language is often called the language of heaven. When spoken it has a lovely singing quality. Perhaps this is why the Welsh are a singing people in chapels, eisteddfods and male voice choirs.

What will we learn from Eryri?

To measure ourselves against mountains
and to change speed.
To understand that our time here is short,
but our responsibility huge.
Then, as we put on our instagram face
and take a walk, we’ll tread gently,
leaving only our footprints
to burnish the path for our kids.
And we’ll smile
as we enter these rocky portals,
because moments here,
can enlighten whole lives.

From the poem Eryri by Ifor ap Glyn (Hear this poem beautifully recited in welsh by the poet)

Angelic Singing

Wales carries a glorious history of Christian revivals. One of my favourite stories is from the 1817 Beddgelert revival. Then angelic singing was heard in the air as worshippers came away from chapel meetings. Of many accounts here is one:

“At the beginning it was heard as if it wafted on the wind far away ….It was a weak sound, melodious with different voices and gradually drawing nearer to several of us, until it was heard powerfully, clearly and effectively. Now it was like the sound of a great crowd rejoicing or praising”. 

Most of the revivals in Wales were accompanied by an outburst of hymn singing. At these times the chapels were crowded and a deep sense of the Presence of God was felt everywhere. Does that mysterious angelic singing still echo through these delightful hills and valleys calling Wales and us all back to God?

Thank you for visiting,