Edrych yn ôl | A Look Back… Dylan’s 3 Peaks & Troughs Fundraising Challenge
It’s been two weeks since we completed our long-awaited sponsored walk for the Mountain Rescue Teams of North Wales - what great memories!
The Dylan’s team joined our generous donors for a day of walking, eating (and more walking and eating!), alongside the volunteers of North Wales Mountain Rescue Association, including representatives from Ogwen MRO, Llamberis MRT, Aberglaslyn MRT, Môn Search and Rescue, Search And Rescue Dog Association (SARDA Wales) & North Wales Cave Rescue Organisation.
The challenge, 3 peaks, over 3 counties, with 3 restaurant (troughs) pit stops throughout the day. 12 miles, and 1251m of elevation - it was set to tire some legs out!
About The Cause
The North Wales Mountain Rescue Association (NWMRA) is the umbrella organisation for mountain, cave and lowland rescue across North Wales, and makes up a large and specialist part of the rescue resources throughout Gwynedd, Conwy & Anglesey.
They rely primarily on donations to fund their rescue service. With over 600 incidents across the region annually - increasing yearly - these costs are only set to rise.
The event idea was dreamed up in our Llangefni office back in 2019, and had been delayed for many reasons (the lockdowns, health of organisers etc) - so it felt quite surreal that the day had finally arrived!
The partnership with NWMRA has seen us raise over £2,700 to date, for the Mountain Rescue Team (through the sale of our Charity Pizza) who will use the funds to help expand and improve the regional digital radio network.
The funds from 3 Peaks & Troughs, will only further increase the size of the donation pot!
The First Trough and Peak of the Day
The day began early, over at Dylan’s Criccieth Restaurant, on Sunday morning, 25th of June. The weather was dry yet foreboding; we were hoping that the blue skies were going to pull through as promised… Ah, the beauty of Welsh weather!
The Dylan’s chefs prepared a fuelling breakfast of Edwards of Conwy bacon baps, our own freshly baked pastries, Llaeth Y Llan yoghurts, and fresh fruit.
Before setting off to tackle the first peak, the group were briefed by the Dylan's team and were introduced to Tim Radford (Chairman of the NWMRA) to talk about the cause. We learned that rescue missions in North Wales cost hundreds of thousands a year, but the NWMRA receive only approximately £7,000 annually through government funding.
Once the Three Peaks & Troughs t-shirts and information packs were collected & registration completed, we all headed off to the first peak of the day: Elidir Fach!
Elidir Fach was considered the most challenging peak of the day (getting the hardest one out the way first!), and is situated a short distance away from the Criccieth Restaurant and overlooks Marchlyn Mawr, the reservoir that powers Electric Mountain.
We saw two types of weather in a short space of time - grey & windy on the way up, whilst clear skies greeted us on the way down.
First peak: Done!
Another County, Another Peak
Before ascending the second peak of the day - Mynydd Twr on Anglesey - we were greeted by Mick & Ally, who provided us with Dylan’s homemade brownies & flapjacks to keep us energised. Mick did the absolute lions share of the route planning & trail walks for this event back in 2019, and despite ill health, was determined to play his part alongside Ally, who is an ever welcoming face at our Baked Goods & General Stores.
Mynydd Twr is also referred to as Holyhead Mountain. The rugged & dramatic coastline passes through the Breakwater Park, and forms part of the Anglesey Coastal Path.
The drizzly & foggy weather definitely made the trek a challenge, especially towards the top when a bit of scrambling was in order. Luckily we were surrounded by the NWMRA team, so were in safe hands! When we made it to the top, we were greeted with a stunning view of the Holyhead Marina.
Peak number two: Done!
Lunch at the Second Trough
Luckily the weather cleared as the group made their way to Menai Bridge for the second meal of the day.
The Dylan’s team put on an impressive lunch buffet at The Black Star Bar which included our homemade sourdough pizza, seasoned fries, freshly baked sausage rolls, and a wide selection of some of our most popular sweet treats. Delicious!
Onto the final peak: Mynydd y Dref
Just around the corner from our Conwy General Store, we started the steep incline up Mynydd Y Dref, also known as Conwy Mountain. Conwy Mountain was once home to an Iron Age hill fort (Castell Caer Seion), and the ruins can be viewed at the top.
The group were rewarded quickly with views overlooking Conwy Castle & the Quay, and the magnificent view of the back of the Carneddau Mountain Range from the peak.
Once the group reached the peak of Conwy Mountain, we all celebrated with a ‘woop!’ and a well deserved sit down. We could not have asked for better weather to end this special day: There wasn’t a cloud in sight!
The three peaks challenge is done. Completing this all in one day is a great achievement!
The Final Meal of the Day: The Llandudno Trough
Our intrepid hikers were greeted with a hearty evening meal over at our third ‘trough’ in Dylan’s Llandudno. The restaurant is situated towards the end of the stunning Victorian Llandudno promenade & bay, on the East Shore.
As everyone dined, it was rewarding to know that not only did the team come together to support a worthy cause, but also to see new friendships being made after their shared experience.
Tim & the Dylan’s team concluded the day with an inspiring debrief, and a massive thank you to everyone that joined.
Diolch - Thank you for your donations
Thank you to all of those who joined on the day to help raise much needed funds & awareness for the North Wales Mountain Rescue Association.
If you were unable to join us but would still like to donate to this worthwhile cause, you can do so here.